CRADLE OF FILTH - DUSK AND HER EMBRACE - PICTURE DISC 12" PD VINYL Album

This album "CRADLE OF FILTH - Dusk And Her Embrace Picture Disc" is the second studio album by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth. It was released on 19 November 1996 and is their first release on the label Music for Nations.

CRADLE OF FILTH - DUSK AND HER EMBRACE: A GOTHIC TEMPEST SWEEPS THE METAL SCENE
Album Description:

Emerging from the depths of the English countryside in 1996, CRADLE OF FILTH unleashed a sonic whirlwind upon the metal scene with their sophomore album, "Dusk and Her Embrace." This unholy union of black metal, gothic aesthetics, and symphonic grandeur left an indelible mark on the genre, sparking both adoration and controversy in its wake.

Historical Context

By the mid-90s, black metal had firmly established itself as a force to be reckoned with, but CRADLE OF FILTH dared to push the boundaries further. While retaining the raw aggression and Satanic imagery of their black metal brethren, they infused their sound with lush orchestral arrangements, haunting female vocals, and poetic lyrics inspired by gothic literature and horror films.

Musical Exploration

"Dusk and Her Embrace" is a sonic journey through a dark and seductive world. Dani Filth's theatrical vocals, ranging from demonic growls to operatic wails, lead the charge, while the band's twin guitar attack weaves intricate melodies and crushing riffs. The album's symphonic elements, courtesy of keyboards and orchestral samples, create an atmosphere of gothic grandeur and romantic decadence. Songs like "Heaven Torn Asunder," "A Gothic Romance (Red Roses for the Devil's Whore)," and the epic title track showcase the band's unique blend of aggression and beauty.

Controversies

CRADLE OF FILTH's music and imagery, with its explicit references to Satanism, sexuality, and violence, drew the ire of religious groups and conservative critics. The band's theatrical stage shows, featuring elaborate costumes and macabre props, further fueled the controversy. However, for many fans, this shock value was part of the band's appeal, a rebellion against societal norms and a celebration of the dark side of human nature.

Production Team and Recording Studio

"Dusk and Her Embrace" was produced by Kit Woolven, who had previously worked with bands like Thin Lizzy and Anvil. Woolven's experience with both heavy metal and rock brought a polished sheen to the album's production, enhancing its symphonic elements and ensuring that the band's intricate arrangements were captured with clarity. The album was recorded at Academy Studios in Yorkshire, a state-of-the-art facility that allowed the band to experiment with different sounds and textures.

Remarkable Things

"Dusk and Her Embrace" stands out not only for its musical merits but also for its striking visual presentation. The album's artwork, featuring a haunting image of a vampire woman, perfectly captures the gothic aesthetic of the music. The lyrics, filled with poetic imagery and dark romanticism, further enhance the album's immersive atmosphere.

Music Genre:

  Extreme Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal 

Album Production Information:

The album: "CRADLE OF FILTH - Dusk And Her Embrace Picture Disc" was produced by: Kit Woolven and Cradle of Filth

Record Label & Catalognr:

  Music For Nations VMLP023

Media Format:

12" LP Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record

Total Album (Cover+Record) weight: 230 gram
Large Hires Photo of CRADLE OF FILTH - Dusk And Her Embrace Picture Disc
Album Back Cover  Photo of "CRADLE OF FILTH - Dusk And Her Embrace Picture Disc"
Large Hires Photo


Note: The images on this page are photos of the actual album. Slight differences in color may exist due to the use of the camera's flash.

Personnel/Band Members and Musicians on: CRADLE OF FILTH - Dusk And Her Embrace Picture Disc
    Band-members, Musicians and Performers
  • Dani Filth – lead vocals
  • Stuart Anstis – guitars
  • Gian Pyres – guitars
  • Robin Graves – bass
  • Damien Gregori – keyboards
  • Nicholas Barker – drums
  • Guest musicians:
  • Sarah Jezebel Deva – backing vocals
  • Danielle Cneajna Cottington – backing vocals
  • Cronos – vocals on "Haunted Shores"

    Conrad "Cronos" Lant, born on 15 January 1963, is the bassist and vocalist most people picture when Venom comes crashing into the room. Not polished. Not polite. Not one of those tidy heavy metal frontmen who sounded as if they had read the manual first. Cronos came out of the Newcastle metal racket with bass, voice, leather, distortion and enough bad attitude to make the NWOBHM scene feel less like a movement and more like a pub fight behind a rehearsal room.

    more...

