please completely disregard every reveiw i have ever done, i will do no more as my tastes change every day or two, then change again, so for instance i now love morbid angel, domination, so no more reveiws from me.
plus i have a habit of getting things wrong

Its exactly what you would expect - 75%
Written by iced_savior on August 21st, 2003

Im not going to put much effort in this review because Phil would have wanted it that way. Its angry fucking metal. Nothing special. A plus for this album is that you actually feel that you have died and resurrected with Phil when you listen to it. There are some headbanging breakdowns. Its a good soundtrack for pot smoking, downing silver bullets, or overdosing on heroine. Lyrically it is kind of comical, ie:"fight us the american citizens the most pissed off motherfuckers in the world." Well Phil guess you haven't been to any really poor countries because they are really fucking pissed. There is also some half-assed satanic lyrical content. I find it amusing. This album works in small doses. I listen to it when I workout and want to feel like a tough guy. My personal hi lite of the album is personal insult. If you can get this album cheap than it is worth the money or you can just download the son of a bitch.

Another year comes to an end and we have yet another offering from Xasthur. The difference is that 'Subliminal Genocide' was leaked back in the beginning of 05 in an unmastered and unfinished move by Moribund Cult records. Here however, we have the record in full mastered ugliness.

'Subliminal Genocide' starts off with the usual Xasthur-esque dissonant keyboard intro, and jumps straight into the almost 13 minute 'The Prison of Mirrors'. The mix on this record is very dense, but also prevailing some richly layered guitar interludes. Malefic's vocals on 'Subliminal Genocide', sofar are very middle of the mix and only choosing to come through the layered chaos in certain parts.

"Beauty is Only Razor Deep" sounds like a mix of areas of 'Funeral of Being' and 'Suicide in Dark Serenity'. A very low buzzy walk that abruptly shoots into a faster tempo, with ghastly howling in the background. Then the oddest of all parts, a very wah-wah infected guitar tone that could only be described as a Xasthur 'guitar solo'. Very odd, but a well done song.

"Trauma Will Always Linger" was on the original promoCDR as well, and was definitely re-recorded for the retail release of this record. The redone version sacrifices the epic and crushing sound the demo track did, for a much slower and depressing feel. There are also indecipherable spoken word parts in this song that make for a very claustriphobic feel.

"Pyramid of Skulls" is another patented Xasthur instrumental interlude that would otherwise break the monotony of having an actual song every track.

"Arcane and Misanthropic Projection" is really the standout track on this album. The reason being is that it is the only track that has a definite terrifying buildup and release. Vocals are very up front in the mix on this song, which conveys a more ghastly ambience to these songs. About 5:40, the tempo changes a bit slower and more errant guitar notes seem to bleed out of the song. Really fantastic.

"Victim of Your Dreams" is another untouched recording off of the 2005 promo. Typical Xasthur songbeat, but nothing obviously bad. Very buzzy and dissonant song that makes you feel like you're drowning.

"Through a Trance of Despondency" is more or less a mix of a Xasthur track interlude and more of his actual songs. No vocals here, just a depressing atmospheric walk.

"Loss and Dissonant Tuner Distortion" is another interlude. Delayed, echoey guitars dominate this track and sets up for the 'final' song.

"Subliminal Genocide" comes across as a very typical Xasthur track again, but has fleeting tempo changes and a small buildup to the track's spacey drum dominated ending that is very atypical of Xasthur's later works.

"Malice Hidden in Surrealism" Think "Walker of Dissonant Worlds" off of the 2005 album 'To Violate the Oblivious'. Very depressing, weeping guitar lines again bleed through the ominous buzz of the guitars. Very suitable to play at a funeral as it conveys intense, yet epic sadness throughout the whole track.

In whole, 'Subliminal Genocide' will rub current Xasthur fans' ears quite well, but if you don't enjoy his work, it will not make a believer out of you. Another terrifying work of Malefic for the books.

Hmm wonderful - 100%
Written by Warriorofmoderndeath on May 18th, 2003

This is such a treat for Satyricon fans..When I first watched this my jaw dropped and I was drooling saying "HOLY SHIT THIS kICKS ASS!" it's practically like a black metal fantasy.Well anyways,this video is pretty simple as the best thing about it is the TV uncensored version of the video that destroys everything on it's path.
The video is sort of like a movie being played out by Satyricon as it's the band just doing stuff around such as spitting fire at crosses and Crushing crosses with axes or holding the hands of a chick wearing a see through robe while walking around a circle of fire.
The uncensored version is no much different from this one except that is censored and takes out all the cool stuff so practically the uncensored version blows.The 2 part is kind of weird..is like introducing all the characters around.
The music overall kicks ass,there is nothing wrong with it and it comes out nice and clear.The song "Mother north" overall is not bad at all as I would call it Melodic Black Metal done right,The drums are very cool as there is some double bass and not many blastbeats but there is still enough to please the listener.
Overall this video kicks ass,is a great addition to any collection for a black metal fan..Satyricon might suck now but this is great for remembering the good ol' times.

Subliminal Wowicide - 97%

Yeah, after Boris did it, people crossed the invisible line! =P

But damn. Maybe I wasn't reading carefully enough, but I could barely tell what that Mother North review was rambling about. Invisible robes...?

Winter Metal! - 97%
Written by friedjelly on November 20th, 2004

This band seems to be one of those that get better every album. It is safe to say that if you liked the first one, you will love this one. And chances are if you didn't like the first one, well, don't bother listening to this one. The music follows the same formula, but if Under The Northern Sky could get any better, than the result would inevitably be this album. Everwinter kicks the album out with a great progressive gutiar lick played over some great metal. The second two songs, however, prove that Immortal Souls is a death metal band that just plain rocks! If you love death metal, prog rock, and good old rock, you will love this album!

Very experimental... - 82%
Written by Moonwolfr on April 29th, 2005

To someone who knows the true black metal and the true gorgoroth, this album will seem boring, but interesting.
The riffs on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd songs are very criatives with a little of keyboards and sample, with speed in some parts, and at the same time some heavy, especially at the song " Unchain my heart", that is the best in all the album. " incipit satan" is a good song, with a speedly beginning and heavy riffs. " litani til satan" is very boring, with a strange Gaahl's vocal at all the song, that does that turns a little bad. " A world to win" is an excellent song, with some heavy metal riffs, and a good Gaahl's interpretation. But songs like " will to power", that is a song of noises, or " when love rages wild in my heart", with clean ( and strange ) vocals lets this album very different than others of gorgoroth. Is an album that doesn't worth to buy.

Hell yeah - 95%
Written by HawkMoon on September 10th, 2002

Thinking about how I would begin this review all I could think of was "wow". Long has been the wait, 3 years, but finally the new material from the gods of my metal world is here. And what can I say, absolutely astonishing. Technical playing you only can dream of, superb riffs - not to mention solos out of this world.

