Cradle of Filth and Moonspell

It’s night on impossible for a band to last on shock-value alone Look at the recent career of Marilyn Manson for proof of that fact. However, for most part that means that if you find a band or artist who’ve been relevant for longer than five years with a controversial or eye-catching image, they’re usually the real deal. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Suffolk extreme metal icons Cradle Of Filth, who’ve managed to balance baiting absolutely everyone under the sun with releasing some of the best British metal of the 1990’s.

From the very beginning of the band, Dani Filth has been the sole constant member. Even the first incarnations of the band were erratic, with line-up switching drastically every time they recorded and released their demo E.P’s. Invoking the Unclean, Orgiastic Pleasures Foul and Total F**king Darkness, were all released in 1992 with three different line ups playing on them, They were still enough to generate some label interest, and after a disastrous stint on Tombstone Records where their debut album was wiped entirely when the label went bankrupt, the bad signed to Cacophonous Records to release their debut album “The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh” in 1994.

The album was critically revered however, even if it does bear little resemblance to modern Cradle Of Filth records. Almost immediately after the release of their debut however, the band became embroiled in a nasty legal spat with Cacophonous Records which took them out of commission for the whole of 1995. The following year, after a hastily recorded E.P released to get them out of their record deal, they signed to Music For Nations and in the same year they released their breakthrough record “Dusk… And Her Embrace”.

The critical notices that the album received, their theatrical live shows and a line of controversial merchandise, including the infamous “Jesus is a C*nt” T-Shirt, led to a high degree of notoriety for the band. Of course, there’s no such thing as bad publicity and ever since then, they’ve had a devoted following around the world as much for their music as their gothic image and controversial statements. It’s rare for a band to retain their ability to shock while still creating relevant music, but Cradle Of Filth are a sign that it’s still very much possible. And they come highly recommended.

Featuring Fernando Ribeiro (vocals), Ricardo Amorim (guitars), Pedro Paixão (keyboards/programming), Sérgio Crestana (bass) and Mike Gaspar (drums), the band initially came together in 1989 under the moniker, Morbid God, before changing to Moonspell in 1992. After a unsuccessful debut in 1994, Moonspell signed with Century Media shortly after, greatly benefiting from doing a lager label with their next releases.

In 1995, “Wolfheart” arrived, with the album slowly building in its reception, bolstered by an extensive European tour. A year later, they were back with “Irreligious,” which moved away from black metal to a more gothic sound. They had begun to find a winning formula, selling 10,000 copies in Portugal.

Further experimenting with their sound, “Sin/Pecado” in 1998 displayed a more expansive noise, with this trend continuing with 1999’s “Butterfly Effect,” adding haunting synthesiser textures which made the band sound refreshing. “Darkness and Hope” built on this success, leading to the concept album, “The Antidote,” in 2003, a collaboration with author José Luís Peixoto, a narrative album that was accompanied by a book of the same name.

In 2006, they moved to SPV Steamhammer for “Memorial,” which topped the Portuguese charts, eventually selling Gold, with Moonspell being the first Portuguese metal band to do so. In Germany, they were also becoming a commercial hit, with their albums breaking into the Top 100. After 2008’s “Night Eternal,” Moonspell moved to Napalm Records in 2011, before then releasing their tenth record, “Alpha Noir/Omega White.” Moonspell were again topping the charts in 2015, with “Extinct,” which also faired well in Germany, Finland, Austria and Belgium.