Cradle Of Filth spit back at faces of their enemies with 5th studio album. 'Damnation and a Day - From Genesis to Nemesis...' tells a tale of one archangel, namely Lucifer. During over an hour and through seventeen songs, the truth behind the Bible is deciphered, raped, pissed over and burnt in the flames of hell. But is the album really that biting?

I personally haven't thought Cradle Of Filth as a black metal band, at least not after the debut 'Principle of Evil Made Flesh' (1995). I take their music as horror metal. I remember reading from somewhere, that they love horror and obscure movies, English Hammer Films' works being ones. I take COF's music as a musical equivalent of those movies. Or took, as it's the Budapest Film Orchestra and the choir alone, that can create this grandiose feeling. COF boys have straightened their delivery even more and lost the warmth of their sound. Now it's time for in-your-face style "chugga-chugga attitude" riffs and surprisingly bland drumming, which is an unwanted surprise from At The Gates / The Haunted skins-basher. There is no grandiosity any more, and the song writing is pretty bad, as there's a lot of moments that simply pass me by.

The Production was made by Doug Cook with the band and the mixing was handled by ex-Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano. Guitars and drums here have some similar effects that Anthrax used on their newest album. Those really don't fit for Cradle Of Filth. The band sound plastic, The Budapest Film Orchestra sound warm and organic. Not a good combination. Another metal band / orchestra alliance that doesn't work as wished for.

What would a Cradle Of Filth album be without Dani Filth? Nothing. The man is the soul of the band, or at least a big part of it. His vocals style is a thing to praise or loathe. Like a man possessed, he speaks in many tongues. Screeches, grunts, hisses, whispers and clean vocals come out of his mouth. His scriptures are ones I partly need to translate with a dictionary. Thoroughly well written dark, perverse and evil poetry. Narrations work very well indeed. Artwork is suitable for the theme and it has been created quite nicely (too much layers), portraying different scenes of the story.

'Damnation...' is one huge opus, but it clatters emptiness on metal music side. The band promised to drown listener under such maddening darkness as possible, but it's not dark, it's too modern. Nu-COF (no, not as in "nu-metal", but as in just way too modern, stripped and bland version of the band) is here, thanks but no thanks.

Rating: 5+ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
11/20/2007 22:20