Cradle of Filth Nymphetamine
Review by Noel Barton
Satyriasis is the obligatory instrumental which commences a Cradle of Filth album. However, this one is played by an orchestra accompanied by gothic vocal chants yet isnt pleasant but more the soundtrack to a disturbing horror scene. If there are any small children around at the time you may well find yourself checking them for strange birthmarks. You know this intro isnt going to lead to something beautiful or romantic and indeed it doesnt.
Gilded Cunt sounds as horrible as the title suggests. In a good way of course and before the song has finished I get the distinct feeling Im going to like this album a lot more than the last Cradle of Filth album. You see their previous album Damnation and a Day had everything going for it in theory; greatest number of tracks, longest running time, fancy production and for the first time they even used a full orchestra! However, I feel the band focused more on brutality and forgot to add enough of their most important trademark ingredients and thats melody and atmosphere. Thats not to say it wasnt good but its the only Cradle of Filth album that has disappointed me and many other fans shared similar feelings. After listening to Gilded Cunt you know this is not going to be the case on this release. Dont get me wrong this song is brutal to the extreme but the guitars are so deliciously catchy its reassuring. Furthermore, this song has more cunt than most people get in their lifetime so it deserves respect for that alone.
Nemesis is relatively slow paced in comparison. The song is essentially about vengeance over the loss of a loved one. Danis vocals are appropriately menacing and spiteful which really is the making of this song. Interestingly this is also the vocalists favorite song on the album and he certainly puts his heart into it. Its one of the longest songs too and just as you are beginning to get tired you get a short but totally sweet crescendo of fast catchy riffing. The timing of Nemesis reminds me of a nice long sex session with a short but rather satisfying orgasm at the end. Although Id like to think I last longer than seven minutes and seventeen seconds.
Gabrielle is the proof that the band still have it in them to deliver the dark romantic atmosphere of old. This is classic Cradle of Filth and one of my favourite tracks on the album. The song does however have a very fast chorus which builds up to the echoed heart wrenching scream of Gabrielle! You have to be impressed at how amazing the band can make that single word sound. Furthermore, there is a beautiful mid section which contains more emotion than the entirety of their last album.
Absinthe With Faust is another song which delivers more atmosphere than a smoke machine. It has lots of melodic guitars and keyboards and in contrast some heavy crunching riffs. It really holds back on the speed this time providing good pacing for the album. It actually sounds a lot like classic Paradise Lost in places.
Nymphetamine Overdose is quite simply one of the greatest songs Cradle of Filth have ever written. The song starts with a slow and heavy yet disturbingly hypnotic guitar riff that for some reason conjures images of fire in my mind. Just before you are about to fall into a dark trance the song speeds up for a couple of minutes becoming a typically filthy affair. The real genius happens when it breaks down into a slower more melodic vibe and the beautifully delicate vocals of Liv Kristine (ex Theatre of Tragedy) gently embrace our previously bludgeoned ears. In theory the idea of a duet between Liv and Dani may sound laughable but here it works, incredibly! It is total beauty and the beast. This part of the song oozes a class that most artists could only dream of. Just as the song sounds like it is about to end the hypnotic riffs which start the song lead us to the heavy finale.
Painting Flowers White Never Suite My Palatte is another instrumental orchestra piece which sounds like a classic film soundtrack. This one is more placid and gives the listeners ears a welcomed rest.
Medusa and Hemlock starts with satisfyingly twisted evil guitar riffs. Some sections of the verses sound a little lost and awkward but they develop into the most awesome assault of gripping speed metal and a totally sick utterance of the song title which not only saves the song but renders it a great track.
Coffin Fodder is a song I fell in love with at first listen. Its the most remarkable mixture of charming melody and speed and aggression youll ever hear. It starts with a great riff and the fastest blast beat drumming we have heard from the band in a while. At the same time it manages to be one of the most melodic songs they have ever written and would make a great single. Everything about this song seems to work so easily and Danis vocals are particularly strong even though he pulls them off effortlessly.
English Fire has an appropriately warming feel to it. Like Absinthe with Faust it relies more on atmosphere than speed and is just as successful in its execution. The keyboards and vocal harmonies are nothing short of astounding.
Filthy Little Secret is more of a straight forward punk rocker but has a seriously infectious chorus which you just have to love. It has mad solos and grooves too which sound as if the band are actually having lots of fun! Now that will surprise a few people.
