A Great Re-Release Combo Indeed
Sephiroth912 | In Your Head | 05/29/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Cradle of Filth were well known enough back in 2001 that they finally decided to put out a DVD (Heavy Left-Handed and Candid) with a live set, music videos and the like as well as a CD (Live Bait For The Dead) of the same show with a disc of remixes and other rarities (though they aren't exactly rare any longer). But they were both released seperately at a somewhat large price.
This re-release package, however, released 6 years later, contains the first disc of Live Bait and the live show portion of Heavy Left-Handed and is a GREAT bargain for roughly the $15 you pay for this. You may even pop the first disc of Eleven Burial Masses into your computer and play it on iTunes, where it will tell you it is disc one of Live Bait.
Either way, it was still a decent show. Personally, I thought Peace Through Superior Firepower was better in a lot of aspects, except that in this case, I think the set for this show was much better. The only three songs that are on it are "The Forest Whispers My Name," "From the Cradle to Enslave" and "Her Ghost in the Fog." The main flaw with this show is the amount of feedback you hear coming from Dani's wails, something that isn't in Peace. Also, the guitars sound off. At first, when Dusk And Her Embrace starts going, you may very well think you're hearing Cthulhu Dawn all over again because the guitars sound very alike.
Also, though to most Cradle fans this won't matter, it probably should be known for parents that this album does contain its fair share of language without an explicit label.
Here's my personal break down of the album, track by track:
1. Intro: The Ceremony Begins - Starting the show to shouts of "Cradle!" the opening to the show is, somewhat surprisingly, the theme for the original Omen movies. It's a very good track to listen to, actually, especially if you're a fan of those movies and it fits their music very well. (5/5)
2. Lord Abortion - I really liked the album version, but I found myself having some trouble listening to this one. It doesn't sound the same in a lot of aspects, but it's still a decent listen. (3/5)
3. Ebony Dressed For Sunset - They did a nice job here with this short opener from their V Empire EP. One of my personal favorites from this show. (4.5/5)
4. The Forest Whispers My Name - This song sounds also pretty good. Dani's huffing early in the song before starting his part fits well with the music. However, Sara's interlude to the song was better on Peace, in my opinion, where she says it slowly along with Dani and it just makes it sound better overall, in my opinion. (4/5)
5. Cthulhu Dawn - Perhaps the most brutal track on Midian, this track doesn't seem to let up at all during this performance. My only gripe are that I feel Dani's vocals don't sound the best in this song and that the keyboards, a strong part of the album version, are drowned out until the part of the song without guitars. (3.5/5)
6. Dusk And Her Embrace - The first live staple that was oddly missing from Peace's set, Dusk could've been so much more. Cradle recently put up (then took off) a live video of them performing this song in Montreal and I think it was much better done there. It sounds similar, but it doesn't to the point where I don't really even like listening to it here anymore. (2.5/5)
7. The Principle of Evil Made Flesh - Easily the best track on this set. Everything sounds more clean and clear on this song and sounds a lot like the Bitter Suites version AND the original version from the album of the same name as this track. I also like how Dani riles up the crowd before starting again at the end. (5/5)
8. Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids - Starting the song by calling it "Cruelty Brought Thee...some decent jokes" is the second live staple that seemed to disappear from Peace's set. By this point, Dani really seems to be losing energy, which is unfortunate because of how good of a song this is. It's still decent on this performance, though, just not perfect by any reach. (4/5)
9. Her Ghost in the Fog - Probably the most epic track off Midian and what became a live staple as a result, Dani begins this one by getting the crowd really going. It's a very good performance, though at the same time the one on Peace is better, in my humble opinion. This may be due in part to the fact that Dani really seems to be losing his energy is becoming really apparent here, with him not even finishing lines entirely in an attempt to catch his breath. (4/5)
10. Summer Dying Fast - I never really liked this song a whole ton until I heard and watched it on here, which is saying something, especially with how I thought this show could've been a lot better. This is clearly the last song on the main set judging by the visceral and somewhat graphic stage show ending.
11. Interlude: Creatures That Kissed In Cold Mirrors - Creatures followed soon after by the Satanic Mantra (which I personally never got HOW it's exactly Satanic in the first place) are played over the PA and the band comes out for an encore. It sounds good, but then you've got to realize that it was clearly the album versions played overhead. The opening, at least, I think was re-recorded because of how it sounds. Rate this one how you like.
12. From the Cradle to Enslave - The echo effects of Dani's vocals on this track I'm not a fan of, but the rest of the song sounds pretty good overall, I think. A staple that is played at EVERY Cradle show (to the point, even, that the band is getting sick and tired of playing it). (4/5)
13. Queen of Winter, Throned - This is my personal favorite Cradle song, second only to Funeral in Carpathia. They cut out the opening of the song but still did an overall good job of the song except for the amount of feedback from Dani's mic. (4/5)
Final Word: Even if you're just a casual Cradle fan, this album is an absolute must, simply because of the tracks that are on here and the price. Don't even bother with Live Bait or Heavy Left-Handed. The bonus tracks on Live Bait are only somewhat good (I only liked one remix (the song didn't really change that much), a soundcheck recording and the Twisted Sister cover on it) and the music videos and the like off the DVD can be found on YouTube (though many are flagged, so you cannot watch them unless you are 18+). All in all though, it was a decent show and a great re-release.
**** 3.5/5 Stars for the show & 4/5 Stars for the package and price ****"
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1