Cradle of Filth
's third full-length is another slab of uncompromising
black metal
, a darkly melodramatic opus where the song titles alone (
"Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids,"
"The Twisted Nails of Faith,"
and
"Lustmord and Wargasm [The Lick of Carnivorous Winds]"
) tell almost the entire story; fans of the genre will embrace
Cruelty and the Beast
, but the unconverted are likely to find it all rather silly. ~ Jason Ankeny