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Rating: The Cradle of Filth return after a couple of years to step back onto the metal scene with this new effort, which in its artwork is reminiscent of Nirvana's album In Utero, and is inspired by a mythological beast, a hybrid between a winged lion and a woman, known as the Manticore, synonymous with perdition; in some ways not very dissimilar from Lilith, the figure around which the concept of the predecessor Darkly Darkly Venus Aversa revolved.
Being the tenth studio album for the Suffolk vampires, after revered cornerstones in the extreme metal field; shifts towards more commercial, macabre or gothic sounds, and a couple of concept albums, with the danger of falling into monotony or self-celebration lurking around the corner, the band led by Dani Filth has opted once again for a compact and violent work, in line with the aforementioned predecessor. Nothing new under the sun but at the same time an additional piece to add to their collection for the band's supporters, who seem to make truly false steps only during EPs, in an album that remains appreciable also by listeners of the more extreme metal fringe. The classical inserts sporadically appear harmlessly, like the piano on the tempo change in Illicitus. Dani's singing is less inhuman than usual, as in the verses of Frost On Her Pillow, enlivened by tempo changes and a fitting but not as catchy riff as in the past, and the same goes for Pallid Reflection. Rare too are the female voice inserts, with horror not slowing down in the advance with the mephitic creatures of Siding With The Titans, reaching its peak with Death The Great Adventure, a praise of darkness and death at the expense of the feeble and ineffective light dictated by life.
Overall, and at first glance, the most shared impression is, however, that of a work not quite up to par, at least compared to the two previous albums; in other words, it is not clear where the band has headed with this work, and perhaps time will tell.
Tracklist
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