Cradle Of Filth
Damnation And A Day

THE REVIEW

So sooner or later, every band releases a flawed album: Cradle Of Filth "punched the clock" in 2003 with "Damnation And A Day," the first (and only) album of the Cradle of Filth published by Sony Records. For this album, roughly the same argument applies as "6 DOIT" by DT, meaning: overly long and complex albums created solely with the frenzy of overdoing it to leave fans and critics speechless NEVER PAYS.

"Damnation And A Day" still has its merits (only two, to tell the truth): artwork as usual stunning and highly detailed (although a bit less gothic by the band's standards) and Dani Filth's lyrics, as always unique in their genre, which in this specific case incorporate countless biblical references. Intriguing also is the structure of the album, which is divided into four sections (Fantasia Down, Paradise Lost, Sewer Side Up, The Scented Garden) consisting of three songs each plus an intro and an outro for the final section, for a total of no less than 17 tracks.

Yes, I agree, all very nice, but what about the music? Well, this is exactly the weak point... "Damnation And A Day" features absolutely weak, monotonous, and repetitive songs, far removed from the stabs of "The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh" as well as from the gothic catchiness of "Nymphetamine" or "Thornography". In the wild bunch, "Carrion" stands out, introduced by a very hammering and well-crafted riff (I cannot say the same for the song...), the catchy "Mannequin", cute but decidedly inconsistent to be the flagship song of an album, and the oriental-tinged "Doberman Pharaoh", which references the biblical theme of Exodus and the seven plagues of Egypt. Otherwise, decent tracks like "The Promise Of Fever" alternate with irreparably long and boring ones like "Presents From The Poison Hearted" or "Better To Reign In Hell" (kudos for the title worthy of the less inspired Deicide...). The contribution of the Budapest symphonic orchestra is inconsistent, in fact limiting itself to intros and a few appearances here and there, as is the riffing, decidedly anonymous (from a master like Paul Allender, much more is expected).

In conclusion, "Damnation And A Day" is an album (a unique case in Cradle's stunning discography) created more with the head than with the heart, aiming to amaze at all costs only to end up boring. If, like myself, you're a diehard Filthster and you're lucky enough to find it at a discounted price, you can go ahead and satisfy your curiosity; otherwise, I do not recommend it, especially if you are a neophyte of the Cradle of Filth.