CRADLE OF FILTH - THORNOGRAPHY
(Roadrunner)

Prior to the release of 2004's Nymphetamine, I'd had little time for Cradle of Filth, finding their histrionics and melodrama somewhat overblown and laughable. But that album was a revelation, and this follow-up is equally impressive (those of you who felt Nymphetamine to be a sell out might as well stop reading now).

It's still got the goth-metal pomposity, the sense of excess, but while previous albums seemed to try too hard to be complex and unlistenable, here we have actual tunes! Dani Filth's goblin falsetto is tempered accordingly and the music has a pleasing amount of variety to it, ranging from riff-heavy thrashing to more doom-laden gothica.

Fans will be reassured that the song titles and themes remain the same - titles like The Foetus of a New Day Kicking, Rise of the Pentagram, and Dirge Inferno will ensure that the pop kids stay away I suspect. But otherwise, this is a further sign that Cradle of Filth have finally reached a level of musical maturity that many never expected to see. Some might regret that, but for me, it's a positive move forward.

DAVID FLINT

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