Thornography

Roadrunner

British extreme Metal veterans, Cradle Of Filth have returned with another attack of brutal aggression via their latest masterpiece Thornography. Straying further away from their black metal roots than ever before COF have more-or-less delivered what, in all reality, can best be described as ‘old school’ thrash with hints of Gothic-tinged vocal lines and keyboard segments. This is most likely due to the band once again tapping producer Rob Cagiano (ex-Anthrax) to take the helm and guide them in a decisively new direction than any of their past work. While long time fans may shy away from this latest endeavor and peg them as sell-outs and not ‘true’ Black Metal, the simple truth of the matter is that they’ve never claimed to be just Black Metal anyways and the writing for this record, as well as their previous release, Nymphetamine, is by far some of the best of their career. Stripping away the epic prowess of former releases, we are left with a painstakingly raw and in-your-face work of artistic ingenuity.

Aside from their blatant attempt to shock the world with blasphemous imagery and taboo subject matter, COF have, in many ways, become something of a parody to themselves. This, of course, is aimed solely at their theatrics and not necessarily their abilities as musicians, although certain aspects of the music still sound like they would have made good theme music for an old Vincent Price movie. The album begins with the film score-like overture, “Under Pregnant Skies She Comes Alive Like Miss Leviathan”, which was composed and performed by Chris Rehn of Angtoria. The first real stand-out cut from the band comes via the track “Dirge Inferno”, which proves that the guys haven’t lost their touch in the aggression department one bit. “Byronic Man” sees a guest vocal by H.I.M. frontman Ville Valo and is sure to catch fans off-guard when his clean vocal kicks in. On the other hand, Dani’s vocals are also a point of interest in this new chapter of the band, as he has done away with his irritating ‘shriek’ on more than ninety percent of the entire album, opting instead for more mid-range and deeper guttural blasts, as well as the dark Gothic element that has appeared sporadically throughout their back catalog. This is most evident on the track “Lovesick For Mina” which is yet another delve into their obsession with vampirism. “Rise Of The Pentagram” begins with a silly narrative that I’m sure is intended to give people the creeps but, for the most part, just makes me laugh. “Temptation” is an interesting cover of the British pop act Heaven 17 who originally had a hit with the song in the early 80’s, it contains a guest female appearance by British vocalist ‘Dirty Harry’.

For the most part all the elements that make a decent COF record are here: aggressive vocals, Gothic harmonies, dual-lead guitar Lovecraftian themed story lines and a sick and twisted attitude to bring them all together. The only lacking attribute is the absence of vocalist Sara Jezebel Deva who only appears in one song, “Under Huntress Moon”. True fans will embrace this record in all its glory. Critics agree Cradle Of Filth have kept their passion for the Metal art alive by daring to branch out and explore other musical territories. And if they continue to deliver such stellar achievements as what is found on Thornology, they will continue to have a successful career for many years to come.

-Priest