Cradle of Filth
Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay

Release Date: 2017 | Tracklist

Charting Cradle of Filth's trajectory on a line graph is enough to give even the most experienced stunt performer severe whiplash. Up a bit, down a bit, up a little bit more, down further, up again... by the end it resembles something not unlike the euthanasia coaster. The re-emergence of the band's more riff-driven sound and more contextually relevant novelties on Manticore showed the world clearly that they were far from licked, and the shuddering trundle up the hillchain on following release Hammer Of The Witches only showcased their drive further. Their enthusiasm and stylistic assurance that time around was abundant in the sound, and in the same way that album capitalised further on the emphasized sonic aspects of Manticore, Cryptoriana does exactly the same; continuing to build that looming metal spire back to the lofty heights it once sat at, whilst simultaneously carving out a niche that sits adjacent to the band's classic sound but all the while gives it a slight sense of reinvigoration and renewed excitement. The album proves unequivocally that Hammer Of The Witches wasn't a fluke, but it also serves as an excellent continuation of a newfound vitality, and a resounding statement of intent for an outfit who never seem to lose the extremity of their vision, despite the occasional stumble.

Cryptoriana gives the same black, death and thrash combo as its predecessor, razor-wire bound with a harrowing gothic sensibility that encompasses breakneck yet delicate keyboard accompaniments, robust solos, interwoven melodic harmonies and Dani Filth yelping like a banshee with a hernia. It demands attention at its most foundational level, but manages to evoke the spirit of CoF's classic era whilst all the while remaining quintessentially modern. Much like the material found on Hammer, Cryptoriana steps further away from the black metal roots found within the band's history but keeps and even develops a lot of the symphonic attributes that have become associated with their sound. Keyboardist and classical maestro Marthus deserves special credit for keeping these arrangements consistently tasteful, but also for managing to deftly tap into CoF's previous established aesthetics and keep the experience complex in a streamlined way, without ever surrendering to unnecessary convolution. 'Wester Vespertine' is perhaps the best illustration of this, with a choir pacing the outskirts of the musical landscape; initially as its own individual musical component, but then later as an accompaniment to the instrumentation itself. In this regard the track is especially impressive, as the musicality and main vocals are served tremendously well by the choice without ever clashing or feeling discordant. The effect is one of gothic reverence and impressively intricate musicality, which feels quite surreal when the tone of the music itself is so extreme. Nonetheless, the amalgam plays into the thematics of the album well, underlining the dark preoccupations of the typically stellar lyricism and marrying them with a musical choice that feels appropriately dark and fittingly elaborate in its orchestration.

The production throughout is immaculate, with every instrument feeling compartmentalised with its own breathing room, yet also carefully mingled with the sonic tapestry that surrounds it. The title track is an excellent example of this, with clattering percussion and melodic throughlines intermingled with whirlwind keys that are able to eke out their own individual pronouncement behind Filth's wailing strains. The melody interspersed with the lurches into galloping eccentricity and back again are well considered and feel integral to the development within the track. 'The Night At Catafalque Manor', with its gloriously gothic handle, is an enduring and lurid epic that counterbalances harmony and assaultive brutality remarkably efficiently. The riffs that trill in the track's sidestep passages and the piano interval are atmospheric and afford nuance to the experience, with the orchestral and choir accompaniments a further thematic string to the song's bow. 'You Will Know The Lion By His Claw', another album standout, manifests as a frenzied, pummeling attack more in-line with selections like 'Desire In Violent Overture', but still manages to retain the accessibility factor inherent in the outfit's more recent history. The soaring solo at the midway point further cements this, as a nod to a more classic heavy metal iteration and a novel addition to the track itself before the choir is again enlisted to plunge the movement back into the main body of the music. Cuts like this confidently echo the band's appeal and wackiness, but also progress their sound further into the more melodic death metal arena- albeit with a heavy-handed gothic framing and more breakneck pace than is typical for the genre.

Much like Hammer, there is an ornate sense of nostalgia tied to the foundation of Cryptoriana. It retains the expressionistic theatricality of the band's initial albums, the sleek production of their Midian-Darkly era, and the streamlined, novel grandiosity of everything post-Manticore. What Hammer built upon the foundations that Manticore laid out with precision, Cryptoriana builds upon further, improving the structures and ensuring that the songwriting herein practically shines with excess vigour and passion. The gothic backboard that the band has maintained through thick and thin feels more relevant and warranted here that it has in a long time, with every instrumental flourish and every ear-piercing screech bound by the same fantastical, feverish energy. It even dispenses with the cheese factor to some small degree, the seriousness of the album's tone a folkloric yet wonderfly urgent slice of fiction and philosophy that evokes memories of classic horror stories from Poe. The musicality is elaborate yet fully-realized and well-rounded, with nothing feeling throwaway or poorly implemented. It's especially joyous that Cradle decided to continue down the path pointed at by Manticore, and the fact they have been able to so shrewdly ascertain the fundamentals within the success of their sound and bolster them so consistently to a standard this high is positively uproarious. It's polished, frenetic, and positively dripping with dread. Yet it is also immense fun and loaded with a gleeful, evil energy.

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