Photo: Selbymay, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Our Top 10 Cradle of Filth songs list looks at a band are often associated with unique artwork, and an extreme approach to heavy metal that has often been labeled as, “sick and offensive.” However, one of the band members, Dani Filth, advised the band’s listeners and critics alike to find the meaning of the literature and artwork that the band uses to appreciate what the band is all about. The English band, which was formed in 1991 is currently composed of five members who include, Dani Firth who is the founding member, Daniel Firth, Richard Shaw, Anabell Iratni, and Ashok Smerdax. Initially, the band’s music was predominantly black metal, but the band moved to a cleaner style of gothic, symphonic metal.
Their music is mainly influenced by gothic literature, mythology, and horror films. The band’s mainstream publicity has also evolved which has led to interviews with the likes of MTV and Kerrang! The band has also made appearances at some major festivals such as Ozzfest and Sziget Festival. Since the band’s inception, the band has featured more than 20 different lineups and released its first three demos in 1992 which include “Goetia,” the only remaining track from the band’s first album.
The band would later sign a new deal with Cacophonous Records with which they released their first album The Principle of Evil Made Flesh. The band would later leave the record label acrimoniously citing financial and contractual mismanagement. The band’s genre has always been a topic of discussion with their status as a black metal band being contested by many. Our list of the top 10 Cradle of Filth songs features some of their early tunes as well as some of their latest songs. Let’s get down to some of their greatest songs ever.
# 10 – From the Cradle to Enslave
Cradle of Filth is one of the few gothic metal bands that had a major impact as far as my love for rock is concerned. Anytime I listen to “From the Cradle to Enslave,” I remember this as the song that made me fall in love with the band back in the late 90s. The song is a perfect blend of Cradle of Filth’s signature black metal to their latter experimental style. In the track, Danny Firth’s lyricism and his voice are nothing short of incredible. The song is also quite catchy, and the melodic mayhem is infectious.
# 9 – Summer Dying Fast
More than 20 years later after the song was released, and this song still gives me chills. “Summer Dying Fast” is the 12th track from the band’s debut studio album The Principle of Evil Made Flesh which was released in 1994. The song is about dead people rising up and waging war against humans.
# 8 – Babylon A.D.
The video of this song starts with a cleaning lady and the camera perspective on Danny Firth is just unique. His vocals are also amazing, and the riffs could send shivers down the spine of any heavy metal wannabe fan. “Babylon A.D. was released in 2003, and it is a song that talks about the mother of abominations from the mythical system by Aleister Crowley.
# 7 – Hallowed Be Thy Name
Continuing with our Cradle Of Filth songs list we turn to a great cover version of an Iron Maiden classic entitled “Hallowed Be Thy Name.” Cradle Of Filth were known for doing many great cover versions of metal classics. We loved their covers because they most certainly made their cover songs their own. The song was released on the album entitled Cruelty and the Beast. The album was released in 1998. This is one of the most famous metal songs of all time. The song was written by Steve Harris. It was originally released by Iron Maiden in 1982.
# 6 – Bathory Aria
“Bathory Aria” is made up of three parts and is a culmination of the story of Elizabeth Bathory on blood countess. The track features some narrations from Ingrid Pitt’s character. Cruelty and the Beast is the band’s most popular album and was ranked 10th in Kerrang!’s most essential black metal albums in 2000.
# 5 – The Death of Love
Godspeed on the Devil’s Thunder was produced as the band’s first four-piece albums rather than their usual six-man crew. The album is based on a man called Gilles who helps a lady by the name of Joan but after her death, the man slowly slips into insanity. The female vocals in the song are beautiful and compliment Danny Firth’s vocals well.
# 4 – Under Huntress Moon
“Under Huntress Moon,” is the eleventh track from Cradle of Filth’s seventh studio album Thornography. Although the album does not rank high among the best albums from the band, this song does stand out from the rest. The song was one of the reasons why the album sold really well across the US. According to Danny Firth, the band likes to perform the song as the end of set track, which works well for them.
# 3 – Midnight Shadows Crawl: Godspeed on the Devil’s Thunder
Cradle of Filth are responsible for some of the most innovative and symphonic black metal ever seen. This particular album was quite significant to the band since it marked their departure from Roadrunner Records. The song contains a long title which signifies the change of trajectory to a darker one.
# 2 – Lilith Immaculate
Cradle of Filth’s most songs were not intended to be commercial sell-outs. For this reason, they often made songs that were beyond who they really are, and most of their songs are dark and amazing. “Lilith Immaculate,” a track from the band’s 2010 album Darkly Darkly, Venus Aversa, is a huge crowd favorite. The song features some great lyrics, crazy female vocals, and a storytelling style that is beautiful, gothic, and old school. According to Danny Firth, the band once played the song Philippines in front of a crowd of 35000 people and the crowd was pretty excited as the band received their fireworks.
# 1 – Nymphetamine Fix
The number one song in our list of the top ten Cradle of Filth songs is the track “Nymphetamine Fix.” The song is a classic and is well written instrumentally and vocally. The song is about attractive girls who have an amazing sex appeal and the drug “amphetamine” which is highly addictive due to the way it affects the nervous system. The word “nymphet” is borrowed from Vladimir Nabokov’s novel, “Lolita.”
