_ _______ _ ...:... _ _______ _
___ / .:::::::::::. \ ___
| / .. (:::::::::::::) .. \ |
| . .:::::.`:::::::::::'.:::::. . |
| .::.. `:::.::':::`::.:::' ..::. |
_ _______ | .::' ::::':::::`:::: `::. | _______ _
\\ | | :: `' ::':`:: `' :: | | //
\ | | `:. .::' . `::. .:' | | /
. | | .::::::..::::' ... `::::..::::::. | | .
| | `:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::' | |
.... | | `:' `::::: :: :: :::::' `:' | | ....
| ' | : `. ': :: :: :: :: :` .' : | ` |
|.....: . .......: :: :: :: :: : ...... . : ....|
. ...................: : :: :: :: :: : : ................. .
_____________:_____________ _____________:_____________
_ ___\` __ /_\` _______/_\` __ _/_\` /___ _
// __ / (/ ___/ (/ _ (/ /_______/\
_ _ /_________ ___________ ______/\ _ ______________/\__/_ _
\\\\\_________\__/\_________\__/\_____/\_____/\____________/ ///
- -\-\-----------\__/----------\__/-------\_____/---------------/-/- -
- -------------------: : :. ..:: :: . :------------------ -
: : :......: :: :` ': :: : .....: : :
___ _ | | : ` ' : | | _ ___
_\---------- : | -------- : B E R C : -------- | : ----------/_
/_\ . : . ..:.. ..:.. . : . /_\
/// . . : : . . \\\
/: :\
/:: Artist :: Cradle of Filth ::\
:: Album :: The Screaming of the Valkyries ::
:: Year :: 2025 ::
:: __ _ _ __ ::
-:--\\-----------------------------------------------------------------//--:-
:: \ / ::
:: . Genre :: Metal Source :: CD . ::
:: Label :: Valhall Music R.date :: 2025-04-30 ::
_::__ Cat.nr. :: VLH088 S.date :: 2025-03-21 __::_
::// \\::
::/---------------------------------------------------------------------\::
:: ::
/: Encoder :: LAME 3.100 -V0 :\
..: Bitrate :: avg. 275kbps :..
. Quality :: 44.1 kHz/Joint Stereo .
. Size :: 116.52MB .
. .
__ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __
.\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////.
+/ -\------- | | ----\ tracklist /---- | | -------/- \+
/: . : : . :\
/:: ::\
:: 1. To Live Deliciously 5:32 ::
:: 2. Demagoguery 6:16 ::
:: 3. The Trinity of Shadows 6:22 ::
:: 4. Non Omnis Moriar 5:05 ::
:: 5. White Hellebore 5:04 ::
:: 6. You Are My Nautilus 7:39 ::
:: 7. Malignant Perfection 6:45 ::
:: 8. Ex Sanguine Draculae 7:09 ::
:: 9. When Misery Was a Stranger 6:21 ::
:: ::
:: ::
:: ------- ::
.. >> 56:13 ..
__ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __
.\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////.
+/ -\------- | | ----\ release notes /---- | | -------/- \+
/: . : : . :\
/:: ::\
:: ::
:: It s funny that I ve finally come around to reviewing a Cradle ::
:: of Filth record, considering I ve probably been listening to ::
:: Dani Filth and company longer than anyone on staff. But that s ::
:: because I m olde and have been spinning this shit since the ::
:: days when the only two bands anyone seemed to talk about were ::
:: Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir. Also, no one else would ::
:: review them. So, there s that. What s interesting about the ::
:: band, especially considering that so many people bash them, is ::
:: that they aren t bad. While most people reminisce about ::
:: classics like Dusk and Her Embrace and Cruelty and the Beast, ::
:: the latter half of the band s career includes stellar albums ::
:: like Godspeed on the Devil s Thunder and Hammer of the Witches. ::
:: So, for all the shit talking, CoF hasn t slowed down since ::
:: their naughty birth in 1991. With a new guitarist and female ::
:: siren on the roster, The Screaming of the Valkyries is here to ::
:: keep the sexy alive. ::
:: ::
:: One of the reasons why I think CoF has continued to deliver ::
:: solid records over the years is because of Dani s gothic ::
:: outlet, Devilment. There was a time in the early 2000s when ::
:: CoF s style started to get far too gothy for my taste (looking ::
:: at you, Nymphetamine). However, since the inception of ::
:: Devilment, CoF has refocused on the heavier aspects used for ::
:: the last thirty years. Sure, the goth is still there (and ::
