Cradle Of Filth
Nymphetamine

THE REVIEW

2003 was a crucial year for the filthiest cradle of metal: three years had passed since their last album, "Midian," and the band, fresh with a major contract from Sony Records, was undergoing a period of renewal. (veterans Robin Eaglestone and Nick Barker were recently replaced by Dave Pybus and Adrian Erlandsson) The first album of this sort of mk II is the massive "Damnation And A Day," a fascinating concept album but too complex and pretentious for that transition period. The poor commercial success of DAAD led to the band being dropped, switching to Roadrunner, under whose aegis the subject of this review was released in 2004, namely Nymphetamine. It is an album with gothic and very guitar-driven sounds, dotted with several more melodic passages entrusted to the piano. Although not a true concept album, almost all the songs in the platter are united by the presence of the female figure, appearing now as a goddess, now as a sly temptress, now as a lover or witch. Qualitatively speaking, "Nymphetamine" is a very fickle album, full of ups and downs, certainly difficult to appreciate on the first listen and certainly not COF's most accessible album, as some claim. So let's delve into this thicket, not particularly well regarded by the historic fans of the Cradle of Filth.

SATYRIASIS: nothing short of horrendous, the worst symphonic intro I've ever heard: haphazardly placed choirs and shabby, bland orchestrations, the good part is it lasts only 1:41

GILDED CUNT: bah, a cute opener, very thrash and catchy, it stands to Cradle Of Filth as "Be Quick Or Be Dead" stands to Iron Maiden: forget the elegant and magnificent literary power of "The Promise Of Fever" or the hallucinated and frenetic visionary nature of "Chtuhlu Dawn," but for a bit of headbanging, it's more than fine

NEMESIS: excellent, definitely one of the highlights of the album: even without orchestrations or melodic bursts, this song travels at truly high levels, thanks to Paul Allender, who with his Ibanez draws melodies that are now aggressive and fast, now dark and doomy. Nemesis is the Greek goddess of vengeance, also known as Eris; no wonder the Trojan War is mentioned in the text.

GABRIELLE: No, this just doesn’t work: out-of-place piano intro and especially a riff that appears aggressive and convoluted, but could not be more flaccid and uninspired. The rest of the song slips by without infamy or praise, filler material.

ABSINTHE WITH FAUST: we are faced with a semi-ballad that alternates melodic and dreamy moments with more aggressive ones, overall a good performance in general, especially for the lyrics. "Come my friend, to fate let's raise, Two finger shots at this our last soiree, For tomorrow I fear
Swoops all too deadly near, This precipitous weir to Hell's high gate"

NYMPHETAMINE: begins rather sparse and dark, with aggressive guitars and anguished vocals, then halfway through the second minute, magic strikes: a music box and a melancholic and very melodic riff pave the way for the beautiful voice of Liv Kristine, who duets with Dani in a wonderful poetry that sublimates to very high levels the connection between drugs (Amphetamine) and love obsession (Nymphette); it's really impossible for me to objectively assess this song: it was she who introduced me to the world of Cradle Of Filth: I first listened to it at fifteen and was completely captivated; for me it remains one of the top ten, if not five songs from the Cradle.

PAINTING FLOWERS WHITE NEVER SUITED MY PALETTE: despite the long title, this is nothing more than a symphonic intro: the style is that solemn yet at the same time smoky and arcane of the symphonic interludes of "Damnation And A Day," and the effect is decidedly successful, with this they make up for that mess that was "Satyriasis"

On the next two songs, "Medusa And Hemlock" and "Coffin Fodder," there's little to say: two good songs, direct and catchy.

ENGLISH FIRE: unusual and very well done in its calmness and dreamy, melancholic atmosphere: it resumes the mood of "Absinthe With Faust" with an additional dose of melody. Beautiful.

FILTHY LITTLE SECRET: this is strong, but seriously strong: six minutes of thrash metal at really high levels, direct and truly engaging, also thanks to a Dani Filth in top form who manages to convey with sublime effectiveness the unhealthy, schizoid, and contagious impetus of this gem.

SWANSONG FOR A RAVEN: and here we rise to even higher levels of poetry and gothic passion: superb song both in its harder moments and in the sweeter and recited ones, note how the piano follows the riffing even in the most impetuous moments (a solution that will soon be reused by DT for "Panic Attack") giving the song an additional precious touch, making it one of the highest points of the album.

MOTHER OF ABOMINATIONS: the beauty of the two previous tracks vanishes with this half mess that seems angry and aggressive but instead reveals itself really flat and devoid of interesting ideas. Absolutely useless the introductory choirs as well as the long and boring outro composed of pseudo-creepy keyboard effects.

In conclusion, "Nymphetamine" is a transition album, which alongside truly beautiful, gothic, and passionate songs also presents an equal number not up to the band's name; in short, an album interesting but far too scattered, which I would recommend as a complement to the knowledge of the Cradle of Filth and certainly not as a first approach. Weighing the pros and cons, the rating would be 3 stars, half a star more for the gorgeous lyrics of Dani Filth, the Bard of metal.

"Lead to the river
Midsummer, I waved
A 'V' of black swans
On with hope to the grave
All through Red September
With skies fire-paved
I begged you appear
Like a thorn for the holy ones

Cold was my soul
Untold was the pain
I faced when you left me
A rose in the rain
So I swore to thy razor
That never, enchained
Would your dark nails of faith
Be pushed through my veins again

Bared on your tomb
I am a prayer for your loneliness
And would you ever soon
Come above unto me?
For once upon a time
From the binds of your lowliness
I could always find
The right slot for your sacred key

Six feet deep is the incision
In my heart, that barless prison
Discolours all with tunnel vision
Sunsetter
Nymphetamine
Sick and weak from my condition
This lust, a vampyric addiction
To her alone in full submission
None better
Nymphetamine

Nymphetamine, nymphetamine
Nymphetamine girl
Nymphetamine, nymphetamine
My nymphetamine girl

Wracked with your charm
I am circled like prey
Back in the forest
Where whispers persuade
More sugar trails
More white lady laid
Than pillars of salt
(Keeping Sodom at night at bay)

Fold to my arms
Hold their mesmeric sway
And dance out to the moon
As we did in those golden days

Christening stars
I remember the way
We were needle and spoon
Mislaid in the burning hay

Bared on your tomb
I am a prayer for your loneliness
And would you ever soon
Come above unto me?
For once upon a time
From the binds of your holiness
I could always find
The right slot for your sacred key

Six feet deep is the incision
In my heart, that barless prison
Discolours all with tunnel vision
Sunsetter
Nymphetamine
Sick and weak from my condition
This lust, a vampyric addiction
To her alone in full submission
None better
Nymphetamine

Sunsetter
Nymphetamine
None better
Nymphetamine

Nymphetamine, nymphetamine
Nymphetamine girl
Nymphetamine, nymphetamine
My nymphetamine girl"