Two years on from 2008’s Godspeed On The Devil’s Thunder, and UK extreme gothic metal act Cradle Of Filth are back with their ninth effort Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa.
Two years on from 2008’s Godspeed On The Devil’s Thunder, and UK extreme gothic metal act Cradle Of Filth are back with their ninth effort Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa.
On the musical front, Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa is still very much the typical Cradle Of Filth album, with the record stepping up the extremity to give the band an overwhelming sense of power and aggression, without ever forsaking the bombastic symphonic edge and sense of theatrics that have since become the band’s trademark over the years.
Although there’s nothing on the album that could be called a huge departure into the unknown for the band, almost all of the songs this time around come across as well constructed and thought out to specifically emphasise the band’s strengths, as evident in the opener The Cult Of Venus Aversa. With the briefest of introductions, the band waste little time getting into the heart of the matter, with the tight-knit riffing, dramatic synths and the relentless demonic firepower of the drums throughout making up the metallic backbone of the song that much stronger.
One Foul Step From The Abyss is another stand-out cut with its melodic tempo and the gothic overtones from the keyboards alternating with the guitar heavy passages, while the dark and twisted The Persecution Song and Forgive Me Father (I Have Sinned) lean further towards the melodic direction of the band’s patent blackened song writing style.
Other noteworthy mentions include the straight forward pummelling of Deceiving Eyes, the vocal duality and sheer blast ofLilith Immaculate, The Nun With The Astral Habit and the dramatic/cinematic feel of the album closer Beyond The Eleventh Hour.
At this stage, few would expect Cradle Of Filth to make any huge changes to their sound. Instead, what fans want most from Cradle Of Filth is an album that remains consistent and interesting from start to finish. Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa isn’t without a couple of tracks that misfire, but it is an album that at least superior to their last couple of releases.
By JUSTIN DONNELLY
Riot! Entertainment
