Tag Archives: grindstone studio

Album Review – Cradle of Filth / The Screaming Of The Valkyries (2025)

Posted on by
2

It’s time to live deliciously to the sound of the screaming Valkyries found in the fourteenth studio album by one of the most revolutionary bands in the history of extreme music.

Reigning supreme as one of the most revered, formative and notorious names in music, from the depths of the Extreme Metal underground to the peaks of mainstream pop culture itself, Suffolk, England’s ultimate blasphemers Cradle of Filth are back from the netherworld armed with their arrestingly catchy fourteenth studio album, The Screaming of the Valkyries, the follow-up to their 2021 beast Existence Is Futile. Produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studio, and displaying a beyond sinister artwork by Roberto Diaz (aka Arte del Caos), the new album by the iconic frontman Dani Filth, guitarists Marek ‘Ashok’ Smerda and Donny Burbage, bassist Daniel Firth, keyboardist Zoe Marie Federoff and drummer Martin ‘Marthus’ Skaroupka is a succinct summation of the ghosts of the band’s past and a bold step into the future, offering Dani’s unparalleled screams and equally identifiable growls alongside twin guitar attacks, symphonic flourishes, and an explosive rhythm section for the delight of all diehard fans of the band or newcomers to their sinister lair.

The opening aria To Live Deliciously is cryptic and atmospheric from the very first second, erupting into an overdose of Extreme Metal magic led by Mathus’ hammering drums, with Dani gnarling like a true servant of darkness. Then we have Demagoguery, bringing to our putrid ears over six minutes of absolute madness where the Stygian keys by Zoe match perfectly with the riffage by Ashok and Donny, also presenting the band’s characteristic haunting passages; and an avalanche of guitar shredding and epic keys permeates the air in The Trinity Of Shadows, offering us the past, present and future of Cradle of Filth in an exciting and compelling manner. Non Omnis Moriar, a Latin phrase that means “not everyone will die”, is a more cadenced yet heavy and caustic creation by the band, with Zoe’s operatic vocals bringing an extra touch of finesse to the music, whereas White Hellebore presents an overdose of Dani’s damned words (“Plucked from the grave on a moonless midnight / Sucking on staves, she was noted for fight / Intoxicated, I fell in love / With this curse and a cure for my rabid dementia”) amidst a sharp, devilish and classic display of Symphonic Black Metal.

The band’s guitar duo continues to fire their phantasmagorical riffs in You Are My Nautilus, offering more of Cradle of Filth’s undisputed, wicked sounds, with Marthus once again showcasing endless dexterity and heaviness behind his drums, followed by Malignant Perfection, showcasing a beautiful fusion of Gothic music with heavier styles, plus of course another dosage of their darkly poetic lyrics (“Kindred may I introduce / Upon the mortal fools / The evil that has shaken loose / From bondage to now rule / She walks at dusk to tragic serenades / As the river shivers at her passing darkness”). Ex Sanguine Draculae, which is Latin for “from the blood of Dracula”, carries a name that perfectly suits the band’s music and history, starting in an imposing, sinister way to Dani’s demonic roar while the guitars by Ashok and Donny transpire Black Metal magic; and last but not least, we have another long, multi-layered, detailed and vicious tune entitled When Misery Was A Stranger, with its cinematic intro reeking of Cradle of Filth before exploding into a frantic onrush of Symphonic Black and Gothic Metal led by Dani’s vicious gnarls, putting a beyond infernal and climatic ending to the album.

In a nutshell, The Screaming of the Valkyries beckons the brave into a new era of Cradle of Filth misadventure, celebrating massive melancholic melody, blackened thrash, and apocalyptic existential dread with a grinning smattering of unbridled revelry. Hence, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news and tour dates (like their upcoming Chaos & Carnage tour in North America alongside Dying Fetus, Fleshgod Apocalypse, and other demented bands), to stream their music on Spotify, and of course to grab a copy of their impious new album from BandCamp or from Napalm Records by clicking HERE or HERE. It’s time to live deliciously to the sound of the screaming Valkyries that live inside the new album by the one and only Cradle of Filth, keeping the fires of extreme music burning bright until our decaying world comes to its inevitable end.

Best moments of the album: The Trinity Of Shadows, White Hellebore, Ex Sanguine Draculae and When Misery Was A Stranger.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Napalm Records

Track listing
1. To Live Deliciously 5:32
2. Demagoguery 6:17
3. The Trinity Of Shadows 6:23
4. Non Omnis Moriar 5:06
5. White Hellebore 5:04
6. You Are My Nautilus 7:39
7. Malignant Perfection 6:46
8. Ex Sanguine Draculae 7:10
9. When Misery Was A Stranger 6:21

Band members
Dani Filth – vocals
Marek ‘Ashok’ Smerda – guitars
Donny Burbage – guitars
Daniel Firth – bass
Zoe Marie Federoff – keyboards, vocals
Martin ‘Marthus’ Skaroupka – drums

Album Review – South of Salem / The Sinner Takes It All (2020)

Posted on by
Reply

This excellent UK outfit is ready to take the entire world by storm with an album full of cult anthems that have a truly original (but recognizable) take on the rock and metal genres with a horror twist.

