Extreme black metal band from the UK. Some metal purists consider them sellouts, but that's probably because of their popularity. I must admit, I quite like 'em. :) A couple members (no idea who) joined in the side project Covenant.

"The Principle of Evil Made Flesh"

1. "Darkness our Bride (Jugular Wedding)"--instrumental (2:00)
2. "The Principle of Evil Made Flesh" (4:34)
3. "The Forest Whispers My Name" (5:06)
4. "Iscariot"--instrumental (2:33)
5. "The Black Goddess Rises" (6:48)
6. "One Final Graven Kiss"--instrumental (2:15)
7. "A Crescendo of Passion Bleeding" (5:30)
8. "To Eve the Art of Witchcraft" (5:28)
9. "Of Mist and Midnight Skies" (8:09)
10. "In Secret Love We Drown"--instrumental (1:29)
11. "A Dream of Wolves in the Snow" (2:10)
12. "Summer Dying Fast" (4:38)
13. "Imperium Tenebrarum"--unlisted track (0:49)

The band's debut CD is more or less straightforward death metal, with little or no orchestration and only minimal keyboards (except on the moody instrumentals.) Not bad, but nothing compared to their later works. There's an annoying minute of silence between the 12th track and the "hidden" track.

"Vempire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein"

1. "Ebony Dressed for Sunset" (2:49)
2. "The Forest Whispers My Name" (4:41)
3. "Queen of Winter, Throned" (10:27)
4. "Nocturnal Supremacy" (5:53)
5. "She Mourns a Lengthening Shadow"--instrumental (3:42)
6. "The Rape and Ruin of Angels (Hosannas in Extremis)" (8:52)

This EP is where the band started getting theatrical. Songs like "Queen of Winter, Throned" and "The Rape and Ruin of Angels" define the classic COF sound which they would take to the extreme on later albums.

"Dusk and Her Embrace"

1. "Humana Inspired to Nightmare"--instrumental (1:23)
2. "Heaven Torn Asunder" (7:04)
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" (7:05)

This CD caught my eye because I've seen references to the band on just about every metal page on the Internet, so I figured it was worth a listen. Well...holy SHIT!!!! This album gives a whole new dimension to WAY OUT THERE. A mixology of gothic, speed metal and doomdeath, with screeching vocals alternating with deep, growly ones, lots of keyboards and violins, slow parts mixed with super-speed parts...and, of course, an inner sleeve photo of the band eating the limbs of a vivacious young woman. This is Type O Negative to the power of 100, I swear!

"Cruelty and the Beast" (limited 2CD edition)

disc one:
1. "Once Upon Atrocity" (1:42)
2. "Thirteen Autumns and a Widow" (7:14)
3. "Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids" (7:18)
4. "Beneath the Howling Stars" (7:42)
5. "Venus in Fear"--instrumental (2:20)
6. "Desire in Violent Overture" (4:16)
7. "The Twisted Nails of Faith" (6:50)
8. "Bathory Aria" (11:02)
   
   • Benighted Like Usher
   • A Murder of Ravens in Fugue
   • Eyes That Witnessed Madness
9. "Portrait of the Dead Countess"--instrumental (2:52)
10. "Lustmord and Wargasm (The Lick of Carnivorous Winds)" (7:30)

disc two:
1. "Lustmord and Wargasm (The Relicking of Cadaverous Wounds)" (7:58)
2. "Black Metal" (3:27)
3. "Hallowed Be Thy Name" (7:10)
4. "Sodomy and Lust" (4:47)
5. "Twisting Further Wounds (The Crucifixion Mix)" (5:32)

The initial shock of the last album has worn off by now, so I can truly appreciate the theatrically and entropic artistry of this band. First time I listened to this one was on my CD-rom while I got stoned and surfed the web. Right at the very last note of the last song, Win95 crashed with a pretty blue screen of death. The timing was perfect, I tell ya. :-)

Just upgraded to a reasonably-priced 2-disc version, which adds a couple pointless remixes and THREE cover songs: "Black Metal" (Venom), "Hallowed Be Thy Name" (Iron Maiden) and "Sodomy & Lust" (Sodom)!! Kinda getting in the habit of buying all my CDs twice, it seems...

"From the Cradle to Enslave EP"

1. "From the Cradle to Enslave" (6:36)
2. "Of Dark Blood and Fucking" (6:02)
3. "Death Comes Ripping" (1:57)
4. "Sleepless" (4:19)
5. "Funeral in Carpathia"--Be Quick or Be Dead Version (8:08)
6. "Dawn of Eternity" (6:24)

Maybe I'm getting old, but this band's schtick doesn't really thrill me anymore, and this will likely be the last COF CD I'll bother to purchase. (It came out five years ago, after all!) Actually, to be fair, the title track is something of a surprise -- quite restrained and even a bit melodic, with a few bone-crunching riffs that surpass anything they've done before! "Of Dark Blood and Fucking" is less successful, but hey, ya gotta love that song title. :) :) Up next are two covers, "Death Comes Ripping" by the Misfits and "Sleepless" by Anathema; the first is pretty cool, but the second one's rather boring and pointless (bummer... that's what I bought the damn thing for.) Then we get a remix from Dusk and Her Embrace (yawn) and another song which is from someplace else but God only knows where...

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