 Cradle of Filth
 Midian
 Review by Mike Korn

Cradle of Filth are possibly the biggest thing happening in the metal underground right now. I know they sell ungodly (pun intended) amounts of merchandise and inspire tremendous fan devotion. I really haven't been terribly impressed with them previously, especially after seeing a lukewarm performance at Milwaukee Metalfest a couple of years back. Still, I have to admit "Midian" may have me changing my mind. This record may be the ultimate statement of "Gothic metal". I don't mean a few choirs here and there, a little bit of church organ, some medieval riff patterns. I mean, "Midian" reeks of absolute metallic decadence, a merging of classical and chamber music with a variety of metal styles. Most consider COF a black metal band. I really don't. To me, black metal is either old stuff like Venom and Bathory or new stuff like Darkthrone or Marduk. Cradle of Filth is extremely heavy metal mixed with what sounds like the soundtrack to a Hammer horror movie.
Often these guys do go way over the top with female voices spouting dark poetry, horror movie keyboards and, most of all, Dani's grotesque vocals,but they create some passages of surprising beauty and memorability. Their talent can't be denied, as guitars, keyboards and blasting drums are all superbly played, aided by a pristine and clean production. This is all pretty amazing, because most of the band is new. Their predecessors were sacked by vocalist Dani after their last record "Dusk and Her Embrace".You'd never know it here. There's a lot of complexity in the songwriting and each song is a mini-opera. "Midian" requires a lot of attention and sometimes mine did flag but this is a very strong release that could appeal to fans of straight Goth, prog or even classical music, if you are adventurous enough. Open the gates of "Midian"!
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2001 Year Book Volume 2 at garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2001-and-2002.
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