Having spent the best part of a decade working on various musical projects supporting the likes of Iced Earth, The Damned, Wednesday 13, and The Birthday Massacre, the up-and-coming Bournemouth, UK-based Hard Rock outfit South of Salem has just brought to life their debut effort The Sinner Takes It All, an album full of cult anthems that have a truly original (but recognizable) take on the rock and metal genres with a horror twist. Recorded at Grindstone Studio in Suffolk, UK and produced, mixed, and mastered by Scott Atkins (Cradle Of Filth, Amon Amarth, Sylosis, Behemoth), the title of the album, according to vocalist Joey, guitarists Kodi and Fish, bassist Dee and drummer Pip, “represents the corruption connected to wealth and power. How in dark times the rich become more affluent and the poor become more disconnected. During the current pandemic, small businesses are going under and people are more reliant on their government. Human beings abusing others, when they should be helping one another. The sinners are truly preparing to take it all. Enough is enough!”

A Rock N’ Roll storm is about to begin in Let Us Prey, with its lyrics inspired by The Purge film series (“They call us sick but we’re feeling fine / Just counting down to the killing time / Tonight, tonight was made for us / We know we’re sick but we hide it well / On a murder mile straight to hell / Tonight we’re armed and dangerous”) while Kodi and Fish sound beyond insane with their riffs, followed by The Hate In Me, a modernized hybrid of Motley Crüe and Godsmack with a heavier twist where Joey exhales rage through his vocals while Pip keeps pounding his drums in great fashion. Then it’s time for the band’s guitar duo to slash their axes nonstop in the Hard rock extravaganza No Plague Like Home, the perfect soundtrack for a pub brawl with Dee and Pip bringing the thunder to the overall result, not to mention its kick-ass guitar solos, whereas the rumbling bass punches by Dee provides Joey a dense base for his introspective vocals in Pretty Little Nightmare, a song about the darkest side of love, ready to be played on any Rock N’ Roll radio station thanks to the dynamic and classic beats by Pip. After such introspective composition, let’s all rev up our engines to the sound of Made To Be Mine, where the fiery riffs by Kodi and Fish will make your blood boil, evolving into a melodious and vibrant sonority showcasing spot-on backing vocals and another excellent performance by Joey.

Piercing guitars and an 80’s-inspired vibe are the main ingredients in the Melodic Rock tune titled Cold Day In Hell, with Joey leading his crew with his rockin’ vocals in another song about obscure relationships, whereas in Demons Are Forever, featuring Alex Avdis (aka The AvD) of Red Method and The Defiled, we face a grim, eerie atmosphere generated by all band members while Joey delivers a somber performance on vocals. Furthermore, don’t forget to check the stunning official video for this song as it is intended to raise suicide awareness. Back to a more berserk and vicious mode, the quintet blasts the Punk Rock-infused Another Nail In My Coffin, blending elements from the music by The Misfits and Social Distortion with their classic rock sound, all spiced up by the song’s enfolding riffs, and keeping the level of adrenaline high South of Salem offer us all Severely Yours, a song about temptation in long-term relationships presenting a great job done once again by Joey with his raspy vocals while Pipi delivers classic beats nonstop. Finally, closing such excellent album we have one more punk-ish tune entitled Dead Hearts Don’t Break, dealing with negative thoughts and the way one relationship can contaminate all future ones, with Kodi, Fish and Dee being on absolute fire with their stringed weapons.

In a nutshell, South of Salem more than nailed it with The Sinner Takes It All, an album that will undoubtedly entertain any type of rock and metal fan, from the ones who love a good melody to rockers who enjoy some action in the mosh pit. Hence, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, to subscribe to their YouTube channel, to stream more of their music on Spotify, and above all that, to support those talented UK musicians by purchasing their debut album from their own Big Cartel page (and sooner than later from other retailers such as Apple Music and Amazon). Relationships are always tough, it doesn’t matter where you come from, your religion, sexual orientation and so on, and as there’s not much we can do about that besides trying to be the best person to our significant other every single day, why not doing that while also enjoying the top-of-the-line rock and metal music provided by South of Salem in their new album? I’m more than certain that at least your ears, your mind and your soul will feel a lot stronger and happier to the sound of their awesome creations.

Best moments of the album: Let Us Prey, No Plague Like Home and Another Nail In My Coffin.

