Cruelty and The Beast, Bitter Suites to Succubi, Midian, Dusk and Her Embrace I have re-discovered a remarkable band that I had been previously aware of, but never really persued an interest in, until now, when I actually heard some of the musick. I was quite impressed by the orchestrations I had the pleasure of listening to. The Infernal Triune factors identified as 'Malefik Musick' are present here: The Musickal presentation demonstrates intricate and moving orchestrations, which exemplifies the classical roots of much of the more exceptional Heavy Metal Musick; The Lyrickal content demonstrates high imagination and dark poetic application; and The Aesthetic Presentation demonstrates psychodrama, pyrotechnics, costumings, darkly archetypal characterizations, and horror theatrics. The CD cover art is exquisite, displaying melancholy, and predominant diabolically-erotic images of which is stimulating to the evil eye. Cradle of Filth has it all - combinations of pleasantly eerie instrumentations, Gothic Black Metal, with daemonic voices interdispersed throughout the cantibles and sound effects, thus intensifying both the musick and accentuating the lyricks, which cover a variety of mystical, paranormal, mythological, fictional, as well as Satanic subject matter. The demonic voice resembles that of 'Lord Darkness' from Legend, and reminds Me of the record by the fictional band "Sacrifix" played by the rebellious adolescent character from the film 'The Gate' {recommended} , which involved invoking a giant demon using litany available by playing the records backwards - 'backward masking' as it was called, I call "shilgne" {'english' reversed}, a phenominon which was an outgrowth of the SRA hysteria created by xian fear and guilt-mongering propagandists, subsequently opportunized by shrewd musicians and music executives. This is great entertainment, like a horror movie in musickal form, somewhat reminiscient of a King Diamond and Mercyful Fate presentation - a highly psychodramatic theatre. Demons, vampires, satyres, incubi and succubi, witches, and various hellish creatures manifest on stage, and the band themselves are arrayed in costumes and makeup in composit vampiric/demonic personas. Damnation and A Day An apocalyptic Black Metal masterpiece themed around the Judeo-Christian mythology, like the book of Revelations set to musick. Musick: Powerful throughout; mosterous drumming which provides a sense of energizing invigoration, similar to Classical Compositions' vertigo soaring. The use of glorious choral voices used interminably with Dani Filth's screetches and howls, accompanied by demonic voices projected to be that of The Magnificent Hell-Beast Himself. Wonderful timing, the use of strings, drops, risings, changes, all of which seems to be formed around the lyricks, a-la King Diamond de-regeur, thus masterfully composed. Each sonf encompasses a myriad emotional spectrum. One song leads into the next in a continuous course of a Dantean storyline. Aesthetics: As is Cradle of FIlth's exceptional style, the matter encasing the disc in omnipresently replete with visual eyescapes from cover to back, illustrating the manifestations of "The Evil One" through several periods in history, from the Adam & Eve fables through to Cleopatra and beyond. What I did find of particular mention is the song "Mannequin", which uses a vibrating vocal effect which causes a modified sonic vertigo, and the scitar used in "Doberman Pharoah" is a nice atmospheric touch. Also quite notable are the occasional interjections of narration setting the stage for the next section, exemplifying the veritable "table of contents" arrangement of the songlist. It cannot be said that this opus is their "best", but it is certainly a derivation from the usual optimum eerily haunting, and beautiful Gothic Metal produced, intermingled with sound effects accentuating these cantibles of morbidity. "Damnation and A Day" is certainly manditorily recommended. 5/5 Goat Skulls.

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