Of course also the fact that every single part is awesome, guitar/bass/drums/keyboards/vocals, it's all supertight just as expected from a band like this. There's lots of music to be heard here, actually this is a double disc - track 6 is around 40 minutes long (although divided into 8 tracks, it is one single song) and is on its own cd. The only track I don't like is "Disappear" it's a bit too much melancholy for being this band, though it can be handy to listen to while you cry over your lost girlfriend or something. Track 1-4 is the best part here, in fact "The glass prison" and "The great debate" are among my absolute Dream Theater faves.

I can't promise that you will like this if you got problems with earlier Dream Theater releases, however DT fans - the time for a sigh of relief has come.

There is a number of crappy reviews for Dissection-Storm of the Light's Bane.

http://www.metal-archives.com/review.php?id=768

http://www.metal-archives.com/review.php?id=16887#46597

wanna know what marijuana feels like? - 80%
Written by ironasinmaiden on March 25th, 2003

Take a deep drag of acid king. This album is so lurching, fuzzed out, and STONED you'll be giggling manically and tiptoeing across clouds in no time. Imagine a laid back Electric Wizard without as much fuzz. The singer is a chick, she used to be in the Melvins. Her voice is pretty surreal and echoed. It works very well with the sloooowwww groovin riffs. Carve the 5 motherfuckers!

Dark and haunting, yet very laid-back - 80%
Written by DevotchkaNicki on December 31st, 2005

“Busse Woods” is such a daunting, claustrophobic, evil album that will pull you down like a twenty ton block of concrete, making you never want to get up again. Groovy as fuck, the sound here is very bass-driven, with the bass down tuned fuzzy below sea level with psychedelic guitar overtones playing unbelievably hypnotic riffs. No doubt the highlight of this band is the vocalist, Lori S. Although the vocals are sparse, they are spellbindingly trippy, very drawn out, and surreal. Listening to the thick melodies between her echoes and chants will make you feel so dreamlike. Just close those red eyes and embrace these tunes.

Not bad - 69%
Written by hallowed_be_my_name on December 21st, 2003

This is only a demo, so it isn't some of their best work. The recording quality isn't very good on here, as it was originally recorded on tape. The drumwork on here is quite good, Darren was a really good drummer. The guitars play pretty simple riffs, but sound cool, just listen to "The Black Goddess Rises" about halfway through, they create such an atmosphere. It has church organ style keyboards most of the time. Now, Dani's vocals are what lets this record down. Nowadays, he is a really good vocalist, and uses a harmoniser to make it sound like there are two voices going at the same time. But on this record, he is doing his deep growl most of the time, nothing wrong with that, but on every track, he has this weird echo on his voice the whole time, which makes what he is singing hardly audible. As always, there are his infamous screeches, about 7 of them on "Fraternally Yours 666". In my opinion, this would have been really good if Dani Filth didn't have that echo on his voice as much.

Terrible... just terrible - 40%
Written by Lord_Kyle_Macbeth on August 23rd, 2004

This is the only album I've listened to by this band. A lot of people say this is their best... if so, CoF have nothing to do. As far as technic goes, it's not that bad. I'm not saying the music sucks, but Metal should transmit something. This album is sterile, cold. There is nothing to distinguish one song from the other, Dani's voice is only a shriek with no passion. The only rescuable tracks are the ones that are instrumental, because as a Metal band, this guys suck. Yes, they have a lot of riffs, the battery is fast and the screams are constant. But where is the feeling? the emotions such music should convey are just not present anywhere. I don't mean their music should be sweet and harmonic. Some say Metal must be brutal. The problem is that this album is not even brutal. it's just some instruments together. Nothing more.

Well...they ARE trying! - 58%
Written by Snxke on May 31st, 2003

Cradle of Filth are a band I never really understood. The goth wankering keyboards (that sound lifted from a terrible horror film) and awful vocals just made the worst impression possible on me. I think the lyrics and album inserts are quite neat but overall I don't think that this monkey business has any part of metal at all. Even the drumming is overdone and overclattering. "Dusk and Her Embrace" was a step up from the demos - but it was not really that much better than the origins.

"Dusk..." features some nice riffery here and there. Songs like the title track and "Funeral in Carpathia" burn along nicely (if you ignore the torrid vocals and nasty keyboards) but overall the CD just mesh's into a mess. I LIKE the riffs a lot of the time but the cheesy gothness and other stuff just bogs it down into kitsch and musical wankery. This CD had potential that it simply never realized.

I am so glad Damnation and a Day stiffed on it's major label release. I think that Cradle of Filth is among the most dangerous things to happen to metal right now and hopefully they won't become big and release the next "Smell the Glove"...I mean..."The Black Album".

Absolutely Perfect - 98%
Written by immortal_scream on February 3rd, 2005

This is Cradle’s second official release for the first time with “Music For Nations”, along with Gian Piras, Damien Gregori, Stuart Anstis, Nicholas Baker, and off course Dani Filth. Dusk & her Embrace is the true definition of melodic black metal. With every melody there is a factual feeling of pride, lust, malice, and melancholy.

Lyrically, the words are professionally written exhibiting pain, hatred, and “vampyric beauty”, taking us deep into a deserted castle where “Beauty Slept in Sodom”.
Musically, the album is a melodic masterpiece, reflecting influences of Emperor, Venom, Slayer and Dissection. Dani haunts the production with vampiric “immortal” screams reflecting nostalgic pain and sorrow, leaving behind the scenes of a shattered dream.
“Malice through the looking glass” is a perfect example of the bands ability to orchestrate their way through the black metal scene. While “Funeral in Carpathia” and “Heaven Torn Asunder” illustrate the true meaning of belligerence, “Haunted Shores” concludes the album with scenes of war, and the cries of Venom’s lead singer “Cornos”.

In conclusion, following the productions of “The Principle of Evil Made Flesh” and “Vempire” Cradle have concluded their aptitude to produce good music, before drifting away from the black metal scene.

ROAR! DESTROY! - 20%
Written by MutatisMutandis on October 22nd, 2005

I really liked everything Cradle had released up to this. I mean, it was slightly goofy, but it was still good and entertaining with some decent synths.
But then this came out, and I anticipated it greatly, only to be hugely dissapointed. Everything has become boring as hell, and I dunno... weak.
The riffs are just watered down symphonic black metal garbage, and there is really little to say. Dani's screams are still as shrieky as before, but much more conserved. WHICH IS BAD.
One of the things that really attracted me to this band was the crazed, slightly sloppy vocals. They were ridiculously high pitched, and seemed to be the driving force behind the music. Not all too much has changed since Vempire, but everything just sounds... typical. Uninspired, and worthless.
Hmm... you know what? This album was so boring, I could barely focus listening to it. That's never a good thing. I just remember Bathory Aria was what made me turn it off. It's about 4 minutes of filler. That's probably the reason this review is so half assed. I was bored listening to it.
What really sucked about this album was the additional tracks found on the special edition. They... they ruined a Sodom song!!! Those bastards!! HOW?! How could anyone fuck up a Sodom song so badly?! Oh, and then there's the ridiculously weak cover of Venom's classic 'Black Metal', and an insulting cover of Iron Maiden.
Once the album was over, my fan-ship was gone. I haven't really payed attention to Cradle of Filth since... If you still want to hear some good symphonic stuff, pick up Dusk and Her Embrace or the more brutal 'Principle...'

