The new album has dynamic facets of previous albums, the songwriting has become compellingly catchy with its repetitive guitar melodies replete and satiated moments of dark and cinematic elegance. “The Screaming Of the Valkyries” thrives on vampiric themes and black metal-styled riffs that unleash the full fury of menacing darkness to sate your cinematic horror by mixing the nocturnal howls with dark haunting moments.

Opening track “To Live Deliciously” combines brutal drumming, chunky guitars, and a creepy symphonic backdrop followed by blast beats creating bombastic soundscapes. The guitars harken back to the melodic and heavy-styled leads of Iron Maiden, and the symphonic gothic elements and riffs crescendo to keep your ears bewitched to the catchy composition of the orchestration in the following song “Demagoguery”.

The thrilling manifesto of the tremolo riffing, chugging guitars, and Dani’s devilish high-pitched snarls are the icing on the cake; however, this grandiosity delivers a rumbling splendor of the galloping riffs. Zoe Federoff adds another magic to the sonic cauldron. Her operatic gothic vocals are intricately performed, and the keyboards are heavily present, adding a thrilling and epic beauty to the music.

The songs are menacing and contain plenty of guitar hooks and catchy rhythm sections; Cradle of Filth has honed its craft to perfection. There is also a great harmony between the new guitarist Donny Burbage, and Marek “Ashok” Smerda.

Since the release of the 2000 album “Midian“, Cradle of Filth has been embracing its gothic, morbid horror idiosyncrasies which had distinguished the band among other extreme acts, and this album specifically puts more effort into heavier guitar riffs.

“The Trinity of Shadows” displays such aesthetics when it comes to the dark gothic theatrics as the menacing rasps break through the wall of pounding guitar riffs and the powerful bass guitar of Daniel Firth; the song has some of the best poetic lyrics that show the macabre aspects of the band. The lead guitars and solos are catchy, uplifting the songs with trademark melodies and swirling symphonic appeal with the demonic rasps revealing sheer theatricality in “Non Omnis Moriar”.

The song bears the elegant style of Cradle of Filth in blending the female vocals to shine along the dark opulent atmosphere offering beauty and grace. The music swirls and twirls in the wicked Faustian orchestration, with the keyboards and the lead guitars, are perfectly layered. The deluge of symphonies arrests the heart and captures the blackened gothic style of “Dusk and Her Embrace” album, the tracks leave you in awe of the gorgeous orchestration and musical depth that seemingly shines.

“White Hellebore” exudes an air of splendor, the guitar melodies are paired with the bewitching backdrop of the keyboards and the powerful drums burst forth followed by Dani’s immaculate deep growls, and malefic screams, high-pitched shrieks carried along with the rapturous female vocals. You will be mesmerized by the irresistible catchiness of the composition, before the swirling melodies leave you breathless when the heavy guitar sections scintillate into a dark atmosphere in the opening of “You Are My Nautilus”.

The haunting intro of “Malignant Perfection” reminds me of the band’s classic hits such as “Suffron’s Curse” and “Her Ghost In The Fog“. It begins with the spooky whispers of Dani; the mournful atmosphere and splendor of the synth arrangement are paired side by side, which is a great track for your Halloween season. We get some faster heavy riffs interlaced with melodic lead guitars and screeching vocals, the creepy orchestral work of Zoe Federoff is splendid.

The guitar work on the album is prominent and very rewarding to listen to, the key element of the album is the ability of the guitars to groove along the pounding drums. Besides the catchy riffing pattern imbues a wonderful amalgam with effective pathos the band offers catchy songs bolstered by the thunderstorm drumming.

Cradle of Filth delivers menacing sinister songs on the fourteenth opus, there is not even one track that will disappoint fans, the guitar approach is inspired by NWOBHM riffs which have become a trademark for the band.

The bursting aggression and brutality of the guitars and drums haven’t dropped an inch, instead, the sextet proves they can pull out new gimmicks whenever they want and for this reason, they have crafted one of their best albums.

Dark, and elegant, these binding elements create an epic feeling whenever the chorus is sung, the music takes a grandeur approach from the previous album “Existence Is Futile”. The sinister guitar intro in “Ex Sanguine Draculae” packs some brutal riffs, razor-sharp guitars, and a pounding bass line; the drums are balanced into the mix and deliver moments of brutality, plunging your ears into hammering drum beats.

“When Misery Was A Stranger” is the final track in this ultimate showcase; the guitar riffs lean on the thrashier side, and the extremity is displayed with venomous blackened riffs and high-pitched vocals. The dual guitar melodies retain the effect of the epic melodies into intricate symphonic moments, weaving a grand gothic tapestry of symphonic overtures.

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