Customer Reviews
A good introduction to black metal! - By: James D. Gane, 27 Jan 2007 
The first Cradle of Filth album I bought was 'Midian', which I was very impressed by. After reading some reviews I decided to buy 'Cruelty And The Beast'. However, due to a mix up I received this album instead. So I thought "What the hell? I might aswell listen to it!". Little did I know that my tastein music would be changed so dramatically by this album.
The first thing I noticed was the contrast between the production on this album & on Midian. The "wall of sound" on Midian is replaced by a sparse sonic landscape. The guitars are fuzzy, the bass cold, the drums tight; all backed by keyboards, brimming with elegance. The vocals Dani produced on this album are raw, more true to the 'black metal' that was beginning to surfacein Norway.
The songs themselves are brutal yet still elegant. Ranging from the harsh 'Princible of Evil Made Flesh' to the dreamy, floating imagery of 'In Secret Love We Drown'. There is something here for most extreme metal fans.
This album does lack the maturity of the ensuing albums butin my opinion contains an energy that the others lack. It is one of my favourite albums & will remain so. I cannot reccomend it more.
If you like this album & wish to experience more black metal then I reccomend 'In The Nightside Eclipse' by Emperor & 'Pure Holocaust' by Immortal. By these albums, you shant regret it.
I love... - By: J. Parr, 07 Jan 2006 ...Dusk & Her Embrace & Cruelty & the Beast, but this will always be the first & the best. Of Mist & Midnight Skies, To Eve the Art of Witchcraft, The Forest Whispers my Name, Summers Dying Fast, Black Goddess Rises, each & every song of this is at once both haunting & ear burningly brutal. I have to agree with the other comments I have read, a completely outstanding album
many have passed but it's still the best - By: , 17 Oct 2003 Take it from a man who has listened to not just all types of metal, but all types of music, intensely, for many many years..... this is one of the best albums you will find.
Up there with Carcass' Necrotism & Anathema's Serenades, if you do not have this album your collection has an almighty gapin it.
Dark and sinister, Cradle at their best! - By: Alistair R. Leonard, 12 Jul 2003 This is how Cradle should sound. The aggresion & brutality of this record make it an instant classic, the highlights being:
The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh - True classic. Great riffs, great screaming vocals. Brilliant. Although recorded again for 'Bitter Suites To Succubi', I believe that the rawness of it on this record makes it the classic that it is.
The Forest Whispers My Name - Amazing. A more melodic track, but it's still very brutalin places. Outstanding.
The Black Goddess Rises - The best of them all. Fast, brutal, black metal. A true masterpiece. Originally taken off COF's 'Total F**king Darkness' demo, it has been made a bit more mainstream than it was, but still incredible.
This is COF's best ever recordin my opinion. But be careful if you've only heard Cradle's newer stuff, because this is amazingly different.
1 of their best !!!! - By: , 24 Apr 2003 Cradle of filth's first album is definetely 1 of their best. Ever since i first got this album I have been listening to it for ages. Veteran COF fans will notice that Dani's vocals are different-they are more raspy & menacing than his later work. here are a run-down of the songs :
1.Darkness our bride(jugular wedding)= A nice opener but a bit weak as far as COF intros are concerned.
2.The principle of evil made flesh= 1 of the best on here. heavy-as-hell !!
3.The forest whispers my name= a hauntingly good song with a chilling keyboard riff
4.Iscariot= A so-so instrumental but, again, not quite up to regular COF standards
5. The black goddess rises= Another standout track on the album. was later redone on "bitter suites to succubi" & made better but the original is still good
6.One final graven kiss= Absolutely BEAUTIFUL !! the best instrumental on the album
7. A crescendo of passion, bleeding= Brilliantly fast guitar riffage & an interesting mix of tempos throughout the song
8. To eve the art of witchcraft= An intersting song, this one. It starts off mixing organ melodies with thrash guitar riffs &in the middle of the song, the fury breaks down into a sweetly erotic tune...absolutely hypnotic. One of my favs on the album
9. Of mist & midnight skies= A huge organ intro at the start followed by guitars playing, this is perhaps one of the darkest songs on this album, not that the rest arent
10. In secret love we drown= Not a very good instrumental.in my opinion, this is the worst song on the album. its ok but is a bit naff
11. A dream of wolvesin the snow= Starts off with a line quoted from Dracula & follows with a slow guitar riff & keyboard tune. This is one of the more melodic songs
12. Summer dying fast= The finishing number. This song has been appropriately put at the end as it is very dramatic & changes a lot during the song
So, overall, id reccommend this album to COF fans & newcomers alike as it contains some mindblowing heavyness & hypnotic, catchy melodies. Doesnt quite compare to cruely & the beast, midian etc. but is better than Bitter suites to succubi.
Buy this NOW !!!!