    Venom formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1978, but the version that really burned itself into metal memory was the classic three-piece: Cronos on bass and vocals, Mantas on guitar, and Abaddon on drums. By the time "Welcome to Hell" arrived in 1981, they were already rougher, faster and nastier than most of the neat little NWOBHM hopefuls trying to look dangerous under decent stage lights. Venom sounded like the lights had blown out altogether.

    Then came "Black Metal" in 1982, and there it was: a title that stopped being just an album name and started crawling across the underground as a whole ugly idea. Cronos did not sing so much as bark, spit and drag the words across broken glass. His bass was not there for tasteful support either. It shoved. It snarled. It made the records feel overloaded, as if the speakers were being asked to do something frankly unreasonable.

    That is why the old Venom records still matter to collectors. Not because they are perfect. Good grief, no. The charm is partly that they are not perfect. They have the smell of cheap rehearsal rooms, Neat Records vinyl, imported sleeves, tape hiss, bad decisions and teenage volume. In the early eighties, while plenty of bands were polishing their boots for the next Kerrang! photo, Venom seemed busy kicking the door off its hinges.

    Cronos left Venom in late 1986 and took Mike Hickey and Jim Clare with him to form his own Cronos project. His solo debut, "Dancing in the Fire", appeared in 1990, not 1986 as lazy copy sometimes claims. Useful correction, that. Metal history is already noisy enough without adding bad dates to the amplifier hum.

    The original Venom trio returned in the mid-1990s, which gave collectors another reason to pull the early LPs from the shelf and argue over which period really mattered. For me, the essential Cronos is still the one trapped in those early records: "Welcome to Hell", "Black Metal", "At War With Satan", "Possessed". That run has the grubby magic. The sound of British metal losing its manners.

    On "At War With Satan", especially, Cronos is less a traditional frontman and more a warning label with boots. The long title track, the gatefold theatre, the whole exaggerated satanic pantomime: it should have collapsed under its own nonsense. Somehow it does not. It lumbers forward, ridiculous and magnificent, and that is very Venom. Half menace, half cartoon thunderstorm, fully collectible.

    References and Further Reading
Complete Track-listing of the album "CRADLE OF FILTH - Dusk And Her Embrace Picture Disc"

The detailed tracklist of this record "CRADLE OF FILTH - Dusk And Her Embrace Picture Disc" is:

    Track-listing :
  1. "Humana Inspired to Nightmare" (instrumental) 1:23
  2. "Heaven Torn Asunder" 7:06
  3. "Funeral in Carpathia" 8:24
  4. "A Gothic Romance (Red Roses for the Devil's Whore)" 8:35
  5. "Malice Through the Looking-Glass" 5:30
  6. "Dusk and Her Embrace" 6:09
  7. "The Graveyard by Moonlight" (instrumental) 2:28
  8. "Beauty Slept in Sodom" 6:32
  9. "Haunted Shores" (feat. Cronos of Venom) 7:04

    Conrad "Cronos" Lant, born on 15 January 1963, is the bassist and vocalist most people picture when Venom comes crashing into the room. Not polished. Not polite. Not one of those tidy heavy metal frontmen who sounded as if they had read the manual first. Cronos came out of the Newcastle metal racket with bass, voice, leather, distortion and enough bad attitude to make the NWOBHM scene feel less like a movement and more like a pub fight behind a rehearsal room.

    more...

    Venom formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1978, but the version that really burned itself into metal memory was the classic three-piece: Cronos on bass and vocals, Mantas on guitar, and Abaddon on drums. By the time "Welcome to Hell" arrived in 1981, they were already rougher, faster and nastier than most of the neat little NWOBHM hopefuls trying to look dangerous under decent stage lights. Venom sounded like the lights had blown out altogether.

    Then came "Black Metal" in 1982, and there it was: a title that stopped being just an album name and started crawling across the underground as a whole ugly idea. Cronos did not sing so much as bark, spit and drag the words across broken glass. His bass was not there for tasteful support either. It shoved. It snarled. It made the records feel overloaded, as if the speakers were being asked to do something frankly unreasonable.

    That is why the old Venom records still matter to collectors. Not because they are perfect. Good grief, no. The charm is partly that they are not perfect. They have the smell of cheap rehearsal rooms, Neat Records vinyl, imported sleeves, tape hiss, bad decisions and teenage volume. In the early eighties, while plenty of bands were polishing their boots for the next Kerrang! photo, Venom seemed busy kicking the door off its hinges.

