Cruelty & Beast

Cruelty & Beast

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Limited edition double disc version of the '90s top black metal group's 1998 offering with considerably different artwork and a bonus CD featuring five previously unreleased tracks, 'Black Metal', 'Sodomy And Lust', a cover of Iron Maiden's 'Hallowed Be Thy Name', and remixes of 'Lustmord And Wargasm' (The Relicking Of Cadaverous Wounds) & 'The Twisted Nails Of Faith' re-titled as 'Twisting Further Nails' (The Crucifiction Mix). A combined total of 15 tracks. Double slimline jewel case. A Peaceville/ Music For Nations/ Mayhem Records release.

Tracks:

Once Upon Atrocity
Thirteen Autumns And A Widow
Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids
Beneath The Howling Stars
Venus In Fear
Desire In Violent Overture
The Twisted Nails Of Faith
Bathory Aria: Benighted Like Usher/A Murderer Of Ravens If Fuge...
Portrait Of The Dead Countess
Lustmord And Wargasm (The Lick Of Carnivorous Winds)

Album Description

1998 album for the black metal band, their second to be released domestically. Uncompromising, dynamic & powerful stuff. 13 tracks. A Mayhem Records release.

Customer Reviews:

CRADLE OF FILTH MEETS BATHORY.......2007-02-28

THE TRACKS ON THIS CD BLEW ME AWAY FROM THE FIRST TO THE LAST. ALL THE F**KERS THAT PUT THAT THIS CD SUCKS DONT KNOW WELL WRITED CAN GO SUCK A D**K. I HAVE TO SAY THIS CD ONE OF THIER BEST. THIS CD ABOUT THE COUNTLESS BATHORY WE WAS BORN 1560 AN DIED AN IN 1610 SHE DIED AT AGE 50 I THINK I COULD BE WRONG BUT THE CD IS STRONG ON THE STORY. DANI SINGING WAS WELL SING. CRADLE OF FILTH HAD 4 GOOD CDS IN MY VIEW I SAY THIS IS THE NUMBER 2 INMY COUNT

Can't help sucking.......2007-01-15

Cradle of Filth just can't help sucking. It's in their blood.

Anyway, the beginning of the second song on this album is awesome. The rest suck butt.

By the way, the song Sodomy and Lust is a cover from the band Sodom. (Sodom is much better than Cradle of Filth.)

THE CHILD DEVIANT.......2006-12-06

This is the best album ever recorded by CRADLE OF FILTH. 'Cruelty And The Beast' pays homage to the historical Elizebeth Bathory. The music invokes intense darkness....categoricly speaking, this is Black Metal/Ultra Gothic Vampire music. There isn't a weak song on this CD. This is certainly one of those albums that christians, parents, and the government are protesting against.

Cruelty and the beast .......2006-11-03

Now this is the cradle of filth I know and I praise. This Album; Dusk, and Her Embrace, and V Empire a regard extremely high in the signature cradle of filth style, and sound. Even though cradle did more auras in this album, they did not dabble too much in commercialized guitar riffs. This was a classic line-up, thus even without Paul, and Adrian right after album, we had Dani, Stuart, Gain, Nicholas [even though I prefer Adrian over him he is the classic COF drummer], Lecter, and Sarah not far behind with her operatic voice. The only problem I had with the second disc was the cover for Black metal, and I don't think any band should cover this song. This as an album as a whole is where dani blossomed without going to much out of his way to be as vain as he now is. This is a beloved album themed after Elizabeth Bathory. Both musically and lyrically cruelty and the beast has a presence that is bold and resounded, and should be considered an essential cradle of filth classic. He has a certain way of lyrics, that has in time left him [he's getting tired]...

"Commemorating sickle moons
The pack are poised to reap
A scythe of white roses in bloom
Whose twisted thorns will keep
A crown upon a dead man
Daylights crucified in sleep
And lives that hide in scriptured lies
To the memories of a scream"

An Archangel in Bondage..........2006-09-30

After my Nymphetamine review getting poor votes, I decided to go back to some old-school Cradle. I must admit, there is definitely a difference in the styles of the two albums, though that doesn't mean they're both very good. But when I visited one Countess Bathory I was blown away.

To myself, metal never sounded so good. Many may be annoyed by Dani's vocals, as always. But then again, if they don't like it why do they even bother listening to it? There's wild stomach churning riffs that seem to work perfectly with the drums and organ-like keyboards. The majority of the CD actually seems to have a feeling of extreme darkness yet fells like there's a twisted sort of beauty behind it as well.

The second disc features a redone version of Lustmord and Wargasm, the normal CD's final track; 3 excellent covers and one, I'm sorry to say, god-awful techno remix of The Twisted Nails of Faith.

