Guest Reviewer: Lord Konrad Chaos
Band: Cradle Of Filth
CD Title: Thornography
Year: 2006
Website: cradleoffilth.com
MySpace: myspace.com/cradleoffilth
Label: Roadrunner Records
Featured on: Loucifer Speaks Guest Reviewer Exclusive
Rating: 9 / 10
More Links: Please discuss this review and band in the Loucifer Speaks forum.

Ah, Thornography. Some 'controversy' about the album cover, and the much divided reviews on the elusive Temptation cover. This album is definatley guitar heavy, especialy in comparison with other Cradle of Filth albums. The album boasts some good tracks, mainly Dirge Inferno, and I Am The Thorn, being nice and heavy.

One thing that most die-hard Filth fans will note is that, unlike Midian, it does not feel that gothic, you cannot justify it by calling it black metal. It doesn't seem to be. It is still distinctly Cradle, but not not in the way that, say, Damnation And A Day was.

Dani's vocals are even clearer here, and the use of Snakebite is more apparant. Also, as an extra, The Byonic Man features guest vocals from HIM's Ville Valo, and Temptation features Dirty Harry. Ville brings some much needed soft vocals that Sarah Jezebel Deva couldn't. And Dirty Harry has a much angrier edge to her voice, which suited Temptation more than Sarah's voice. The lyrics, in this album seem to make more sense, and are on a more, 'grand', scale. In I Am The Thorn, it is about The Thorn, which, is supposed to represent God's bad side, as it were. If God is everything, he is also evil to a degree, which is manifested by The Thorn. The Byonic Man is about Lord Byon, an eccentric poet. Lovesick For Mina is based on Count Dracula, Libertina Grimm about the evil, seductive side of youthful women, and so forth. Plus a few tracks about what Cradle know best, Vampires, and your set.

There has to be certain mentions of specific songs for this album. Rise Of The Pentagram has, in my honest opinion, the best keyboarding I've ever had the pleasure of seeing live. It mesmerizes you. Rosie Smith's skills here are the reason I want to play the keyboard. Plus, it's an amazing, heavy, yet gothic, instrumental, about 10 minutes long. And finally, I couldn't review this album without mentioning it in detail. Temptation. A cover of Heaven 17, which, along with Turisas covering Boney M's Rasputin, is a song I would never have expected to ever be covered by a metal band. It's silly, I don't think the band even take this song seriously, despite what they act like on stage. But, Dirty Harry adds a nice voice into the mix, even with her angry edge, this song is almost the anti-climax of the album, after the almost epic Under Huntress Moon.

Overall this album is seen as a different direction for Cradle of Filth, losing the black metal feel for more of a guitar orientated style of music. But I think it's a step forwards for the band, for the next album, they need to add in more of the gothic feel, and there is a winning combination. They might lose their insulting genre of 'Disney Metal'...

Recommended Songs to Download:
Dirge Inferno
Byonic Man
Under Huntress Moon