CRADLE OF FILTH — Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa (review)

CRADLE OF FILTH — Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa album cover Album · 2010 · Symphonic Black Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
J-Man
The Cult of Venus Aversa

In their near-20 year history, Cradle of Filth has established themselves as one of the most consistent and influential gothic black metal bands, and Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa is a perfect sentiment to this. Taking everything that we love about symphonic black metal and its overblown bombast while transporting it into a gothic, horror-filled nightmare, it's safe to conclude that Dani Filth and co. have created another winner here. People who've hated Cradle of Filth since their inception won't have a change of heart with Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa, but anyone who can moderately consider themselves a fan should definitely give this one a listen. I was mightily impressed by this effort; Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa has no shortage of killer material. On this album you'll find uncompromisingly heavy riffs, unforgettable melodies, and chilling symphonic arrangements. If that at all sounds like something you'd be interested in, by all means give this one a shot.

Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa is unquestionably Cradle of Filth for almost every reason in the book. Dani Filth's distinct vocals take the forefront among raging black metal madness and horror-filled lyrical and musical atmospheres. While music this overblown and bombastic isn't usually my thing, I must confess that I was blown away by Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa. Every song is filled with highly memorable hooks and a level of complexity that doesn't wither even after many repeated listens. Most of the songs here are fairly long and encompass many sections and tempo changes, which adds plenty of progressive tendencies and variation. The music here is the blend of symphonic black metal and gothic metal that made Cradle of Filth famous, so you should expect some female vocals in addition to Dani Filth's demonic shrieks. The musicianship is, of course, top-notch. I especially have to give a nod to the magnificent drumming from Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka; he's among the best out there.

The production polished, clean, and bombastic - and I wouldn't have it anyway. This is the perfect sound for Cradle of Filth's music. Kudos to Scott Atkins, Doug Cook and Dani Filth for the killer sound.

Conclusion:

Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa is yet another top-notch album in a long string of excellent releases from Cradle of Filth. People who detest their decidedly overblown sound will find a lot to bash here, but anyone who even moderately enjoys symphonic/gothic black metal will be amazed. 4 stars and my warmest recommendations are due in this case. I'd strongly recommend any Cradle of Filth fan to check out Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa - it's hard to believe that after such a long history these guys are still the masters of their respective genre!
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