Disc One:

1. Once Upon Atrocity: A rather short and simple istrumental that opens up right into the meat of the album. (3.5/5)

2. Thirteen Autumns and a Widow: An excellent way to dive straight into the album. This song describes Elizabeth's life from birth until the death of her husband. (4/5)

3. Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids: A fan favorite that describes the way the Countess tortured, raped and killed virgin girls (though its really hard to understand unless you actually read the lyrics). (5/5)

4. Beneath The Howling Stars: The line "For beauty is always Cruel..." seems to sum up the song pretty good, I'd say. (4/5)

5. Venus In Fear: Honestly, if there's just one thing that I think can be more annoying than Dani's screeching, it's probably this instrumental (which has two women. One screams, the other moans. You interperet it as you wish). (2/5)

6. Desire in Violent Overture: The dark lusts of a true maniac revealed in this brilliant song. (4.5)

7. The Twisted Nails of Faith: The wicked death of Miss Bathory comes in a wild and relentless tale of sorrow and suicide. (4.5/5)

8. Bathory Aria: This is probably one of the best tracks the Cradle has ever written. It's long, sounds just like a dirge and describes the grisly life led by Elizabeth Bathory. (5/5)

9. Portrait of the Dead Countess: This I always thought was one of the best instrumentals CoF has written (there's a good one typically on each album). (4/5)

10. Lustmord and Wargasm (The Licking of Carnivorous Winds): The slow smyphonic opening leads into, in my opinion, the wildest song on this album. Once more recapping the Countess' legacy, the album's final chapter is a very fitting ending. (5/5)

Disc Two:

1. Lustmord and Wargasm (The Relicking of Cadaverous Wounds): A remake of the original. Personally I think this song is wilder at some parts, but the lack of Sarah's vocals and the wild guitar solo at the end left me a little disappointed. (4/5)

2. Black Metal: A Venom cover that sounds more like something that came from somewhere inbetween "Dusk And Her Embrace" and "Cruelty". (4/5)

3. Hallowed Be Thy Name: This is THE cover to get your hands on. Not everyone exactly likes Dani's vocals, but this really does sound amazing However it became clear to me that Dani has a tough time holding notes, since unlike Iron Maiden, they end the line "The sands of tiem for me are running low," short and add in "Motherf***ers!" to make up for it. (5/5)

4. S****y and Lust: A Sodom cover that sounds decent, but I never really got into it as much as the other covers. (3.5/5)

5. Twisting Nails Further: I was shocked and rather appauled when I first listened to this, to the point that I didn't even finish the song and have avoided it ever since. I never would've thought the band that made "The Principle of Evil Made Flesh" and "V Empire" would ever do something like this. (1.5/5)

Final Word: Definitely a metal masterpiece, any way you look at it. The lyrics weave a brilliant vampiric fable and the additional bonus disc just makes the album so much better than it already is! I'm trying to avoid rating high, but this album definitely has earned a 5 stars out of 5 here.

R.I.P. Countess Elizabeth Bathory

Average customer rating:

Beautiful music.
5 stars for performance, 4 stars due to omissions
"Hammer & Silva...raises the hair on the back of your neck"

Hammer the Studio That Dripped Blood
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Legendary Horror Films
Universal's Classic Scores of Mystery & Horror
Monster Music: Film Music Classics
House of Frankenstein
The Hammer Studio Frankenstein Film Music Collection

ASIN: B000063IUP
Release Date: 2002-04-09

Tracks:

Main Theme/Inside Castle Darcula/Lure Of The Vampire Women/Dracula's Rage/The Kiss Of The Living Dead (Dracula)
Funeral In Carpethia/Finale: Confrontation & Climax/The Fall Of Dracula (Dracula Prince Of Darkness)
Love Theme (The Scars Of Dracula)
Finale/Dracula And The Crucifix (Dracula Has Risen From The Grave)
The Blood Of Dracula (Taste The Blood Of Dracula)
Romance: The Young Lovers/Shadow Of The Tomb (Taste The Blood Of Dracula)
Ride To The Ruined Church/Romance At Dusk (Taste The Blood Of Dracula)
Dracula Triumphant/Pursuit/Death Of Lucy (Taste The Blood Of Dracula)
The Victory Of Love (Taste The Blood Of Dracula)
Christina (Frankenstein Created Woman)
The Power Of Evil (The Devil Rides Out)
Invocation To The Devil/Dance Frenzy (The Devil Rides Out)
Awakening And Absolution (The Devil Rides Out)
Vampire Rhapsody (Kiss Of The Vampire)

Tracks:

Cosmic Sequence/Tumak Meets Luana/In The Domain Of The Shell People/Eruption Of The Volcano (One Million Years B.C.) - Mario Nascimbene
Main Theme/Storm Over The Sea (When Dinasours Ruled The Earth) - Mario Nascimbene
Life Of The Tribe/Finale (Creatures The World Forgot) - Mario Nascimbene
The Tomb/The Desert (The Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb) - Carlo Martelli
Ayesha - She Who Must Be Obeyed (She)
Bedouin Attack & Desert Quest (She)
In The Kingdom Of She - Processional/The Cruelty Of She (She)
The Eternal Flame And The Destruction Of She (She)
Main Title (The Abominable Snowman) - Humphrey Searle
Defeat Of The Aliens/Finale (Quatermass II)
Main Titles/Anna's Theme - Christopher Gunning
Prologue (Vampire Circus) - David Whitaker
Main Themes (The Vampire Hunter) - Jamed Bernard
Pastorale/The Werewolf At Bay/Aptheosis (Curse Of The Werewolf) - Benjamin Frankel

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful music........2007-01-10

I sat back with the lights dimmed and a cup of hot coffee and enjoyed the beautiful haunting music of years gone by. Memories abound.

5 stars for performance, 4 stars due to omissions.......2006-08-29

Why doesn't this get a perfect five stars?

Simple reason.

The producers at Silva, for wahtever reason, decided to cut down their SHE suites and Hands of the Ripper suites.

On the previous Hammer releases, "Draculas - Classic Horror Films", released in 1993, recorded in 1989, they had seven additional minutes of "Hands of the Ripper" that could have been included on this set.

Additionally, The Devil Rides Out: Film Music of James Bernard, released in 1997, recorded in 1995 and 1996 had about a minute more of additional music from SHE, PLUS about seven minutes worth of suites from Quatermass and X: The Unknown.

Both discs in this new re-issue round out at around 68 minutes, so there was room for some of these omissions.

Silva Screen gets big kudos for a reissuing these recordeings in the remastered HDCD format, but I don't understand these omissions. In fact, one of the tracks included, "Vampire Hunter" isn't even from a Hammer film, and its the only recording on this collection not on previous Silva CD's.

Again, 5 stars for the performances, the 1989 performances with Neil Richardson and the Philharmonia are fantastic. (Dracula, Dracula: Prince of Darkness, Dracula Has Risen From The Grave, Taste the Blood of Dracula, Hands of the Ripper, Vampire Circus.)

Additionally, The Westminster Philharmonic under the baton of Kenneth Alwyn do an excellent job as usual (Kiss of the Vampire, Curse of the Mummy's Tomb, She, THe Abominable Snowman, Quatermass II and Curse of the Werewolf.) Finally, the City of Prague Philharmonic, who get a bad rap more often than they deserve round out hte album and IMHO, deliver the goods, under the trusty batons of Paul Bateman (Scars of Dracula, Frankenstein Created Woman, additionally, Bateman also plays the piano solo on Kiss of the Vampire.) and Nic Raine (The Devil Rides Out, One Million Years BC, When Dinosuars Ruled the Earth, Creatures The World Forgot, The Vampire Hunter)

I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could.

Much thanks to producers David Wishart, Eric Tomlinson and James Fitzpatrick and recording engineers Mike Ross-Trevor, John Luard Timperley and Jan Holzner for contributing to these fine historical film music recordings.

"Hammer & Silva...raises the hair on the back of your neck".......2002-04-09

Silva Screen takes us on tour through the castles of Transylvania with a collection of
outstanding scores from James Bernard on Disc One ~ "DRACULA" (1958)..."KISS OF
THE VAMPIRE" (1964)..."DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS"
(1966)..."FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN" (1967)..."THE DEVIL RIDES OUT"
(1968)..."DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE" (1968)..."THE SCARS OF
DRACULA" (1970)..."TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA" (1970)...even though the
blood doesn't flow as easily in "KISS OF THE VAMPIRE", the score from Bernard is
seductive, sensual to say the least for "creatures of the night", masked ball scene blends
atmospheric trance-masquerade themes, intoxicating main title is hauntingly mesmerizing with
"VAMPIRE RHAPSODY", just listen to the piano solo from our character in the film Carl
Ravna (Barry Warren), son of Dr. Ravna (Noel Willman) along with daughter Sabena Ravna
(Jacqueline Wallis), a cult of vampires in early 20th century Bavarian, praying on a young
honeymoon couple...Bernard's rhapsody captures the listeners heart and BLOOD!

Let's look at Disc Two with the other Hammer themes and their composers ~ "THE
ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN" (1957-Humphrey Searle)..."QUATERMASS II"
(1957-James Bernard)..."CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF" (1960-Benjamin
Frankel)..."CURSE OF THE MUMMY'S TOMB" (1964-Carlo Martelli)..."SHE"
(1965-James Bernard)..."ONE MILLION YEARS B.C." (1966-Mario
Nascimbene)..."WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH" (1969-Mario
Nascimbene)..."HANDS OF THE RIPPER" (1971-Christopher Gunning)..."VAMPIRE
CIRCUS" (1971-David Whitaker)..."VAMPIRE HUNTER" (2000-James
Bernard)...difficult as it may be, there is a stand out ~ "THE CURSE OF THE
WEREWOLF", fine direction from Terence Fisher (director) with an outstanding cast Oliver
Reed (Leon-the Werewolf), Clifford Evans (Alfredo), Yvonne Romain (Servant Girl) and
Catherine Feller (Christina), Hammer's departure from the old stereotype of the beast is
refreshing, Reed's performance as the tormented sole, from man to wolf is touching, the score
by Ben Frankel is tense building at it's best, to say the least, setting the tone and mood for the
transformation with counterpoints is stimulating, inclusive orchestration development for what
lies ahead during a full moon.

Without a doubt the highlight pick hands down is "SHE", composer James Bernard gives of
himself without question, the SUITE takes the orchestra into lilting melodic exercises with
percussion chiming in, the harmonies are hypnotic blends of textured fabric, listen as The
Westminster Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Kenneth Alwyn display stirring strings and
a solo harp run the scales in "THE ETERNAL FLAME AND THE DESTRUCTION OF
SHE", hold-fast arrangement has haunting echoes of Bernard's constant theme, with a final
beat from a drum in the percussion section.

Must make mention the cast of players that made this possible ~ The Philharmonia Orchestra,
The City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, The Westminster Philharmonic Orchestra ~ and
their various conductors Kenneth Alwyn, Paul Bateman, Nic Raine and Neil
Richardson...supported by the illustrious staff from Silva Screen Records LTD ~ Reynold da
Silva (executive producer), David Stoner (associate producer), Gareth Williams (Dolby
Surround/HDCD Mastering) and of course James Fitzpatrick (compilation producer), who
has the knack of developing quality in every Silva Screen release...similar to "A History Of
Horror:From Nosferatu To The Sixth Sense" (SSD-1111/2CD Set), guaranteed to raise the
hair on the back of your neck!

Total Time: Disc One 68:01 on 14 Tracks & Disc Two 68:46 on 14 Tracks ~ Silva Screen
Records SSD-357 ~ (2002)

Persecution Mania/In the Sign of Evil/Obsessed by Cruelty
Average customer rating:

Search out Obsessed on vinyl

You Can't Get a Better Deal Than This

Germans f*ckin rule

Three of the Best 80's Thrash Albums

Hardcore Thrash/Death these albums are brutal and they rule!

Persecution Mania/In the Sign of Evil/Obsessed by Cruelty
Sodom
Manufacturer: Steamhammer Us [Spv]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Agent Orange

M-16

Release from Agony

Infernal Overkill/Sentence of Death

To Mega Therion

ASIN: B00004U0SE
Release Date: 2000-07-25

Tracks:

Nuclear Winter
Electrocution
Iron Fist
Persecution Mania
Enchanted Land
Procession To Golgotha
Christ Passion
Conjuration
Bomhenhagel
Outbreak Of Evil
Sodomy And Lust
The Conqueror
My Atonement

Tracks:

Outbreak Of Evil
Sepulchral Voice
Blasphemer
Witching Metal
Burst Command Til War
Deathlike Silence
Brandish The Sceptre
Proselytism Real
Equinox
After The Deluge
Obsessed By Cruelty
Fall Of Majesty Town
Nuctemeron
Pretenders To The Thrown
Witchhammer
Volcanic Slut
Bonus Track
Bonus Track
Bonus Track

Customer Reviews:

Search out Obsessed on vinyl.......2005-01-08

Whilst these are great to own on CD it's unfortunate that SPV/Steamhammer has done it so cheaply and with scant care for the originals. On Obsessed By Evil the track listing is completely wrong.Intros which are not separate songs are counted as songs (for example Outbreak Of Evil, a 4 and a half minute song comes up as only the 14 second intro).Furthermore, the last track, Volcanic Slut isn't even on the CD!!! The only reason I worked this out is cos I have the LP. The sooner someone reissues this properly the better.

You Can't Get a Better Deal Than This.......2004-10-24

"In the Sign of Evil" and "Obssessed..." are the only albums before Bathory's "Under the Sign of the Black Mark" that can be construed as proto-black metal. The vocals, atmosphere, and attitude in general have to be experienced, for anyone to understand truly what "dark music" means. Alternately despairing, inspiring, enraging...this is hard to top.
"Persecution Mania" steps all over Slayer's "Reign in Blood".
Look at it that way...

Germans f*ckin rule.......2004-08-25

They got the thrash down,they got great drumming,and the monstrous voice is a fantastic diabolic touch.A long and dark walk through the world of Sodom.Overlooking this album would be your first mistake as a thrasher.Bobenhagel and Christ Passion-the key tracks.

Three of the Best 80's Thrash Albums.......2004-06-27

While others have disappeared, changed beyond recognition, or just started, Sodom was one of the pioneers and remains true to their roots to this day. One of the "big 3" of German thrash with Kreator and Destruction, Sodom pumps big sound as a 3-piece. Motorhead and Venom influences are quite prevalent on these, their first three albums. The albums were originally released in the following order (and unfortunately they appear in order of production quality in this package--best to worst):

IN THE SIGN OF EVIL (1984) - debut EP. Extremely evil sounding with lots of heavy breathing and grunting. Somewhat juvenile, but a very powerful, fast album that sets the tone for thousands of future death metal bands, most notably Sepultura. The production quality is excellent. Witchhunter's drumming is insane--galloping double-bass with amazing solos at nearly every time change.

OBSESSED BY CRUELTY (1986) - first full length album. This is what should be the band's best album, had it not been for the production. In fact, it could have been one of the best thrash albums of all time. Once again, Witchhunter's drumming is excellent--he traded-in some of the solos for tighter, faster sound. Unfortunately, the drums are the only instrument that even sound half decent. The guitar work is excellent with lots of good hooks, but with the overall tinny sound, the guitar is often lost to a hiss heard over the entire album. The vocals sound distant and were poorly mixed. I can't wait for the day that Sodom returns to the studio to rerecord this masterpiece and do it the justice it deserves.

PERSECUTION MANIA (1987) - this one put Sodom on the map. By most fans, this is their number one album, with the followup "Agent Orange" being a close and very similar sounding second. Produced by the thrashmaster Harris Johns (also known for his work with Helloween, Coroner, Kreator and Voivod). Witchhunter once again tames his drumming for a slightly slower, more consistent tempo and new guitarist Frank Blackfire lends the band a Motorhead-esque full sound that they continue to churn out today. Definitely one of the top ten albums every thrash fan should own. The "Expurse of Sodomy" EP bonus tracks (Sodomy and Lust, Conqueror and My Atonement) typically packaged with "Persecution.." are present and are the pinnacle of this collection, combining the brutally evil early sound with Persecution production quality.

Hardcore Thrash/Death these albums are brutal and they rule!.......2004-04-24

This is a 2-cd set with 2 albums on the first cd and one one the other. The first cd with In the Sign of Evil is the Harder of the two with songs like blasphemer and witching metal sounding like prototype death metal. The songs on these cd's are some of the fastest thrash around, think beneath the remains sepultura style maybe even faster, the only thing that kind of sucks is Tom angelrippers voice back then was kind of weird. His voice is way better now. Trust me, his voice isn't as bad as like Steve Souza's or anything and it won't keep you from enjoying the hell out of these two cd's. 5 stars for some of the fastest hardest thrash around.

Average customer rating:

S!O!D!O!M!!! Aaarrrgghhhhh...
TRUE GERMAN BLACK METAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the Sign of Evil/Obsessed by Cruelty
Sodom
Manufacturer: Spv U.S.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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M-16
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Get What You Deserve

ASIN: B000ALZHUC
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Tracks:

Outbreak Of Evil
Sepulchral Voice
Blasphemer
Witching Metal
Burst Command Til War
Deathlike Silence
Brandish The Sceptre
Proselytism Real
Equinox
After The Deluge
Obsessed By Cruelty
Fall Of Majesty Town
Nuctemeron
Pretenders To The Throne
Witchhammer
Volcanic Slut

Album Description

Extraordinary two-for-one package at a budget price that combines Sodom's first ever output, In The Sign Of Evil and their legendary debut album, Obsessed By Cruelty. True classics of early German Death /Thrash metal!

Customer Reviews:

S!O!D!O!M!!! Aaarrrgghhhhh..........2006-01-08

Bleaauurrghhh....TRASH!!!! thiz iz HELL!!!
sodom are representing pure evilness...the handpainted cover iz awesome...the muzic iz well..aahhh..mhhh....aaaaarrgghhhhbbllleeaauuurrgg....just sodom...i can't control my feelings..i will alwayz love sodom...i'm gonna baptise my children SODOM all of them...im am so happy now...i want to go for a walk in a flowergarden and sing with the birdz blasphemer..and i want to kall my mum to say that i love her...and SOOOOODDOOOOOMM...& seious now, in the sign of evil is great early black-trash, raw & grimm, great drinking metal, support sodom...& start your collection now, chronologically...
one love - SODOM!!

TRUE GERMAN BLACK METAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-10-17

''IN THE SIGN OF EVIL'' is one of the first TRUE BLACK METAL album's(well an EP)..it may very well be THE FIRST!! because venom even sound a tad corney in comparison to this stuff!!

You wanna hear who DARKTHRONE and 5 million other 90's black metal band's took cue's from..LOOK NO FURTHER!!!

''IN THE SIGN OF EVIL'' is only a EP..but it is one of my fave thing's to listen to..GERNE starting album's are alway's the best!! ONE OF THE BEST!!!!!

''OBSESSED BY CRUELTY'' while not as good is still killer..some of the most INFLUENTIAL druming is on this album!! SODOM sure was ahead of the pack in term's of EXTREMENESS!!

Some of these song's(on obsessed) sound a little to similar to me..but it's not really bothersome!! I like the INTRO to this album the best..VERY ERIE!!!

You get these both for real cheap..so you have no exscuse not to buy!!!!

BUY OR DIE A POSER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TRUE GERMAN BLACK METAL!!!!!!

''IN THE SIGN OF..IN THE SIGN OF....EVVVVVVIIIILLL'''

Average customer rating:

Brilliant Soundtrack To Brilliant, Flawed Coen Bros. Film!

Intolerable Cruelty
Various Artists , and Carter Burwell
Manufacturer: Hip-O Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Minority Report

ASIN: B0000CERMU
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Tracks:

The Boxer - Simon And Garfunkel
Intolerable Mambo - Carter Burwell
Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley
Hanky Panky Choo Choo - Carter Burwell
Don't Cry Out Loud - Melissa Manchester
Feels So Good - Chuck Mangoine
You Fascinate Me - Carter Burwell
April Come She Will - Colin Linden
Heather 2 Honeymoon - Carter Burwell
If I Only Knew - Tom Jones
Love Is Good - Carter Burwell
Non Je Ne Regret Rein - Edith Piaf
No More Working - Carter Burwell
Fully Exposed - Carter Burwell
Glory Of Love - Big Bill Broonzy
The Boxer - Colin Linden

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant Soundtrack To Brilliant, Flawed Coen Bros. Film!.......2004-10-18

This is a great collection of songs and original music to a fun if flawed movie.

The part in the movie where George Clooney pays a hit man to kill Catherine Zeta Jones never seemed believeable to me. Clooney's old geezer boss should have ordered the hit. That would have made more sense plotwise.

But either way, it is a fun film and a fun soundtrack. Elvis Presley's best song, Suspicious Minds is here right alongside The Boxer by Simon & Garfunkle. I wasn't even alive when these two artists recorded these classic hits and I still love both of them!

