ALBUM REVIEW: Trouble And Their Double Lives – Cradle Of Filth

CRADLE OF FILTH have consistently been a formidable force in the live arena and have risen throughout the years from their early days gigs alongside the likes of ANATHEMA and EMPEROR when they were just getting started to some of the biggest stages all over the world, including the storied likes of Download, Bloodstock and Ozzfest. All the while they have developed their live persona and stagecraft in tandem with their stylish black metal as it evolved, establishing themselves as a top tier metal and live act along the way.

While there have been live documents showcasing CRADLE OF FILTH‘s live persona in the past (2002’s Live Bait For The Dead, recorded at Nottingham Rock City was the first live album the band ever brought out, and there was also the 2019 release of the band’s show at 1997s Dynamo Festival in Holland), these performances are over 20 years old, so a more up to date showcase of CRADLE OF FILTH live has been anticipated for some time.

A combination of a forthcoming new album on a new label in Napalm Records and time over the pandemic has led to the release of Trouble And Their Double Lives, a collection of live CRADLE OF FILTH songs recorded on the Cryptoriana World Tour and beyond which fills the gap nicely between the band’s past and their much-anticipated new album as well as being a brilliant demonstration of the power of the band in a live setting in their recent history.

With tracks covering all aspects of CRADLE OF FILTH‘s history, this live record shows off the strength of the band’s back catalogue with earlier songs like Haunted Shores And Lustmord, Desire In Violent Overture and Wargasm (The Relicking of Cadaverous Wounds) alongside newer cuts like Heartbreak And Seance and Blackest Magick In Practice. All are delivered with finesse and power, and it is really interesting to see how the band’s current line-up play songs from Dusk And Her Embrace and Cruelty And The Beast for example as vocalist Dani Filth is the only member still in the band from those early days. Needless to say, they certainly do justice to the early material and the newer tracks as well of course.

As it is not just one recorded live concert, the vibe varies from track to track (as do the various shoutouts to where the band are playing and the great onstage banter from Dani) but you still feel the power of the band live thoroughly and it does have a definite cohesive feeling to the whole thing and also certainly acts as a definitive live document of the history of CRADLE OF FILTH. As if that wasn’t enough, Trouble And Their Double Lives also contains two brand new studio recordings, the haunting She Is A Fire and the groovingly majestic Demon Prince Regent that were recorded after the band’s last album Existence Is Futile and act as a tantalising taster for their new album.

Overall, Trouble And Their Double Lives stands as a fitting testament to CRADLE OF FILTH and their history as well as having one eye on the future and where the band’s music will go next.

Rating: 8/10

Trouble And Their Double Lives is set for release on April 28th via Napalm Records.

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