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Reviews for Cradle of Filth - Cruelty and the Beast:

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This is Cradle's best album... ever... some people probably think it's Dusk or Vempire (they're not wrong, these two albums are just very good too), but this is my personal opinion. This album tells the tale of Elizabeth Bathory's life, the blood countess from Hungary, in the form of beautiful gothic lyrics, poems... and the music is just as beautiful. Makes you imagine how was this great and brave woman's life. Dani's vocals are just soooooo great and fit so well in the songs, as well as Sarah and Danielle's vocals, very gothic and doomy. The keyboards are the best that Cradle ever had. And the drums are marvelous!!!!! as always, Nicholas overcomes himself in every new album (too bad he left Cradle, but...). The guitars and base are great too, melodic black metal guitars.
The best song is the trilogy Bathory Aria.
If you liked the former albums, you're sure gonna like this one.

Review by: Sing To Me My Doom

Despite this album having lower reviews than other CoF albums, I must say I think those voters were using a bit too many drugs at the moment!

This album is one of the longest, and the quality on it is perfect all the way thoughout. The opening between the first track and the second is completely breathtaking! I'm sure I'll die of a heart-attack when I get old and listen to this stuff, and this will probably be the album that finishes me off.

I DO have the 2CD special editon, and I WILL admit that the 2nd CD is dissapointing, the first track on it rocks, alas, it's pretty much of a small re-make of the last track on the first album, black metal sucks, as does umm.. uhh. I forget the name. track 2.. or is black metal track 2? if so, then track 4 sucks.. Track 3 was enjoyable to me, but it's very un-CoFlike so there's a good chance that you won't like that either, and track 5? UGH TECHNO!!!!! ACK ACK. I *HATE* Techno! nuff said.

To the point though, the first CD, and the only CD if you get the normal edition is awsome! It has some of the greatest of all CoF songs.. Cruelty brought thee orchids, lustmord and wargasm, The twisted nails of fate. and my favourite, thirteen autumns and a widow (make sure you listen to the opening track first though).. *shakes head* love this album. love dani's vocals, love the classic-edge. It's really a cross between the gothy class of dusk, and the roughness of Midian.

Review by: Ghaleon

Here it is... The best Cradle of Filth album out there in my book. Speed, melancholy, brutallity and crazyness spells Cradle of Filth. And in this album they live up to their name. Every single instrument played in this album sounds good. The "tinggy" drums that Nicholas plays can get a bit annoying though, but overall it is grouse!

Review by: duplo_mccarthy

Why do people like this album so much? I have owned it for almost two years now, and the Graveland CD I have had for three days has gotten more time in my stereo. In all honesty, there is nothing impressive about "Cruelty And The Beast." It's contrived and predictable. By taking elements of the goth genre (made recognizable by the likes of Sisters Of Mercy and The Cure) and burying them under heavy metal riffs and distracting vocals, Cradle Of Filth has sought to sell us K-Mart's black metal Blue Light Special. And judging by the ratings this CD has received on this website, they have succeeded. Unfortunately, many of us out there who dislike this album actually had to buy it first in order to receive the maximum amount of disappointment possible. I suppose I'm a little less disappointed than most, however; I managed to get the double CD version with the much-talked-about cover of Iron Maiden's "Hallowed Be Thy Name." Although that one song was by no means worth the entire $20 I payed for it, it still proves that Cradle Of Filth has at least some level of musical competency. Cradle Of Filth also covered a song from Sodom (Sodomy And Lust) and a song from Venom (Black Metal) for the bonus CD. The entire point of the former is lost under the keyboards, high vocals, and ultra-good production values. The same is true for the latter, which only enhances the ironic Schadenfreude behind a successful goth-metal band that tries to pass itself off as black metal choosing to cover the very definition of "black metal"(runner-ups include Darkthrone's "Unholy Black Metal" and Marduk's "Christ-Raping Black Metal"). Much like the regular CD, the bonus CD is not really all that special. A couple of remixes are on there as well and they do nothing more than take up time (which is, again, indicative of the entire album). I would encourage those who are considering purchasing this album to abandon such thoughts and instead dedicate their time/buying power to books.