Swansong For A Raven is the follow up story to Her Ghost In The Fog from Midian. It begins impeccably with a stunningly melodic build up of piano and female vocal harmonies. The melody is then played hard and fast with the guitars and drums kicking in and we hear the familiar voice of horror icon Doug Bradley (aka Pinhead) who previously provided his legendary oral nastiness for the Midian album. Unfortunately the rest of the song doesnt quite live up to this perfect opening but a good track regardless. It had the potential to be a better song than Her Ghost The Fog but ultimately isnt as good as it gets slightly lost in the woods.
Mother of Abominations is another follow up to a Midian track. This one is the sequel to Cuthulu Dawn. A strange chant starts proceedings before literally exploding into a monster of a song. It shares a purposely similar vibe to Cuthulu Dawn and is even more menacing and brutal but doesnt manage to be quite as engaging.
The final track is Nymphetamine Fix which is the single/video version of Nymphetamine Overdose. It is pretty much the middle section which is not only the most commercial part but easily the highlight. On the end of the album it doesnt really provide anything new but its there for those who want to hear the single version.
I foresee this album becoming a popular favourite as it has many great tracks and mixes classic Cradle of Filth with some new surprises. However, despite inferior production I still prefer the 1998 concept album Cruelty and the Beast. Primarily as it was a far more focused and consistent product and Im a sucker for concept albums. Nymphetamine is essentially a relatively hurried album. After an extensive tour Cradle of Filth were on a creative high and in little time wrote and recorded some fairly random songs of which this is the result. However, it sounds like an album five years in the making! It is even the greatest production the band have ever received courtesy of producer/latest anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano. He also produced their last album but this one sounds more stripped down and effects are used a lot more sparingly. It actually works a whole lot better as a result. I dont think this album will go down in history as the bands greatest achievement but it does prove what enormous talent and devastating potential they still have to create the ultimate metal album. If they spent more time on the next album and focused such creativity into an epic concept the results could be unbeatable. For now though this is the album Cradle of Filth really needed and this is the album which they easily delivered. After compulsive rotation of Nymphetamine Im feeling incredibly optimistic about the future of this exceptionally productive band.
Review by Noel Barton
Satyriasis is the obligatory instrumental which commences a Cradle of Filth album. However, this one is played by an orchestra accompanied by gothic vocal chants yet isnt pleasant but more the soundtrack to a disturbing horror scene. If there are any small children around at the time you may well find yourself checking them for strange birthmarks. You know this intro isnt going to lead to something beautiful or romantic and indeed it doesnt.
Gilded Cunt sounds as horrible as the title suggests. In a good way of course and before the song has finished I get the distinct feeling Im going to like this album a lot more than the last Cradle of Filth album. You see their previous album Damnation and a Day had everything going for it in theory; greatest number of tracks, longest running time, fancy production and for the first time they even used a full orchestra! However, I feel the band focused more on brutality and forgot to add enough of their most important trademark ingredients and thats melody and atmosphere. Thats not to say it wasnt good but its the only Cradle of Filth album that has disappointed me and many other fans shared similar feelings. After listening to Gilded Cunt you know this is not going to be the case on this release. Dont get me wrong this song is brutal to the extreme but the guitars are so deliciously catchy its reassuring. Furthermore, this song has more cunt than most people get in their lifetime so it deserves respect for that alone.
Nemesis is relatively slow paced in comparison. The song is essentially about vengeance over the loss of a loved one. Danis vocals are appropriately menacing and spiteful which really is the making of this song. Interestingly this is also the vocalists favorite song on the album and he certainly puts his heart into it. Its one of the longest songs too and just as you are beginning to get tired you get a short but totally sweet crescendo of fast catchy riffing. The timing of Nemesis reminds me of a nice long sex session with a short but rather satisfying orgasm at the end. Although Id like to think I last longer than seven minutes and seventeen seconds.
Gabrielle is the proof that the band still have it in them to deliver the dark romantic atmosphere of old. This is classic Cradle of Filth and one of my favourite tracks on the album. The song does however have a very fast chorus which builds up to the echoed heart wrenching scream of Gabrielle! You have to be impressed at how amazing the band can make that single word sound. Furthermore, there is a beautiful mid section which contains more emotion than the entirety of their last album.
