For nearly twenty-five years, the extreme metallers from Suffolk England known as Cradle of Filth have released ten elaborating albums that combines horrific themes, Gothic atmospheres, and Shakespearean-esque lyrics. Since 1991, they have dipped into a variety of flavors from their original raw Black Metal sound to exploring a deeper journey, combining elements of Death Metal and Symphonic Metal. This musical adventure aided to their mastery, which they are currently known as Extreme Metal legends. Maintaining this status has never been easy, especially from the massive lineup changes they have had over the years. Cradle of Filth’s future was in question once again during the Spring of 2014 when Guitarists Paul Allender and James Mcllroy decided to part ways to dive into other projects. It did not take long until Guitarists Richard Shaw and Marek ‘Ashok’ Šmerda joined, making the current line up consisting with the notorious Dani Filth (vocals), Martin Skaroupka (drums), Daniel Firth (bass), and Lindsay Schoolcraft (keyboard and vocals). Creating fresh material with a new formation, is not always easy, however, on July 10, 2015 the eleventh studio album, Hammer of the Witches via Nuclear Blast Records, awakened.
Since 2000’s Midian, Cradle of Filth’s material continued to dive into themes and concepts, such as the demon Lilith, on 2010’s Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa, a collection of monstrous tales on 2012’s The Manticore and Other Horrors, or exploring the life the French 15th century character, Gilles de Retz on 2008’s Godspeed on the Devil’s Thunder. However, in the hearts of fans, nothing compared to Midian’s “Tearing The Veil From Grace” or “Her Ghost In the Fog,” nor the acclaimed 1996 album Dusk… and Her Embrace with the unforgettable title track and “Funeral in Carpathia.” For the last fifteen years, despite the phenomenal material that has been released, an element felt missing.
Finally after a long wait, Hammer of the Witches has unlocked the gates of Midian for the listener. This imaginative land has now opened a pathway to seek revenge from the hateful book, Malleus Maleficarum. A book written by a German Catholic clergyman, Heinrich Kramer in 1486, where he praised the heinous activity of torturing and persecuting Witches. He eulogized all horrendous ways to punish and to hammer against them. This album has brutally spoken in pay back, to hammer for those Witches. The Renaissance-esque artwork alone by Arthur Berzinsh, has illustrated in detail a Wiccan rebirth to flood through the darkened forest in order to avenge with malevolent bloodshed.
The introductory track, “Walpurgis Eve,” sucks the listener into an All Hallows Eve sentiment, as it passes by the rumored magical potions and spells. Creeping deathly along with an eerie mist that tip toes its way towards a delicate fiddle amongst the darkened atmospheric abyss. This soothing opening does not last long as it symphonically escalates to a close as “Yours Immortally…” annihilates right in. This glorious track will remind the listener of “Funeral in Carpathia,” with its magnified guitar riffs that could sell anyone’s soul. The howls that fans adore, transpires from Filth into full motion as the melody fiercely transitions from chaotic instrumentality to the operatic vocals from Schoolcraft. Most importantly, this favorable track left absolutely no remorse.
Slowing down ever so slightly, “Enshrined in Crematoria” chimes in with an abrasive guitar riff as it rattles into an aggressive tale of “feeling the darkness rising.” A dramatic guitar solo crawls into the middle, which could cause any listener’s heart to palpitate from uncontrollable delight. The emotion continues as though it ripped through someone’s veins, with retaliated blood pouring down like a smooth glass of red during its merciless ending. Keeping the album at full heights, the epic-esque “Deflowering the Maidenhead, Displeasuring the Goddess” swoops right in. This track is the epitome of revenge, with its venomous lyrics, “Now maniacal she moves against us all. To destroy recreate anew. To dance amok amidst annihilation.” Clocking at nearly seven minutes, it callously fluctuates with divergent symphonic melodies that entices the listener even further. Soprano vocals by Schoolcraft glisten in to yet another favorable track “Blackest Magick in Practice.” It relentlessly progresses towards a beautiful arrangement between malicious tempos and haunting emotion, particularly when the bassline terrorizes halfway into this blistering medley.
Serenity rolls in during the short “The Monstrous Sabbat (Summoning the Coven).” Calmness does not last for long, as the brief track crescendos into a suspenseful rage when it abruptly ends as the thunderous song “Hammer of the Witches” fuels in. Classic Cradle of Filth at its finest here, where the mixture between Schoolcraft’s goddess-esque vocals shines along with Filth’s grotesque screams. This track will leave shivers down the listener’s spine as the lyrics are filled with demoniacal hatred such as, “I say ‘Toll the demon bell the rotting hearts of man shall light the path from hell.’”
Music softens, as though the revenge has been fulfilled when “Right Wing of the Garden Triptych” electronically gleams in with Schoolcraft’s warming vocals. It ruptures back with a vengeance as Filth’s vocals aggressively bleeds into a melodic fright. This is one of the slower tracks, however, the harmony flip-flops from soothing to intrusive, which brilliantly adds a turning point to the album’s conceptual story-line. The blood-thirsty, “The Vampyre at My Side” sways hauntingly in at an atmospheric pace. This track combatively progresses on where Filth vocalizes the horrifying tale as it slices into Extreme Metal bliss. “Onward Christian Soldiers” spiritually chimes in as the album is nearing its finale. A few thirty seconds later, Filth fires in with his murderous roar as he exemplifies the inhumane immoralities in a Shakespearean tongue, “Political prowess takes to the stage. A pilgrimage led by the sword. The sweet maiden blast of our clarion rage. Against the foul heretic hordes.” The album concludes with the short orchestral-esque track of “Blooding the Hounds of Hell,” where the hellish organ would leave a fearful ghostly chill over anyone’s shoulders. Hammer of the Witches comes with two bonus tracks as well, “King of the Woods” and “Misericord,” they both fit with the aesthetic of the album, however, they are disconnected to the concept as a whole.
Hammer of the Witches is one of Cradle of Filth’s finest conceptual albums that will remind listeners of Midian and Dusk… and Her Embrace. This disturbingly haunting and thrilling album welcomes back the classic Cradle of Filth and is perhaps one of the best albums released in 2015 thus far. CrypticRock gives Hammer of the Witches an outstanding 5 out of 5 stars.
){kind=link}
No comment