A Nice EP, For Once - 81%
Written by langstondrive on January 17th, 2004

Let me start off by saying that the best song on here is, by far, From the Cradle to Enslave. It is easily the best thing that CoF has (and probably ever will) come up with. Not even Dani's vocals can ruin this one, but he sure as hell tries. Starting with a really weird yet interesting intro, the song kicks into gear with an incedibly cool verse/chorus melody. The symphonic nature of the music fits perfectly with the evilness of the riffs and makes for real ear candy. The song speeds through, with many vocal changes (the growls being preferred to the screams) and coming to a close with "This is the end of everythiiiiiiiiing!!!", which is the best line Dani has ever come up with (with the sole possible exception of Tortured Soul Asylum from Midian). The song ends with keyboard work that sounds strangely like it was lifted from the PC game Doom.

Of Dark Blood and Fucking is another good song, but nowhere in the pwnage capacity of the former. Death Comes Ripping is really cool, I severly dislike the Mis-shits but I have to give CoF credit, they really beefed up the song. The Anathema cover was surprising, especially for a usually faster band like CoF to do, but it turns out well nevertheless. My copy has Dawn of Eternity instead of Perverts Church. The song is pretty good, I haven't heard the latter so I cannot say which I would rather have. The EP ends with Funeral in Carpathia, which was one of the best songs on the Dusk...And Her Embrace album. It is fucked around with a bit, but to be quite honest sounds fairly similar to the original version, with minor changes. I still do prefer the original though.

Buy this if it's cheap, about half of the songs make it worth it.

From the Cradle to Enslave - 10/10
Of Dark Blood and Fucking - 7/10
Death Comes Ripping - 9/10
Sleepless - 8/10
Dawn of Eternity - 6/10
Funeral In Carpathia (BQOBD) - 9/10

= 81%

Cradle of Filth-Midian - 75%
Written by norman_bates on December 27th, 2002

Whether we like to admit it or not, Black Metal is designed to push the boundries, to shock people and most of all, to look evil, all while mixing some of the most darkly beautiful, haunting and most original music ever, and right out the front of the black metal scene is Cradle of Filth.

Arguably the most commercial and popular band in Black Metal, Cradle of Filth are loved by many, hated by some and this release will help cement all metal fans opinions of COF, no matter what side of the argument.

For those who love Cradle of Filth, this release is another good album for COF, fusing the brutal Black Metal sounds with beautiful Gothic keyboards, all while keeping the horror movie theme going (this album is a concept album based on the film Nightbreed)

For those who don't love Cradle of Filth, this is just the same old same old. Cradle of Filth have failed on being evil, and instead, look laughable compared to many other bands in the genre.

As a big fan of Gothic/Black music, my conclusion is that this is nothing compared to the golden era of Dusk...and her embrace, which I suspect will remain the best album of Cradle of Filth's career.
However, upon saying that, there is no denying that this a good release and has won new fans to the Black Metal genre and does fuse guitars and keyboards together very well.

This will probably be a disapointment for a lot of Black Metalheads, but for many other Metal fans, this will remain a memorable release.

Reasonable release from the British black metalers. Reasonable, not life-changing.

Melodic Heavy Metal and recycled 'goth' BS. - 55%
Written by Mutant_Nephilim on May 3rd, 2003

[Re-review] First of all, this was the first CoF album I heard and purchased. At the time, I wasn't really into any kind of 'extreme' metal. I'd like to say that Midian opened me to more of that side of metal and various kinds of it. The lyrics on this album are written with thought and it's like a story when you read the booklet without listening to the music along with it. Musically, Cradle is pure melodic heavy metal with some 'goth' overtones. Much of the music incorporates that whole Iron Maiden-esque riffage fused with a gothic/erotic sound which isn't that bad nor anything special. Dani's vocal (dis)abilities have a weird range and uses them all on this album. It sounds annoying after awhile to me. Most vocalists couldn't do what he can do or perhaps they just don't WANT to. One of the only good songs on Midian is Lord Abortion . It has the better qualities of some melodic thrash riffing and mediocre drumming (which is present all throughout their career). They show their diversity most on Midian it seems. But unfortunately, everything is forced. There's nothing else to be said but they need to get rid of Dani's vocals and focus more on their Melodic side and throw away the cheese and 'goth' bullshit. Dispose this like you would with the kitty litter (or Dani Filth's lungs..same thing)

Wild songs bred in captivity - 60%
Written by Mortido on June 25th, 2003

This album gave birth to some of the best Cradle of Filth songs ever; 'Chutulhu Dawn', 'Her Ghost in the Fog' and 'Lord Abortion', but it didn't give the birth to my affection for these songs. They don't sound too exciting here, and that's why they didn't so much catch my attention when I first heard them. When I heard them live, 'Chutulhu Dawn' rocked, 'Lord Abortion' awakened the Satan in me, and I was moved to tears by 'Her Ghost in the Fog' - wow! The song puts me to sleep if I listen to it from Midian! But I would say this studio album rapes those songs, unless it was for the fact that they appeared here for the first time. For one, they're faster when heard live. I've been told that playing songs faster on live concerts isn't professional playing, but as with Iron Maiden's classic 'Hallowed Be Thy Name', the songs were intended to be played in no other way than live, and they've been slowed down too much for the studio album. The ghost in the fog doesn't rock on the studio album like it does live - it's slow and dullzzzzzz..... the instruments sound static and not alive, and the keyboards sound too techno here. Get Live Bait for the Dead - it's the only way you can truly enjoy these songs. In any case, there are some other decent songs on Midian as well which even work well on studio - 'Amor E Morte', pop-orientated but quite enjoyable 'Saffron's Curse'...

It's actually not THAT bad... - 65%
Written by Spawn_of_Cthulhu on May 10th, 2004

Although just about everyone hates Cradle of Filth these days, I’m going to be daring and say that this album is pretty decent. First things first: There is NO black metal to be found here. None whatsoever. The guitars are a mix of heavy (noodly melodic leads, occasional Maiden-esque riffing) and death metal. The drums are pure death metal, with the bass drum very high in the mix. The fills leave a lot to be desired, but overall the drumwork is very tight and precise. The keyboards are actually very tastefully used for the most part- there’s a lot more emphasis on the guitars than in, say, Dimmu Borgir. Combined with the occasional use of strings and decent, though not earth-shattering, female vox, they create a beautiful, dark, feminine atmosphere. Dani’s vocals sound like some small animal being painfully raped, except when he’s trying to growl (these aren’t as bad, but are still pretty half-assed compared to most vocalists out there). The lyrics are just… silly. They sound like the faggy “poetry” of a particularly literate mallgoth. The production is very clear and bass-heavy, making the music sound almost… watery. I can’t really describe it further, but it’s a cool effect.

