#cradleoffilth — Public Fediverse posts

Wow, I haven’t thought of this band in a looooong time. Known for being plagued with vocal lineup changes—even alternating between female and male leads—the last time I caught up with Italy’s Opera IX was right before the infamous Cadaveria quit. Before she began her own gothic-infused band, Cadavaria haunted every dark corner of stellar Opera IX records, like Sarco Culto and The Black Opera: Symphoniae Mysteriorum in Laudem Tenebrarum. You wouldn’t be able to tell by Cadaveria’s (the band) output, but the woman had a horrifying approach to black metal vocals. So much so that I can still hear them in my head. Those days ended shortly after she vacated the band, and the long-time guitarist took to the mic. Risky move that did not work. That’s when I walked away. Nowadays, it appears the band has gone back to the female variety and, hopefully, buried the male leads forever. So, I decided I’d give them a try and see where they’ve been the last twenty-six years.

For the last couple of albums, the band has been utilizing the voice of Dipsas Dianaria. They must like her because they decided to re-record 2015’s Back to Sepulcro in 2025. For what reason, I don’t know? To erase Abigail Dianaria’s voice from a bunch of originally re-recorded shit no one wanted? Is this fucking Iced Earth? Anyway, after goofing around wth re-recorded old shit and re-re-recorded old shit, this year’s Veneficium comes to us with ten original tracks, a 50-plus-minute runtime, and a… Black Sabbath cover? Not sure I understand that last part, but here we go.

There’s one thing that’s apparent on the first listen of Veneficium: we’ve come a long way from the ferocity of Cadaveria’s piss-spitting vocals and the band’s unique blend of black, death, doom, and goth. While Dianaria can achieve similar fluctuations in vocals (rasps, growls, and cleans), it’s far more rare to see it in a single track. That said, few can achieve that kind of vocal chaos as Cadaveria and Cradle of Filth’s Dani Filth. But, after the eerie, witchcrafty opener, “Vocatio Mortuorum” sees Dianaria attempting just that. Loaded with synths and orchestral layers akin to Dimmu Borgir, this track follows a mid-paced journey to see who can command it: the guitars and drums, or the keys. It has some redeeming qualities here and there, but the goofy, circusy, Cradle of Filth approach on the backend kinda kills it for me.

On the other side of the coin, “Saltatio Corvi” does a fantastic job making it all work and stick. While it contains the same kinds of orchestral elements, relentless guitar and drum work, and alternating vocal styles, it stands out for an addictive character that is pushed to eleven with the clever help of a nyckelharpa. It also uses much more of Dianaria’s vocals than previous tracks. For something with a bit more bruising power, “Defixiones” and “Asphodelios” do the trick with aggressive, headbangable passages that make them stand out above others. Specifically, the dark, melodic atmosphere of “Defixiones” and the death metal interlude and brawling vocals of “Asphodelios.”

After taking everything into account, Veneficium is a fairly standard sympho-black record that does little to make one erect. While some interesting elements have me revisiting a few ditties, the new Dimmu Borgir record does far more in just a handful of tracks versus the entirety of Veneficium. Outside the tracks mentioned, the one that stands out the most is the cover of Black Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath.” The vocals do a fine job of following in Ozzy’s footsteps, while the doomy qualities of the song remind me of where Opera IX used to be. Those good ole days when no one else knew about this band, and I was happy to have it that way. Now, they’re basically blending in with the rest, which is a shame. That said, there’s something here for those who follow the genre. It just takes a few spins to find it.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Edged Circle Productions | Bandcamp
Websites: operaix.it | facebook.com/officialoperaIX
Releases Worldwide: May 22nd, 2026

At their best, Dimmu Borgir exudes a wicked majesty, governing the forces of darkness with dispassionate contempt and an utter certainty in their ungodly mandate. This attitude, along with the confluence of grandeur and melodrama, defines what initially drew me to Dimmu Borgir years ago, and what has kept me interested despite the interminable gaps between releases. Since forming in 1993, Shagrath and Silenoz have consistently delivered symphonic black metal that tempers the unrelenting acrimony of second-wave black metal with wistful melodies, sculpting an extensive emotional palette. In 2000, Dimmu Borgir enlisted Old Man’s Child’s Galder as lead guitarist, and the three of them penned bewitching black metal for a quarter century. As with all good things, though, it didn’t last, and Galder departed in 2024 to focus on Old Man’s Child once more. Given the shakeup of a longtime winning formula, do Shagrath and Silenoz silence naysayers with Grand Serpent Rising, or are listeners saddled with Temu Borgir?1

