Cradle Of Filth – "The Screaming of the Valkyries"

During the review of which, I coin the term "goblin rap"

Ah yes, Cradle of Filth. We all know of them, but my impression is that you're either a fan or you've maybe heard some of their earlier material but didn't bother sticking with them. Yours truly belongs to that second category.

There was a lot of hype around "Dusk and Her Embrace" ('96) and especially "Cruelty and the Beast" ('98), so I went and got those. But as much as I was able to dig the atmosphere, I still can't remember a whole lot of moments from either of those albums in spite of several spins. I also got "Midian" (2000) just to give them the benefit of the doubt, but the same thing was the case. So, as on many an occasion before and since, I shrugged and put on some Saxon instead.

Since then, of course, CoF evolved into a case of revolving door syndrome with new members coming and going around vocalist and mastermind Dani Filth to an extent, the extremity of which matches that of the band's music. But hey, metal is metal.

Just like Dimmu Borgir, CoF is one of those bands that newbies would indiscriminately label "black metal". And just like Manowar and HammerFall have both disavowed that power metal label that those same newbies would stick to them, CoF have long disavowed the black metal label. And indeed, any advanced metal listener wouldn't need many seconds of opener "Live Deliciously" from this latest CoF LP to hear that this ain't exactly Burzum or Darkthrone.

Cradle of Filth aren't a genre band; they're rather a theatrical mix of various metal subgenres, packed into a niche that, at the same time, manages to be very specific and very eclectic.

However, even though many purists and/or elitists have sulkingly dismissed the band, it should still be obvious to anyone and everyone that CoF are undeniably metal. We're talking double kick drum rolls, pummelling riffs, and rapid 16ths on the deep E string, downtuned into deeper darkness. And not rarely, the whole thing takes off in a goddamn thrash metal pace – a surprisingly frequent feature for a band that's so often mislabeled as black metal.

What makes CoF their own, though, isn't the foundation of metal, but the auditive, visual, and lyrical decorations of horror, dark fantasy, and romanticism collectively classified as "gothic". (Another mislabeling, perhaps, but I'll roll with this one.) So there's a lot of spooky background choirs, bodeful strings, harpsichord emulators, and, not the least of all, Dani Filth's impressive stalwart banshee screams, hoarse whispers (get it?), and demonic barking. As for the latter, he applies this technique most of the time, and in all its monotony, it starts to take on rap qualities – goblin rap. And henceforth, you will think of this whenever you listen to the band. You're welcome.

CoF, like many others groups, bet on atmosphere ahead of memorability. As such, just like with their older albums, there aren't a lot of stand-out elements here. "The Trinity of Shadows" has some melody going for it – shit, the chorus gang choir even hints at German power metal-offshoots. The female vocal melody in "White Hellebore" manages to be both catchy and memorable, and the song's shameless combination of a gallop drive and an off-beat disco hi-hat is a slight touch of brilliance.

I would find it interesting to hear the band writing an entire song that I could remember from start to finish. But maybe that's not the point. And in that case, that's okay.

Also the melody in "Malignant Perfection" will stick with you. However, this is due to the fact that the chorus cadence is a tried-and-tested pop-rock standard, not because there's anything particularly exciting going on. Sadly, this also goes for the production: While everything is as clean and neat as the (sub-)subgenre allows for without compromising too much, this also means that both the guitar and the drums sound virtually anonymous, only a few riffs sticking out. Indeed, had it not been for the sole original vocalist, "The Screaming of the Valkyries" could have been performed by pretty much any other extreme gothic metal band. Not that there are exactly legions of those, but you get the drift.

The most dynamic track would have to be "You Are My Nautilus", starting in grand Minor-key pathos, traversing a quiet verse, kicking into double-time, proceeding with an increasing shuffle, culminating in both thrash and a proper black metal blastbeat. And yes, those are also featured here. And that's the thing: CoF aren't a genre band; they're rather a theatrical mix of various metal subgenres, packed into a niche that, at the same time, manages to be very specific and very eclectic.

If you belong to the segment that just can't get enough of said niche and/or what any current incarnation of this band does, "The Screaming of the Valkyries" will probably appeal to you. Personally, I would find it interesting to hear the band writing an entire song that I could remember from start to finish. But maybe that's not the point. And in that case, that's okay – as long as CoF adhere to their function as a metal gateway for teenage girls who are into black make-up and studded corsets for some reason. I'll just put on some Saxon instead.

Rating: 4 out of 6

Genre: Gothic extreme metal
Release date: 21/3/2025
Label: Napalm Records
Producer: Scott Atkins