Review by: MikhailNKonstantinov

I really don't know why you guys don't like Cruelty.
ok, i fucking hate cradle to enslave and all that other shit from then on, 'cause now CoF is gay!
but their first 4 albums are just too good for words.
And cruelty is an exclamation mark for those 4 albums.
The opening track is very mysterious and so tenseful.
The passage from Once Upon Atrocity to Thirteen Autumns and a widow is undescribable.
it really leaves you with a feeling that you can't describe, disbelief actually.
"is such a thing possible?"
the second track opens very strong, blasting guitars and nicholas' constant pumping on the snare.
and that's the beginning of an album of the best gothic black metal around.
Cruelty brought thee orchids begins with a "chaotic" opening with nicholas beating the shit out of his toms
when dani begins to growl the songs grabs you and doesn't let you go.
the part right after "her likeness hung in...........of death to breathe" at 1.37 is so immensly strong.
Just listen to it, the slashing guitars and the simple straight ahead drumming together with the haunting keyboards
and the magnificent enter of dani is breathtaking.
Beneath the howling stars is also a beautiful majestic track, with an outstanding performance of nicholas at 2.12 (the double bass)
the Venus in fear, keyboard track, very beautiful
Desire In Violent Overture is a big fucking fist in your face.
4.17 minutes of blasting music, very technical song, for all members.
Then comes my all time favourite Cradle song
The Twisted Nails Of Faith
this is a magnificent piece of artwork, and no one can improve it
It starts very subtle with keyboards and female vocals (sarah's of dannielle's, i don't know)
then Lecter starts building the tension.
Building it up to a peak, to calm a little down
and then to come the kick in your face of the entire band, very hard and fast
a big whirl of blasting music
followed by the best entering of dani EVER.
"threeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee moondials...!!!"
the poëtic verses of dani go on until 2.40
then the guitars step in te spotlight directly followed by dani, Lecter get's in on it too
at 2.48 a astonishing fill from Nicholas that will set any drummer on fire.
When you hear Nicholas you really feel like playing the drums (i do).
then almost with the same spirit as the first verse the second begins with yet another eardrumdestroying scream from dani.
the chaotic whirl continues at 3.41 with again that pumping snare of nicholas.
then comes a calmer part with dani growling, perfect timing for a calmer piece like this one.
at 4.11 the songs "stops" a little if you know what i mean.
but it gets pulled on the tracks by nicholas with a simple 4 16'th notes on the hi-hat.
what ten happens next is something one cradle can (or could)
the songs marches on, with a pumping bass and a strong guitar drive.
it's like a fright train...100 miles an hour coming right at you.
there's no stopping it at all...
you can feel that train coming closer, closer CLOSER
random screaming voices, sarah's voice between there
then comes one of dani's best screamns ever
"AS SHADOWS SWELLED!!!!!!!"
that one just goes right through your head!
razor sharp and fucking hard!
at 4.50 you hear the entire thunder of nick's deadle double bass.
at 5.03 yet another subtle stop
and you feel that train again, and it's still coming right at you.
the female vocal part is nothing but an extention of your death
because right after that there is no escape left!
a fucking storm 12 beaufort swiping you away from this planet.
the drums will make you beg for mercy
the guitars and bass make you deaf
the keyboards will ensure that the wind will not let you go!
and above all that there is the sreaming of dani!
mayhem described such a thing in chainsaw gutsfuck i think
"BLEED DOWN TO THE FUCKING CORE, YOU'RE GOING DOWN FOR FUCKING MORE!!!!!!"
those are the words to describe that
the orgasm of the songs clims to the top with the torn out throat of dani shouting "and she would rot alone insaaaaaane!!!, ON THE TWISTED NAILS OF FAITH!!!!!!!"
then it slowly lets go.
nothing but pure art!
i will not review the last 3 songs because else the review will be even longer than it is right now.
just this
Bathory aria can compete with the twisted nails of faith and comes very close to the masterpiece "A Gothic Romance"
Portrait of the dead countess explains itself, tense keyboard track.
Lustmord and Wargasm, very good, sounds a little like Beneath The Howling Stars in my opinion
anyway...
CRUELTY AND THE BEAST is the best album ever by Cradle Of Filth

Music: 9.5
Lyrics: 10
Singing: 9.5
Production: 8
Playing: 9.5

of you don't like this, it's impossible for you to be a cradle fan.

Yutacan

Review by: Yutacan

After listening this album a few times my opinion hasn't changed: stay as far away from this peace of crap as you can. It has no spirit.

Review by: hatefukk

the first albums of Cradle Of Filth were pretty cool, but with this one they started to become a joke of a black Metal band. Cute keyboards and thin female vocals are here amusing, but not touching. No evilness here at all.

Review by: necroking

this is the band's best achievment

Review by: forgotten

this was the first cradle of filth album i got, and it still remains my favourite cradle of filth album. i think that lustmort and wargasim is cradle of filths best song and bathory aria is close second. cradle of filth isnt one of my favourite bands (after this album they got shit) but this album is still one of my favourites, it is a must buy.

Review by: cocktease

The last of their Good works, CRUELTY AND THE BEAST! ALL HAIL! more gothic then black metal, it still is wonderful, and the romance and violence in it is wonderful and the sheer cutting of the brutal guitars. People dont like the drum sound, well fuck off, its badass, especially the way the bass drums sound and Nick is brutal as fuck on this album. The whole album is good, Beneath the Howling Stars and DESIRE IN VIOLENT OVERTURE are the best on this cd besides Bathory Aria. My god, this cd is unstoppable. A MUST HAVE.

Review by: foSvart

This one was my first COF CD, one of my first black metal CDs, and it is one of my favourites (only second after their debut 'The Principle...'). I was shocked when I first listened to it. Black metal mixed with dark gothic melodies. In the song 'Venus in Fear' (instrumental) you can hear a woman (Lady Elizabeth Bathory) making love with a demon, and at the end of the song, love turns to screaming! You must hear that one! The lyrics are more poetic (and dark) than ever. For the first time we notice some heavy/thrash elements in their music, which isn't bad, to my opinion. This album is very original after all. 'Cruelty Brought thee Orchids' is one of the best songs Dani Filth has ever composed. And most of the other songs are almost that good...
10/10.

Review by: Forestarm

this cd is preety good twisting further nails of faith is bad asssssss listen

Review by: arzenal

Yo, it's Joe!!!
It's awesome! I loved The Twisted Nails Of Faith. I think it's probably one of my favorites. Some say the quality stank, but I thought it was okay. Altogether, I thought it was great.

Review by: joefilth

This Cof album is only a little weaker than the previous one. Like "Dusk And Her Embrace", the music on this album creates an incredibly thick atmosphere. The music is colder than on the previous album. The lyrics, telling about the life of Elizabeth Bathory, are better than on any other Cradle of Filth album. This one deserves 9/10.

Review by: Golfimbul

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