To sum it up: Midian is a very good album instrumentally, but it’s taken down several notches by shitty vocals and lyrics. I can’t fully recommend it, but if you’re looking for an enjoyable time-waster, then by all means give it a try.

the best kick ass DVD I've ever seen!!!! - 99%
Written by bmxtrasher on January 12th, 2004

I would advise every cradle fans to buy Heavy Left Handid and Candid!!!!
Let's start by the show : the atmosphere seems gloomy and vampiric during the intro and the best screamer of the world appears!!!! A triumph for dani filth!!!! they start with a Midian' song "Lord Abortion" so the power and the the fucking brutality come to our ears.... Dani seems possessed when he sings and all cradle of filth began a magistral theatral show! Adrian seize up on the double pedal and go faster and faster. After comes "Ebony dressed for Sunset" and "The forest whispers my name". The quality of their show concurs with Vempire.. Cthulhu Dawn comes!!! ahhhhh!!! fuck!!!! what a wonderful song!! and we can also see in the public 3 fuckin kind goth girls who give you a big finger!! then, "Dusk and her embrace" is played and reminds of the violence of this CD! a little solo for gian and paul go faster as he can!!! Then comes "the priciple of evil made flesh", "Cruelty brought thee orchids" (a typical cradle of filth song) and strange creatures appears on stage..... After "Her ghost in the fog" and "summer dying fast" (from their first LP) we can see the murder of dani, strangled by a psychopath.... They come back with two last song which are "From the cradle to enslave" and "Queen of winter, throned"!!! this DVD is fuckin monstruous and contain lots of bonus!!! keep quiet and enjoy what cradle of filth is......

bouncing alarm clocks - 99%
Written by DuskLord on May 8th, 2004

Ye, I recall enjoying this DVD 2 years ago or so... Including almost all the best CoF-songs (Summer Dying Fast, Cthulhu Dawn, CRUELTY BROUGHT THEE ORCHIDS etc.) played live with a superb quality picture & sound. I greatly enjoyed these live-tracks, but the bonus material appealed to me even more.

There's a 40-50min "documentary" of their live-touring with all stupid goofinesses. I can't remember a situation in my life where I could've laughed harder than seeing the guys of COF (Paul? Can't remember it too clearly) banging head to a toy-cellular ringtone in Japan. Or when Dani & co. enjoyed helium at a local bar. Or when Gian devours the contents of an ashtray. And so on, I think you get the point.

The superb live footage accompanying all the bonus-material makes me feel generous. 99 points. The one point goes off from Dani's slapstick-humour during livefootage ("Cruelty brought thee... some decent jokes." -Dani)

If you're into COF, buy this DVD. Well worth the money.

Pretty Bad - 50%
Written by langstondrive on September 24th, 2003

This comes as a 2 CD set, the first being a "best of" or sorts from Dusk And her Embrace, Cruelty and the Beast, Cradle to Enslave and Midian. The song choices are not really terrible, but they are not the greatest ever. Where are: Haunted Shores? A Gothic Romance? Amor E Morte? Tortured Soul Asylum? Chtulu Dawn? Some of the best Cradle songs are missing from the first disc, but it's still a decent listen.

Now the 2nd disc is the real problem. Covers and remixed are what is contained. None of the remixes sound half as good as the originals as they are boring and annoying. Amor E Morte is a great song, but an incredibly shitty remix. The same goes for, oh lets say, every other remix. Hell Awaits, originally by Slayer, and done much better by Slayer is on here. Organs have NO place in this song. Hallowed By Thy Name closes this album. Nicely done. It's about 1/1000000000000000000000000000 as good as the original (and that's being generous).

Save Your Money!

1st Disc - 80/100
2nd Disc - 20/100

Well, they tried... - 50%
Written by Snxke on June 14th, 2003

The band rip out a well recorded concert album in which they show off their goth-metal cheese in a setting that proves that love or hate them - they pack them in the halls. It's well recorded and played. If you are already a fan - this CD will do a lot for you. If you hate cheeseball goth metal - this CD will send you into a violent rage.

The second disc is an interesting gem for all the collectors though. All sorts of demos and remixes litter the scene with massive amounts oddball value. For the true collector this is what makes the CD worth it.

I am not a fan at all, but they did put a good "fan pack" together for the album.

Great for a live CD.... - 85%
Written by psychosick on December 21st, 2003

The production on this album is well done. The music sounds really clear as if you were right there at the show. The only problem with this album is that it's too boring after the 5 listens. The 1st time you hear this, your reaction will be "they sound great live". The more you listen to it, the more you loose interest in it. The best songs would be "The Forest Whispers My Name" and "Her Ghost In The Fog". Simply because they sound energetic, and Dani's vocal's sound killer. It makes you just get into the pit and destroy random people. The 2nd disc is WAY much better than disc 1. Disc 2 starts out with a brutal, dark, and creeping song in titled "Born In A Burial Gown" with a melodic ending. Followed by "No Time To Cry" this song has melody-- more of a mellow feeling into it. It's the best track on "Live Bait For The Dead". Regardless that it's only a remix. It still great. I must say this must be one of the best covers Cradle of Filth have done along with "Hollowed By The Name" Iron Maiden cover. The last track on disc 2 is more than a good way to end a great album. "The Fire Still Burns" is a perfect way for Cradle to end a CD, due to the keyboard which sounds amazing. And Dani's vocals sounding really evil as he whispers "The fire....the fire...still burns." If you are a die hard Cradle of Filth fan (like myself) You will probably appreciate this amazing album. It's worth buying just for disc 2.

