Cradle of Filth Album: “Cruelty and the Beast [Limited]”

While not as Heavy as "dusk and her embrace" or as fast as "the principle of evil made flesh" this is some of the most beautiful music i have ever listened to in my opinion. "cruelty and the beast" tells the story of a one Elizebeth Bathory from the 1600's ( I apoligize if that isnt the exact time) Whom had a liking for virgin blood. It follows her from her Rise to her demise. Through Dani's lyrics the story is wonderfully told. This is an album, where I can find something special about every track. I feel they really had a goal to set for themselves as a band when they recorded this album and I believe they reached it. Now I hear many whom aren't fans of cof complain about the style of dani filth's vocals, are they a little odd and unique? Yes. Now onto my thoughts on the tracks. I will not explain the concept of the album because chances are you already know it. So i will just give my personal opinions.

Once upon atrocity - 4/5 I really believe cof trys there best with there short insturmentals and they are usually worth a few listens

Thirteen autumns and A widow - 10/5 The 1st song I heard when I bought this album it truly blew me away.

Cruelty Brought thee orchids 5/5 Definetly a fan favorite and for good reason I love dani's style of vocals in this song.

Beneath the howling star - 6/5 A beautiful song I love Sara's (backing female vocals) In this song

Veuns in fear - 3/5 Probably the only cof insturmental I have not been able to get into.

Desire in violent overture - 5/5 Another incredible song I lvoe the guitar in this one, it goes from a heavy solo and it becomes more melodic throughout the song.

The twisted nails of faith - 5/5 I love the lyrics in this one has a very eerie violin intro.

Bathory Aria - 20/5 Truly an epic if forced to pick a favorite song on this album it would be this song. Clocking in at over 11 minutes its truly beautiful and a masterpiece.

Portrait of the dead countess - 4/5 A good insturmental sets the mood for the final song.

Lustmord and wargasm( the lick of carnivorous winds) - 6/5 Incredible song beautiful intro. The final chapter in the incredible story that is "cruelty and the beast"

DISC 2 ( BONUS CD)

Now, onto the bonus cd. (NOTE: none of the these songs are involved with the story, unless you count the redone version of Lustmord and wargasm)

Lustmord and Wargasm ( therelicking of cadaverous wounds) - 6/5 As good as the origional. Nothing to say about this that I haven't already said.

Black Metal - 4/5 A good cover song Dani definetly did well here vocal wise.

Hallowed be thy name - 20/5 Incredible iron maiden cover. Just incredible possiblly the best cover song I have ever heard.

Sodomy and lust 4/5 A good Metal song not much else to say.

Twisting further nails - 3/5 a DECENT remix of the twisted nails of faith. Seems to techno at points to be cof worth a listen though.

In conclusion a beautiful album you will need to hear for yourself. Enjoy.

I'm a pretty big Cradle of Filth fan and I must say this is their best album.

It blends the pure metal agression of Midian with the classic CoF sound of Dusk and Her Embrace.

If you are new to Cradle of Filth get this album.

It so happens `Cruelty and the Beast' is one of the most underrated albums of the past decade, and within the black metal genre in general. Very few bands, if any, evoke the theatrical grandeur as effectively and vigorously this album manages to. Surely not all of it is top notch material, and there are a couple of moments that transpire more as pretentious melodramatic nonsense than poignant music, but as a whole, the epic scope of the album's story is conveyed extremely well.

`Thirteen Autumns and a Widow' is truly a masterpiece of conceptual album musical narrative. The lyrics, is at times nonsensical and overly obscure, actually evoke exceptionally vivid imagery. Not sticking to a predictable song formula, the story gallops along with the music very interestingly. Some of the melodies are absolutely beautiful, and both the keyboards and the guitar work are of the highest caliber. Dani's vocals are also excellent, and the narrative contributions by the female character do enhance the storytelling without being cumbersome or obstructive to the music. The final part of the song is an awfully potent climax, thanks to the forcefully melancholic music, vocals and the twisted, embellished lyrics. `And she was a widow from God and his wrath... finally'. Superb.

Cruelty brought thee Orchids' is another standout track, extremely melodic, with top notch guitar work and really intense vocals. The lyrics are also very good, and the story moves on successfully. This is another masterpiece of a track that spoke of the monumental talent `CoF' had realized. `Beneath the Howling Stars' is yet again, another phenomenal track, mixing heavy, even hardcorish parts with more grand melodic-symphonic black metal. The lyrics are also particularly rich here. `Venus in fear' is somewhat of a disposable instrumental, while `Desiree in Violent Overture' is the most straightforward song on the album. I believe its also the weakest, but its still a very good track, if though a little awkward in the context of the other epics. `The Twisted Nails of Faith' returns to the epic songwriting, and makes for another standout track. Again, similarly to the opener, the final minutes of the song provide an excellent closing dramatic storytelling, with Dani's growling vocals, killer riffs and brooding keys. It's a fantastic track, unlike most clichéd BM bands of today. The lyrics are so potent phonetically I honestly don't think any other band can grasp the same effect.

`Bathory Aria' is a phenomenal epic, though it does drag a bit towards the end. The first two `movements' in the song are emotionally overwhelming; especially `A murder of ravens in Fugue' which I just wished had lasted for a bit longer. The closing part is entailed by a long narrative passage, not unlike `Haunted Shores' did on `Dusk and Her Embrace', though, again, not musically as invigorating as the rest of the song. `Portrait of the Dead Countess' is a beautiful segue linking to the closing `Lustmord and Wargasm' , another fantastic song, perhaps more abrasive than the last few, but yet very melodic and striking.

In general this album provides the best lyrical work in the Genre, as far as I am concerned. The vivid wording more than compensates for the lack of semantic coherence, and the music is just constantly varied without losing grip on the dark story. The overall vampiric essence of the story is successfully portrayed and very few albums match this in terms of emotional intensity within the genre, I think. An arousing triumph.

I had never heard black metal before. When I decided to get this CD I was blown away! It made me a black metal fan. The vocals are enchanting, the guitars are horrific in the most beautiful way, the keyboards are mystifying, and the bass and drums will make your heart explode! The story this album holds is historic and moving. It may be a concept album but it is the best Cradle album of all time!

Be warned- Dani Filth doesn't sing like anybody else on this earth. He sounds like a 2000 lb black widow on crack. If you can get over that, you'll love this album to death. This one's for all us guys who love to hear music with maximum balls, with aggression and emotion and incredible skill and precision. It's not easy to listen to at all, but who the hell wants music that's easy? This is REAL metal, not some top 40 drivel that any little sissy pre-teen zit obsessed poser can shake his/her Tommy Hilfiger clad heinie to. Just don't chuck it out when you first hear it, I swear this album will grow on you if you give its one of a kind sound a chance. Enjoy!