CRADLE OF FILTH - Hammer Of The Witches

July 15, 2015, 8 years ago

(Nuclear Blast)

David Perri

Rating: 7.0

review black death cradle of filth

CRADLE OF FILTH - Hammer Of The Witches

As a rule, Cradle Of Filth albums are too long, and Hammer Of The Witches, the band’s 11th (!) full-length, is no exception. Which means that the world endures probably about 35 or so Cradle Of Filth songs too many but, hey, brevity isn’t exactly top of mind when dramatic grandeur is an institution’s raison d’etre. In fact, excessive gregariousness might even be expected. Especially if you’re consistently trying to fleetingly catch sentiments that can only be expressed in overstated forms.

But that’s another story for another time. The tale here is one of Cradle Of Filth returning to its earlier leanings, Hammer Of The Witches sharing most commonalities, spiritually at least, with Cradle’s pre-Midian work. Which isn’t to say that Hammer Of The Witches is the possessor of the shattered glass grit of Cruelty And The Beast or Dusk And Her Embrace. But it certainly is a retreat from much of the NWOBHM flourishes that have characterized the band’s output over the last decade.

Which is strange, given the fact that Cradle Of Filth’s lineup went through substantial changes before recording Hammer Of The Witches, with new guitarists Richard Shaw and Marek Smerda joining the band in 2014. Then again, maybe the outside perspective of new members was what set the look-to-the-past in motion, though we can’t know for certain. What is definitive, however, is that Hammer Of The Witches possesses some of the darkness, and extreme thrash, of old, while toning down the ultra-shiny production of recent albums to create a record that confidently bridges the gap between Cradle’s various forms. Dani’s new, more aggressive corpsepaint seems to send this signal, as well.

The highlight here is “Blackest Magick In Practice”, a Cradle anthem that is a perfect summation of so much of this band’s character, as well as the ambiance it continuously attempts to capture and convey. Though some of Hammer Of The Witches is mired in, unsurprisingly, darkness-lite moments, the album is, generally, a strong entry into what is becoming an expansive catalogue spanning close to three decades. “Yours Immortally…”, “Kings Of The Woods” and the title track all confirm this sentiment, as the songs are inspired and self-assured, while executed with all the flair and flourish that Cradle calls home.



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