I cannot compare this album to much, as I am not familiar with their catalogue outside of Nymphetamine - but from giving other reviews a quick read it seems to be in-keeping with the band's other recent releases. Two new members make their debuts in the studio with the band here, with guitarist Donny Burbage (Æther Realm) and keyboard player and supporting vocalist Zoë Marie Federoff (Insatia; Catalyst Crime) having both joined since 2021's Existence is Futile. Sam Wale (Korvus; Invasive) is credited with performing keyboards, too, though, so perhaps Federoff's contributions are limited to her excellent vocal additions - but either way both new members have made their mark on this latest opus. The track which prompted me to undertake this journey, To Live Deliciously, also opens the album - and the song is a hooky anthem which kicks things off nicely. Spooky sounds and gothic choirs set an ominous early tone, but there is not much standing on ceremony - as a thrashy guitar pattern soon kicks in, over which Filth growls a simplified version of the chorus. Thrashy is a pretty good descriptor for the song overall. Whilst the chorus is a bit more mid-paced, despite some explosive double bass drum patterns, the rest of the song is generally pretty fast-moving - with Burbage and fellow guitarist Ashok laying down amped-up 1980s thrash riffs and leads as the haunting keyboards add a lot of depth. Thrash and death metal influences merge during these faster moments, but there is still plenty of traditional heavy metal to be found. Lead guitar moments are plentiful during this track - and some of the melodic leads here are very NWOBHM-esque at times, allowing for a smoother injection during the thrashy and more abrasive riffing found elsewhere. Filth's vocals are less scratchy here than I remember - and are somewhere between a traditional harsh vocal scream and a gothic croon. I actually generally enjoy his delivery here - although it helps that the riffing and plentiful guitar melodies (including a lengthy later solo section) are there to back him. Demagoguery opens with what sounds like a harpsicord melody, a classic trope of gothic music, before a barrelling guitar riff kicks in - and the track morphs into a more dramatic mid-paced rocker. The keyboards generally provided atmosphere in the previous song, but this number features frantic keyboard melodies during the later chorus - alongside stabs of strings elsewhere. This is very much a guitar-centric album on the whole, though, and there is still plenty of strident riffing here - with mid-paced chugging and extreme metal faster sections keeping the verses interesting before the gothic chorus takes over with Filth's snarling vocals and the aforementioned synths. Later moments of the song are more melodic, with a guitar lead-heavy bridge section breaking up the heaviness well. The Trinity of Shadows is much more of a galloping piece - showcasing a strong traditional heavy metal influence. The faster sections here feel quite Iron Maiden-esque, just dialled up to 11, and there is much less of an extreme influence despite Filth's snarling vocals and some heavy riffing. There is a strong theatrical feel throughout the song - with vaudeville-esque vocal patterns from the choir during parts of the verses, whilst the keyboards tend to envelop everything with shimmering strings and gothic textures. The chorus is hooky, too, thanks to some melodic guitar patterns and a call-and-response vocal arrangement which sees Filth battling with the choir. Yet more guitar soloing is packed later in the song, with Ashok and Burbage trading leads over more Iron Maiden-esque gallops.