:: always will be), but the heaviness of their output continues to ::
:: surprise me. The Screaming of the Valkyries is no different as ::
:: it combines chunky riffs with gorgeous leads, haunting ::
:: orchestrations with punchy choruses, and Dani s unmistakable ::
:: shrieks. But, being their 14th full-length release, where does ::
:: The Screaming of the Valkyries stand with the rest of their ::
:: catalog? ::
:: ::
:: The Screaming of the Valkyries kicks off nicely with the tasty ::
:: opener, To Live Deliciously. After setting the scene with ::
:: some orchestration and church chants, it explodes into a ::
:: punishing riff and a catchy vocal arrangement. Mixing ::
:: aggression with melody, this song is one of the album ::
:: highlights, delivering gothy hooks and headbangable action from ::
:: beginning to end. The other album s bookend is also intriguing ::
:: but in a different way. While the opener sports CoF s classic, ::
:: mid-career, sing-along songwriting style, When Misery Was a ::
:: Stranger is a blast-in-the-past piece that conjures up ::
:: memories of Dusk and Her Embrace. It s got that symphonic sound ::
:: when the genre was in its prime while incorporating their ::
:: newer, thrashier side. It also includes gorgeous female vocals ::
:: that add incredible depth to the melodic chorus and drum work ::
:: that rattles its foundation. ::
:: ::
:: Other tracks of interest include White Hellebore and ::
:: Malignant Perfection. The first acts as the album s ::
:: beauty-and-the-beast number, while Malignant Perfection ::
:: incorporates everything CoF stands for, including being home to ::
:: one of the best choruses on the album. For how much beauty ::
:: there is in White Hellebore, it can still get the ole noggin ::
:: moving with its classic, heavy metal gallop and ever-shifting ::
:: riff changes. As with most CoF albums, this track exposes ::
:: ballady vibes as the male and female vox take turns ::
:: contributing to the melodic chorus. Malignant Perfection is a ::
:: creeping, haunting piece that uses heavy doses of keys, bass, ::
:: and drums to set the mood. It s a building piece whose sole ::
:: purpose is making its way to the massive chorus and its ::
:: powerful female support. It also provides the lyrical line ::
:: mass erection, which I strongly support.1 ::
:: ::
:: Some issues surrounding this new release are the lengthy You ::
:: Are My Nautilus and Ex Sanguine Draculae. This is odd ::
:: because CoF are not novices to long songs that fall and rise ::
:: like the Carpathian mountains. Hell, Cryptoriana (The ::
:: Seductiveness of Decay) is nothing but lengthy, winding tracks. ::
:: But, You Are My Nautilus, in particular, shapeshifts so much ::
:: that I m lost halfway through it. It s a meandering number with ::
:: no real direction that is easily dismissed in favor of ::
:: Malignant Perfection. Minus these songs, the production is ::
:: clean and clear, letting the typically forgotten bass guitar ::
:: shine at times. The drums kick some major ass and the dueling ::
:: guitar work brings some old-school character to the record. Zoe ::
:: Marie Federoff is also a great addition to the band, balancing ::
:: nicely with Dani without being awkwardly operatic. I can t put ::
:: The Screaming of the Valkyries on top of any of the albums ::
:: mentioned earlier, but it s a solid outing that fans will ::
:: enjoy. ::
:: ::
:: . _ _ . ::
\: :. \\ ___________ . ___________ // .: :/
__\____ :: ____ ___\ _ / BERC : 2025 \ _ /___ ____ :: ____/__
\\\f3! :: \\\ __ _/_________i_________\ /___/ /// :: cRO///
\ :: :\-\___________\_ ___ / _ _/___________/-/: :: /
:: | . . _ _ _/ __/ . \_ _ _ . . | ::
: :::::::: | | \\\\\/ _______\____|\ \///// | | :::::::: :
:: | | -\-\/____/-------------\____\/-/- | | ::
:: | | \ :|: / | | ::
: : | . ` ::: ' . | : :
. . | : ::: : | . .
| :::....:::....::: |
: ::::::::::::::::: :
. :::''``:::''``::: .
: ::: :
. ::: .
.:.
: