Existence Is Futile

by Cradle of Filth

Overview

The follow-up to 2017's Victorian Gothic horror-themed Cryptoriana: The Seductiveness of Decay, Existence Is Futile sees Cradle of Filth address a more cerebral sort of affliction. After a short and opulent introductory piece, the veteran symphonic metallers get down to business with the bleak, brutal, and grand "Existential Terror," one of several pieces that echo the unrelenting sonic might of their black metal beginnings. The crushing "Crawling King Chaos" follows suit, with Dani Filth detailing the coming of ancient Egyptian deity of mayhem Apophis over a churning, Lovecraftian ocean of blastbeats, minor-key guitarmonies, and spectral choral motifs -- it's one of the heaviest tracks the band have produced in years. New keyboardist/backing vocalist Anabelle Iratni, who replaced Lindsey Schoolcraft in 2020, provides plenty of lush, scene-setting orchestrations, and her impressive soprano soars over the ruins below like a bird of prey in search of a heartbeat. As per the previous two releases, new-ish guitarists Richard Shaw and Marek Ashok Smerda continue to elevate the material beyond its ghoulish B-movie aesthetics, dispensing inventive and appropriately apocalyptic riffs and dropping tasty leads into the maelstrom that flirt with power metal grandeur. Few extreme metal acts work harder than Cradle of Filth to make the genre accessible -- Scandinavian counterparts Dimmu Borgir and Dark Tranquillity come to mind -- and Existence Is Futile is as sumptuous as it is savage. The band's grandiose hellscapes can sometimes feel like horror-fiction cosplay, but in trading some of the myth and magic for the genuine torment of existential dread, they've managed to produce their most humanistic work to date. ~ James Christopher Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	04/07/2023
Label:	Nuclear Blast
UPC:	0727361541613
Rank:	33511

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Fate of the World on Our Shoulders
2. Existential Terror
3. Necromantic Fantasies
4. Crawling King Chaos
5. Here Comes a Candle... [Infernal Lullaby]
6. Black Smoke Curling From the Lips of War
7. Discourse Between a Man and His Soul
8. The Dying of the Embers

Disc 2

9. Ashen Mortality
10. How Many Tears to Nurture a Rose?
11. Suffer Our Dominion
12. Us, Dark, Invincible
13. Sisters of the Mist
14. Unleash the Hellion
15. Unleash the Hellion

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Cradle of Filth   Primary Artist
Dani Filth   Vocals
Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka   Drums,Keyboards,Orchestra
Marek Ashok Smerda   Guitar
Daniel Firth   Bass
Richard Shaw   Guitar
Anabelle Iratni   Iya,Vocals,Keyboards,Orchestra

Technical Credits

Dani Filth   Group Member
Cradle of Filth   Composer
Doug Bradley   Narrator
Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka   Group Member
Scott Atkins   Mixing,Engineer,Mastering
James Sharrock   Photography
Dan Goldsworthy   Illustrations
Marek Ashok Smerda   Group Member
Daniel Firth   Group Member
Richard Shaw   Group Member
Anabelle Iratni   Group Member
Tytti Vaaleri   Paintings