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User
Reviews 16
Approval 95%
Soundoffs 8
Album Ratings 1099
Objectivity 63%
Last Active 04-22-21 3:46 am
Joined 01-18-14
Review Comments 13,324
| Cradle Of Filth: A Fanboy Ranking
Since I’m feeling particularly hyped for the new Cradle Of Filth album (kind of shocked I’m still saying that in 2017, will the wonders never cease), I’ve decided to work out my ranking of Cradle albums after many years of being a fan. This list was not easy for me, as it turns out I’m pretty conflicted on the top 5 especially. I know this list is probably atypical and many won’t agree with me (looking at you Hawks, and others whose names I can’t recall right now) but I think this list is representative of my long journey with the band. I tried to stay as objective as possible but in the end I think my feelings led me to give the edge to certain albums that personally resonated with me more than others. | | 11 |  | Cradle of Filth
Thornography
What is there to say about this album? I was in high school when this album was released and it was a running joke in my peer group. It’s not that the album was a total disaster; It had a couple of truly memorable songs in Libertina Grimm and Rise Of The Pentagram, it’s just that it was the most blatant stab at mainstream appeal yet, one far more clumsy than Nymphetamine which actually had the substance to back up its stylistic change. The worst part by far was Dani’s vocals… apparently someone gave him the brilliant idea that maybe since he can shriek like a banshee, he can also sing as well. Well as it turns out, no he can’t, and it’s ultimately Dani’s atrocious vocals that ruin the otherwise decent songs on here. There’s a reason why Dani never even attempted anything like this again… Some of this shit is unlistenable. (Sorry Hawks, your nostalgia blinds you on this one) | | 10 |  | Cradle of Filth
Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa
I’m not really sure what Cradle was going for on this album. I guess they were trying to make a futile effort at recapturing their black-metal roots when that is not what they ever excelled at in the first place. This tries to be grim and evil but mostly it just all runs together in a flurry of recycled ideas. Ironically, the song that stands out from the pack is Forgive Me Father For I Have Sinned which is a ready-for-radio song by CoF standards that actually has some face-melting leads layered over the chorus which is otherwise practically Top 40 material… Lillith Immaculate also stands out with prominent female vocals that give the song character and identity that most of the other songs here lack. | | 9 |  | Cradle of Filth
The Principle of Evil Made Flesh
Really good black metal album when you consider that the band was still sucking on its momma’s teet while it was being recorded. Considering the stunningly young age of the band, this is good shit but the band goes on to surpass it many times over. | | 8 |  | Cradle of Filth
The Manticore and Other Horrors
I don’t have much to say about this album. In some ways this is a testament to what CoF has achieved in their career; even when they put out a kind of middling, unremarkable record like Manticore, it's still super polished and well put together, and very much above average. It’s totally listenable, it just pales in comparison to what the band is capable of. | | 7 |  | Cradle of Filth
Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder
I was going through a really rough time when this one came out and so I have many strong memories of jamming this album, so this one is held kind of dear. It doesn’t gel together very well and mostly feels like a jumble of songs, but there is a lot of variety here from the more pop-oriented Death Of Love and 13th Ceaser to the some of the darkest and heaviest material the band has done in a while like Darkness Incarnate and Midnight Shadows Crawl To Darken Counsel With Life. Also Tragic Kingdom is maybe one of the best modern CoF songs with just the best solo... I should also mention that the outro to Sweetest Maleficia is maybe the heaviest moment in the band’s entire career. | | 6 |  | Cradle of Filth
Hammer of the Witches
Sometimes I listen to this and I wonder if this is just objectively the best Cradle album ever. I mean, the hard work and mastery on display here is just something else. Not only is this album practically flawless, they’ve actually shored up some of the weakness of the band, namely guitar solos which had been a little spotty here and there. Here the solos are better than they have ever been and the band is just on fire. So why is it not higher? Simple: nostalgia and personal feelings. Still, this is so good that my hype for a new CoF album has never been higher. | | 5 |  | Cradle of Filth
