Existence Is Futile (Cradle of Filth album)

Last updated

Existence Is Futile
Cof existence is futile cd.jpg
Studio album by
Cradle of Filth
Released22 October 2021
RecordedFebruary–October 2020 [1] [2]
StudioGrindstone Studios (Suffolk, England) [3]
Genre Extreme metal
Length56:40
Label Nuclear Blast
Producer Scott Atkins [3]
Cradle of Filth chronology
Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay
(2017)		Existence Is Futile
(2021)		Trouble and Their Double Lives
(2023)
Singles from Existence Is Futile
  1. "Crawling King Chaos"
    Released: 30 July 2021 [4]
  2. "Necromantic Fantasies"
    Released: 15 September 2021 [5]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 83/100 [6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Blabbermouth.net 8.5/10 [8]
Kerrang! 4/5 [9]

Existence Is Futile is the thirteenth studio album by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth, released on 22 October 2021 through Nuclear Blast. [3] [10] [11] It is the band's only album to feature keyboardist and backing vocalist Anabelle Iratni [12] and the last album with guitarist Richard Shaw before his departure in May 2022. [13] This album also saw the return of Doug Bradley to provide narration for two tracks. It is the sixth Cradle of Filth release on which he appears, but the first since 2011's Evermore Darkly .

Contents

Background

Describing the album's style, frontman Dani Filth said:

Fast and slow parts (and faster still), new delectable flavours and those reminiscent of earlier COF albums galore, massive choruses and melancholic drop-downs, old skool melodic NWOBM amid furious, scathing black metal amid apocalyptic groove. But I would say it's not very different from 'Cryptoriana'. It's not as intricately laced. That album spoke of the times it was trying to assimilate and represent. This album is about existential terror. The threat of everything. The end of the world, the end of one's life, existential dread. A little hope, I guess in there. It's a CRADLE OF FILTH record. The songs are strong. They're extreme, but it's a mixture of everything. [14]

Artwork

The artwork was created by Arthur Berzinsh, who also worked on Hammer of the Witches and Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay . [3] [10] For Existence Is Futile he took inspiration from The Garden of Earthly Delights by Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch; in particular, the "Prince of Hell" in the right "hellscape" panel of the triptych.

Critical reception

The album received positive reviews from music critics upon the album's release.

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 83 based on 4 reviews, indicating "Universal acclaim". [6] AllMusic gave the album a positive review, saying, "The band's grandiose hellscapes can sometimes feel like horror-fiction cosplay, but in trading some of the myth and magic for the genuine torment of existential dread, they've managed to produce their most humanistic work to date." [7]

Blabbermouth.net gave the album a positive review, stating "In fact, it's that slight hint that CRADLE OF FILTH are commenting on real-world events, arguably for the first time, that gives "Existence Is Futile" its unique edge. This is a top-notch album that fans of the band will instantly adore, but it's also a restless and authentically unsettling affair; reflective of the dark times we live in, but also a sincere tribute to the sturdiness our collective resolve as followers of the dark musical arts. If a band of this vintage can rage against the dying of the light with this much style, substance and intensity, there may yet be hope for the rest of us." [8]

Kerrang! gave the album 4 out of 5 and stated: "True enough. And only a band so conversant in morbidity, metal and gallows wit could articulate it so brilliantly as this. If you've slept on Cradle of Filth recently, now is your chance to redeem yourself. For those who know - they're back at their hellish best." [9]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."The Fate of the World on Our Shoulders" (Instrumental)1:37
2."Existential Terror"6:17
3."Necromantic Fantasies"5:40
4."Crawling King Chaos"5:27
5."Here Comes a Candle... (Infernal Lullaby)" (Instrumental)1:28
6."Black Smoke Curling from the Lips of War"5:21
7."Discourse Between a Man and His Soul"5:30
8."The Dying of the Embers"6:08
9."Ashen Mortality" (Instrumental)1:50
10."How Many Tears to Nurture a Rose?"4:34
11."Suffer Our Dominion"6:22
12."Us, Dark, Invincible"6:26
Total length:56:40
Digital and deluxe edition
No.TitleLength
13."Sisters of the Mist"7:14
14."Unleash the Hellion"6:23
Total length:70:17

Personnel

Credits for Existence Is Futile adapted from liner notes. [15]

Cradle of Filth

Additional personnel

Production

Charts

Chart performance for Existence Is Futile
Chart (2021)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [16] 82
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [17] 12
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [18] 43
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [19] 37
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [20] 38
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [21] 4
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [22] 9
Italian Albums (FIMI) [23] 61
Polish Albums (ZPAV) [24] 30
Scottish Albums (OCC) [25] 18
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [26] 20
UK Albums (OCC) [27] 68
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [28] 5
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [29] 3

Related Research Articles

<i>The Number of the Beast</i> (album) 1982 studio album by Iron Maiden

The Number of the Beast is the third studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 22 March 1982 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and in the United States by Harvest and Capitol Records. The album was their first to feature vocalist Bruce Dickinson and their last with drummer Clive Burr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cradle of Filth</span> English extreme metal band

Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved originally from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal and other metal genres. Their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily influenced by Gothic literature, poetry, mythology and horror films. The band consists of its founding member, vocalist Dani Filth, drummer Martin 'Marthus' Škaroupka, bassist Daniel Firth, guitarists Marek 'Ashok' Šmerda and Donny Burbage, and keyboardist Zoe Marie Federoff.

