Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 07/10/2001
Cradle of Filth may be one of the only recognizable underground
metal acts to an average person. Although mom and dad might not know who they are, the band enjoyed a streak of notoriety through the late '90s into the turn of the century that would be hard for a music fan to miss. Their theatrical approach to the
black metal genre was nothing new, but they turned it up a notch by cutting out much of the humor and bad special effects that groups like
Mercyful Fate depended on and replaced them with a creepier, nastier stage show. But unlike so many of the bands in this genre, they had the music to back it up, and
Dusk and Her Embrace may be their finest moment. What they did more than any other group is take the extreme playing style of the Norwegian
black metal scene and apply a
Sisters of Mercy style of melody to the singing. A hundred different
metal bands tried to use goth flourishes in their music, but
Cradle of Filth realized that you could make goth conform to
heavy metal, not the other way around. This results in some creepy material; just listen to
"Heaven Torn Asunder" or
"Malice Through the Looking Glass" to hear some of the most important
black metal ever made. What is even weirder is how catchy this music is. They really do a good job of incorporating memorable vocal lines and melodies into one of the least accessible genres of the 20th century. The keyboard intros and flourishes may be a little much for some listeners, but in the field of gothic European
black metal, would you really expect anything less? With catchy songs, a brutal delivery, and a great gimmick, this is as good as underground
metal gets. Along with
Emperor,
Faxed Head, and a few other pioneers, this band really helped the
black metal genre to reappear after the
death metal craze of the early '90s, but more than any other group, they also helped to put a twisted, ugly face on the genre for all to see.
~Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide
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Andrea
from UK
This CD is fantastic!
Dusk is a majestic masterpiece. It contains the best qualities of CoF from their previous albums. This album is able to combine the delicacy of melody with the brutality of war. Dusk was re-constructed by their new members Stuart Anstis and Damien, creating this fantastic album. This album has incredible drums and wicked guitar riffs. Stuart and Gian unleash guitar madness in the track "Beauty Slept in Sodom" as well as in "Haunted Shores". The piano player Damien creates wonderful melodies. Dusk...and Her Embrace truly is one of the best albums made Cradle of Filth.