Musical Ramblings: Better, but not great release for Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth — Thornography
It's that time of year again where the great Cradle of Filth release a new CD and I'm right there to snatch it up (or in this case, have it sent to me) and listen to it until I'm sick of it.
This is Cradle's tenth release (not counting their live album or B-Side/Rarities releases). I wasn't digging Nymphetamine as much as the previous releases and seeing how this release is also coming from Roadrunner Records, I was coming into this one with a little bit of nervousness.
The album starts off strong with “Dirge Inferno” but quickly loses momentum with the the next track, “Tonight in Flames.” Vocalist Dani tries to actually sing and do different things with his voice on this song (as well as a few other tracks) and it's just horrible. After a few spins off of this disc, I am always finding myself skip this track, as well as “The Byronic Man,” which features HIM's vocalist, Ville Valo, as a special guest vocalist.
Now that the bad is out of the way, I have to say that there are indeed more standout tracks on this one for me than on Nymphetamine.
Songs such as “Libertina Grimm” and “I Am the Thorn” give me that classic Cradle feeling and should be sampled if you're questioning whether or not to purchase the album.
The overall sound of the album is a little disappointing once again. Ever since “Damnation and a Day,” I have found that there's something missing with the overall production on the band's recent efforts. The drums and guitars just don't sound mixed properly compared to previous albums, but I will say that it is way better than the two previous discs.
Speaking of performances, I think this is Dani's weakest vocal performance ever. I said above that he tries to do some different things on the tracks that just don't work and that's also because it just sounds like those different approaches, as well as his regular howls, just seem like they're done half-assed. Long time fans of this band will notice this immediately.
This release may actually put the final nail in the coffin for many followers because although they are still considered “death metal” in their bio, this is probably the most accessible Cradle disc yet. The songs are shorter, the guitar work and number of riffs are simplified and the drumming just isn't up to par with what has come from the band previously. Fans may even cringe at the band's cover of “Temptation” by Heaven 17 although I think it's quite catchy but it definitely doesn't sound like Cradle of Filth and could even be on hard rock radio.
With all the above said, I have to say that while there are some decent tracks on the album, I'll still always go back and listen to their earlier stuff again and again while this one will be the odd spin just like their last two releases. Good, but not great.
It's that time of year again where the great Cradle of Filth release a new CD and I'm right there to snatch it up (or in this case, have it sent to me) and listen to it until I'm sick of it.
This is Cradle's tenth release (not counting their live album or B-Side/Rarities releases). I wasn't digging Nymphetamine as much as the previous releases and seeing how this release is also coming from Roadrunner Records, I was coming into this one with a little bit of nervousness.
The album starts off strong with “Dirge Inferno” but quickly loses momentum with the the next track, “Tonight in Flames.” Vocalist Dani tries to actually sing and do different things with his voice on this song (as well as a few other tracks) and it's just horrible. After a few spins off of this disc, I am always finding myself skip this track, as well as “The Byronic Man,” which features HIM's vocalist, Ville Valo, as a special guest vocalist.
Now that the bad is out of the way, I have to say that there are indeed more standout tracks on this one for me than on Nymphetamine.
Songs such as “Libertina Grimm” and “I Am the Thorn” give me that classic Cradle feeling and should be sampled if you're questioning whether or not to purchase the album.
The overall sound of the album is a little disappointing once again. Ever since “Damnation and a Day,” I have found that there's something missing with the overall production on the band's recent efforts. The drums and guitars just don't sound mixed properly compared to previous albums, but I will say that it is way better than the two previous discs.
Speaking of performances, I think this is Dani's weakest vocal performance ever. I said above that he tries to do some different things on the tracks that just don't work and that's also because it just sounds like those different approaches, as well as his regular howls, just seem like they're done half-assed. Long time fans of this band will notice this immediately.
This release may actually put the final nail in the coffin for many followers because although they are still considered “death metal” in their bio, this is probably the most accessible Cradle disc yet. The songs are shorter, the guitar work and number of riffs are simplified and the drumming just isn't up to par with what has come from the band previously. Fans may even cringe at the band's cover of “Temptation” by Heaven 17 although I think it's quite catchy but it definitely doesn't sound like Cradle of Filth and could even be on hard rock radio.
With all the above said, I have to say that while there are some decent tracks on the album, I'll still always go back and listen to their earlier stuff again and again while this one will be the odd spin just like their last two releases. Good, but not great.
