Cradle Of Filth – “Hammer Of The Witches” [Album Review]

Cradle Of Filth have always been a band to split opinion; for all the fans they do have, there are just as many who can’t stand them. One thing that is very hard to argue, however, is the success and impact the group has had, not only in the Black Metal genre, but more recently on metal as a whole.

Album number eleven, Hammer Of The Witches, unsurprisingly sees another new line-up, something which has actually allowed the band to return to the twin guitar harmonies that were sorely missed on the last couple of releases. While “Yours Immortally” certainly gets the disc off to a great start, it isn’t until the second half of the album, in particular the title track and “Right Wing Of The Garden Triptych,” that Cradle Of Filth really hit their stride.

After a couple of what are arguably sub-par releases, Cradle are back in top form with Hammer Of The Witches. While not quite equaling their early releases, this is certainly one of the best albums of the modern Cradle era. If they can manage to keep a stable line-up, then this might be the start of another great age of Filth-y albums.

Track Listing:

01. Walpurgis Eve
02. Yours Immortally
03. Enshrined In Crematoria
04. Deflowering The Maidenhead, Displeasuring The Goddess
05. Blackest Magick In Practice
06. The Monstrous Sabbat (Summoning The Coven)
07. Hammer Of The Witches
08. Right Wing Of The Garden Triptych
09. The Vampyre At My Side
10. Onward Christian Soldiers
11. Blooding The Hounds Of Hell

Run Time: 56:05
Release Date: July 10, 2015

Check out the song “Deflowering The Maidenhead, Displeasuring The Goddess” here.