Nymphetamine
I believe I was in 9th grade when this came out. I was already a mild CoF fan but this album really imprinted on me. This was their second release on Roadrunner Records, so the album had a big recording and marketing budget, and so naturally this album tried to broaden the band’s audience, and was largely successful on that front. This album cycle probably saw the biggest spike of fans than any other. This album sees CoF really push the black-metal aspect of their sound to the back burner and instead focus on introducing melodic thrash elements on tracks like Coffin Fodder, Absinthe With Faust, and Medusa And Hemlock and the results were stunning. On the other end of the spectrum, songs like Nymphetamine (Overdose), English Fire, and Gabrielle took great pains to tone down the extreme nature of the band in favour of exploring some more atmospheric and catchy territory with tremendous results. These are practically pop songs by CoF standards, and they still stand the test of time. | | 4 |  | Cradle of Filth
Midian
A lot of fans consider this the quintessential Cradle album, and for good reason. This is Cradle at their most dense and devastating while also integrating massive synth-sections and melodic breaks. The result is an album that is harrowing sonically yet not neglectful of big frequent hooks that will worm into your ears long after the blast-beats have worn off. Cthulu Dawn, Saffron’s Curse, Her Ghost In The Fog, Tearing The Veil From Grace… this album is not short on explosions of over-the-top theatrical angst that are as devastating as they are catchy and infectious. | | 3 |  | Cradle of Filth
Damnation and a Day
This is by far the most underrated CoF album, and a testament to the artistic integrity of the band; this was their first album after signing to Roadrunner, a huge break for the band in terms of exposure. Their production budget for this album was utterly obscene in comparison to their past releases. While many bands would have pocketed a good chunk of that money and bought fancy cars, CoF actually invested that ridiculously inflated budget into hiring a fucking 40 piece orchestra to help them flesh out this incredible long, dense, ambitious concept album about Paradise Lost. This album isn’t perfect, but it’s a fucking mind blowing experience all the same and a huge reason why I will always have the utmost respect for Cradle Of Filth. If this is one that flew under your radar, please remedy that ASAP. | | 2 |  | Cradle of Filth
Dusk and Her Embrace
Man, these kids were so young… They followed up their super raw and rough-around-the-edges debut with THIS barely 2 years later. Holy shit, the spike in quality between records is beyond astonishing. The songwriting and ability to tell a fleshed-out narrative throughout an extended track has improved exponentially. I have nothing new to say about this album that hasn’t been already said, even my stand-out tracks are predictable at this point… A Gothic Romance, Funeral In Carpathia, Malice Through The Looking Glass. This album is short, to the point, it doesn’t fuck around and it delivers the Cradle goods in the most minimalist way possible. Fucking stunning to this day. | | 1 |  | Cradle of Filth
Cruelty and the Beast
A lot of fans flip-flop on which album they prefer, this or Dusk. I prefer this one overall. My main reason for that has to do with the scope of the album. While Dusk tells a compelling gothic narrative, Cruelty goes to much further lengths to convey its demented perverted tale of Elizabeth Bathory. This is also the first album that really began breaking the boundaries of what black metal could be; epic tracks like Bathory Aria explore melodic territory without any hint of shame or shyness, while still delivering the aural assault that CoF has become known for. It's beautiful, horrifying, dynamic, and downright erotic at times... Cruelty is the definitive CoF package all wrapped in a neat bow for your greedy little fingers to unwrap. My two favourite tracks are Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids and The Twisted Nails Of Faith. They are just so evil and sexy and the way they incorporated synths to dial everything up to 11 truly set a benchmark that is hard to surpass. | |
ScuroFantasma
07.11.17 | Great list, I'm pumped for the new one. Cool ranking, though 3 is just way too long for me and hasn't got the consistency to justify it imo. | EvoHavok
07.11.17 | Interesting order and nice descriptions. | InFlamesWeThrash666
07.11.17 | https://cloud.mail.ru/public/9wBi/hZYApi5Rc
here's the new single btw | artiswar
07.11.17 | I haven't listened to the single yet, I usually don't until the album drops, just my thing but thanks.
