Cradle Of Filth
Damnation And A Day
Sony
“New Cradle of Filth,” he says. “We’ll send it your way,” he says. “After all, we know how you used to luvs them Filthers,” he says. “Y-yeah,” I reply, noncommittal. The greatest hits package was a fun romp in sections, but ultimately disheartening to see a once-mighty band lose their way, and to have that decline documented on a disc that should be a celebration. Ah well, at least I’ll get some good pictures or cover art out of it. So you’ll forgive me if I’m not a little shocked when I get a plain white sleeve with the Sony (WTF?) logo all over it, as well as all of these firm exhortations to NOT COPY THIS, it’s WATERMARK PROTECTED, don’t even THINK about it! Listen, you know you’ve sold your artistic soul when you’re a metal band and the only skull on your record cover is part of the NO COPYING warnings.
In the death of a thousand cuts that my admiration for Cradle of Filth has endured, this is the last straw. I’m done with ‘em. Besides the issue of the packaging making you guys look like ball-less eunuchs in the service of your Sony pimps, the sounds within don’t even justify any level of security or proprietary concern. It’s a paper-thin recording, where everything sounds all jumbled and brittle • there’s no driving metal power behind this. I’m unmoved. The vocals, once my favorite part, sound strained, raspy and/or over-processed. Maybe it’s major label nerves, dunno. Hey there are like a hundred songs on here, though. I’m bored, I suck, I know. If you want to hear this sort of epic metal done right, listen to Absu instead.
Cradle of Filth: http://www.cradleoffilth.com/