Top 10 Cradle Of Filth Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2021
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![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. As for Rob De Luca, his nimble fingers and gift for melody and songwriting kept him moving forward. Soon, he found a gig with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and the legendary outfit UFO. And in 2010, after coupling up with Ray West and his cousin Rik De Luca, Spread Eagle retook flight. During a break from Spread Eagle's increasingly busy touring schedule, Rob De Luca dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to run through the ten albums that changed his life. But only after adding, "I made a playlist of these songs, including some I've written or co-written. Do you hear any of these albums' influence on me?" Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWJuhDrE8JmzhsmTeIDUq 10) Gentlemen by Afghan Whigs (1993) Here's an entry that was so important to me. This may be the darkest break-up album of all time. Greg Dulli has been in many projects, but I feel Gentlemen is his zenith. Somewhat undefinable at times but always profound and honest. Listen to "Gentlemen," "Fountain and Fairfax," and "What Jail Is Like." 9) In on the Kill Taker by Fugazi (1993) By this time, I had been sucked in and spit out by the major-label record industry. Glam came and went; grunge was history, too. I was searching for new sounds. When I heard Fugazi's twin guitar approach, I knew this was what was missing. Fugazi may be considered a less polished sound than the albums above; however, once you "get it," it hits you like a ton of bricks, and there's no going back. From the moment I heard Fugazi, I went to every NYC show after. It's easily some of the best concerts of my life, and possibly my favorite bassist in Joe Lally. And their DIY ethics refused to charge us more than $5 a show! In on the Kill Taker is a powerful album demonstrated in songs such as "Smallpox Champion," "Great Cop," and "Public Witness Program." 8) Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (1987) I discovered many of these albums (sometimes long) after they were released. However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. Duff [McKagan] is one of the most underrated bassists in rock history, and learning his Appetite basslines is a masterclass. Steven [Adler] had the natural swing, and Izzy [Stradlin] was the secret weapon songwriter. Everything that's been heralded about this gem is deserved and true. Check out "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," and "Mr. Brownstone.' 7) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) Another contender for my favorite album and band of all time. Using The Beatles machine (same recording studio, engineer, record label), Pink Floyd made what I feel is their strongest, most cohesive album (my second favorite of theirs would be Animals). This list mainly consists of bands with an instantly recognizable sound. Floyd is certainly no exception to that! This album included a solid handful of undeniable rock radio classics, bookended by two halves of the mind-blowing song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond.' That song was written about former band member and founder Syd Barrett. It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. However, as a young teen in Wilmington, Delaware, I only had WMMR 93.3 FM Philadelphia and a few friends to inform me about the world of Rock outside my bedroom. AC/DC had not gone mainstream, and their albums were available primarily in the USA as imports. To put things more in perspective, I only knew two people in the world who had heard of AC/DC. A friend had an import that we played in Steve Buckley's basement, which sounded ripping. When Highway to Hell was released, WMMR started spinning the title track, and I immediately bought the album, listening to it every single day after school. Then WMMR announced AC/DC was coming to the Spectrum in Philly, supporting Ted Nugent! I liked Ted but loved AC/DC, so my good friend Mick Cummins and I bought tickets, and he drove us up to the Spectrum (where we saw most of our concerts). Bon Scott was in fine form, and the band went over great. Although the crowd knew Ted better, Angus [Young] wouldn't let anyone upstage him. I'll never forget it! Unfortunately, Bon would be gone in 6 months. Check out "Walk All Over You," "Touch Too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," and "If You Want Blood (You Got It)." 4) Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975) By the time I heard this, I was now in my teens. I had a childhood friend up the street, Jim Linberg (we're still good buddies). His older sister had a great album collection, including Toys in The Attic. Once I heard that groove, my taste changed. I lost interest in rock music that didn't have some sort of "swing" feel to it. I think Rocks is a slightly better Aerosmith album (and possibly my favorite album of all time), but both are perfect or very close. Check out "Uncle Salty," "Adam's Apple," "No More No More," "Round and Round," and "You See Me Crying." 3) Alive! by Kiss (1975) When I was still a little kid, I asked for Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke album for Christmas. The entire family came over for an enormous feast, and I dropped the needle. When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. The simple beauty of voice, the master songwriting, the perfect backing band, the clear, unobtrusive recordings, and always Bernie's incredible lyrics. The day this album was released, Elton became an unstoppable force that conquered the music industry. Check out "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Rocket Man." 1) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) Another tape that was included in the VW Camper. The van had a bunch of music tapes, and one was Sgt Pepper. I was too young to understand the sophistication of the music, but that was one of the many skills of The Beatles. They attracted listeners at every level, even little kids. I still feel that immediate connection to Sgt Pepper; now, I hear so much more. It's an album that changed the world and the world of music. Check out "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds," "A Day In The Life," and "Fixing a Hole."](http://www.classicrockhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shutterstock_1815495569-1-300x200.jpg)