What the hell....I don't know. - 65%
Written by Mutant_Nephilim on July 1st, 2003

Damn. These brit-fucks are doing something a little different. So I thought they'd change a little bit, but this is a better approach to metal than anything they've done. Cof's new album is just evolving. Dani's vocals are still horrendous though. I think mine and other's opinions on Cradle of Filth are so ever-changing b/c of their unique (watered-down) sound and different ways on how to approach them. They're a moody type band for me. I can't listen to them hardly ever Well, they've certainly helped themselves with the riffs they've got. I see they ARE trying to improve. I'm sure, well I hope, that CoF's next album will be more thrash-traditional influenced. You can hear some of that tinged on here. Dani does things different with the vocals and arrangement with them as oppose to their previous geigh efforts. He's more cautious on how to use them. Be glad for that. He doesn't do the extremely high shriek as much, or at least not more than his other vocal-tones. It would be interesting to see how they would be with his low death vocals, ONLY. Just take out the keyboards. Hmm, great production ejaculates all over this album. The choir thing is a little ehh..I like that sort of thing, but i think CoF needs to drop all that cheesy shit. I don't see them being 'gothic'. They need to build on their current sound into something more heavy and creative. Without the keyboards and special effects, you'd be able to hear them as a decent metal band. Aside from the wankery, you'll find all sorts of great melodic thrash riffs on here. Again, there's mediocre drumming, even though they could do better. but GREAT POWERFUL drumming isn't used with gothic-inspired music. Like I said, they should quit it.

well..they'll be playing ozzfest again i'm sure - 50%
Written by TsukiNoOuta on September 24th, 2004

EASILY the worst release cradle has ever put out. I've been a fan of cradle for years, was disturbed when Midian was released (which is about equivalent to VON's satanic blood when you compare it to this album in terms of tro0neS) was indifferent towards bitter suits, skipped lovecraft and the live album, and actually found some good in damnation. BUT now we have this to deal with. First of all, you could almost consider it damnation and a day pt 2. i say almost for two reaons 1) cradle have obtained the signature roadrunner sound, IE slipknot level music quality (something that wasn't seen before, even on damnation) and 2) this album is BORING! every song is about five mins too long, even the lead single "nymphetamine" is shortened for the music video.

The vocals have even suffered here, dani is actually audible on this album, which is a joke in itself, because without his toned down vox, this would be "the subliminal verses" part two. the only track i could really find worth listening to was nymphetamene, and that was due to the female vocalist from theatre of tragedy's appearance, and wonderful voice. The irony of the situation, is that cradle on sony records was more anti radio than cradle on roadrunner records, a supposed "underground" label.

Well, to sum it up, if you're a die hard cradle fan you'll finally be able to hear them on the radio, and if you're like everyone else who hasn't decided to hate this band already, this album might just do the trick.

I like it! - 75%
Written by NoirOrioN on October 5th, 2004

Despite the comments here above are rather negative I have to say If you hear just bad words on aa album you are planning to buy then it is probably the best way to be satisfied. That is my case. I agree this is not COF from "Cruelty" or "Midian" times but - and so what? Still it has a feeling, atmosphere, drive... Although it is not as fast as it used to be (well, guys are getting older a bit...) still it is worthy and I dare to say (after negative statements here above) G O O D. I was pleased especially by COF’s turning back to melodies...I think this is less deathmetal influenced album than Damnation And A Day. And that’s why I gave them 75%.

Ok... - 80%
Written by achlys_weeps on October 6th, 2004

I think most people would agree that Cradle of Filth's best albums are in the past, not in the present or the future. Simply put, I don't think they have anything left to achieve except more international recognition. I think Nymphetamine works to achieve that goal. They, thankfully, did not continue with the grand-scale production of Damnation and a Day. This album like all their others has a specific feel to it. Only a few songs sound like they could be from the older style CoF albums. The new songs rely on melody a lot and definately reflect the loss of Gian, who was undoubtably a talented riff writer. The guitar sound on Nymphetamine is adequate, however. The keyboards are the saving grace, Matin Powell once again proves that he is one of the best. Lyrically, Dani is unmatched but this time he repeats choruses more than usual.

Overall, this record is still Cradle of Filth, just not as good as they once were. The sales figures should rival Damnation and a Day. It's still better than most of what's coming out these days from the extreme metal scene.

Standout tracks: Absinthe with Faust, Nemesis, Swansong for a Raven

A good mallcore album. An awful CoF album. - 55%
Written by DarkWintermoon on October 27th, 2004

Oh... so here is the new Cradle of Filth album ? I must admit that after Damnation and a day ( so tepid ! ), I was very anxious. Right, it's not a comeback to the old roots of the band. CoF put water in their vitriol.The good old time of Cruelty is definitely over. In fact, Nymphetamine is not a black metal album. The worst: most of the songs are not metal at all, just mallcore. What a pity a such great band fall into the common of commercial music... The good side of the thing: it is one of the best mallcore album I've ever heard.

Some songs are quite decent, but no one of them deserve to be considered as a metal masterpiece.

Gilded cunt: nothing injuring, but the riffage is sooooooo common. Very forgettable track... 4/10

Nemesis: better, has some atmospheric quality but technically in average, a lot of minor bands could make simillar songs... 5/10

Gabrielle: Honest. It can be enjoyable one time... 6/10

Absinthe with Faust: Hey, this song is rather good! It has inspired, expressive, lyric moments. It is slow, it's not a dark song, but recalls the true Cradle's sound. 8/10

Nymphetamine: The title song ? Boring. Deceiving. Repetitive. That's all. 3/10

Medusa and Hemlock: Another bad song, but this one is bearable. At 3:15, the guitarist uses his vibrato: he tries to awake the listener 4/10

Coffin fodder : It could have been a good song, but the chorus brings a tempo change that breaks the melody... 6/10

English Fire: Well ! A patriotic song! Keyboard is really nice, the main theme is good, but the guitar riffage is a bit weak. However, it is not a bad song at all 6/10

Filthy little secret: a Iron Maiden rip-off ( I've nothing against IM ) Are you kidding us? you play heavy metal on this song ! Please, don't picture yourself as gothics ! 5/10

Swansong for a Raven: Easily the best song of the album. Daniel said this song is the sequel to Her Ghost in the fog, and it deserves the term ( however it doesn't equal it ) . The intro is beautiful, the keyboard is great, the guitars are nice. I really like this song! In a previous CoF album, I would have put it 8, but for this album, Swansong for a Raven is so far better than the rest... 9/10

Mother of abominations: Good, but a bit repetitive... the debut is good, but the end is looong, and quite boring. 5/10

Nymphetamine Fix: Better than the original Nymphetamine. Guest vocals are more used, and manage to make the song decent. 5/10

average: 55%

best songs: Swansong for a Raven ; Absinthe with Faust

*snicker* - 26%
Written by Snxke on October 27th, 2004

This record is a prime example of what happens when money-hungry whores hit the metal (mallcore) meat-market and blow everything they have for nothing. Honestly guys...what the hell were you thinking? This is bad even for YOU. Tepid production, lame keys and even lamer riffs/vocals attempt to catch the mallcore audience while selling records to the throng of goth-dorks who seem to think that black metal and ugly English goth-models have anything to do with each other. The music is the same old crap - just dumped down to a science of nothingness.

I can't even point out the flaws on this atrocity without laughing. Dani and company must really think themselves to have commercial (zero - despite their mid-90's bump in popularity) potential and fail at both making music that will sell. (The general quality as I've stated, is pretty much crap.)

Fuck CoF, they just don't give up because the goth-kiddies keep lining their pockets with enough silver to keep on fighting through. Thankfully they aren't main-staging Ozzfest nor are they reaching out to the newly popular black metal crowd. (Satyricon anyone? At least the last Satyricon was pretty fun.)

