Cradle Of Filth - Damnation And A Day review
| Band: | Cradle Of Filth |
| Album: | Damnation And A Day |
| Style: | Extreme gothic metal, Symphonic metal |
| Release date: | March 10, 2003 |
| Guest review by: | Justin |
01. A Bruise Upon The Silent Moon
02. The Promise Of Fever
03. Hurt And Virtue
04. An Enemy Led The Tempest
05. Damned In Any Language (A Plague On Words)
06. Better To Reign In Hell
07. Serpent Tongue
08. Carrion
09. The Mordant Liquor Of Tears
10. Presents From The Poison-Hearted
11. Doberman Pharaoh
12. Babalon A.D. (So Glad For The Madness)
13. A Scarlet Witch Lit The Season
14. Mannequin
15. Thank God For The Suffering
16. The Smoke Of Her Burning
17. End Of Daze
When Cradle Of Filth announced they had signed a deal with the major label Sony, cries of sell out could be heard throughout the black metal community. Some fans have even gone as far as mourning the one great C.O.F. before hearing a single note of the new album! But with eight highly influential releases emerging from their previous label Music For Nations, and sales of over one million albums worldwide certified, the time had come to move up to the level, or simply remain at the same status quo. C.O.F. simply chose to push the limits and see just how successful black metal could possibly become within popular culture. The two years since their last studio album [2000's Midian] has been anything but quiet for the C.O.F. fan, with a mini album [2001's Bitter Suites To Succubi], a best of retrospective [2002's Lovecraft A Witch Hearts] and a live album [2002's Live Bait For The Dead] keeping the fan base tided over till the next monumental opus was finally released.
The term 'monumental? is a huge understatement when trying to describe the full effect Damnation And A Day has on the first couple of listens! Seventeen tracks with a combined total of seventy-seven minutes of pure black metal is a bold statement of intent in anyone's language! As has been the case since C.O.F. inception in 1991, the band has had casualties in the line up since their last outing. Joining vocalist Dani Filth are guitarist Paul Allender, keyboardist Martin Powell, drummer Adrian Erlandsson, and newcomer bassist Dave Pybus [formerly of Anathema]. After the short introduction piece ?A Bruise Upon The Moon?, C.O.F. set listeners at ease with the unholiest of black noise in ?The Promise Of Fear?. Operatic session vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva is clearly audible throughout the maelstrom and chaos [and throughout the album for that matter], which brings a familiar comfort. There's an emphasis on melody throughout the album, but is still the heaviest album C.O.F. have released to date. Good examples of those moments appear in ?Hurt And Virtue?, ?Better To Reign In Hell?, ?Presents from The Poison-Hearted? and the lead of D.V.D. single ?Babalon A.D. [So Glad For The Suffering]?. There's some vocal experimentation in ?Mannequin? and Serpent Tongue?, while the use of the forty piece orchestra and thirty-two piece choir from Budapest [Hungary] is evident all the way through the whole concept album [particularly in ?Damned In Any Language [A Plague On Words]? and ?A Scarlet Witch Lit The Season?].
In the past, C.O.F.'s visual aspect sometimes overshadowed their musical output. ?Damnation And A Day? is a bold move for C.O.F., which works on every level, and will surely finally silence critics who believe them to be no more that style over substance.
Written by Justin | 10.09.2003
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
Comments: 25
Visited by: 150 users
| Warman Erotic Stains Posts: 7695  |
Great review! Although I would've give it 10! This is an amazing album and my first CoF album. Had only heard a part from "Her Ghost in the Fog" before I bought it and I thought it was good. I bought the album cause it was very cheap and I wanted to have an opinion about CoF. And what an opinion this album gave me! My favourite album!
---- 
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| dark awakening Posts: 574  |
Good review. I agree with you saying that this is a great album. But, for me, the rating is too high.
---- Baptized in a lake of acid tears...
