Customer Reviews

Live Bait for the Dead

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

P>Disc One is live material. After the intro with its haunting gothic choir and symphonic number, Dani Filth and company launch into one of four songs from Midian, "Lord Abortion." Dani has fun with the Nottingham audience, whom he first addresses as "you horrible lot," and they seem to be enjoying their horrible selves. Some of his caustic remarks are worth noting. He comments on the tacky backdrop and thought he was playing at a Tahitan monastery. That bad, huh?

"Cthulhu Dawn"'s lends itself to more ferocity live, especially Adrian's thunderous drums. Ditto for "Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids," one of my personal favourite COF gems. Dani's bass and spoken monster voice is put into great effect here.

After a long droning guitar solo that stretches out "Her Ghost In The Fog," the band effectively segues into "Summer Dying Fast." The "Satanic Mantra" is included in the "Interlude-Creatures That Kissed In Cold Mirrors" track here.

The song distribution from album surprisingly favour the earlier albums and Midian, as follows below:

Principle--3
Vempire--2
Dusk And Her Embrace--1
Cruelty And The Beast--1
From Cradle To Enslave--1
Midian--4

This is just as well, as it pays to have older material exposed more to people just getting into the group.

Disc Two features different mixes of previously released material, including a new songs, "Deleted Scenes Of A Snuff Princess" and "The Fire Still Burns." The former is a thumping metal techno instrumental number. Of the remixed older material, the distribution favours Bitter Suites To Succubi.

Vempire--1
Dusk And Her Embrace--1
From Cradle To Enslave--1
Bitter Suites--3

For the most part, there are only subtle variations in the remixes. However, the Sisters Of No Mercy remix of "No Time To Cry" is harder in some places compared to the original. The Under Martial Rule Mix of "From Cradle To Enslave" plays with techno a lot more, except that it's harder driving in a Fear Factory or Static-X sort of way. There are some female vocals here as well. It's the best remix and song on both discs.

If a live album sounds like studio tracks with audience cheers mixed, what's the point, since there is bound to be variations between studio and live versions? In that, Live Bait succeeds admirably well. Overall, a worthy and necessary compilation.

First off, I would like to clarify something that Cradle fans and "Cradle haters" have been debating about for some time now. Cradle of Filth is not , and I repeat NOT, a black metal band. Even Cradle themselves have said in previous interviews that they do not feel that they play black metal. Although they do have certain elements in their music that resemble black metal, the music itself is a mixture of many styles. What is amusing to me really, is that most people who continue to criticize Cradle of Filth do so only because they have become wildly popular. This is sad because Cradle are an exciting band who, in my honest opinion, are extremely talented and deserve to be recognized as such
With that said, Let us examine the offering that is "Live Bait For the Dead". This is Cradle's first live disc, and as always, they have outdone themselves yet again with some rather exceptional cd packaging. The first disc is, as most people know already, a full live show, which was taken from the same show that is on the phenomenal live DVD " Heavy Left Handed And Candid". Dani Filth and Company blaze through an awesome collection of tracks from all of their previous albums. Overall, the production on the live tracks is quite good. The performance is very tight and should convince even the most hardened skeptic as to the talent and proficiency of this often maligned band.
The second disc is a collection of remixes , soundcheck recordings, a demo,a techno/industrial mix called "Selected Scenes of A Snuff Princess", and an awesome cover of Twisted Sister's The Fire Still Burns. Most will criticize the inclusion of yet another techno mix but I, for one, appreciate the variety in styles that keeps things fresh and interesting.Also included on the second disc is a mutimedia section where you can access the video for "No Time To Cry", and a cool screensaver and toolbar for Internet Explorer.
All in all, this another fine collection of Cradle that will please many, and of course, continue to irritate the rest.

Live Bait for the Dead is one of Cradle of Filth's best releases. It's a killer package, with a live set from the awesome Heavy Left Handid and Candid DVD and a second disc of remixes. Two criticisms- they should've used a different show than the video and I don't care for the two techno remixes. Still, the live songs form a pretty good mix of "best ofs," and I like the rawer sound compared to the studio versions, or just as much as the studio versions. Dani's commentary is amusing. Diosc two contains remixes of old favorites like Borb In a Burial Gown, Funeral In Carpthia and Scirched Earth Erotica that are every bit as good as or better than the originals. Scorched Earth is my favorite Cradle song and I prefer the remix. The changes are subtle, but it gives it that extra punch. This is an excellent package for longtime fans compared to rehashed Lovecraft and Witch Hearts which I was never ina hurry to get and still haven't got. This disc is stuff never before released on CD. It is also an excellent starting point for those new to Cradle of Filth.