Fuck this...buy something else. Don't support such crass commercialism...

If Satan and Legolas played metal... - 92%
Written by AzzMan on July 2nd, 2004

This'd be it. Fuck everything else. Listen to Neslpaks and tell me that riff isn't insanly sick. You can dance to it, headbang to it (my personal favorite), or just sit back, arms crossed and listen.

Plenty of people might expect a bastardized Darkthrone with some more operatic vox. This is not it. You one of those people? DL a couple songs first, because this probably won't be your cup of tea.

When I heard Fenriz did a black-folk side project and I remembered how he's a badass and a half and an awesome drummer and bassist and such.. I fucking picked it up. Quite happy I did, in fact.

More bands need to immitate Isengard, and not because they (or he) did anything wrong, but because HE QUIT AND THIS OWNS SO MUCH. I want MORE dammit, MORE!!!

Now onto the album. Vocally.. that might be the best part. In some parts Fenriz just sings, in the operatic tone not far from being similar to Garm, but a bit deeper. Other times (ie Thornspawn Chalice, Total Death) he does sinister black vocals.

On the black vocals.. fuck Culto. Culto ain't got nothin' on this motherfucker. These are some of the best fucking vocals ever. Incredibly, they DO kind of sound like Garm's vocals, especially when compared to the remastered version of Aspera Hiems Symphonia.

This album is just fucking great. From the dark riffs, to the great vocals in every respect, to the drumming, everything is very well composed.

Shame that he split up. I wanna see more shit like this.

Here to stay!!! - 95%
Written by fg on April 28th, 2004

I've reading those 3 reviews concering th is album. How can you tell that this album is a nice-played Helloween copy? Alright , some tracks like "We dont need a hero" , "Down tro the devil" and "Rise of the moring glory" have some influences from Helloween and Stratovarius but thats it. Edguy play power metal but as the time passed they evolved a very personal style of playing. By the first time i listened to it i noticed two basic things 1) It is heavier than the other Edguy albums and 2) It's been influenced by 70s rock n roll and blues. Thats (combined with inspiration) is what makes the album so exciting. This record really cheers you up and makes you realize that European power metal is not dead!

Starts good... gets bland... ruined by ballads - 67%
Written by InTenebris on April 7th, 2004

Edguy’s Hellfire Club has moments. It definitely starts off strong with the heavy “Mysteria” and at that point I am still able to enjoy Tobias Sammet’s vocals. But after a while the heavy tracks start to sound the same, and the album is overloaded with ballads, and one way to kill an album, especially a metal album is excessive ballads. Ludwig and Sauer are both excellent guitar players but quite simply it doesn’t take long for the music to be so uninteresting that not even great guitar playing could save it. After a while Sammet’s vocals became rather mundane, but at least they aren’t as bad as Joacim Cans of Hammerfall. I did not get to listen to the bonus tracks and would be very interested to hear “Mysteria” with Kreator’s Mille Petrozza. However, even that intriguing idea does not make this album worth owning. This is too bland, too “typical power metal.” It carry’s none of the epic scope of Rhapsody, the masterfully songwriting of early Helloween, nor the thrashing power of Iced Earth and Imagicka. Unless you are some sort of crazed power metal freak do not buy this album.

My first listen to Edguy, won't be the last - 99%
Written by Immolation on April 23rd, 2003

The album opens up with Tears of a Mandrake. All 7 minutes of this song are definetely worth listening to. The solos are the highlight of this song, great solos.

Golden Dawn opens up really good, not too aggressive but fast paced. The music all falls into place, guitars and drumming. Solos were good, but not great. I think the song lasted longer then it should of, it was a 6 minute song but would of been much better as a 3 or 4 minute song.

Jerusalem stars up, at the intro of the song I could sort of tell I wouldn't like it. The chorus is good, but for some reason I didn't care for the vocals much. In the middle of the song it slows down before the solos, this part really sucked in my opinion. The solos were mediocre and overall I didn't like the song.

All the Clowns, great vocals/lyrics and chorus in the song. The guitar riffs and drumming fall in place, definetely a song I will be listening to more. The only thing that didn't seem right were the solos in the song.

Nailed to the Wheel begins very slow paced. All of a sudden the song immediately picks up and sounds very good. The drumming is incredible and backs up the strong vocals. The main guitar riff is great.

The Pharoah, holy shit, all 10:35 are definetely worth your song. This epic is truly a masterpiece, the highlight of the album in my opinion. Everything is godly in the song, vocals, guitars, drumming, everything.

Wash Away the Poison was outright bad. I don't know how to explain it...just so slow and montonous.

Fallen Angel's intro is slightly more aggressive and I don't like the guitar much. Although I did like the solos, the song itself just didn't do much for me.

I will make it brief...Painting on the Wall was terrible.

Save Us Now was a fast paced, well structured song. Good lead guitar and backing guitar riffs.

The bonus track, the Devil and the Savant wasn't very good, but not disappointing. Not much to say about the song, it just didn't suck and is there.

To conclude, it was a great CD with the exception of 1 or 2 tracks and I recommend it to all.

Worthless ... - 10%
Written by Demonicon_66 on October 19th, 2006

I give cof a 10/100 just for the effort of putting out this album. This is by far the worst album they have put out, and I am debating if future albums are even worth listening to. If this is the first album you have heard from them you may enjoy it somehow, but if you have listened to any of their albums pre-2001 you would agree that this latest smash hit from the band is WORTHLESS!

It seems they have followed some aweful trendy sound and it just doesn't work for them. Mr. Filth tries to sing in a normal vocal tone at times and that just doesn't work for what used to be an original sound. Some of the songs sound so goofy I seriously started laughing out loud; Libertina Grimm for instance. Lastly, the upbeat sound of some of the guitar riffs is just annoying.

They might as well be on myspace.com, maybe they are, I don't know. Don't come to my city for a tour with this album, I certainly wouldn't show up. Cradle of Filth used to be such a good band, but they have lost their raw edge, I guess making the big bucks envokes purification.

Suggestion: Try to listen to this album to make sure you like it before you go out and waste hard earned cash on it.

Can they pull it off live? Of course they can! - 96%
Written by Paradox on March 27th, 2003

This DVD is a must have for all Dream Theater fans. It is simply amazing. They play their conceptual opus to near perfection. What an awesome concert that must have been to see in person. A twenty four minute marathon of a song . . . AS AN ENCORE!!!