And, of course, master composer and Coen Bros. mainstay, Cartern Burwell has many tracks on here that simply kick ass!

This isn't the best Coen Bros. film, just a fun, good one. The biggest mistake was making this a PG-13 affair (i.e. the way they dubbed Cedric the Entertainer's use of the F word into a less offensive word so they could avoid an R-rating. You can only use the F word so many times in a PG-13 rating!). Guess they wanted to appeal to a mainstream audience. Sorry, the Coens are NOT a mainstream act. And that's the way us die hard fans like it!

Intolerable Cruelty

Vaughan Williams: Ten Blake Songs & Linten Lea

Average customer rating:

Vaughan Williams: Ten Blake Songs & Linten Lea

Manufacturer: Meridian
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ASIN: B000003XAG
Release Date: 1993-09-18

Tracks:

Linden Lea
O My Deir Hert
Epitaph For Amy
Searching For Lambs
The Lawyer
The Prism Of Life
Love For Love
The Sky Above The Roof
Three Sonnets Of Cecil Day Lewis: For Infants, Time Is Like A Humming Shell
Three Sonnets Of Cecil Day Lewis: Our Youth-Time Passes Down A Colonnade
Three Sonnets Of Cecil Day Lewis: To Travel Like A Bird
How Can The Tree But Wither?
Ten Blake Songs: Infant Joy
Ten Blake Songs: A Poison Tree
The Piper
London
The Lamb
The Shepherd
Ah! Sunflower
Cruelty Has A Human Heart
The Divine Image
Eternity
Full Moon
Sleep
Elegy On The Death Of Cock Robin
My Own Country

Average customer rating:

Black Market Material
Intense German Thrash

In the Sign of Evil/Obsessed by Cruelty
Sodom
Manufacturer: Spv Germany
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Pleasure to Kill
Morbid Tales/Emperor's Return
Agent Orange
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Endless Pain

ASIN: B0000073Y2
Release Date: 1995-03-20

Tracks:

Outbreak Of Evil
Sepulchral Voice
Blasphemer
Witching Metal
Burst Command Til War
Deathlike Silence
Brandish The Sceptre
Proselytism Real
Equinox
After The Deluge
Obsessed By Cruelty
Fall Of Majesty Town
Nuctemeron
Pretenders To The Throne
Witchhammer
Volcanic Slut
Bonus Track 1
Bonus Track 2
Bonus Track 3

Album Description

Two-fer release featuring the German death/ thrash metal trio's 1986 debut 'Obsessed By Cruelty' on CD with 'In The Sign Of Evil'. 16 tracks total. 1988 release.

Customer Reviews:

Black Market Material.......1999-10-01

A copy of this album got to El Salvador in 1987 and it became so popular as it was the only copy available in town. The price went up 10 times as the record was so good everyone wanted to have it. This album is a pioneer in the speed metal realm where Kreator and Slayer had also succeed.

Intense German Thrash.......1999-03-05

This CD combines the first 2 releases by the pride of the Ruhr, Sodom.Their debut mini-album, In The Sign Of Evil, is extremely fast and heavy, although it may have benefitted from guitarist Grave Violator (love that name!) using some decent pedals! The lyrics are definitely from the Venom school of Irreverence, containing such treasures as `My life begins at midnight twelve, masturbate to kill myself' (from `Blasphemer'), and such clever rhyming schemes as `Witch, bitch, no sleep in Sodom' (from `Witching Metal'), all barked out in a very disturbing guttural grunt. Unfortunately,as the new packaging does not have the lyric sheets that accompanied the original vinyl releases, deciphering the lyrics will prove an uphill struggle for the uninitiated.Also unfortunate regarding the packaging is the absence of the band pictures, especially those on `Ìn The Sign..',which include an Angelripper with a serious bowl haircut and an inverted crucifix practically embedded into his throat! Nevertheless,`In The Sign...' is a brilliant piece of intense Black Metal, and its power and speed make it one of the best releases of its type - certainly more intense than Kreator's debut (Endless Pain), fine and all a release as that was. However, what drags down the quality of this disc to a 3* rating is the inclusion of `Obsessed by Cruelty'. It proved to be a big disappointment for fans of their inspired debut.It's songs tend to sound poor and indistinct, and overall, almost tedious. It may be of interest to those who have the original European vinyl release from 1986 that what is contained on this disc is in fact the version that was released in the US at the time.Both contain the same songs, but with an obviously different sound. Thankfully, `In The Sign..' appears in its' brilliant original state. Sodom released many subsequent albums, of varying quality. However, if you love the likes of Venom, Possessed, Dark Angel, Bathory, Kreator, etc., make sure and get your hands on this, and their brilliant 3rd release, `Persecution Mania', the CD of which contains the great `Sodomy and Lust' ep,as well as a reworked `Outbreak of Evil' (from `In The Sign...'), and a very impressive rendition of Motorhead's `Iron Fist'. Finally, their `Agent Orange' Cd is also worth investigating, and contains a good cover of Tank's `Don't Walk Away'. Enjoy this legendary German band, and Witchhunter's outstanding drumming! Check out their web site for more info

Average customer rating:

CRADLE OF FILTH MEETS BATHORY
Can't help sucking
THE CHILD DEVIANT
Cruelty and the beast
An Archangel in Bondage...

