Band:	Cradle Of Filth
Album:	Nymphetamine
Style:	Extreme gothic metal, Symphonic metal
Release date:	September 28, 2004
A review by:	KwonVerge

Disc I
01. Satyriasis (Intro)
02. Gilded Cunt
03. Nemesis
04. Gabrielle
05. Absinthe With Faust
06. Nymphetamine (Overdose) [feat. Liv Kristine]
07. Painting Flowers White Never Suited My Palette
08. Medusa And Hemlock
09. Coffin Fodder
10. English Fire
11. Filthy Little Secret
12. Swansong For A Raven
13. Mother Of Abominations
14. Nymphetamine (Fix)

Disc II [special edition]
01. Devil Woman [Cliff Richard cover]
02. Soft White Throat
03. Bestial Lust (Bitch) [Bathory cover]
04. Prey
05. Nymphetamine (Fix) [feat. Sarah Jezebel Deva]
06. Mr Crowley [Ozzy Osbourne cover]
+ Nymphetamine (video)

The long awaited new release of Cradle of Filth is finally out. Dani and his "slick perverted wraiths" return with a dynamite album, "Nymphetamine," an opus, a piece of grim art, a portrait of morbid colors. The guitar work is, as always, fabulous, accompanying Dani's demonic projections and evoking a bittersweet melody through aggression throughout the whole duration of the album. Martin Foul (a.k.a. Powell), the "unwashed pianist," evokes a macabre beauty in the air and nightmares turn to reality through his nocturnal melodies. What about the drumming? We all know who the "Norseman of the Apocalypse" is, Adrian Erlandsson, and we surely know his glorious past, so all I can say is that his drumming is unerring, stunning and lending groove to the album along with David Pybus' grim bass lines. And we reach the mysterious persona of Dani Filth, a poet of shadows breeding darkness and unearthly beauty. For one more time his lyrics are utterly elegiac and uniquely poetic, his voice is so various as never before and his interpretation reaches the peak of perfection.

"Nymphetamine," the beauty in black on the cover of the album surrounded by gentle hellfire shows the morbid beauty of CoF's music. The female figure tempts you to follow her and you proceed, helpless, bewitched by her unearthly beauty, her well-kept secrets, her untold mysteries. Are you ready to drink "absinthe with Faust?" Let "Nymphetamine" caress you; let her breathe her eerie desires, her twisted symphonies in secret entwine with your soul?

"Syriasis" gives birth to the nightmare with its eerily beautiful symphonies preparing the listener for what will follow. The choir's nocturnal chants along with the Vulgarian Philharmonic's dreadful symphonies welcome the misty grim soundscapes to reach "Gilded Cunt." Dani, whether he howls, screams or recites, gives meaning to every single word as the fiery guitar riffs evoke visions of Hell creating a wonderful up-tempo head banging live song. "Nemesis," the holy power that punishes the unfair ones, follows. Wonderful heavy guitar riffing along with a strange melancholy let Dani interpret his poetic lyrics in the vivid way only he knows. Powell's gothic overture evokes an unearthly devout feeling in the opening of "Gabrielle," continuing the album in a theatrical way filled with beautiful symphonies but also fierce heavier moments with Dani in ecstasy and Powell painting the grim portrait with misty colors as the guitars mourn the fate of "Gabrielle."

The keyboard melodies literally kill you as you drink "Absinth with Faust," another dramatic act by the sextet from the UK showing that the absinthe of knowledge can lead to utterly inspired compositions. "Nymphetamine" follows and I can say that this 9-minute opus is filled with inspiration; the aggressive beginning with static fiery riffing and Dani's ecstatic screams is being followed by the darkly romantic interpretation of the sweet Liv Kristine. Along with Dani they form a beautiful duet in macabre dance as the guitars play a novembrine waltz in the shadows of dusk. The album continues in an intense way as the Philharmonic's summon the spirits of the dead painting their horror where "Painting Flowers White Never Suited My Palette."

The album flows with "Medusa and Hemlock," a lyrically pagan magic/witchcraft based composition. Wonderful guitar work, the choir's chants echoing here and there along with Powell's eerie melodies that evoke a mystic feeling in the air. "Coffin Fodder" follows with awesome guitar riffing with Dani summoning his darkest spells as the full moon rises in the distant night sky. Definitely another great song has ended to begin another one, "English Fire," another composition lyrically inspired by witchcraft. The piano and the Philarmonic's pieces evoke a devout atmosphere whilst the guitars lend an aggressive sense to the song. The album goes on with "Filthy Little Secret" and a heavy metal philosophy in the air. Heavy guitar riffing with outbursts and wonderful solos command thy head to bang!

The mourning piano piece and a wailing female voice can be the perfect opening for a composition such as "Swansong for a Raven" with all the Filthies in synthetic and playing ecstasy. The composition is utterly inspired and everyone in the band shows by what he's made of! The curtain falls as it opened, with a weeping piano piece to slowly reach the end of "Nymphetamine" in nocturnal supremacy summoning the "Mother of Abominations." The razorblade guitar riffing accompanies Dani's mystic manoeuvres in the dark along with Powell's morbid hell born symphonies evoking a grim feeling in the air. "Nymphetamine" is about to end; and thus silence fell after darkness?

I could never imagine that "Nymphetamine" would sound so various, utterly inspired and great after the personal disappointment of "Damnation and a Day." "Nymphetamine" is filled with inspiration, elegiac ideas and a beautifully eerie feeling and I can say that it has no weak moments, this is something more than music and I'm pretty sure you'll adore this release!