REVIEW

'Dusk And Her Embrace' is either Cradle Of Filth's second or third album - depending on whether you consider a 40 minute EP like 'Vempire' constitutes a full-length release - but what's irrefutable is that said opus is a more than worthy follow-up to 1994's 'The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh'.

All the ingredients that instantly propelled the Suffolk band from nobodies to flag-bearers of the British black metal scene are still in place; Dani's shrill vocal roar, the twin guitar pyrotechnics (now courtesy of newcomers Stuart Anstis and Gian Pyres), the complex song structures, the extraordinary time changes, the classical orchestration and, most importantly, those huge swathes of keyboards (now played by Damien Gregori).

While their t-shirts have set out to disprove the myth that nuns have no fun - court proceedings are already pending! - Cradle Of Filth are on a mission to assert their versatility. Huge, baroque outbursts of unstoppable rhythm on material like "Funeral In Carpathia" and "A Gothic Romance". Unless he was feeling particularly paranoid that day, Type O' Pete Steele would surely approve. But don't be fooled by all this talk of keyboards - it crushes skulls.

Thin Lizzy/Cathedral/Magnum producer Kit Woolven is perhaps an unusual choice, but his handling of the guitars alone vindicates the move, and the overall sound is rich, full and dramatic as hell. With advance orders already outnumbering 'Principle' and 'Vempire' put together, expect this haunting little baby to do rather well.