CRADLE
OF FILTH
DAMNATION AND A DAY
EPIC/SONY MUSIC
Getting added to Ozzfest
as a headliner is no small feat. Some of the bands that grabbed
the slot in years past were Motorhead, Fear Factory, Soulfly and Down.
When Sharon Osbourne and company tabbed black metallers Cradle Of Filth
to headline the second stage for the 2003 festival, it set a high standard
for the London band.
But
besides a long catalog that has garnered them a cult following, Cradle
of Filth had little to offer the majority of the masses that they will
be playing in front of. That is, until they recorded Damnation And
A Day.
A 17-track, 77-minute long opus, Damnation And A Day is a 'concept' album that details Lucifer's fall from heaven and rise to power from his point of view. Essentially, if someone were going to turn Milton's Paradise Lost into a movie, this album would be the score. Milton, in fact, was a major influence on band founder/vocalist Dani Filth. Filth pulled the phrase "Better To Reign In Hell" from the GUY and used it as the title of one of the premier songs on the album. This release marked the first Cradle of Filth effort with bassist Dave Pybus (formerly of Anathema). Pybus' contributions are tangible as there is a distinct atmosphere and depth to the music (like his old band) that was not apparent on prior Cradle releases.
In fact, few songs on Damnation And A Day are as one dimensional as Cradle's earlier work. Dani went to Hungary and hired a 40-piece orchestra and 32-member choir. The Budapest musicians displayed their considerable talents on numerous occasions throughout the album, truly adding a haunting effect to the macabre effort. A prime example is the beautiful two-and-a-half minute "The Mordant Liquor Of Tears", which gives off a menacing vibe as the story progresses further along Lucifer's tale.
The other band members prove to be no slouches on this release. Paul Allender's guitars and Adrian Erlandsson's drums are tight and batter Filth's message into the listener. Martin Powell rounds out the band with his eerie keyboards.
While listening to Damnation And A Day is an experience, it would have been a bit better if Dani's harsh vocals were a bit more understandable to the untrained ear. That way the listener would not only bear witness to Lucifer's fall, but comprehend it as well.
A 17-track, 77-minute long opus, Damnation And A Day is a 'concept' album that details Lucifer's fall from heaven and rise to power from his point of view. Essentially, if someone were going to turn Milton's Paradise Lost into a movie, this album would be the score. Milton, in fact, was a major influence on band founder/vocalist Dani Filth. Filth pulled the phrase "Better To Reign In Hell" from the GUY and used it as the title of one of the premier songs on the album. This release marked the first Cradle of Filth effort with bassist Dave Pybus (formerly of Anathema). Pybus' contributions are tangible as there is a distinct atmosphere and depth to the music (like his old band) that was not apparent on prior Cradle releases.
In fact, few songs on Damnation And A Day are as one dimensional as Cradle's earlier work. Dani went to Hungary and hired a 40-piece orchestra and 32-member choir. The Budapest musicians displayed their considerable talents on numerous occasions throughout the album, truly adding a haunting effect to the macabre effort. A prime example is the beautiful two-and-a-half minute "The Mordant Liquor Of Tears", which gives off a menacing vibe as the story progresses further along Lucifer's tale.
The other band members prove to be no slouches on this release. Paul Allender's guitars and Adrian Erlandsson's drums are tight and batter Filth's message into the listener. Martin Powell rounds out the band with his eerie keyboards.
While listening to Damnation And A Day is an experience, it would have been a bit better if Dani's harsh vocals were a bit more understandable to the untrained ear. That way the listener would not only bear witness to Lucifer's fall, but comprehend it as well.
----Scott Olivenbaum