Cruelty and the Beast
Cradle of Filth
Manufacturer: Koch Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Midian
The Principle of Evil Made Flesh
Bitter Suites to Succubi
From the Cradle to Enslave
Nymphetamine

ASIN: B00005LN06
Release Date: 2001-07-10

Tracks:

Once Upon Atrocity
Thirteen Autumns And A Widow
Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids
Beneath The Howling Stars
Venus In Fear
Desire In Violent Overture
The Twisted Nails Of Faith
Bathory Aria: Benighted Like Usher/A Murderer Of Ravens If Fuge...
Portrait Of The Dead Countess
Lustmord And Wargasm (The Lick Of Carnivorous Winds)

Album Description

1998 album for the black metal band, their second to be released domestically. Uncompromising, dynamic & powerful stuff. 13 tracks. A Mayhem Records release.

Customer Reviews:

CRADLE OF FILTH MEETS BATHORY.......2007-02-28

Can't help sucking.......2007-01-15

THE CHILD DEVIANT.......2006-12-06

Cruelty and the beast .......2006-11-03

An Archangel in Bondage..........2006-09-30

Average customer rating:

BEST C.O.F. ALBUM EVER
Cradles Craziest...
Haunting
Cradle Of Filth's Darkest and Finest Hour! Yeah!
one of the best albums of all time!

Cruelty and the Beast
Cradle of Filth
Manufacturer: Mayhem Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Midian
The Principle of Evil Made Flesh
Vempire Or Dark Faerytales in Phallustei
From the Cradle to Enslave
Bitter Suites to Succubi

ASIN: B00000DGZO
Release Date: 1998-11-03

Tracks:

Once Upon Atrocity
Thirteen Autumns And A Widow
Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids
Beneath The Howling Stars
Venus In Fear
Desire In Violent Overture
The Twisted Of Faith
Bathory Aria: Benighted Like Usher/A Murder Of Ravens In Fugue/Eyes That Witnessed Madness
Portrait Of The Dead Countess
Lustmord And Wargasm (The Lick Of Carnivorous Winds)

Album Description

Limited edition double disc version of the '90s top black metal group's 1998 offering with considerably different artwork and a bonus CD featuring five previously unreleased tracks, 'Black Metal', 'Sodomy And Lust', a cover of Iron Maiden's 'Hallowed Be Thy Name', and remixes of 'Lustmord And Wargasm' (The Relicking Of Cadaverous Wounds) & 'The Twisted Nails Of Faith' re-titled as 'Twisting Further Nails' (The Crucifiction Mix). A combined total of 15 tracks. Double slimline jewel case. A Peaceville/ Music For Nations/ Mayhem Records release.

Customer Reviews:

BEST C.O.F. ALBUM EVER.......2005-08-17

THIS IS THE BEST CRADLE OF FILTH ALBUM EVER. I LOVE EVERY BIT OF THIS ALBUM. DANI FILTHS VOCS OM THIS CD IS AWSOME AND AMAZING DRUMMING BY NICHOLAS (WHO NOW DRUMS FOR DIMMU BORGIR AND OLD MAN'S CHILD). ALSO THE SECOND DISC HAS ANOTHER VERSION OF "LUSTMORD AND WARGASM" AND A COVER OF VENOMS "BLACK METAL" SODOMS "SODOMY AND LUST" AND IRON MAIDENS "HALLOWED BE THY NAME". AND A TECNO VERSION OF "TWISTING FURTHER NAILS". THIS MUST OWN BLACK METAL CD.

Cradles Craziest..........2005-06-12

fast beat..dannys vocals were even faster .. a verry good album to own .. if ur a black metal fan u will think cd is different and its understandable because of danny's bitch vocals .. and if u love heavy metal u will live the bonus cd .. nick parker does a great job on the dumming .. production was ok very low 400hz and 800hz which makes drums and lead appear more .. this will always be in my cof collection ....buy this shit

Haunting.......2004-05-03

This is my favorite CD by COF. I think it's their best. When I first heard them, I could not stand to listen to Dani's screeching. Now I find his vocals have somewhat of an aphrodisiacal effect on me. This entire CD is a story based on the life of Elizabeth Bathory. The visual imagery provoked by Dani's poetic lyrics is disturbing. Having 6 members in the band really pays off too. One minute the listener is being assaulted by an onslaught of howling screams, heavy riffs and bass. Then just when you think your heart couldn't possibly beat any faster, the band gives you a chance to breathe and takes you on a journey filled with dark and sorrowful classical music. The keyboards add so much. It's especially scary if you create the right atmosphere for yourself while listening to it. Make sure you're home alone one night. Get a bottle of merlot and light some candles. Get yourself a black bed shroud or borrow one from a friend. Crank this CD up and read a book about Elizabeth Bathory by flashlight. 'The Blood Countess' by Andrei Codrescu is an easy and thrilling read. Keep in mind, it's only based on her life. It's fiction and it's kind of trashy. Nonetheless, it's absolutely frightening to read about this human monster. Once you have all the right ingredients to set the mood, you'll soon find yourself amongst the foreboding castles and snow-covered mountains of 16th century Hungary.