I have only a few complaints about this disc. (1) I think they should have included the whole entire concert. The additional songs are great, but the whole thing would have been superb. I understand if that would have required two discs and the record company just didn't want to go for that, but I can dream can't I? (2) James's vocals suffer in a few places, primarily in "Finally Free." I understand the rigors of preforming a two hour+ set every night, but it is a bit disappointing. (3) The behind the scenes stuff sucked. The interviews with some of the fans were cool, but I think that disc space would have been better spent on additional songs from the concert. (4) Some of the effects are kinda cheesey. Specifically the flipping John Myung up-side-down effect. (5) You can't hear John Petrucci on the commentary. Apparently he sat too far away from the microphone. John Myung hardly ever speaks so you essentially only get three out of five members of the band in the commentary. I also think they should have recorded commentary for the bonus tracks as well.

Despite these short comings this is still a great DVD

what the fuck? - 10%
Written by mutiilator on September 25th, 2003

AYL used to be one of my favourite doom metal bands until I heard this latest failing effort of theirs. Their last release was The Inheritance of Sin and Shame (2000), which still carried a depressive doom metal sound that we all knew and loved. But with Fire, something went terribly wrong with the band and this new album is pure, boring goth metal... You may not think the same way, but for me this is a HUGE disappointment. There's no way I would even consider buying this album even though AYL are a favourite of mine.
This is very disappointing and I sincerely hope their next release is nothing like this one. The only reason i'm giving this a 10 is because i used to love this band.

Music that made me want to slit my wrists - 2%
Written by Iscarioth on June 6th, 2005

Well... Like I said it on the title, this piece of worthless crap is actually the first thing labeled as "black metal" which actually makes me want to slit my wrists while listening to it. Now... The thing is that I don't get that feeling because the music here is über-necro, depressive-as-hell and evil-as-fuck, but because of the fact that this actually might be the biggest piece of "le shité" I have ever heard.

There isn't much for me to say, but if this is the result you get when you don't smack your kids enough and tell them not to do shitty "music" with computer then I'm going to go right away and get my wires cut, so that I would never have to lower myself down to the point where I actually have to tell my kid that you can't make Black Metal with fruityloops... Hell you can't make any metal with fruityloops because only thing you can do with that is create some technobeats etc.
Somebody tell this guy that if he had even a small portion of talent OR even a small piece of a thing called brain then he would not do this stuff.
I seriously hope that "Evig Kveld" is doing this only because he likes to laugh at people who takes this seriously.
If he actually thinks that this is something that will conquer the underground then I hope that Dark Lord Evig Kveld gets anally-raped by thirty horny pest-kangaroos with electrified strap-dildos on.

All in all, if you want music that makes you want to jump down from your roof or just want some cheap laughs then this is something for you. I'm going to pretend that I never heard this filth. Two points for few laughs I got from this.

One of the finest debuts in metal... - 95%
Written by Fatal_Metal on August 2nd, 2005

Allright, folks, whether you dig 'em or not, let us hand one thing to CoB. They are unique in many ways, and debuting with a style that mixes power metal with black-ish vocals isn't the easiest thing to do, save do it with such finesse. This album is true testimony to the kind of talent we are dealing with here. They've left almost all the cynics, who thought they were trying to bite off more than they can chew by trying this complex style of metal, gasping for more.

Coming to the album itself the best tracks here would be Lake Bodom,Deadnight Warrior, Red Light In My Eyes (Part 2) and In The Shadows. Lake Bodom caught me in its deluge of guitar riffs with the ocassional slow down(adding to the subtleness of the track), all deftly executed. I would call it my pick of the picks.

Considering this is a debut album (the reason why I added a few points to the rating), I can safely say that this is THE best starting material any band has released in the the 90s. All hail CoB!

Impressive debut - 80%
Written by foshuggah on June 18th, 2003

Nice. Mixing subgenres is not always a good thing to do. And mixing black metal with power metal was completely forbidden. Until these guys proved that melodic metal and black metal shrieks can impress any metal fan around the world.

Intense. That is the word I have always used to describe this album. It's raw and aggressive, but the polished production and the top notoch musicianship creates a weird effect on the listener. Maybe that it is why these guys took the scene by storm with "Somthing Wild".

Their second and third releases show more maturity, but they lost the rawness and aggression that were a very important part of CoB in their debut album.

Anyway, if you like melodic metal and you can stand a different vocal approach, this album is highly recommended.

Simply COB - 94%
Written by Abaction on June 2nd, 2004

Second album from the Finns that will blow your ass off! They took their knowledge and ideas into a new world, called Hatebreeder. The album is again a great compilation of many metal genres, from power to some very thrashy song parts. Now let's go to some song descriptions..

Opening song of Hatebreeder is called Warheart. It's one of the fastest Children of Bodom songs ever recorded with a great technical guitar solo, mastered by Laiho - it will blast your ears off, the whole song. Second is Silent Night, Holy Night. Fuck no! BODOM NIGHT! A famous COB song with very fast guitar and keyboard riffs and melodies. It's a short song, lyrics for it were written by Kimberly Goss [Sinergy] and they're about the triple-murder at lake Bodom. Third number is the title track Hatebreeder. It starts in full speed of power but it ''calms down'' in the second part of the song, when you can hear some great guitar and keyboards solos, combined with cool classical parts from Mozart. Bed of Razors was first entitled Red Light In My Eyes, Pt 3 and it slows down the album a little bit. It has really beautiful melodies and it was written for his wife [Alexi Laiho's wife], before mentioned Kimberly Goss. Track number five is again a well known COB song, called Towards Dead End. You can hear the main melody on the Inearthed [Children of Bodom] demo Shining. It was played acoustic in the song Homeland II: Shining. Has an awesome outro solo and it's one of the best COB songs. Kimberly Goss is again participating in the song Black Widow, where she does a neat scream. Also some Mozart melodies in it, not a bad song at all. Wrath Within is a dark, atmospheric song with some great guitar riffs and a kick ass solo. Jaska shows his drum skills in this one. Eight is a song called after the band, Children Of Bodom. Lyrics are about murders at lake Bodom and about the COB rising. The song tells you about every fucking thing that the band is known about. A great chorus and really outstanding solos. The last one is Downfall, a very suicidal song from my oppinion, really dark lyrics. They shot a video for this one too. It contains everything that a perfect COB song should contain.

Highlight songs: ALL OF THEM! Wrath Within falls a little behind the rest of the songs, but not a huge fall.
Buy or die!