    Cronos left Venom in late 1986 and took Mike Hickey and Jim Clare with him to form his own Cronos project. His solo debut, "Dancing in the Fire", appeared in 1990, not 1986 as lazy copy sometimes claims. Useful correction, that. Metal history is already noisy enough without adding bad dates to the amplifier hum.

    The original Venom trio returned in the mid-1990s, which gave collectors another reason to pull the early LPs from the shelf and argue over which period really mattered. For me, the essential Cronos is still the one trapped in those early records: "Welcome to Hell", "Black Metal", "At War With Satan", "Possessed". That run has the grubby magic. The sound of British metal losing its manners.

    On "At War With Satan", especially, Cronos is less a traditional frontman and more a warning label with boots. The long title track, the gatefold theatre, the whole exaggerated satanic pantomime: it should have collapsed under its own nonsense. Somehow it does not. It lumbers forward, ridiculous and magnificent, and that is very Venom. Half menace, half cartoon thunderstorm, fully collectible.

    References and Further Reading
Index of CRADLE OF FILTH (Black/Death Metal Band) Featured Picture Discs Gallery & 12" Vinyl LP Discography Information
Cradle of Filth: A Gothic Metal Odyssey
Band Description:

Formation and Early Years

In the quaint Suffolk countryside of England, 1991 marked the genesis of a musical entity that would forever redefine extreme metal – Cradle of Filth. The brainchild of vocalist Dani Filth, the band's initial lineup included guitarists Paul Ryan and Benjamin Ryan, bassist John Richard, and drummer Darren. Their early demos, such as "Invoking the Unclean" and "Orgiastic Pleasures Foul," showcased a raw and aggressive sound heavily influenced by black metal.

Musical Evolution and The Principle of Evil Made Flesh

As the band honed their craft, their sound evolved, incorporating elements of gothic rock, symphonic music, and even classical influences. This culminated in their debut album, "The Principle of Evil Made Flesh," released in 1994. This unholy union of black metal fury, symphonic grandeur, and Dani Filth's theatrical vocals sent shockwaves through the metal underground. The album's controversial themes of Satanism, sexuality, and violence, coupled with its gothic aesthetic and macabre imagery, both attracted and repelled listeners. This dichotomy only fueled the band's notoriety and cemented their place as provocateurs in the metal scene.

The Principle of Evil Made Flesh Picture Disc

The album's impact was further amplified by its striking visual presentation. The "The Principle of Evil Made Flesh" picture disc, with its demonic figure surrounded by occult symbols, became a sought-after collector's item, a testament to the band's growing cult following.

Dusk and Her Embrace and Further Success

Cradle of Filth's sophomore album, "Dusk and Her Embrace," released in 1996, solidified their unique sound and catapulted them to international recognition. This album delved deeper into gothic horror and romanticism, with lush orchestral arrangements, haunting female vocals, and poetic lyrics inspired by classic literature and folklore. The album's picture disc, featuring a mesmerizing image of a vampire woman, further solidified the band's gothic aesthetic and became another coveted collector's piece.

Dusk and Her Embrace Picture Disc

This album's success propelled Cradle of Filth to the forefront of the metal scene, leading to extensive touring and a devoted fanbase. Their subsequent albums, such as "Cruelty and the Beast" and "Midian," further cemented their reputation as one of the most innovative and theatrical bands in extreme metal.

CRADLE OF FILTH - Dusk And Her Embrace 12" Picture Disc  
CRADLE OF FILTH - Dusk And Her Embrace album front cover vinyl record

Emerging from the depths of the English countryside in 1996, CRADLE OF FILTH unleashed a sonic whirlwind upon the metal scene with their sophomore album, "Dusk and Her Embrace." This unholy union of black metal, gothic aesthetics, and symphonic grandeur left an indelible mark on the genre,

Learn more
CRADLE OF FILTH - The Principle Of Evil Made 12" Picture Disc
CRADLE OF FILTH - The Principle Of Evil Made album front cover vinyl record

In 1994, a new breed of darkness emerged from the Suffolk countryside with the debut album "The Principle of Evil Made Flesh" by CRADLE OF FILTH. This unholy concoction of black metal, gothic horror, and symphonic elements sent shockwaves through the metal scene, challenging conventions

Learn more