This was the first CD I bought from Cradle Of Filth. This double album is a really great purchase for know all you need to know about Cradle Of Filth's past. The first CD is a recording from the band's live gig in april 2001 in Rock City, Nottingham. While the second CD is a compilation of remixes, soundcheck recordings and two cover songs. The artwork of the booklet is great and contains a text written by a guy who was in that live performance. The second CD contains a video for the song No Time To Cry, and man, the video is truely haunting (and includes brief apearances of The Principle Of evil Made Flesh and Vempire's covers). there are wallpapers, a toolbar and the Quicktime instalation (which allows you to watch the video).
Coming to the first CD again, it opens with an instrumental intro named The Ceremony Opens. After the intro, the songs set in this way: Lord Abortion, Ebony Dressed For Sunset, The Forest Whispers My Name, Cthulhu Dawn, Dusk And Her Embrace, The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh, Cruelty Brought thee Orchids, Her Ghost In The Fog, Summer Dying Fast. After these tracks, an instrumental interlude sets, it's from the Midian album, and it's titled Creatures That Kissed In Cold Mirrors(this interlude includes the Satanic Mantra part at the end). And after this instrumental, comes the two last songs, From The Cradle To Enslave and Queen Of Winter, Throned. Resuming all, this first Cd features songs from The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh(1994) to Midian(2000).
The second Cd begins with the video for No Time To Cry. The first song is the single from the EP Bitter Suites To Succubi, Born In A Burial Gown, one of my favorite tracks. After that, comes the cover of Sisters Of Mercy's No Time To Cry ( the version included here is the same as the video, the "Sisters Of No Mercy Mix"). And then, the soundcheck recording of one of the masterpieces of Dusk...And Her Embrace, Funeral In Carpathia, this time with some beautiful female vocals performed by the Goddess of Cradle Of Filth, the lovely Sarah Jezebel Deva.
The track 4 is the "orgasmic" instrumental Deleted Scenes Of A Snuff Princess(previously included in the promo CD of No Time To Cry). That's not my favorite song, but I really enjoy it,man!!!...I'm not made of stone!!!...when I hear it, I imagine a gothic siren caressing her warm c... (oops..sorry).
After that track, comes one treasure, the original demo(n) version of Scorched Earth Erotica. Thanks Cradle Of Filth for include it here.
The track 6 is my absolute favorite of this second CD, the dark haunting Nocturnal Supremacy(soundcheck recording). Featuring really amazing lyrics, and more beautiful vocals of my lovely Sarah. The middle of this song is simply astonishing.
After this, comes another instrumental From The Cradle To Enslave(under Martian rule mix). That's very rare and strange song that only features Dani Filth's "this is the end of everything".
The last track is the cover of Twisted Sisters's song The Fire Still Burns; that I think Cradle's version is a million times better. But it's no rare cos I don't like hard rock, only extreme Death/Black metal.
Well, if you're a Cradle Of Filth fan as me, and you're intersted in this jewel, you should get it as possible as you can. I sugget you to buy Dusk...And Her Embrace and Cruelty And The Beast too, be Filthy, man, and remeber:
Cradle Of Filth will rule FOREVER and EVER.

Contrary to some moronic kids belief this is NOT a class on religion.But if you really want to get technical Satanism is based on Carnality and force of human nature hence it dates back to the days of the cavemen.Anyways about this cd,I seen COF on their midian tour and was very dissapointed the sound was shotty,the show was short,and they didnty play anything from the vempire EP.Now had i got this show i would have been quite alot more impressed.The sound is good,The Setlist is great and The Album does have a sence of being there even if you werent.The bonus disc does have some good stuff worth checking out as well,The soundchecks in particular.

If you haven't heard Cradle Of Filth live. You might think that they wouldnt be a good live band with such things as their use of keyboards and backing vocals. But Live Bait for the Dead proves Cradle of Filth to be a great live Band.Most of the songs sound just as good live as they do on the album. Some even sound better. The band proves to be one of the best live performers. Live Bait for the Dead is great accomplishmet considering that many bands come out with horrible live albums. A milestone for Cradle Of Filth.

If you like live CDs this is about as good as it comes, production is good and everything sounds great, with a pretty good track listing. My only complaint is it is exactly the same show recorded for the "Heavy Left Handed and Candid" DVD, after buying that DVD it made buying this CD kind of pointless. However, the second disc has lots of cool remixes and stuff on it. The remixed version of "No Time to Cry" is perfection, this CD is almost worth buying just for that song. If you are a diehard CoF fan like me, you probably already own this and if you are a newcomer buy one of their studio CDs or their DVD first, then once you BECOME a diehard fan you can buy this. Hail Filth.

I love how Cradle is spoiling us with all these releases this year. This one is beyond words, why with the songs so enjoyed on the DVD now on CD to listen to one the way to work, school, or church and the music video for No Time To Cry pure beauty.

...kneel down before me Beelzebud and gravel for thought aren't worthy of thy kingdom. C.O.F. has now taken over, and you have been made to shame...

This is truly a great album. I'm fairly positive that "Eleven Burial Masses" is a re-release of "Live Bait for the Dead". "Live Bait" comes with a bonus 2nd CD which is well worth the full price of the album by itself. The booklet and packaging design is also very in depth, for those of you who are into design. I've found myself flipping through the booklet at times, just looking at the graphics.

A must have

I'm not a fan of live albums, never have been, so my hopes weren't high. The production is terrible: you can hardly make out any guitar or keyboards - sometimes you can't even hear the drums (speaking of drums the bass drum sounds awful). On some tracks the guitar is a little louder, at the expense of everything else. I know it's a live album so everything won't be studio perfect, but I like to hear what I'm listening to (hell, if they could produce the ultimate live album back in 1985, which IMHO is Iron Maiden Live After Death, they could do it in this era of 'technology').
Likes: Queen of Winter Throned, The Forest Whispers My Name, Born in a Burial Gown, Nocturnal Supremacy, From the Cradle... remix (hey, it's cool driving music), Dani talking nonsense.
Dislikes: The drummer screwing up the intro to Cruelty bought thee Orchids, All the other remixes, the video for No Time To Cry (a crap song), the drum sound, the guitar sound etc.

Verdict: Buy it to complete your Cradle collection. DO NOT (I REPEAT, DO NOT!) buy this an intro to Cradle's music. Buy The Principle of Evil Made Flesh,Vempire (really get this one), Dusk and Her Embrace and don't forget Cruely and the Beast.