@Scuro
The album is 80 minutes long but if you cut out the orchestral interludes and intros, the album is a far more manageable length. Seriously go back and check it out, it's a very unique Cradle album. | ScuroFantasma
07.11.17 | Oh yeah I still jam it, I think it's a good album overall but to me it just has some filler that could've been left off. | artiswar
07.11.17 | I can see that, but most Cradle albums have filler on them. I don't know how much you liked Nymphetamine, but if that album had just ended 3 tracks earlier I seriously would have considered it for 1. Several of their albums outstay their welcome a bit but its forgivable imo. | Wolfhorde
07.11.17 | Not a CoF fanboy per se but this is a good list. I have some nostalgia for them although my nostalgia seems to fade a lot more since I don't like any of the records they put out after Midian.
And I like Dusk more than Cruelty but as you noted, they're pretty close. What I will say is that I wholeheartedly agree with 6 and I actually think it is one of their best LPs - which is surprising since it completely caught me off guard. I never expected to see another good CoF release. Now it's tied with Dusk for me. And then Cruelty > Midian > everything else | artiswar
07.11.17 | Yeah man Hammer really came out of nowhere didn't it. Honestly, I don't listen to CoF much anymore other then occasional nostalgia trips, but they really did put out some good stuff after Midian that's worth exploring. | Demon of the Fall
07.11.17 | I've never heard a CoF album, a couple of weird things I noticed though...
Nymphetimine has a 3.4 average but the most votes, odd. Also, I presumed they were much more popular than the total votes suggest.
Maybe I'll try out 1 or 2. | Wolfhorde
07.11.17 | I don't know, I tried relistening to Nymphetamine but it's just a lot of hit and miss for me with their records after Midian. Like Dusk is something I can put on and just let it play, same for Cruelty. Hammer is something I can get fired up about and it's just so ridiculously consistent for a CoF record. With the other records I just wind up skipping a lot of songs and picking out songs and I don't like listening to music like that. | Wolfhorde
07.11.17 | Or in other words: If I have to pick and choose a few songs out of an album it's usually not worth having in my library. | artiswar
07.11.17 | well if you guys haven't noticed I tend to have at least one album in a band's discography that I love to pieces that everybody seems to hate... I guess for me that's Nympethamine. Sunlight, I would actually start there and try out some of the more mellow shit like English Fire and Nymphetamine (Overdose). Or the cool thrashy shit like Coffin Fodder, its just so fun man.
As for ratings, Nymphetamine (while really fun) has the same score as Damnation & A Day which is a ridiculously more complex and ambitious album, so that should say something about collective ratings sometimes...
And yeah I totally agree, I listen to albums not individual songs. If an album has 2 good songs, I don't bother with it. I think Nymphetamine totally holds up, barely any filler. | Wolfhorde
07.11.17 | Also, have you heard the leak of the new single? It's not the best quality but it's a good impression. It brings some good riffs. | artiswar
07.11.17 | I haven't listened to it yet. The new album will either pick up where Hammer left off or it will join the ranks of sub-optimal Cradle albums where it will have a lot of company. This time I'm actually betting that it will be really good. Looking forward to updating this list when the time comes. | Wolfhorde
07.11.17 | Yeah, I'm actually expecting it to be good. I'm currently spinning the new single a few times. The riffs are solid, it's got a strong symphonic part as well which I hope won't be too overpowering in the album but this mp3 is also 128 so it's hard to tell for sure. Plus I have no idea where this song will be placed within the album so that might make a big difference as well. | artiswar
07.11.17 | while you wait you should check out some post-Midian stuff man. Like Damnation and Godspeed. | Wolfhorde
07.11.17 | I'm gonna do BM marathon in the near future focussing on some bands, some re-listening and possibly re-evaluating. I'll put some CoF in there as well and report back. | hansoloshotfirst
07.11.17 | expected a Hawks list.
has been ages since I listenend to a CoF album, although I enjoyed their early albums and have some sympathies for them/him (Dani Filth) | artiswar
07.11.17 | What is a Hawks list? One that has Thornography at the top? *barfs*
Relistening to Godspeed now and holy shit Midnight Shadows fucking rules...
