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Cradle of Filth violates the Nokia Theater

 

Anyone passing through Times Square on Friday evening may have noticed a steady flow of leather and spike adorned black-clad teenagers, slowly permeating the most famous intersection on the planet.  Draped in long black coats and sporting t-shirts featuring all kind of horrific images, the hordes of black metal fanatics streamed towards the Nokia Theater in excited anticipation of one of the most popular black metal bands around.

 

The music of Cradle of Filth sounds exactly like what one might expect from the band’s name. The group screamed, shrieked, and blasted their way through song after song of venom, spite, and dark evil. Thundering drums and nonstop guitar riffing created an atmosphere of frenzied insanity inside the usually classy Nokia Theater, as almost 2,000 fans jumped, thrashed, and moshed to a hellish soundtrack of hate. 

 

While the precision guitar playing and thematic keyboards and synth all created a sonic backdrop that would make Satan himself feel right at home, the true star of the band is singer Dani Filth, whose high pitched screaming and alternating death growls sound like something that could only have been spawned in hell. Between his devilishly eloquent lyrics and amazing vocal range, Filth’s presence is what makes the band stand out from dozens of generic devil worshipping black metal groups. However, Friday night’s show found the frontman battling a wretched case of bronchitis, which noticeably affected his vocal stamina and power. The fact that he was nonetheless able to battle his way through an hour and a half of raw screaming testifies to the enormous talent and drive of Mr. Filth.

 

The demented sounds of Cradle of Filth’s shock and gore-based aural assault were tempered by the occasional slow, orchestral passage, as played and sang by keyboardist and backing vocalist Rosie Smith. The haunting, melodic music served as a notable counterpoint, making the inevitable resurgence into crushing, brutal metal mayhem seem that much more intense, with the beauty only highlighting the ensuing savagery. 

 

Black metal is a subculture all its own, and Friday night’s show was a celebration of all that was black, evil, leather and spiky. While the satanic and nihilistic nature of Cradle of Filth’s music precludes radio play, and the vast majority of the attendees were clearly devoted fanatics of the band, even casual metal fans were able to appreciate the distinct texture of the music and the theatrical flair the band presents. Mainstream music they are not, but anyone who enjoys ultra-heavy metal, or just likes to dress as if they do, would do well to catch this British band the next time they are in town.