As part of Asphyxiated Oblivion it is now time to look at Cradle of Filth. Yes, I am aware that this band may be a fair deal more accessible online than those looked at so far, but they are just so brilliant and of such perfection that I am compelled to pay tribute to their uncompromising black metal efforts.

Cradle of Filth are currently recording their new album at Dep International studios - Birmingham, England. New on keyboards is Les Smith (ex-Anathema). Expect to see it on the shelves in May.

At this stage Cradle of Filth's tour plans are as follows. Europe: May 4 - May 29, South America: June 5 - June 29, and North America: September. Look out for further detail in your local press.

Compared to the bands covered so far, Cradle of Filth are a relatively new outfit. Despite this they have come a long way and achieved so much in a short time. Before their first album, The Principle of Evil Made Flesh, they released many demos (listed below in 'Discography') which are of scarce availability. All of these demos were a lead-up to what I consider the greatest ever black metal release, and perhaps the greatest ever music release - The Principle of Evil Made Flesh. This album has absolutely everything one could want from an album. The totally unique melding and harmony of instruments is something that really must be heard to be believed and the mixing in The Principle of Evil Made Flesh helps bring to life and intertwine each of these instruments in a grand manner.

Cradle of Filth are a band comprising of six members and on top of the usual instruments (guitars, bass, drums, keyboards) they quite regularly introduce accordions, cellos and all manner of male and female vocals to create an atmosphere which is both enthralling and absorbing. It is easy to tell that a lot of work went into this album and that Cradle of Filth are very serious about what they do. Not only is their music very creative and unique, it also requires considerable skill to play - due to the speed, intensity, and intricacy of the music, and for this reason I also consider Cradle of Filth as being masters of their instruments.

The music itself is best described as pure, unbridled, untouchable and beyond criticism. I could almost call the music 'godly' except that the lyrics and band members tell a story which is quite the opposite, so maybe 'ungodly' is an appropriate description. Three tracks on the album are keyboard-based instrumentals which help to break up the intensity and to set the atmosphere for upcoming songs. The songs on this album have great variation in pace and style, yet remain so fluent in what is an epic tale of evil, dark and gothic lust. The rhythms are brilliant and unique and along with the keyboards help provide the basis for songs full of momentum and total feeling. On top of this are some of the most furious, chaotic and intense leads and guitar effects I've heard. Even the bass sometimes comes to the fore in some great rhythm lead-offs which are quite impressive. The drumming is far from predictable, in fact it is some of the best I've ever heard. In particular I like the loud snare/cymbal combinations as well as the bass drumming, which sometimes seems to create minor rhythms of its own.

The vocals are truly amazing, and judging by the concert reviews, are created without the aid of any artificial devices. They are extremely frenzied, intense, demonic and painful screams with which no effort is spared. This makes them a little hard to understand without the lyrics sheet, but they are meant to be that way. The assortment of other vocals including the deep male voice, the vampiric overture, and the sexy, lustful female vocals reciting phrases of evil, enchanting prose are easier to understand. The voices all combine in a perfect manner to create one of the great appeals of Cradle of Filth's music. It has to be said that Cradle of Filth are quite different from traditional black metal bands, who often keep things quite simplistic, tend to repeat rhythms for much longer, and who generally don't have clean sound due to the mix.

The song that first got me into Cradle of Filth was the title track, The Principle of Evil Made Flesh. It is a very speedy and more straight-forward track than a lot of others, but is one of the best album openers I've heard. What lured me in at first was definitely the synthesised effects in combination with the rhythms in this track. It generally takes quite a few listens to fully appreciate any Cradle of Filth album to discover the mastery that unfolds and the Principle of Evil Made Flesh is no exception. The Forest Whispers My Name is a true classic, as to is The Black Goddess Rises and To Eve the Art of Witchcraft, and so the list goes on to what makes up one of the most pure and brilliant music masterpieces ever available.

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