Band’s can become too comfortable doing what works. I remember the previous Cradle of Filth effort to combine a lot of elements of modern metal in minute ways. Looking back, it wasn’t quite progressing from what the band does normally.

If you’re familiar with Cradle of Filth, you’d likely be familiar with double bass rolling switching up to one-two beats, power chords that are somewhere between hold ‘em down and move ‘em around, and an array of synthesizers emulating orchestras that are just one notch below the best orchestral aping you can get. The end effect gets pretty darn close to an orchestra, but just fake enough to remind you that it’s still a little hokey. Tie that up with narrated and orchestrated intros, Dani Filth’s signature spoken word wide-ranged, harmonized harsh vocals, a song with female operatic singing in a slightly loose package, and for the most part, you’ve got the large majority of Cradle of Filth albums summed up, which happens to be the exact problem.

Apart from not solving certain problems that previous Cradle of Filth albums have had (they had a real orchestra on “Damnation and a Day”, so why real a real choir, but a fake orchestra this time?) and the generally loose playing that only gets worse when Dani’s spoken word style gets a little off-rhythm (and a little out of time).

It’s to the point where the songs lack identity, anything resembling a hook, and tend to blur into one another. You’ve heard this Cradle of Filth album at least three times before.

Originally posted at http://www.waytooloud.com