'Sometimes I beheaded them
with daggers, with poniards, with knives
Sometimes I suspended them in my room
from a pole or by a hook and chords and strangled them
And when they were anguishing...
I committed with them.... the evils of the flesh'
and then into that fucking evil black metal riff holy crap haha | hansoloshotfirst
07.11.17 | nah a CoF lis ist usually made by Hawks.
and to defend him he ranked Thornography as seventh best CoF album.
http://www.sputnikmusic.com/list.php?listid=159774&memberid=269185 | artiswar
07.11.17 | His list is ok, his top 6 is fine, the rest is sketchy. Last time I spoke to him he loved Thornography so him putting it at 7 must mean he is a massive CoF fan, probably more than me. Still, Thornography over Godspeed is just insanity
Also I never did understand the appeal of the Vempire EP. I always thought it was just a better extension of the Principles album, nowhere near on par with Dusk. Is it because the girl has her tit out on the cover? It's because she has her tit out isn't it.
But no, really, I don't like that EP much but everyone rates it so high. | Demon of the Fall
07.11.17 | Looking through their discography that EP did catch my eye, it's definitely a selling point, haha. Similar to Celtic Frost's EPs, someone (I forget) was pointing me towards Morbid Tales & I was drawn toward Emperor instead, probably because of the artwork. Sad but it's a base level instinct & I love artwork that doesn't have half naked women on it as well. | hansoloshotfirst
07.11.17 | wouldn't be surprised If he rated all CoF album 4 or higher .
puh I remember that I listenend to this EP but I don't know if it was any good. but yeah the formula tits > no tits could be a factor.
| artiswar
07.11.17 | I really do like a lot of Cradle's artwork, I still own an embarrassing amount of their clothing including a Principles hoodie which I still rock because the art is beyond sick and I got it on sale | artiswar
07.11.17 | It's kind of funny that people seem so drawn to the more sexual artwork when the lyrics themselves are so much more salacious and paint a way more vivid picture of weird fucked up sexual shit. Truly, Dani is a twisted poet who really blew my mind at a young age with how articulate and intricate his fantasies are; a lot of Cradle songs have like 8 verse because of how indulgent his lyrics get | Demon of the Fall
07.11.17 | Honestly, I need to listen to an album about 15 times before I even notice any lyrics unless they're a) easily decipherable & b) unusual (so they stand out) & even then it'll just be bits & pieces. | artiswar
07.11.17 | unless you sit down with a lyric book and follow along you're going to understand roughly 0.0001% of the lyrics on your own. especially the earlier back you go, haha | Wolfhorde
07.11.17 | Dude have you ever listened to Nocte Obducta or Dornenreich? Admittedly, their lyrics are in German but they are some of the most poetic BM lyrics I have ever heard/read.
Same for Grabnebelfürsten whose lyrics read like a fucking essay by some Nietzschean superwit. | artiswar
07.11.17 | I've never heard of them and I can't read german. Dani's lyrics are very lyrical and striking but at the end of the day he mostly just sings about vampire/succubus orgies so I've never considered him up there with the likes of John Haughm of Agalloch/Pillorian.
And guys, the new album seems to have a fully nude waif lady on it, so rejoice, great Cradle album confirmed. | Wolfhorde
07.11.17 | Eh, you don't need to - the music transports the feeling of the lyrics quite well. So I'd generally recommend checking them out. I have a pretty long BM list with a bunch of descriptions if you're interested in checking out some stuff. | TheSpirit
07.11.17 | 4,1,2,6,9,11,5,7,10,8,3
Keep in the mind that my first four ranked are all 5's for me | artiswar
07.11.17 | I looked at your list and it looks like it's a lot of obvious stuff. I'm not even that much into black metal anymore, more into post-black metal really, but with a healthy appreciation for the old.
