Throughout their twenty-seven-year course, East Anglian Cradle of Filth has not yet submitted his flag of rather unjustly underestimated British black metal. The British Black Metal may not have the snowy plains of Scandinavia, the pagan mythology of Vikings and the cold, dry and ominous sound of the music of the northern Europeans, but they guide us through the misty forests and the stifling streets of Victorian England, with their eerie, terrifying melodies.
In their new full-length album ‘Cryptoriana’, Cradle of Filth presents an amalgam of their special musical features and varied influences as they were crystallized in their previous releases. Gothic horror, symphonic parts, classic British ‘80s metal (NWOBHM) and European speed / thrash metal tones are ideally combined in the sixty-five minutes of this orgasmic music feast.
The performance of the band remains impressive as always, combining harmonically high speeds, murderous guitars, nasty keyboards and drums that spread havoc. And, of course, there is no shortage of Dani Filth, vocals of the short-lived member of the band’s first band.
In summary, ‘Cryptoriana’ is one of the best releases of last year and definitely the best Filth release since the ruthless ‘Godspeed on the Devil’s Thunder’ (2008) album. Venomous. (9)
Dimitris Skalkos