Their Iron Maiden cover on the bonus CD is great too. All the covers are excellent.

Cradle Of Filth's Darkest and Finest Hour! Yeah!.......2001-09-19

Chapter IV in the saga of Cradle Of Filth was my introduction to them and remains my favorite. It was also my introduction to the Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bathory, cousin to King Stephen of Poland and descendant of Vlad the Impaler, and more notably, Transylvania's most notorious and prolific serial killer, who had 600 recorded victims. Romania's Nicolae Ceausescu, often compared to Dracula by the Hungarians he persecuted, had nothing on Bathory. Cruelty And The Beast is Cradle's most brutal work to date, and to me, their masterpiece.

This is basically a concept album about Bathory, and we pick up the story at the start of her decade-long reign of terror, which began with the death of her husband Franz in 1602.

Like Dusk And Her Embrace, the opening track is an instrumental, but "Once Upon An Atrocity" is more ominous rather than the gorgeously haunting "Humana Inspired To Nightmare". I picture the camera zooming in on Bathory's castle, through the black exterior, and into the bowels of her throne room, where we zoom into the enthroned figure with long black hair, upon which rests a crown of thorns. Her head slowly rises up, and yellow eyes flash open, and she bares her teeth with a snarl. Then the opening chords of "Thirteen Autumns And A Widow" hammer in their violent glory.

"Thirteen Autumns And A Widow" and "Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids" run a total of fourteen minutes together and are my two favorite tracks on the album. The latter begins with Sarah Jezebel Deva's proclamation: "Hear me now! All crime should be treasured if they bring you pleasure somehow!" The former details her newfound life following the death of her husband. As the last line of the song says, her widowhood also extends to God and His wrath. Sarah Jezebel Deva has the most erotic lines ever: "More. Whore. More./Twitching makes me wet with thee/Carcass rub me raw".

That is followed by "Beneath The Howling Stars". The background choir and the following keyboard solo played over Dani's gravelly vocals in the song's softer midsection are still way harsher than anything in Dusk.

"Venus In Fear" is probably the most disturbing track on here, as it basically consists of high-pitched female screams of agony, while Bathory is clearly in the throes of passion watching them suffer. Now there's another movie-worthy scene that could make it to the silver screen only in this day and age, where the envelope keeps getting pushed year after year.

Psycho-inspired strings begin "Twisted Nails Of Faith", as well as a of the wicked queen in Snow White: "Mirror mirror on the wall..." Nicholas Barker's zyklon beats are really strong here. I love in particular the string arrangement in the middle is lovely, followed by the spoken words: "If blood is what thou craves, foul fiend/I will yield this witch to thee/If thou wouldst draw a veil for Me/O'er lengthening scars of age and grief".

Those who know the story of Bathory will know how the story will end. "The Bathory Aria", split into three sections, tells of her fall, as her crimes are discovered and she is entombed in the tower, surviving only four years. Only the finale, which slowly crawls to a halt, during which Bathory's words are spoken, does the music resemble anything fitting Dusk And Her Embrace. There follows the lamentfully sad string instrumental "Portrait Of A Dead Countess". I see her lying dignified in state on a slab of stone.

As for the bonus disc, their cover of Iron Maiden's "Hallowed Be Thy Name" is given the usual COF treatment, although the initial guitar sounds the same as Maiden before going into Cradle mode. This song is for those deviants or whoever had ways that were too much for society to handle. Linking this to the Bathory theme, this might be for her underlings. And the "Twisted Nails" remix is what COF would sound like if they decided to chunk their usual formula of black, operatic metal for techno.

Luisa Morando nearly steals the show from Cradle with the photos of her on the album cover and inside the album sleeve. Mark my words, that album cover of her as Elizabeth Bathory, lying naked in her tub of blood, will forever enter the music history books. Equally effective is the drinking from the chalice, and another shot of her in the tub, poised as if ready to rise, a bloodthirsty snarl on her lips. A quote from Nietzsche completes the photo: "There Is No Beast Without Cruelty."

Sarah Jezebel Deva and Danielle Cneajna lend their haunting and erotic vocals on their third Cradle album, beginning with Vempire, and they have surpassed themselves here. But apart from Morando, Deva, and Cneajna, there's one woman who surpasses them all, and that is the Heroine des Grauens herself, Countess Elizabeth Bathory.

All of which makes me wonder, why not make a movie about Bathory, based on this album, complete with music? Luisa Morando could easily translate her role as a mere album cover mannequin to a living legend. And it would have a limited audience instead of catering to the unadventurous mainstream masses, so that would be a persuasive argument for a COF collaboration on such a project.

one of the best albums of all time!.......2001-08-31

My favorite type of music would be prog-rock,(ex. Pink Floyd, Genesis, E.L.P, Dream Theater)but my next favorite genre is black metal! I like a lot of the keyboard-oriented black metal, so Cradle of Filth is my favorite of the genre. The keyboardist, Lector, is awesome. The sweeping atmosphere of the keyboards just make everything darker. Of course there's always the crunchy guitar riffs, high pitched shrieks too low growls, and fast hitting double-bass drums, but they can immediatly loose all that and have very beautiful keys over Danni Filths vocals. This album is just amazing