Customer Reviews

Cruelty & Beast

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When i first heard this band, I thought they were unbearable(though the music ruled, Dani sounded like a chipmunk). With a few repeated listens, i ended up enjoying it quite a bit. Amazing guitar work, Fast paced, double bass, amazing drums, haunting, Orchestrated keyboards, and screechy vocals make this record highly enjoyable. I might also add that this is probably the SCARIEST ALBUM EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I swear, when i first heard this, i figured that i would have nightmares. The words "hauntingly beautiful" come to mind. I find this a huge improvement over Dusk.....and her embrace. Dusk and her embrace's production was awful. Cruelty and The beast's production is perfect. Dani's vocals aren't as high pitched as they were on "Dusk". Which is a big improvement.

A complaint i have(not of this album, but of "some" people) is the fact that most Black Metal fans are automatically labeled as "Satanists". That really makes me angry. I am not christian, nor am i satanist. I don't beleive in anything except myself and other people. But i would never label anyone just because they aren't the same religion as I am. If Cradle of Filth are truly satanists, i don't think they'd be wasting their time making music. It's just an image. All you dumb, closed minded people who are so obsessed with image and don't even bother to take in the fact there could be some nice, caring people under the image. Image means nothing to me. I'm here for the music. Music is art; music is noise; music is beautiful.

There is some good poetry too. Dani may be a freak but he's a good lyricist. If you like Classical music, black metal, or whatever appeals to you, give this record a chance.

This album was first introduced to me about 8 months ago by a friend, and since has changed my life. The first time I heard it, the vocals alone took my breath away. They sounded like they were not human, to shrill and high, and in my mind I pictured they were being screamed by some kind of goblin or ghoul. Dani Filth is the only vocalist I have ever heard who sounds truly frightening.

This album is not for the faint of heart. Some friends of mine who listened to the CD confessed to having nightmares about it.To back Dani up, Cradle of Filth offers some of the spooky synths, moody bass lines, vicious and unrelenting drums, and some of the best double guitar work in music today.

This is a great starter album for someone looking to get in to Black Metal, and if you like COF, some other bands you might like are COVENANT, EMPEROR, DIMMU BORGIR, and MAYHEM. It takes a very special kind of metal head to like Black Meatl. But if you like to be blown away and scared stiff at the same time by some of the most angry, moody, and poetic music in the world today, this is the album for you.

Also, be sure to buy the special edition 2 disc version of "Cruelty and the Beast", it is worth your money and you will not regret it.

This album was kinda emotional shock to me. It's so dark and brutal, but still so beautiful. I cried the whole night listening album, because it reminds me from my cat. Leevi, this one goes to you!!

THIS IS THE BEST CRADLE OF FILTH ALBUM EVER. I LOVE EVERY BIT OF THIS ALBUM. DANI FILTHS VOCS OM THIS CD IS AWSOME AND AMAZING DRUMMING BY NICHOLAS (WHO NOW DRUMS FOR DIMMU BORGIR AND OLD MAN'S CHILD). ALSO THE SECOND DISC HAS ANOTHER VERSION OF "LUSTMORD AND WARGASM" AND A COVER OF VENOMS "BLACK METAL" SODOMS "SODOMY AND LUST" AND IRON MAIDENS "HALLOWED BE THY NAME". AND A TECNO VERSION OF "TWISTING FURTHER NAILS". THIS MUST OWN BLACK METAL CD.

My favorite type of music would be prog-rock,(ex. Pink Floyd, Genesis, E.L.P, Dream Theater)but my next favorite genre is black metal! I like a lot of the keyboard-oriented black metal, so Cradle of Filth is my favorite of the genre. The keyboardist, Lector, is awesome. The sweeping atmosphere of the keyboards just make everything darker. Of course there's always the crunchy guitar riffs, high pitched shrieks too low growls, and fast hitting double-bass drums, but they can immediatly loose all that and have very beautiful keys over Danni Filths vocals. This album is just amazing

Cradle of Filth was introduced to me about 5 months ago by a friend who loves them, and I have to say this band changed my entire appreictaion of music. Dani Filth has such powerful vocals, and song number 3 on this CD is unbelievable. Dani has a voice unlike any singer I've ever heard, highpitched to the point that it would sound if you put Satan's genitals in a vice. If you want a GREAT CD, with real genuine POETIC LYRICS, that will turn you into a rabid animal, BUY THIS CD NOW! xxxxfilthxxxx@aol.com

People tend to slag off Cradle Of Filth, dismissing them as a joke band among the black metal genre. Pop-black metal; sell-out black metal; commercial black metal: all of these terms have been used to describe COF and their multiple albums. Aside from the fact that black metal cannot be commercial or sell-out because of its very nature, neither is it pop (contradiction in terms - how can black metal be pop?), people do forget that Cradle Of Filth do what they do better than most.

For starters, this album doesn't have a bad song on it. The riffs, melodies, keyboards and constant thumping drums are all in place, all well done, all effective in their own right. Secondly, mixing their black metal style with gothic music (considerably slower, gloomier and more atmospheric than black metal) gives COF a much more original sound that most other black metal bands. Thirdly, Dani Filth has a much better, scarier voice with a lot more range than most other black-metal vocalists (he can go from a growl to a shrill screech in an instant). People say he needs singing lessons. You're looking in the wrong genre if it's singing you want mate!!

This album is very highly recommended. People tend to slag this off as it is the trend not to look trendy as it were - they're just contradicting themselves, saying that COF are too universal and they don't want to appear trendy in front of all these other black-metallers. Who's conforming now, huh? It's not as if COF are being raved about by all these nu-metallers. So what if more people find their sound appealling? So what if the album isn't recorded in a basement with a dictaphone? Listen to this album and enjoy it for what it is instead making 'being a music fan' a chore. A brilliant album that will have you listening over and over again.

Oh, and don't listen to this album late at night because Venus In Fear WILL freak you out. The first three tracks are the best but all of them are good.

WOW! This album really packs a punch. Very powerful music, intense lyrics, and awesome guitar work. Dani Filth has the most unique (and chilling) voice I've ever heard. Just because this is gothic metal it is far from loud and unmelodic. Yes it's hard but the keyboard work is fantastic and the drumming is very very good, though I think a drum machine may be used. I agree with a reviewer a few reviews down, the recording isn't perfect and it really needs more bass. Moving on, Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids has to be one of the greatest goth-metal songs ever performed. This song is intensely powerful and very well written. Every song has genuinely frightening, yet poetic lyrics. Overall great musicianship and haunting lyrics makes this a must buy. This is real scary music, unlike groups such as Rob Zombie and Slipknot, sleep with the lights on.

My god, this is the most nightmarish stuff I have ever heard! It is absolutely incredible. Let me start from the beginning: Most of the time I don't really dig the "Gothic" black metal, mainly because most nobody really knows who the Goths really were, and I try to steer towards the Mid evil (Ha Ha) stuff like Enthroned, Dark Throne, Satyricon, Etc., with occasional exceptions(like the Mighty, Mighty Emperor). This is one of those exceptions. Jesus, when I first heard this, I knew that it was truly unique: The highest pitched vocals that I have ever heard, which unlike another reviewer, I find indicative of talent and goodness(sic); insane synths in the likes of Mithotyn and Nothing (I mean Truly Insane); and overall an incredibly dark, grim, necrophilic good ol' time! Yee Haw!

This CD is Amazing! It is true Cradle of Filth, Dani's voice adds a uniqueness to this band that makes it stand out among other black metal. It is beautifuly brutal and savage, if you like any black metal this CD is a must buy.