Monday, April 11, 2011

Cradle of Filth - 2005 Nymphetamine (Special Edition)


Band : Cradle of Filth
Album : Nymphetamine (Special Edition)
Release Year : 2005
Genre : Black Metal | Symphonic | Metal

Tracklist :
Disc 1
01.Satyriasis
02.Gilded Cunt
03.Nemesis
04.Gabrielle
05.Absinthe With Faust
06.Nymphetamine (Overdose)
07.Painting Flowers White Never Suited My Palettes
08.Medusa And Hemlock
09.Coffin Fodder
10.English Fire
11.Filthy Little Secret
12.Swansong For A Raven
13.Mother Of Abominations
14.Nymphetamine Fix [Bonus Track]

Disc 2
01.Devil Woman (Cliff Richard cover)
02.Soft White Throat
03.Bestial Lust (Bitch) (Bathory cover)
04.Prey
05.Nymphetamine (Jezebel Fix)
06.Mr. Crowley (Ozzy Osbourne cover)

There’s plenty of debate as to whether the move to release special editions of album some time after their initial release date is a benefit to anyone (Especially die hard fans who have already bought the album on the day of release), and when it comes to Roadrunner Records, the practice seems to be the standard rather than the exception.
So as you would expect, five months after its official release, Cradle Of Filth’s sixth’s full length release Nymphetamine has once again be reissued (To coincide with the bands European tour), this time as an expanded double disc effort.
To recap, Cradle Of Filth’s Nymphetamine (Stemming from the two words nymphette and amphetamine, and playing on the conundrum of something that’s both beautiful and addictive at the same time) was a glorious return to form for the band.

Tracks such as the orchestrated ‘Satyriasis’ (Featuring ‘Hellraiser’ star Doug Bradley), the straight ahead black metal aggression of ‘Gilded Cunt’, ‘Absinthe With Faust’, ‘Coffin Fodder’ and ‘Medusa And Hemlock’, and the grandiose ‘Nymphetamine Overdose’ (Featuring Leaves Eyes/ex-Theatre Of Tragedy’s Liv Kristine on co-lead vocals) all stood out as the albums darkest and most depraved moments.
While special editions rarely add to their main counterparts, Cradle Of Filth (Or Roadrunner Records I should say) has always prided themselves in their expanded editions, and Nymphetamine is no different.
The first of the six new tracks is the long talked about cover of Sir Cliff Richard’s 1976 hit ‘Devil Woman’. Although originally recorded during sessions for 2003’s Damnation And A Day, the song has been given a reworking since, with legendary vocalist King Diamond collaborating with vocalist Dani Filth, with exceptional (Not to mention surprisingly melodic) results.

Originally a Japanese bonus track on Nymphetamine, Bathory’s ‘Bestial Lust (Bitch)’ (From 1995’s The Return) is given a worthy Cradle Of Filth overhaul, while Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘Mr Crowley’ (From 1980’s Blizzard Of Ozz) seems to aim in the right direction, but is a little wide of it’s target with it’s slowed down pace.
The two new compositions ‘Prey’ and ‘Soft White Throat’ very much fit into the realm of their last album’s sound and design, while the original version of ‘Nymphetamine (Jezebel Deva Fix)’ finally shows the contrast between Sarah Jezebel Deva and Liv Kristine talents. Which one is better is really up to personal choice, but it’s great to hear Deva’s operatic vocals back within Cradle Of Filth’s music.
Apart from the bonus tracks, the expanded edition also has some extended artwork included (Which adds up to around three new pictures), as well as the stunning promotional video clip for ‘Nymphetamine’.

From a fans point of view, this re-release is somewhat of a disappointment (As they’ve most likely bought the album already), but from the marketing angle, the additional second disc only makes Nymphetamine all the more addictive.





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