cradle of filth

baltimore soundstage | 4/6/19

By Jay Oakley

Tonight is the night!!! The powerful opening lyric to “Nemesis” and the words never rang truer then they did in Baltimore.

Baltimore has had its share of bad luck when it’s come to Cradle performing in the area. the last series of area gigs had to be cancelled for various reasons but that happens. Besides, the Cryptoriana World Tour opened a portal to Hell right in the middle of Baltimore Soundstage. There were crowd surfers coming into the photo pit within the first two songs trying to get a little closer to the band that brought everyone together.

Opening with “Gilded Cunt,” “Nemesis” and “Right Wing Of The Garden Triptych,” the choirs ignited. “Heartbreak And Seance,” '“Bathory Aria” and “Wester Verspertine” followed and the crowd was united. “Dusk And Her Embrace” and “You Will Know The Lion By His Claw” brought about the midway point of the set. Eight songs delivered with that kind of power would have been enough for anyone and the crowd would have been happy but Cradle had way more to deliver.

CoF’s extended encore opened with “The Promise Of Fever” and “Saffron’s Curse” before setting the stage the iconic “Nymphetamine.” Following “Honey And Sulfur” Dani treated everyone to a bonus song that wasn’t part of the set because of how much he was feeling the energy of the crowd and we were gifted “The Twisted Nails Of Faith.” “Her Ghost In The Fog” and “From The Cradle To Enslave” brought a hot, sweaty, evil and filthy evening to a close

While CoF has never been without their fair share of controversy the fact is music is about self expression and creativity. The show and tour was about unity and a metal family. There were die-hards there with Cradle tattoos, other fans that had a great time but were there for one of the other bands as well as fans that had never seen Cradle before and left saying it was the greatest show they’d even seen.

Tours with this kind of lineup and headliners like Cradle Of Filth are just not common these days. There’s a certain amount of mystery, intrigue and fear that surrounds them but the fact of the matter is Cradle Of Filth have designed and perfected their craft. Their lyrics, videos and imagery are unique to them and they don’t for one second feel that’s something they should apologize for.