Non Omnis Moriar slows things down somewhat, and goes for a doomier and more overly gothic approach. Whilst the keyboards are not a stand-out feature, the many layers which are featured throughout give the song real weight - and only emphasise the slow-burning nature of the piece. Slow, plodding guitar riffs and doomy drumming characterise much of the track, with Daniel Firth's bass standing out during the verses, whilst Filth goes for a semi-whispered approach during parts of the track which suit the song's overall creepy feel. There are moments where he lets rip a bit more - and these sections tend to get heavier. Whilst the song has a strong Paradise Lost vibe throughout at times, there are some thrashier sections. As the guitar leads get a bit more prominent, the song does speed up somewhat - and there are some extreme sections which feel more abrasive, despite being tempered by the delicate vocals of Federoff. This song features her first prominent vocal contribution - and she sings the chorus part with a gothic fragility that contrasts nicely with the faster drums beneath her and Filth's snarl. Her voice is not over-used but she makes a great impact when deployed - and there are moments of this song which recall the European doom scene of the 2000s thanks to the dual vocal approach. White Hellebore speeds things up again and it is one of the songs which really stood out to me on my first listen to the album. It remains a real favourite thanks to how melodic and hooky it is - and it seems to mix a lot of classic extreme metal tropes with a dramatic heavy metal sense of melody and some great gothic vocals. The verses are a little thrashy, despite the ringing piano backing, with fast-paced guitars and Filth's throat-shredding vocals, but it is the chorus where the song really comes to life. Like the last song, Federoff and Filth trade vocals during the chorus, and Federoff's vocal hooks really stick in the brain and never leave. I love how the song slows down here to allow her voice to cut through - but she still sounds powerful and the song loses none of its toughness or atmosphere. She adds plenty of wordless vocal melodies elsewhere in the song, too, and there is a bit of a symphonic mid-section in place of a more typical guitar solo that helps the song to stand out. Upping the heaviness further, extreme metal riffing and Federoff's siren-like vocals later fuse during a chaotic climax. You Are My Nautilus is a bit more mid-paced and reined in following the drama of the previous track - with the song mixing slower, gothic moments with clean guitars and strident, mid-paced sections with more NWOBHM-esque guitar leads. The track also, at times, feels like a showcase for long-time drummer Marthus. He impresses throughout the album with this thrashy beats and extreme precision, but there are some more percussive moments here which feel a bit more progressive - as well as a mini drum solo early on. The more restrained pace allows the drumming to shine a bit more, then, but there are faster sections here, too, and later on the song does speed up with more of a thrashy feel - although everything remains fairly controlled thanks to some snappy riffing and an underpinning synth melody. A lengthy solo section follows, showing the current line-up's love for a big guitar moment.
Malignant Perfection opens with some dark and slow piano notes, and it seems as if the song is going to tread a doom path - but instead the piano soon becomes a bit more upbeat and, along with the rhythm section, forms the basis for Filth's strident vocals as something of a mid-paced verse. This song is probably the album's least heavy track - and there is a strong melodic sense throughout that makes it easy on the ears. There is a surprising smoothness throughout thanks to the pulsing bass and the hypnotic piano - whilst even the faster sections which later take over continue to be backed with piano which gives the song a strong symphonic metal feel. Filth's voice is cleaner throughout, too, with semi-spoken moments and a more gothic croon suiting the more atmospheric track nicely - whilst Federoff also adds a few lines here and there, as well as a strange spoken word section which adds to the song's overall atmospheric edge. There are short bursts of black metal blasting, but these are few and far between - with the song in general being a real moment of gothic beauty with wordless female vocals adding depth alongside the slow-burning guitar leads which occasionally kick in. Ex Sanguine Draculae continues the slower overall vibe of much of the previous song, at least early on, but there is much more crunch present this time - but just as it seems like the track is going to be a mid-paced and old-school metal anthem the riffing speeds up and things kick off for a second time. The opening lumbering riffing and initial vocal-led section is a ruse, then, with much of the song being fast-paced and thrashy - with some of the most intense riffing on the album. It is in these moments where I can somewhat see the black metal comparisons, but Cradle of Filth are too gothic and symphonic to truly ever sound 'black' - with the busy piano melodies and the crystal clear production making the piece sound massive. It might not be the hookiest of pieces, but arrangement-wise the song is interesting. It caters for all with its pace shifts and heavy overall vibe - and the number of different riffs here are sure to entertain all the guitarists out there. The album then comes to a close with When Misery Was a Stranger, which opens with some neo-classical guitar melodies - and the track is another which seems like it is going to be a mid-paced track before it takes off properly. Unlike the last song, though, there is more of a mid-paced presence throughout. The mix of fast and mid-paced sections is balanced more this time - with the thrashy riffing often giving way to more melodic sections with plentiful guitar leads and dense synths. These slower sections also see Filth reining it in somewhat, again going for that gothic croon, whilst Federoff adds her voice again to these sections - with the occasional siren-like line delivery and some gothic harmonies. Being the final track, the song certainly is filled with drama and makes a few twists and turns as it moves along - with plenty more guitar soloing as well as a fast and heavy ending section that builds on many of the extreme metal influences of before as things come to a loud crescendo. This is the first Cradle of Filth album I have properly listened to and got to know, and I have to say that I have been pleasantly surprised. There is a lot more melody here than I expected and the guitar work throughout is excellent. Filth's vocals are not as grating as I had previously found them to be, either, and I can see myself delving back into the catalogue over time to see what else I have missed.
The album was released on 21st March 2025 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for To Live Deliciously.
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