Cruelty and the Beast

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Customer reviews

review by: daveyt666 date: 2007-08-25 rating:
An absolute must for metal fans!
this album is black metal at its best in my opinion i think cradle of filths genre of melodic black metal really shines in this record and you will not be able to stop listening to it!

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review by: date: 2007-01-25 rating:
Compulsory for all Black Metal fans
This album is just excellent, and is one of the few concept albums that really works. Based on the legend of the Hungarian 'Blood Countess' Elizabeth Bathory, the album drags its listeners through a dark and violent story steeped in eroticism and lascivious imagery. Dani's lyrics are intelligent and intriguing in equal measures - it's almost worth buying the album just to read them. However, don't expect to be able to actually hear his message as his trademark screaming and barking blurs the dialogue into one long tirade of apocalyptic proportions.

At the time the band were disappointed with the sound production and were particularly despondent about the drum sound. However, until they had actually pointed that out to me I had not noticed that there was anything amiss. With hindsight it's noticeable that the drums are quite tinny, but I really don't think this detracts from the quality of the songs as a whole. Nicholas Barker's drumming is so furious, and his timing is so accurate, that any sound production issues pale into insignificance.

Cruelty and the Beast was the first Cradle of Filth album to really reveal the band's influences, and a heavy dose of Iron Maiden style riffage can be heard resonating from the twin guitars. The dark undertone, carried forward from The Principle of Evil Made Flesh, prevents the guitar sound from being too cheery, but the seeds of commerciality were definitely being sown at this stage. I bought the first couple of albums from underground 'goth' shops and was surprised to see this one hit the shelves in all the major music retailers immediately. This was partly due to Dani's increasing presence in the rock media at the time, but was also as a consequence of more traditional metal sounds coming through the mix.

Being a concept album all of the songs flow together well and are best appreciated in their original sequence. However, in my view, the classics are Thirteen Autumns and a Widow, Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids, Beneath the Howling Stars and The Twisted Nails of Faith. The album loses the plot slightly half way through The Bathory Aria, but quickly picks up again towards the end. Concluding the album is Lustmord and Wargasm, a huge song that leaves you feeling knackered when it's over.

All of the songs explode with a diverse array of sounds and the orchestration is extremely impressive. At times there are classical elements that could be confused with Brahms, whilst the cacophony that erupts from other parts, usually from the same songs, could only be matched by the most intense thrash metal band after thirteen shots of Black Death vodka.

I highly recommend this album to any fan of Black Metal. This was Cradle of Filth at their best. It swept aside the whole genre and redefined 'heavy' for a new era.

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review by: mccanns23 date: 2006-03-07 rating:
one of the greatest albums in the genre
black metal purists!you all have your opinions on cradle of filth,dont you?some say cradle reign supreme,some say they are all too commercial and second rate black metallers,the simple fact remains,cof have been around since early 90s, and emperor and countless other great black metal bands have laid plaudits at their feet so accept that they belong in black metal and have even freshened the genre up over the years.
cruelty and the beast is a concept album based on the acts of elizabeth bathory who in the 18th century killed countless virginal woman and drank and bathed in their blood to attain beauty forever,it is a dark and disturbing album as a result,there are guest narratives by ingrid pitt who was an actress who starred in the hammer film 'countess dracula',now thats pretty cool,some of cradles best songs are on here and it is just a beautiful and heavy album,you should own this ,oh go on ,go on,go on

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review by: jim date: 2005-08-14 rating:
dark as dusk
this was the first cradle album i got in about 97 and it certainly wasnt the last. i was hooked from the first 10 seconds, having never heard them before. the lyrics are stunning, vocals out of this world, telling the story of a countess who bathed in the blood of virgins (incidentaly one of the nieces of the historical dracula)oh my lory, what a masterpiece, this is it the magnum opus what the filth will be remembered for in a hundred years. a true original.


review by: cradleoffilthrule date: 2005-03-01 rating:
Gods
Cradle Of Filth are Gods. This is an unbelieable album, second favourite to Midian. But this is out of this world. Before you can appreciate this album you have to get used to Dani's vocals. Yes they are screechy but they are unique and in some places gorgeous.

Song By Song

Once Upon Astocricy - 4/5 - nice piece of music, just the intro.

Thirteen Autumns And A Widow - 4/5 This is an ok song. great intro. takes a while to get used to.

Cruelty Brought Three Orchids - 5/5 - The anthem of the album. Brilliant. fantastic start. Changes direction a few times.

Beneath The Howling Stars - 5/5 - another great song. Great guitar riffs, changes direction.

Venus In Fear - 5/5 - Elizabeth raping one of her servant girls. Interesting and erotic

Derise In Violent Overture - 5/5 - second best song of the album. It is short which is unusal for Cradle. Great chorus, which is only one line but still has the effect.

Twisted Nails Of Faiths - 4/5 - Good song. Nothing really specially, Still great though.

Bathory Aria - 4/5 - spilt into three sections. Kind of slow, But Ok. Least favourite of the album.

Portrait oF a Dead Countess - 5/5 - nice piece of music. The countess is dead

Lick Of Carvinverous Winds - 5/5 - great way to finish off the album. Brilliant guitar riffs and great vocals. Third best on the album.

Check out Midian

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