Cradle of Filth Midian Review (ulalume)

Pros

-Dani Filth's unique voice adds to the band in a special way
-The compositions are great
-The synths really add to the mood of the album
-The lyrics are incredible
-A lot of tempo changes to keep the songs interesting
-Most of the songs are not written in the standard verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus format, which is great in and of itself; especially if you are one of those people who want a unique musical flow in a song.

Cons

-The song "Satanic Mantra" is unnecessary and disturbingly annoying. I can't describe how badly it ruins the flow of the album, and is just a pure disappointment to someone who just picked up the album expecting some real music, not some random filler "song" that is pointless.

Full Review

Album Track Listing:

1. "At the Gates of Midian" – 2:21
2. "Cthulhu Dawn" – 4:17
3. "Saffron's Curse" – 6:32
4. "Death Magick for Adepts" – 5:53
5. "Lord Abortion" – 6:51
6. "Amor E Morte" – 6:44
7. "Creatures that Kissed in Cold Mirrors" – 3:00
8. "Her Ghost in the Fog" – 6:24
9. "Satanic Mantra" – 0:51
10. "Tearing the Veil from Grace" – 8:13
11. "Tortured Soul Asylum" – 7:46


Cradle of Filth is one of those bands that you either hate or love. This is particularly due to their widespread popularity amongst the teenage crowd. Perhaps it is due to typical drear themes of vampyrism, dark love, satanism, potentially anarchy, suicide, death, and anti-religious views.

Despite these potential warning signs, I feel that teenagers of this day and age do not tend to take lyrics in a metaphorical way. The sheer beauty of the lyrics (and not to mention synth laded soundscape that is profoundly used on this album), just make the listener (whom has an open mind!) enjoy this band to the fullest extent.

Midian is one of those albums that contains both purely amazing pieces of compositions, as well as some unnecessary songs. It is somewhat difficult to condemn Cradle of Filth, as most of their albums have been related to a story in some way, this album included. The mere fact that a story is contained within the album should lead the listener to take the lyrics with a grain of salt, as if they are in the context of a story.

I know, I keep mentioning the lyrics. Why do I do this? Because I feel that many people will overlook the lyrics, or perhaps the band in its entirety due to the dark themes. However, upon reading many of their songs, these things are overarching with many beautiful themes such as love and beauty. Sure, there are some highly "unnecessary" lyrics from songs like "Lord Abortion" and "Tearing the Veil From Grace." However, given that they are a part of a story to which monsters dwell; they are understandable. If you are seeking the epitome of undying love lyrics, go no further than "Her Ghost in the Fog." They are simply amazing.

Musically speaking, this album is fairly genius. Dani Filth has an amazing array of vocals. He ranges from deep, borderline death metal vocals to high pitched squeals. Most unique to this band is his usage of talking, grunting, and whispering. His voice is more of an instrument than anything else. Frequently, even the way he says words is moving. In the vocals department, frequently the female opera singer adds extensively. Her voice is a beautiful contrast to Dani's, and when they have duet like parts it the song just becomes incredible. The guitars are also great! Their are some intense riffs to be found amidst this beautiful album! However, guitars and drums alone would not make this album what it is. The synths completely add to the effect of the album and make it sheerly beautiful. The amazing effects found on the introduction "At the Gates of Midian", as well on the rest of the songs; especially "Tearing the Veil from Grace" just add to the songs in so many ways.

My favorite tracks on this album are: "Tearing the Veil from Grace", "Her Ghost in the Fog", "Saffron's Curse", and "Amor E Morte."

Despite all of my praise, the album has a few flaws. For one, "Satanic Mantra" is completely pointless. It is just an a cappella interlude with about 3 lines of repeated lyrics for 2 minutes. Completely and utterly unnecessary. It is a filler if there ever were fillers.

In Closing

For many, Midian was perhaps Cradle of Filth's last decent effort prior to turning into a main stream gothic metal band. While I thought their follow up record Damnation and a Day was decent, I tend to lean on the side of my previous statement. It is easily noticeable how much Cradle of Filth has changed in order to gain more attention by the mainstream. Unlike others, I do not fault them for this because they have said from the start that they desired to be known in such a way. Unfortunately, I wish they would have maintained their black metal esque musical stylings.

For those who enjoy Cradle of Filth, I would highly recommend this album and any thing in their back catalog. If you are looking for a great deal on these albums, I highly suggest looking for the Cradle of Filth boxset on Amazon.com (where I bought it for twenty dollars!). The boxset consists of four Cradle of Filth albums: Dusk and Her Embrace, Cruelty and the Beast, Midian, and Lovecraft & Witch Hearts. These classic Cradle of Filth albums are staples in my CD collection.