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| Linak I Own You Bitch Posts: 4173  |
I actually liked this album quite a bit, it was the last album that in my opinion was still worth a shot, anyway, yeah, this is a good album, good review 2
---- Stick this up your fucking pee-aitch-dee.
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| Baz Anderson Staff Posts: 13254  |
of course older albums are better - but this album is a lot better then people give it credit for this is a brilliant album that although sounds rather clean, is very entertaining for the full seventy odd minutes
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| Paganblood The Aryaputra Posts: 1194  |
the ratings 7.5 would have suited this album,there are only a few good songs and unneccessary instrumentals.
---- that which shines without names and forms...
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| Empty Spaces Unburied At Dusk Posts: 776  |
After listening to Nymphetamine and some songs from Thornagraphy, Damnation and a Day actually sounds very brutal!!:P I think that with this album, they went back to the Cruelty and the Beast sound (wich I like) There are some very good songs like "Carrion" and "Better to Reign in Hell". It takes a few listens to really like it...
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| Sepulchre Lord Hypnos Posts: 190  |
Good review. This was my first album from COF and its what got me into them. Not my favorite COF album, but great none-the-less.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by [user id=23805] on 13.07.2008 at 19:15 Yes they play haevy, it is heavy, well-written and epic. But why I hate it is because they have Donald Duck on vocals. Would they have had a proper vocalist I would have enjoyed it a lot more. According to your reasoning everyone should love most metal. Guess what? Tastes differ.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466  |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 13.07.2008 at 19:18 Donald Duck? And who would you rather have as their vocalist? Eminem?
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Slayer666 on 09.01.2009 at 12:26 Someone that could actually sing and not sound like a Duck 
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 09.01.2009 at 12:28 Yeah, sorry to burst your bubble and everything, but clear "singing" vocals don't fit in their style.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Slayer666 on 09.01.2009 at 12:31 On Damnation and a Day it would suit them imo. But even I would even prefer other shriekers to the abominable noises Dani produces. So, get someone else in the band to do the vocals and let Dani focus on what he's best in, namely, writing lyrics.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 09.01.2009 at 12:33 I don't know why do you have such a problem with that. Feels great. The guy kicks ass. One more thing, I don't really understand does Dani write only lyrics or the music too?
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Slayer666 on 09.01.2009 at 12:35 You're not the only one that has a problem with Dani's vocals. Btw, I also have rpoblems with Chuck's vocals on The SOund Of Perseverance and on the Control Denied album. And there I am one of the few as well. I am not sure of he writes music as well. I think he does, btw.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 09.01.2009 at 12:39 As for Chuck, I'm having a problem with the whole band. Only their first album is worth something and others have way too much Progresive influences for my taste.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Slayer666 on 09.01.2009 at 12:44 A bit more off-topicness... too much progressive influences on Leprosy  That one is pure old school death metal as well. I can understand people not liking the stuff after for the progressive influences which turned them into a non-death metal band within a couple of albums.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 09.01.2009 at 12:46 You're right..... Maybe I just don't like Leprosy the way it is... And, how dumb is the name? It's like they named it "Rash" or "Cancer" or something....
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| Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437  |
This album has some really great songs and also some other really mediocre.
---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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| DreadfulYgg Posts: 38  |
It wouldn't be Cradle of Filth without Dani. As much as some people may not care for him, he's one of the big reasons this band sounds as unique as it does.
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| Immortal Posts: 426  |
Written by Deadmeat on 09.05.2009 at 23:41 Yeah, I agree. I think the only really decent songs are 'Carrion' and 'Mannequin'.
---- "Hope is the greatest of all evils, for it prolongs the torment of man." - Friedrich Nietzsche
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| AngelofDeth Cyborg Raptor Posts: 1183  |
For some reason this is the one album im missing by them... Gonna get it tonite. oh and btw, CoF doesnt exactly fall into the BM category.
---- pewpew.. gotcha
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