Issue #66: Cradle of Filth – The Principe of Evil Made Flesh

Released:  January 31st, 1994

Recorded:  Autumn 1993

Genre:  Black Metal

Record Label:  Cacophonous

Duration:  52:34

Producer:  Robert “Mags” Magoolagan

Personnel

Track Listing

Singles

Why The Principle of Evil Made Flesh is One of My Favorites

Cradle of Filth: one of metal’s longest, most divisive, and most pointless sources of debate – are they black metal?  Were they ever black metal?  I don’t want to make too many definitive statements, but their first full-length album, The Principle of Evil Made Flesh, surely leans more towards black metal than to any other sub-genre of extreme metal.  There are clear elements of symphonic metal, a certain gothic flavor at times, and even hints at death metal, but at the risk of labeling it something as derivative as blackened symphonic gothic death metal, I think black metal is an accurate enough description.  It’s tough to sort through the bullshit.  At times enthusiasts will point to nothing more than the subject matter as the defining difference between genres; other times, it can be something as superficial as the sound effects applied to the guitar, or even some pseudo-intellectual gibberish about the types of chords and scales used.  The truly elite will tell you that “real” black metal can’t exists outside of Norway after a certain year.  But if we come up with a genre for every single band, then the distinction becomes absolutely meaningless.

The Principle of Evil Made Flesh is the odd man out when it comes to Cradle of Filth albums.  They hadn’t yet full incorporated the various orchestral and theatrical elements that would later define their music, though they’re not totally absent from the album.  Of note is the rawer production, “dirtier” guitars, and Dani’s lack of shrieking.  Dani’s shrill, hellish screams would become another instantly recognizable facet of Cradle of Filth, but it appears as if he wasn’t quite ready to go with it full time yet.  On Principle, he uses all sorts of vocal gymnastics (including his later signature screeching) such as growls, howls, gurgles, snarls, and barks, focusing equally on low pitched tactics.  The vocals single-handedly single out Principle more than any other single component.  “A Crescendo of Passion Bleeding” is one of the best examples of his unusual style on this album.  It’s still impossible to understand what the hell the man is saying, but it is ferocious and animalistic.  He has the voice of a human twisted and deformed by evil, maybe something akin to witch or necromancer.

The production probably isn’t as grimy (read: shitty) as black metal purists would prefer, but it is significantly muddier than the gloss and finesse of future albums, especially those from Midian onward.  The blurred sounds ultimately diminish the effect of the symphonic elements yet also seem to draw away from the guitar.  What we do here is drums drums drums, which I must say, are totally worth hearing on this record.  “The Principle of Evil Made Flesh” and “Summer Dying Fast” have some of the fastest and loudest drums of any Cradle of Filth song.  It puts much of the blistering double bass of thrash and typical death metal blast beats to shame.

Before The Principle of Evil Made Flesh, Cradle of Filth released a number of demos that are now widely available on the internet.  When listening to Total Fucking Darkness, Invoking the Unclean, or Orgiastic Pleasures Foul, it’s evident that Cradle of Filth started off as a death metal outfit.  With Principle being the closest record to these demos, it’s easy to hear the death metal influenced riffing in songs like the title track and “To Eve the Art of Witchcraft.”  Symphonic elements would be come a major part of their later releases, but they’re still used somewhat sparingly here, mostly in the short interludes (“Darkness Our Bride,” “Iscariot,” “A Final Graven Kiss,” and “In Secret Love We Drown”).  “Iscariot” is the best of the bunch with a booming, unsettling organ, while “A Final Graven Kiss” is driven by a melancholy piano piece.

Cradle of Filth themselves have admitted to moving into more of a schlocky direction in the last 10 or so year, and I guess that’s ok.  Better for them to admit that they’re only taking shit like ogres and vampires only half seriously than have the fans call them on their bullshit.  But still, there’s something to be said for a band that’s trying to be “evil,” and it definitely comes through on the record.  Principle might be a little unpolished, but it’s an extremely hard hitting record that just might still hold some weight in black metal circles.  As a complete record, it’s chunk of brutality interspersed with momentary beauty.  Even though there’s a sameness running through the tracks, there’s also a good deal of variety between the blending of styles and the movement-like nature of the songs, ensuring that something new is always going on.

Highlights include the ultra-fast portions of the title track, the organ winding through “To Eve the Art of Witchcraft,” the Iron Maiden inspired lead guitar parts of “The Forest Whispers My Name” (the entire track is another great example of Dani’s erratic vocal stylings), and of course the classic “Summer Dying Fast.”  It’s not an album for everyone, but if you’re looking to get your feet wet in extreme metal, you could do a lot worse.  Cradle of Filth have always been experts at blending fantasy and horror and turning these stories and images into aural monoliths, though The Principle of Evil Mad Flesh is decidedly more primal and more bestial than the highly refined epics that would come later.

Written by The Cubist

Other albums from Cradle of Filth in this series:

• 1996 – V Empire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein – Issue #83
• 1996 – Dusk… And Her Embrace – Issue #20
• 1999 – From the Cradle to Enslave – Issue #67

Back to The Cubist’s 90’s Albums

Written by The Cubist

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