Absinthe With Faust is another song which delivers more atmosphere than a smoke machine. It has lots of melodic guitars and keyboards and in contrast some heavy crunching riffs. It really holds back on the speed this time providing good pacing for the album. It actually sounds a lot like classic Paradise Lost in places.
Nymphetamine Overdose is quite simply one of the greatest songs Cradle of Filth have ever written. The song starts with a slow and heavy yet disturbingly hypnotic guitar riff that for some reason conjures images of fire in my mind. Just before you are about to fall into a dark trance the song speeds up for a couple of minutes becoming a typically filthy affair. The real genius happens when it breaks down into a slower more melodic vibe and the beautifully delicate vocals of Liv Kristine (ex Theatre of Tragedy) gently embrace our previously bludgeoned ears. In theory the idea of a duet between Liv and Dani may sound laughable but here it works, incredibly! It is total beauty and the beast. This part of the song oozes a class that most artists could only dream of. Just as the song sounds like it is about to end the hypnotic riffs which start the song lead us to the heavy finale.
Painting Flowers White Never Suite My Palatte is another instrumental orchestra piece which sounds like a classic film soundtrack. This one is more placid and gives the listeners ears a welcomed rest.
Medusa and Hemlock starts with satisfyingly twisted evil guitar riffs. Some sections of the verses sound a little lost and awkward but they develop into the most awesome assault of gripping speed metal and a totally sick utterance of the song title which not only saves the song but renders it a great track.
Coffin Fodder is a song I fell in love with at first listen. Its the most remarkable mixture of charming melody and speed and aggression youll ever hear. It starts with a great riff and the fastest blast beat drumming we have heard from the band in a while. At the same time it manages to be one of the most melodic songs they have ever written and would make a great single. Everything about this song seems to work so easily and Danis vocals are particularly strong even though he pulls them off effortlessly.
English Fire has an appropriately warming feel to it. Like Absinthe with Faust it relies more on atmosphere than speed and is just as successful in its execution. The keyboards and vocal harmonies are nothing short of astounding.
Filthy Little Secret is more of a straight forward punk rocker but has a seriously infectious chorus which you just have to love. It has mad solos and grooves too which sound as if the band are actually having lots of fun! Now that will surprise a few people.
Swansong For A Raven is the follow up story to Her Ghost In The Fog from Midian. It begins impeccably with a stunningly melodic build up of piano and female vocal harmonies. The melody is then played hard and fast with the guitars and drums kicking in and we hear the familiar voice of horror icon Doug Bradley (aka Pinhead) who previously provided his legendary oral nastiness for the Midian album. Unfortunately the rest of the song doesnt quite live up to this perfect opening but a good track regardless. It had the potential to be a better song than Her Ghost The Fog but ultimately isnt as good as it gets slightly lost in the woods.
Mother of Abominations is another follow up to a Midian track. This one is the sequel to Cuthulu Dawn. A strange chant starts proceedings before literally exploding into a monster of a song. It shares a purposely similar vibe to Cuthulu Dawn and is even more menacing and brutal but doesnt manage to be quite as engaging.
The final track is Nymphetamine Fix which is the single/video version of Nymphetamine Overdose. It is pretty much the middle section which is not only the most commercial part but easily the highlight. On the end of the album it doesnt really provide anything new but its there for those who want to hear the single version.
I foresee this album becoming a popular favourite as it has many great tracks and mixes classic Cradle of Filth with some new surprises. However, despite inferior production I still prefer the 1998 concept album Cruelty and the Beast. Primarily as it was a far more focused and consistent product and Im a sucker for concept albums. Nymphetamine is essentially a relatively hurried album. After an extensive tour Cradle of Filth were on a creative high and in little time wrote and recorded some fairly random songs of which this is the result. However, it sounds like an album five years in the making! It is even the greatest production the band have ever received courtesy of producer/latest anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano. He also produced their last album but this one sounds more stripped down and effects are used a lot more sparingly. It actually works a whole lot better as a result. I dont think this album will go down in history as the bands greatest achievement but it does prove what enormous talent and devastating potential they still have to create the ultimate metal album. If they spent more time on the next album and focused such creativity into an epic concept the results could be unbeatable. For now though this is the album Cradle of Filth really needed and this is the album which they easily delivered. After compulsive rotation of Nymphetamine Im feeling incredibly optimistic about the future of this exceptionally productive band.
Thanks for the positive feedback people.
