Issue #67: Cradle of Filth – From the Cradle to Enslave

Released:  October 30th, 1999

Recorded:  1999

Genre:  Symphonic Black Metal

Record Label:  Metal Blade

Duration:  32:01

Producers:  Cradle of Filth

Personnel

Track Listing

Singles

Why From the Cradle to Enslave is One of My Favorites

Here we arrive at another EP, deserving of mention because it’s Cradle of Filth’s most fun release to date.  It can be difficult to fathom how any extreme version of metal can be “fun,” but that’s about the best word to describe From the Cradle to Enslave.  It contains one of their catchiest original compositions to date, two covers (one of a Misfits song!), a remix of the title track, and a new version of “Funeral in Carpathia,” originally from their masterpiece Dusk… and Her Embrace.  

Clocking in at around 30 minutes, From the Cradle to Enslave is about as much Cradle of Filth as some folks can handle.  Their music can admittedly become a lot to take in over the course of an hour or more.  I’d also consider the EP to be as close to a transitional point as the band ever had concerning musical style, apart from their very early crossover from death metal.  From the Cradle to Enslave does have a slight commercial appeal by black metal standards, and the next major release, Midian, would see a permanent shift in the band’s style towards a more purely gothic metal sound and increased theatrics as opposed to the symphonic black metal label often applied to earlier records.  The EP also boasts a noticeable bump in production values, resulting in a slickness that continued alienating underground fans.  Personally I don’t mind.  I do sometimes see the charm in lower production values, but I don’t think I’ve ever sat and thought, “gee, this would sound so much better if I couldn’t hear the instruments as clearly or if I stuck a pillow in front of the speaker.”  Brevity and approachability (relatively speaking) make this a great introduction to the band, and did indeed result in a whole new level of mainstream attention for the band.

“From the Cradle to Enslave” opens the record with an eerie but catchy mix of chimes and strings.  Dani delivers his signature screeching with a rhythmic approach that instantly lends itself to head bobbing.  The song is still full of furious drumming and pummeling guitar passages, but there is an unmistakable toe-tapping element here that may seem out of place in this sort of music.  I happen to think it’s a welcome change of pace and it’s no wonder it remains a fan favorite to this day.

“Of Dark Blood and Fucking,” the other 100% new and original track on the EP, is more of what we’ve come to expect from Cradle of Filth, though it falls more towards thrash metal than most of their work.  Deva also contributes some wonderfully creepy vocals via harmonizing with Dani’s booming frost giant voice.  “Perverts Church,” a remix of “From the Cradle to Enslave,” is an interesting took and what an electronic version of Cradle would look like.  The “Be Quick or Be Dead” version of “Funeral in Carpathia” is an entirely new recording that focuses more on the guitar/bass/drums setup and substantially less on symphonic breaks and tempo shifts.  It’s a leaner, perhaps slightly quicker take on the song, but still completely recognizable.

Finally we have the covers.  Unless you’re up on the happenings in the world of death-doom metal, the cover of Anathema’s “Sleepless” may not mean much to you.  It’s a note-for-note cover, with each note slathered with Cradle of Filth’s sound.  Instead of Darren White’s original growl’s (who actually made an appearance on Cradle’s first album, The Principle of Evil Made Flesh and spoke one of Bela Lugosi’s most famous lines as Dracula), Dani screeches and shrieks through the track as per the norm.  It’s pretty cool to listen to the tracks side by side and see this mostly black metal take on a death-doom song while retaining the same tempo and song structure.

Even more fun is “black metal goes horror punk” with “Death Comes Ripping,” originally from the Misfits.  Hearing the flat, tinny guitars of Danzig’s lo-fi days replaced with the fullness of Cradle’s dual guitarists is awesome enough, but with Dani landing his vocals somewhere ranging between barking and snarling, it gets even better.  The urgency of punk with the ferocity of black metal makes for an awesome combination, and this track has been one of my favorite from Cradle of Filth ever since I first heard it.

Again, From the Cradle to Enslave makes the list because it’s a fun peek into a band who’s work is typically thick and dense.  Not much ultra-heavy stuff is this approachable, and many fans would come to despise Cradle for what they felt was such a commercial release, but I think it’s great.  They retain the heavier aspects of their sound without branching out into too much unfamiliar symphonic territory.  An excellent little snippet from one of the most amazing metal bands out there – is it Cradle’s best release?  Certainly not, simply because it doesn’t show off all that they’re capable of – but its narrow focus functions as a looser, less calculated version of the band and takes far less mental effort to enjoy.

Written by The Cubist

Other albums from Cradle of Filth in this series:

• 1994 – The Principle of Evil Made Flesh – Issue #66
• 1996 – Dusk… And Her Embrace – Issue #20

Back to The Cubist’s 90’s Albums

Written by The Cubist

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I collect as much video gaming paraphernalia as I can get my hands on, especially when it comes to hardware. With over 40 systems including oldies like the ColecoVision and Intellivision, obscurities like the CD-i and 3DO, and the latest and greatest including the Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, 3DS, and PS Vita, I get easily overwhelmed. Most of the time you can find me firmly nestled sometime between 1985 and 1995 when it comes to my games of choice, but I’m also having a great time seeing what the 8th generation has to offer.

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