Cradle Of Filth - Midian
Label: Koch Records

Tracks:
At The Gates Of Midian
Cthulhu Dawn
Saffron's Curse
Death Magick For Adepts
Lord Abortion
Amor E Morte
Creatures That Kissed In Cold Mirrors
Her Ghost In The Fog
Satanic Mantra
Tearing The Veil From Grace
Tourture Soul Asylum

Okay, first off, I must admit that I knew nothing about Cradle of Filth going into this review. I had heard of them, and there was a reason I didn't know anything about them...I chose not to!...However, the antiMUSIC.com editor slapped their new CD "Midian" on my desk a while ago, and I had no choice to put down my prejudices and give this CD a fair shot. I decided to wait until I was having a bad week (that didn't take long) so I could get in as much of a dark, goth metal mood as I could. At least give the disc a fair shake. And you know what? This CD rocks...

Like I said, Cradle Of Filth: Midian was a CD I was ready to trash before I put it in. If you're a fan reading this, I won't pretend to compare it to other COF releases, because like I said, I knew nothing about them. I found a couple of people into this stuff, and one liked it more than any of their previous releases, one liked it less, and one thought it was on par...So whatever, I'm not the one to criticize their musical progress.

What I will say in this review is this: I can't stand speed/goth metal, but Cradle Of Filth is so good at it, that I don't care! These guys actually know their instruments, and the production is awesome. There's even some catchy melodies thrown in once in a while, that surprised me for speed metal. The vocalist has this screech that is impossible to understand, and since I only have a promo copy with no lyrics, I don't know what the songs are about. But I imagine it's not about petting kittens. The label is pushing them as the successors to Black Sabbath, and true, they both dabble with the darker aspects of life. COF is definitely not your mom and dad's Sabbath, though!

Here's all the background you'll need to determine if you are a potential Cradle Of Filth listener...if this story disgusts you, then stay away. KNAC.com reported that just last week in Scotland, a Tower Records that carried a Cradle Of Filth t-shirt was raided and forced not to sell it. The shirt depicts a picture of a topless, masturbating nun, with the  phrase "Jesus Is A Cunt" written across the chest...

And honestly, even though the band is very good musically, and Midian is a strong album,  I probably will stay away from the band's future releases. That's strictly just my personal taste though. As an album, this is very good for it's genre. I liked it (especially Lord Abortion), and that's saying a lot, since I was almost trying NOT to!
 

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