Worst moments of the album: Pretty Little Nightmare.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. Let Us Prey 3:24
2. The Hate In Me 3:35
3. No Plague Like Home 4:06
4. Pretty Little Nightmare 3:53
5. Made To Be Mine 3:41
6. Cold Day In Hell 4:28
7. Demons Are Forever 4:41
8. Another Nail In My Coffin 3:53
9. Severely Yours 3:15
10. Dead Hearts Don’t Break 3:35

Band members
Joey – vocals
Kodi – guitar
Fish – guitar
Dee – bass
Pip – drums 

Guest musicians
The AvD – keyboards and samples on “Demons Are Forever”

Album Review – Senescere / Alive But Somewhere Else (2020)

Posted on by
Reply

Focusing on struggling with the pain of loss, the new album by this Maryland-based metal band reflects all the dynamism and difficulties faced during all stages of grief.

Originally formed as an instrumental and acoustic solo project by vocalist and guitarist Alden Bradstock (Seventh Seal) in 2014, Westminster, Maryland-based Melodic Death Metal act Senescere grew into a full band with the addition of three new members in 2016, Nathan Heavel on bass, Andy Stark on drums and Josh Clark on additional vocals (all from bands such as Seventh Seal and Vestascension), allowing Alden to expand the band’s musical reach to a more aggressive and abrasive sound in their brand new opus Alive But Somewhere Else. Produced by Alden and Josh themselves, engineered and mixed by Josh at Dark Hollow Studio, mastered by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studio, and featuring a stylish cover photograph by Mandy Martz Chappell, the album focuses on struggling with grief, turning to unhealthy sources of comfort and creating a false sense of happiness to deal with a loss. As stated by Alden himself, “loss and aging have been the central theme of this project since the beginning. I think I’ll always find some inspiration there, and new ways of looking at the pain and struggles it can bring. There are all kinds of faces and stages of grief. It’s dynamic, it isn’t always dark and miserable. It’s deceptive and difficult to categorize. I wanted the music to reflect this somehow, and I think that’s why I enjoy mixing multiple styles and varying intensity in the songwriting. It’s allowed to be extra melodic and catchy at times, just as it’s allowed to dive into blasting drums and tremolo picking if the song calls for it.”

And the smooth guitar lines by Alden ignite the atmospheric intro Freezing Of The Hillside, setting the stage for the band to stun us all in Lost In The Cold, where Alden’s deep guttural roars walk hand in hand with the classic beats by Andy, blending elements from Groove and Progressive Metal with their trademark Melodic Death Metal. Then speeding things up and enhancing their rage the quartet blasts the thrilling The Low Clouds, bringing forward dark and pensive lyrics (“Here I, as a loner / Do feel the texture of the edge / Tracing paths for days on end / A crisp and jagged line / So easy to step over / So welcoming to fall from”) and the usual strength and fury from Scandinavian metal, followed by Alive, clearly inspired by the modern and melodic metal music played by bands like Insomnium and Amorphis, with Alden growling with tons of anguish while Nathan and Andy give a lesson in groove and intricacy with their respective instruments, not to mention Josh’s spot on backing vocals.

After such powerful display of metal music, simply sit down, relax and let the enfolding lines from the instrumental piece Melted penetrate deep inside your mind before a wall of sounds smashes your senses in the fantastic Resonate, where Alden’s crisp riffs are beautifully complemented by the low-tuned bass by Nathan, exhaling progressiveness and feeling and all spiced by Alden’s piercing guitar solo; whereas Alden and Josh make a fantastic vocal duet in Aging Affinity, blending the visceral and violent sounds of classic Death Metal with the harmony and complexity of more modern styles, ending in a cryptic and atmospheric way. Heartspace is perfect for slamming into the circle pit while at the same time enjoying the sharp and intricate beats by Andy and the thunderous bass lines by Nathan, resulting in another ode to contemporary Scandinavian Melodic Death Metal that ends up warming up our senses for almost ten minutes of Senescere’s wicked music in Moon And Sun, where the band’s razor-edged riffs, pounding drums and obscure vocals invite the listener to an exciting metal voyage in what’s by far the most progressive and detailed of all songs, even bringing hints of Black Metal and putting an introspective and climatic ending to the album.

Highly recommended for fans of the melodic and pensive heavy music played by renowned acts the likes of Dark Tranquillity, Amorphis, Opeth, Katatonia and Insomnium, among several others, Alive But Somewhere Else can be appreciated in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course in order to show your true support to Alden and his henchmen you should definitely purchase a copy of the album from their own BandCamp page, as well as from Apple Music and Amazon. Also, don’t forget to follow them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for news, tour dates and more of their classy music, helping you cope with loss and pain to the sound of our beloved Heavy Metal and, therefore, keeping Alden and his Senescere beyond inspired to create more of their multi-layered and meaningful music for many years to come.

Best moments of the album: Lost In The Cold, The Low Clouds and Resonate.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. Freezing Of The Hillside 2:54
2. Lost In The Cold 4:12
3. The Low Clouds 5:36
4. Alive 3:36
5. Melted 2:13
6. Resonate 3:54
7. Aging Affinity 4:26
8. Heartspace 3:55
9. Moon And Sun 9:34

Band members
Alden Bradstock – guitars, vocals
Nathan Heavel – bass
Andy Stark – drums
Josh Clark – additional vocals