As long as I've had this blog and I have yet to review any albums from my most favorite band. These days you catch a lot of flack for liking this band but to be honest I could give a fuck less. Today my friends we'll be talking about one of Cradle's greatest accomplishments. A concept album about the infamous countess Bathory. A woman who believed that she could stay young by bathing in and drinking the blood of young virgins. And to spoil the review a bit this album is an amazing experience.
Lets get to it. The most standout thing about this album is its twin guitar attack,and its atmosphere. Although some have complained about a more thin production, to me it adds to the overall atmosphere. It makes it sound rather wintery and raw, while at the same time showcasing the talent of every instrument. The guitars really steal the show musically speaking. The melodies they weave have a very gothic leaning and yet they harken back to Iron Maiden in their twin lead lines.
The whole album flows quite well, each track seems to fit in its place, giving way perfectly to the next. The flow of the album is flawless. Another thing that really stands out to me is the expert writing by Dani Filth. This is honestly a top notch writer and vocalist. He portrays perfectly the emotion that he is attempting to convey. A great example is in the song Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids. The lyric "Madness came upon her like an amours lovers seed. The delivery is perfect on every single track. My standout tracks as far as this album is concerned are 13 Autumns and a Widow, Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids, Beneath the Howling Stars, and Bathory Aria.
The first is an introduction of sorts where we meet a young Elizabeth who is raped by a priest. It is unclear but in my interpretation she quite enjoyed it but yet she had a distain toward him. In the end she castrates him and hangs him from the bell tower of the church. In Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids we get to witness her descent into madness. She has lost her faith and begins to become obsessed with maintaining her youthful image.
One of my all time favorites is Beneath The Howling Stars. It's basically the story of how the Count falls for her. She goes to a ball with her lips painted with the blood of a freshly murdered woman. She and the Count basically nearly fuck on the dance floor until they leave the ball and go for ride in the dark of winter. At the end of the song they marry and consummate the marriage, in Dani's words "soon in morning fever they were wed. Lycanthropic in the conjugal bed.
The album doesn't miss a beat. The guitar work is amazing. The production is amazing. The story is written out quite expertly in the lyrics. The whole album is amazing.
95/100
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