Immolation
Meanwhile, more people entered the venue and after a short break the next supporting act entered the stage. Immolation is Cradle Of Filth’s support act during this tour. Time for the band to make some noise.

I saw this band not so long ago, at the X-mas party in Tilburg, The Netherlands. Back then they really threw a big party and tonight wasn’t any different. These death metal pioneers played there music with an aggression and precision that can hardly be matched. One of the songs that still sticks in my brain is “Unholy Cult”. A great song, perfectly played. The only thing worked on my nerves were the exaggerated movements of Robert Vigna. At the start he just looked very enthusiastic and energetic, but after a while it annoyed me. But that’s not important, ‘cause the music tonight was great and that’s what really matters.

A short remark on the sound mix. I want to give my compliments to the person responsible for the great mix the entire evening. All the little inaccuracies were purified immediately.

Cradle Of Filth
The last time I saw Cradle Of Filth was on Graspop, Belgium and they really disappointed me there. The music was played poorly and singer Dani spend more time offstage than onstage. But I have to give this band another chance, because their music is really good. Their latest release Damnation And A Day is a real pearl and a band that makes this kind of music must be treasured.

My heart skipped a beat when I heard the intro “A Bruise Upon The Silent Moon”, followed by “The Promise Of Fever”. Their latest release also starts with these two songs and they sound really great, on CD as well as live. It hit me that they played this last song perfect. The music was performed very precise and Dani’s throat sounded very good. Also the vocal contribution of Sarah Jezebel Deva was great.

As they played “Cthulhu Dawn” I felt shameful about ever doubting this band. After listening to a perfect version of “Dusk And Her Embrace” I was sure, this band is great. The emotion of this song made me just want to bang my head and so I did; with full devotion.

The next song that got my attention is their new single “Babylon A.D. (So Glad For The Madness)”. Dani interacted with the audience and made them scream and shout. The only thing he needed to say was that the audience here in Amsterdam was louder than the Belgium audience the night before. As they played “Cruelty Brought The Orchids” a female dancer entered the stage. This is an aspect of their show which I really don’t like. Cradle Of Filth doesn’t need this kind of nonsense, they are good even without female beauty on stage (although the dancer looked really pretty).

After this the band played “Thank God For The Suffering”, “Nocturnal Supremacy” and “From The Cradle To Enslave”. The short break that followed was welcome, time to take a breath. While breathing we had a chance to listen to a tune of the movie Starwars. After this intermezzo, mostly older songs passed my eardrums, like “Heaven Torn Asunder”. I expected an encore, but I was wrong. The screaming and shouting of the audience was not rewarded.

(Photo`s by Minerva Scavo)

This evening was perfect; great support acts and completed with Cradle Of Filth’s deadly precision. The band was on edge and the audience reacted to that. It hit me that the setlist contained songs from all albums. Old as well as new songs where performed by these black metal bastards. I think this show was a dignified final for their European tour.

(Review & Pics: Pieke Schoonbrood)