As ever, Dimmu Borgir discharges extravagant theater through the lens of black metal, drenching Grand Serpent Rising in haunting atmospherics and lush orchestrations. Since Death Cult Armageddon, the incorporation of symphonic elements has steadily grown more prominent, and over the years, these Norwegians have carved out a niche that exists somewhere between Gorgoroth and Nightwish. And like Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir goes for baroque, though instead of luxuriating in garish excess, they compose with nuanced sophistication. Grand Serpent Rising is the culmination of the intervening albums, with Galder’s departure pushing Dimmu Borgir to fill the void he left with more deliberate arrangements. Thankfully, Grand Serpent Rising advances what yielded success for the band over the last couple decades, dredging textural depths and honing the intricate interplays of instrumentation that didn’t reach quite far enough on Eonian.

Though Shagrath and Silenoz shoulder many of Grand Serpent Rising’s performances, a handful of guests play pivotal roles in defining one of Dimmu Borgir’s best-sounding records. Longtime session and live drummer Daray gets an immediate boost, where the drumheads’ natural timbres and resonances leap out of the mix to imbue a thunderous dimension missing from Eonian (“The Qryptfarer,” “Phantom of the Nemesis”). The orchestrations and keyboards also integrate better on Grand Serpent Rising,2 their presence is more intentional and interwoven in lieu of Galder’s nimble lead work. None of this should suggest that the guitars take a backseat, though, as Silenoz and Kjell ‘Damage’ Karlsen (Chrome Division)3 pluck and shred with conviction as songs demand (check the intro to “Repository of Divine Transmutation” and the solo in “Ascent”). The riffs and leads merit attention as well, with soaring melodies (“Slik Minnes en Alkymist”), crystalline cleans (“As Seen in the Unseen”), and trem-picked offensives emboldening the Serpent. All the while, Shagrath croaks (“Slik Minnes en Alkymist”) and croons (“Ascent”), supplying one of black metal’s least abrasive vocal styles.

Dimmu Borgir prevails throughout Grand Serpent Rising, although a few issues from previous albums linger. At sixty-nine minutes long, Grand Serpent Rising sprawls. To be fair, the album is dynamic and intricate enough that parts rarely (if ever) feel repetitive, and proceedings slither quicker than the length suggests. Yet condensing the runtime by ten minutes would improve the overarching impact and effectiveness. Compounding and confounding the duration is the complexity of Grand Serpent Rising’s arrangements—they richly reward those with the patience to fully engage for multiple listens, but present a hurdle for impatient or distracted listening. Still, while the album isn’t perfect, these complaints pale in comparison to the triumph Dimmu Burger devises on Grand Serpent Rising.

In the end, Dimmu Borgir has written an album that refines their sound rather than reinventing it. If you’ve listened to any of their recent albums and formed an opinion, Grand Serpent Rising won’t change it. Instead, it proves that Dimmu remains as skilled as ever at creating opulent symphoblack, regardless of how long it takes between albums or what crucial personnel changes they endure. Dimmu Borgir perseveres For all tid, and if you’re not wholly opposed to flamboyant black metal on principle, their latest awaits to stimulate, captivate, and ensure your Grand Serpent’s Rising.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Websites: Website | Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 22nd, 2026

Visitant – Rubidium Review

By Owlswald

No matter if you’re a seasoned band or new to the game, choosing the right pre-release track is critical when kicking off PR for a new album. And in a crowded music scene, where everyone is fighting to make their mark, the challenge is even greater: can you leave a lasting impression in the first few minutes to make me want to keep listening? Pensacola, Florida’s Visitant did just that with “Starless,” the first single from their debut album, Rubidium. Taylor Tidwell’s (Unaligned) blackened riffing, the death-infused rhythms of drummer Anthony Lusk-Simone (Abiotic) and bassist Kilian Duarte (Abiotic, Scale the Summit), and the tormented shrieks of vocalist Chelsea Marrow (Voraath) grabbed me immediately, leading me to promptly snag the full promo from the bone pile. Intended to be a departure from the members’ other projects, Rubidium offers a visceral and harrowing descent into a hellish, otherworldly state driven by profound loss and torment.

