Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Cradle of Filth & Hybrid Freak Division

Cradle of Filth-Damnation and a day

Not being familiar with the bands back catalogue, I probably won't be doing much in the way of comparison with this release and previous Cradle of Filth records. What I will tell you is that this is one intense aggressive piece of work. I mean this from a few perspectives. As far as the structure of the album, it's impressive. You have orchestra backing and the Budapest choir adding it's dimension. The album is broke into chapters or parts with introduction similar to classic Hollywood epic movies. It really is a production in grand terms and should spark critic attention. As far as the music, it is impressive with it's intense nature. The only thing in particular I wasn't very keen on were the vocals. I do understand however that this is the nature of Cradle of Filth and this is what the fans expect so I'm cool with it. There are some growls and screams which mix into the shredding guitar parts and frantic rhythm section. It all mixes well due to the overall intensity of the album. The orchestration and choir vocals are the icing on the cake. It really gives the music a much larger feel. Very well rounded and quite epic for an aggressive metal act.

Overall

Fans of this band will no doubt really like this effort. It is just to ambitious and large to ignore. I give this band high marks on the amount of ambition put into this release. As far as the rest of the metal crowd, that still remains to be seen. There is potential for bigger things here, but will the masses get it?? If you like it full throttle, yet with a touch of epic, this one will be right up your alley.

Hybrid Freak Division is one of Lion Music's signings. There is a lot of talent flying around in this band, but that shouldn't come as much of a surprise if you are familiar with Lion Music's roster. Anyway, this is an instrumental release showcasing 8 tracks of fusion based rock music. Now while this bands music is gonna be an acquired taste, those who like this sort of music will probably find a lot to like. The music is presented with various influences such as Funk and Jazz. And there is quite a bit of that to be found on tracks like the opener 'Riot', the comically titled 'Poon-Tang Twostep', 'While you were sleeping', and 'Paddington'. The one thing to keep in mind with this band is they are a rock band and that influence is definitely woven throughout the album with those other influences added in. Musically, as mentioned before, these guys are good at what they do and there approach to the songwriting.

Overall

I already mentioned this being an instrumental album of fusion based rock music, that it may not appeal to all. If this is your thing, I think these guys are definitely sound and will be regarded highly by the fans of this particular genre. Decent record for sure!

Hybrid Freak Division-Non Conformative