Spirit, your list is good but your placement of 11 makes me question its validity, that album is trash, no way those other albums are worse. And Damnation last, lmao gtfo here | Wolfhorde
07.11.17 | There's both. A lot of obvious stuff, a lot of not so obvious stuff. A little bit of everything if you will. | tastepolice
07.11.17 | Wow this is absolutely stunning.
It's like flipping through channels on the TV and accidentally ending up watching a man talk about a turd for 12 minutes.
This list truly pushes the barriers of what we perceive as art. | Rik VII
07.11.17 | Bold words coming from a satire account | artiswar
07.11.17 | A list is not art, it's commenting on art. And you're not flipping through channels, you clicked on a Cradle Of Filth list knowing who they were. Drink more alcohol bro. | tastepolice
07.11.17 | First of all, what you said makes no sense. Why would it make any difference coming from a satire account? If anything it's only expected that a satire account would be confrontational and caustic.
Second of all, I don't know what you mean by "satire" account but it's I'm just another user like everyone else, I'm a person goddamnit. | starboystargirl
07.11.17 | Great writeup. Nymphetamine, Damnation and a Day, Midian and Dusk and Her Embrace are their best albums. | Idontevenlikemusic
07.11.17 | You a number not a real man | tastepolice
07.11.17 | ^^ huh wow you're really retarded
I know a list is not art, have you never heard the countless post-modern debates on what art IS? I was just joking about that (as in the extreme nature of this list qualifies it as art because it creates a unique experience on the onlooker)
and second of all, I was paralleling watching TV to browsing the internet and switching to a channel to clicking on the list. Did I know what I was getting myself into compared to if I blindly pressed next on the TV controller? sure. but you're an autist for taking everything so literally, get it checked | artiswar
07.11.17 | @Starboy
thanks! no love for Cruelty? | artiswar
07.11.17 | okay tastepolice, duly noted, I have been checked. | Wolfhorde
07.11.17 | "I'm a person goddamnit."
nah you're xenos scum that needs to be purified by the flames of exterminatus | artiswar
07.11.17 | too much negativity, this is a cradle of filth thread, it should be more positive | Wolfhorde
07.11.17 | I'm not negative, I'm just espousing the holy word of the emperor. | tellah
07.11.17 | are you kingcobrajfs
that's whats up | Tunaboy45
07.11.17 | I see COF and I click
nice ranking | Tunaboy45
07.11.17 | Still find their cover of Temptation funny | artiswar
07.11.17 | I enjoyed their Iron Maiden covers | Wolfhorde
07.11.17 | same | TheSpirit
07.11.17 | @artiswar - Damnation had three or four songs I love, but the rest is pretty terrible. It's overly long, the guitars sound thin, weak, and the riffs are subpar and lack any kind of punch. Even for them it's overblown and over the top, but without any cohesion. Thornography has riffs, melodies, doesn't feel long as fuck, and Dani sounds fantastic. Just my opinion though. | Spacesh1p
07.11.17 | Where's Hawks? | artiswar
07.11.17 | Thornography is not bad but Dani just sounds fucking weird, it sticks out like a sour thumb. Which songs on Damnation did you like? I agree it is very long and dense and hard to get into, but that's why it's not an entry level CoF album imo. | Shadowmire
07.11.17 | hammer is their best since cruelty. even midian gives me a headache | artiswar
07.16.17 | on first listen, the new one ranks towards the bottom 4. it just feels like Hammer-lite. hoping it grows on me but I'm a bit disappointed. | Faenrir
03.25.19 | "4,1,2,6,9,11,5,7,10,8,3"
This is the correct order. | artiswar
03.25.19 | are those the numbers from Lost? |
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