In the land of Heavy Metal, there have been few bands in the last 20 plus years who have provoked a reaction quite like Cradle of Filth. Known for their Black Metal inspired form of Symphonic Gothic Metal with lyrics that are highly poet and inspired by literature, along with the shrieks of band leader Dani Filth, and Horror Erotic themed imagery, Cradle of Filth are truly a hard act to follow.
Of course beloved to their long-time fans for records such as 1996’s Dusk… and Her Embrace, 1998’s Cruelty and the Beast, as well as 2000’s Midian, no one can deny that Cradle of Filth have kept dishing out extremely high quality material in the 2 decades since. With so much released, and each album holds special qualities fans can appreciate, it is no wonder the prospects of new music is always exciting.
Releasing the impressive Existence Is Futile in 2021, 2 years later, Cradle of Filth return with more. Is it a new studio album? Not quite. Instead, it is their first live album since the superb 2002 album Live Bait for the Dead. A long time in-between, the difference here is that this new live album also features two brand new studio records amidst all the live chaos. Calling the new live album Trouble and Their Double Lives, and releasing it on April 28, 2023 through Napalm Records, the material is sort of a time capsule of the last decade of the band.
What this means is the new live album consists of records achieved between 2014 and 2019 from different performances in the USA, Europe, Australia and beyond during their Cradle of Filth’s Cryptoriana World Tour and dates that followed. This in mind, the material was all brought together to be produced, mixed and mastered by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios in Suffolk, England. Technical details that might be lost on some, the overall feel of Trouble and Their Double Lives is that it sounds live, but real and clean enough that is not a struggle to hear details.
With that, the live set includes such tracks as “Nymphetamine (Fix),” Haunted Shores,” and “Desire in Violent Overture,” just to name a few. A total of 18 tracks, 16 of them live, there is plenty to keep your attention… especially with the brand-new studio records. These, “She is a Fire” and “Demon Prince Regent,” could very be looked at as a prelude to what Cradle of Filth has in store for another studio album. That said, both feature signature Cradle of Filth guitars, plus plenty of other elements that are reflections of the band’s most distinct attributes. First, “She is a Fire,” complete with a high quality music video, is paced nicely and filled with plenty of changes that will keep fans satisfied. This is while “Demon Prince Regent” offers more of the same, but with slightly different vocal approaches from Dani Filth that are fitting and welcomed.
Overall, after a busy 2023 for Cradle of Filth touring the US with DevilDriver, before heading over to Mexico and South America for some dates, it should be interesting to see where 2024 finds the band. We already know they will be touring Europe with Wednesday 13 on the Necromantic Fantasies Tour in February and March, but will new music follow? Only time will tell, but if the 2 studio tracks from 2023 are a preview of what is to come, then any new albums to follow should be quite interesting. Waiting for more to come, until then, Cryptic Rock gives Trouble and Their Double Lives 4 out of 5 stars.
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