Visitant blends their tech-death roots with the classic symphonic black metal sound to craft Rubidium’s spiritual aura. The record’s haunting mood is immediately apparent on “Unworldly,” which opens with a sinister orchestral passage that quickly gives way to a vicious miasma of Marrow’s icy rasps, Lusk-Simone’s malevolent blasts and Tidwell’s eerie leads. The progression is reminiscent of early Cradle of Filth and gets the album off to a strong start. The performances on Rubidium are solid across the board, with Visitant skillfully blending technical precision with raw feel. The dynamic interplay between Tidwell’s guitar and Lusk-Simone’s drums create a stylish balance. The two frequently push and pull, creating a dialogue that feels synchronized but also spontaneous. Marrow—who has lent her vocal talents to video games like Doom Eternal and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II—contributes her versatility, conjuring vengeful spirits through an expressive séance of rasps and hoarse growls (“Fodder,” “Starless”), Gojira-encrusted hymns (“Rubidium,” “Briars”) and ethereal croons (“Moon Bathe,” “Envy’s Lament”). It’s evident she has great range, but her sparse use of her striking cleans is disappointing and could have been a game-changer for the group’s sound.

Rather than relying on the guitar to take center stage, Lusk-Simone’s technical drumming drives Visitant’s eldritch sound with powerful, forward-moving energy. His precision blasts, acrobatic fills and progressive rhythms imbue Rubidium with an aural restlessness, balancing Tidwell’s Opethian chords (“Rubidium,” “Unworldly”) and moody refrains. This creative reversal of a common metal paradigm—where guitars are the heart and soul—allows Lusk-Simone’s performance to shine. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the strongest three-song stretch—from “Starless” to “Fodder”—which are defined by Tidwell’s unnerving, bending milieus and proficient shredding that underpin Lusk-Simone’s explosive kit work. Noteworthy highlights include Lusk-Simone’s hard-hitting fills coupled with rapid-fire double bass and swing beats in “Fodder” or the title track’s memorable and heavy syncopated bridge where Lusk-Simone and Tidwell lock together perfectly before settling back into their respective roles.

But odd production choices unexpectedly hold back Rubidium’s strength. Despite Tidwell’s memorable and astute riffs, and a high DR score, the production often buries the guitars too far back in the mix. Consequently, this makes Tidwell’s playing feel muted and strips his guitar of its authority. I had to almost max out the mid-range EQ on my headphones to really hear Tidwell’s guitar work on tracks like “Briars” and “Otherworldly”—a frustrating outcome that’s impossible to overlook. At just thirty-two minutes, Rubidium also feels short, a feeling amplified by its closing instrumental, “Moon Bathe.” While the interlude has promising ideas and an interesting exotic flair, it’s over too quickly and feels underdeveloped.

Rubidium left me with a sense of anticipation rather than satisfaction, feeling less like a complete body of work and more like an intriguing blueprint for what’s to come. Still, when Visitant’s talents align—as they do on the album’s strongest tracks—the result is an unsettling and convincing blend of technicality and raw emotion. There’s no shortage of quality performances, and Rubidium has all the ingredients for a gripping album. By further refining their approach and leaning into their more bespoke qualities, Visitant is poised to deliver an album that builds on the considerable promise of this debut.

Rating: Mixed
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Exitus Stratagem Records
Websites: visitant1.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/visitantband
Releases Worldwide: August 22nd, 2025

#25 #2025 #Abiotic #AmericanMetalMetal #Aug25 #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #CradleOfFilth #DeathMetal #ExitusStratagemRecords #Gojira #Opeth #Review #Reviews #Rubidium #ScaleTheSummit #Unaligned #Visitant #Voraath

Gig Review: Cradle of Filth / Butcher Babies / High Parasite / Black Satellite – SWG3, Glasgow (7th November 2024)

Cradle of Filth’s circus of horrors returned to Glasgow on November 7th for the second-to-last night of the UK By Order of the Dragon tour

https://www.moshville.co.uk/reviews/gig-review/2024/11/gig-review-cradle-of-filth-butcher-babies-high-parasite-black-satellite-swg3-glasgow-7th-november-2024/

#GigReviews #BlackSatellite #ButcherBabies #CradleOfFilth #HighParasite

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#MetalSucks
That Cradle of Filth Track Featuring Ed Sheeran Supposedly Coming Later This Year

https://www.metalsucks.net/2024/03/14/that-cradle-of-filth-track-featuring-ed-sheeran-supposedly-coming-later-this-year/

#CradleOfFilth #EdSheeran #NewMusic #Collaboration #UpcomingRelease #MetalMusic #Collab #Excited #Hype #AlbumRelease #MetalFans