Children of Bodom Live = Perfection - 96%
Written by PowerMetalGuardian on February 12th, 2003

Words can not express how much this album kicks ass! The only thing I thought was bad about it was that they only had two albums (Something Wild and Hatbreeder) prior to this album. Had they have done this after Follow the Reaper it might have been even better! Anyways on to the good part of this album. First off every band in the metal genre will decided wether or not to come out with a live album. This could make a band or destroy it. It could destroy it because the same sound that is on this album is what you would hear at a concert. And if it sounds shitty then why would you go see them. However, for Children of Bodom this is not the case. The sound is just amazing on this album, almost as if it were recordered in a studio, which couldn't happen because how would they fit all those Japanses metalheads in a studio! The sound is just amazing, too many times have I seen great metal bands come out with live albums with total shit, but this is just so amazing, this surely would boost there audience at a concert. And when I say the sound is great I mean almost perfection. There is your occasional feedback, but everything from the vocals to the keyboards, drums, everything is just greatly recorded. If you listened to any song, but War of Razors, which is a bunch of soloing, you will understand how great this is. Another great reason why everyone should check this album out: there are only two albums out by Children of Bodom, and they take the best songs from those two albums. Sort of like a best of only 2!

hate me! - 50%
Written by charun on April 10th, 2004

i picked up this single cheap (like $7) apparently some distributor was ditching all there spinefarm stuff so i cleaned up. anyways i already had the follow the reaper digi with the two songs on it but yeah thats not the point, the two tracks are a fair bit roarer than that on the album which brings out the fuck you type attitude on hate me which i think is great, although i wouldn't go as far as to say its better than the album, unfortunatly it doesn't really do anything for hellion and youll probably enjoy the one of the digi more. also the art work kicks ass. basically if you have the album don't buy the single (unless you really like the artwork). if your a huge CoB fan and see it on ebay dont go over the top (unless you really really like the artwork and your lucky enough to have a lot of spare cash). all in all its good but not great, but with only two tracks how much can you expect

One of my new fav. bands! - 90%
Written by deaf_revival on May 1st, 2004

Children of Decadence - This is the most accessable song to those who aren't used to this kind of music. The intro is astounding, the song has a really nice tempo to it and the keyboards flow really well with the guitar.

Everytime I Die - This is just what Children of Bodom do best; great riffs, great keyboard work, good tempo that keeps the song flowing and once again a great solo from alexi.

Hate me - Starts quite slow but when it starts it never lets up; the guitar fills and interludes on this track are great and both of the solos are just excellent.

Bodom After Midnight - Plain and simple a perfect combination of all the members talents; quite a lot of people regard this as the best song on the album

This album is remarkable; every song on it is catchy, addictive and brimming with talent. A lot of effort went into this album, and it shows. There is a lot of complex guitar work, excellent drumming and some really snazzy use of keyboards that all fit really well with each other. The band is on top form and show that they're in this for the long run. This band is now one of my fav. bands!

The best Children of Bodom CD - 90%
Written by Laserhawk on October 20th, 2003

The songs on here are catchy as hell. The guitar duo is here is at there best, and Alexi Laiho seems to have grown even faster, amzing considering his age(i think he was around 19 at the time of this album), and he still has a lot of experience to gain. Overall, this album is faster than all the other CoB albums, especially when concerning the riffs. A prime example of this would be Follow The Reaper. Throughout this song, the riffs intertwine with one another, making the guitars sound even faster than they actually are. The solo's here are at once both blazingly fast and cathy. I find myself repeating the solo's over and over again. The drummer here is once again a solid foundation for the music, with a strong rhythm and fast, aggressive fills. The keyboardist again is incredibly prominent, and many say that the keyboards are masturbated each and every song, and I tend to agree. Sometimes the keyboards fit with the solo's, whereas in others, it's completely out of place.

Album HIghlights - Follow the Reaper, Mask of Sanity, Kissing the Shadows(shred fans will love that one)

Cradle Of Filth - Thornography

http://www.metal-archives.com/review.ph ... 6857#84747



Accepted today (!!!!), it doesn't say a single word about the music except that Dani Filth uses a normal vocal tone (whatever that's supposed to mean) at times.

http://www.metal-archives.com/review.php?id=6226

This review is too short, and gives the album a score that is far too low to reflect the writer's opinion.

saltus review - 56%
Written by abraxus on March 12th, 2006

The intro of clashing swords and groans of battle wounds ignites into the first track which lunges at you like a cleaved limb in the choking smoke of some distant melee. This is raw, pagan Black Metal with the usual blasting carnage separated with slower guitar sections and chanting barbarians drunk from the maw of slaughter. The eastern Europeans are masters of this style of music with Graveland and Norkturlal Mortum being prime examples. It’s fast primitive Black Metal with lashings of keyboard interludes and sombre moods that evoke the cultural misery of the bands forefathers. A cold spine runs throughout the album and if you’re into hectic extremity peppered with various subtler parts then this will take you back to a time when the beauty of savagery was second nature to peoples dwelling under the dark shadow of the Christian doctrine.

Best album ever? - 100%
Written by AcesHigh on September 6th, 2002


I know that I am not qualified to make a judgement on the best metal album ever, but in my opinion of material that I have listened to so far, Metallica's Kill 'Em All is the best. This is their first effort, and best effort. I have listened to every song that Metallica has put out from Kill Em All through ReLoad. I know people are going to disagree with me, but this is definitely the best Metallica album.
"Hit the Lights" kicks off the album pretty well, it keeps a pretty good rhythm throughout and has some awesome guitar solos.
"The Four Horsemen" is absolutely incredible. It starts off with a great riff, then switches gears totally into another splendid riff, then shoots into another riff. With awesome guitar riffs accompanied by crazy guitars solos, this song just rocks.
"Motorbreath" is a pretty decent song, the chorus is pretty lame, but their is some good shredding going on as well some of the best guitar solos on the album.
"Jump in the Fire" is another decent song and it has a pretty catchy guitar riff and a solid chorus.
"Anesthetia" is a great bass solo. That's about all I have to say about this song, its pretty incredible.
"Whiplash" is along the lines of MotorBreath, very fast.
"Phantom Lord" is very fast and is better than Motorbreath and Whiplash.
"No Remorse" has a good crunching riff, and the chorus is excellent.
The absolute height of Metallica's songwriting comes in the next song. "Seek and Destroy" is the best song ever, by any artist, that I have ever heard. It also has the best riff ever. This is the only song on the album where you can actually understand what the hell James is saying. With two dualing riffs and some great solos, this song will blow you away.
"Metal Militia" ends the album with a bang, one of the fastest songs ever.

All in all, this is totally a metal masterpiece that any fan of Metallica or any fan of metal in general should not be without. Just because Metallica sold out later in their career does not mean you don't have to support their old stuff. This album is amazing, get it now.

Successor to "Altars Of Madness" - 100%
Written by AUN on September 16th, 2005

This is the album MORBID ANGEL should have released as their official second album instead of "Blessed Are The Sick".
On "Enjoy The Violence" MASSACRA lost some of their Thrash Metal sound and became more Death Metal. With this came more alternating songs than on their debut. "Final Holocaust" was an all out fast Death Trash album while "Enjoy The Violence" varies the the speed and tone of the individual songs more often.
One very remarkable feature of this album is the enthusiasm of the musicians you can feel while listening to the songs. You can feel their enjoyment in every song. It's just fun to listen to and when you just start to relax you realize that you are listening to one of the most brutal and intense old school Death Metal albums.
If you are a Death Metal fan you must have their first to albums.