<i>Cruelty and the Beast</i> 1998 studio album by Cradle of Filth

Cruelty and the Beast is the third studio album by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth. It is a concept album based on the legend of the Hungarian "blood countess" Elizabeth Báthory and features guest narration by actress Ingrid Pitt in-character as Báthory, a role she first played in the Hammer Horror film Countess Dracula in 1971. It was released on 5 May 1998 by record label Music for Nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cradle of Filth discography</span>

Cradle of Filth was formed in Suffolk, England, in 1991. The band's original members consisted of vocalist Dani Filth, guitarist Paul Ryan, keyboardist Ben Ryan, bassist John Pritchard and drummer Darren Gardner. With this line-up, Cradle of Filth recorded a demo in 1992, titled Invoking the Unclean. Soon after, they recorded their second demo, Orgiastic Pleasures Foul with new guitarist Robin Eaglestone and new drummer Was Sarginson. Robin left the band shortly afterwards, but following the departure of John Pritchard, Eaglestone returned to take his place as bassist. Guitarist Paul Allender joined the band at the same time. Following these changes, another demo was recorded, titled Total Fucking Darkness. Sarginson left the band soon after, paving the way for the entry of drummer Nicholas Barker.

<i>Godspeed on the Devils Thunder</i> 2008 studio album by Cradle of Filth

Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder is the eighth studio album by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth. It was released on 28 October 2008, through record label Roadrunner. It is the band's fourth concept album, after Cruelty and the Beast (1998), Midian (2000), and Damnation and a Day (2003), dealing with the life of the 15th-century French baron Gilles de Rais.

<i>The Final Frontier</i> 2010 studio album by Iron Maiden

The Final Frontier is the fifteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 13 August 2010 in Germany, Austria and Finland, 17 August in North America, 18 August in Japan, and 16 August worldwide. At 76 minutes and 34 seconds, it is the band's third-longest studio album to date, a duration surpassed only by 2015's The Book of Souls and 2021's Senjutsu. Melvyn Grant, a long-time contributor to the band's artwork, created the cover art. It is the band's final album to be released through EMI Records, marking the end of their 30-year relationship. It is also the last album to use the band's alternate logo. While not a concept album, themes of exploration, expectation, and discovery are frequent throughout. The Final Frontier is the band's first studio album in nearly four years, making it one of the longest gaps between one album and the following.

<i>Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa</i> 2010 studio album by Cradle of Filth

Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa is the ninth studio album by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth. It was released on 1 November 2010 by record label Peaceville and is a concept album centred on the demon Lilith. It is Cradle of Filth's only album to feature keyboardist Ashley Ellyllon, and is also the band's final album with Dave Pybus as their bass player and James McIlroy as their second guitar player.

<i>The Manticore and Other Horrors</i> 2012 studio album by Cradle of Filth

The Manticore and Other Horrors is the tenth studio album by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth. It was released on 29 October 2012 in Europe and on 30 October in USA. It is the band's first and only album so far as a three-man group rather than its six-man staple. It was also the last release with Paul Allender on guitar, who departed the band for a second time in April 2014.

<i>Hammer of the Witches</i> 2015 studio album by Cradle of Filth

Hammer of the Witches is the eleventh studio album by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth. It was released on 10 July 2015 and is their first release under record label Nuclear Blast. Hammer of the Witches features the band's new line-up following the departure of Paul Allender and James McIlroy, which includes new guitarists Marek 'Ashok' Šmerda and Richard Shaw and new keyboardist and female vocalist Lindsay Schoolcraft.

<i>Thats the Spirit</i> 2015 studio album by Bring Me the Horizon

That's the Spirit is the fifth studio album by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. The album was released on 11 September 2015, and marks a departure from the group's metalcore roots, in favour of a less aggressive alternative rock and metal style.

<i>Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay</i> 2017 studio album by Cradle of Filth

Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay is the twelfth studio album by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth. It was released on 22 September 2017 through Nuclear Blast Records. It is the second and final album to feature Lindsay Schoolcraft on narration before her departure in February 2020.

<i>We Are Not Your Kind</i> 2019 studio album by Slipknot

We Are Not Your Kind is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Recorded at EastWest Studios in Hollywood, California with co-producer Greg Fidelman, it was released on August 9, 2019, by Roadrunner Records. The title is taken from a lyric in the song "All Out Life", which was released as a standalone single in 2018 and features as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of the album. We Are Not Your Kind is the only Slipknot album to be recorded as an eight-member band, as their former percussionist Chris Fehn was fired from the band in March 2019 after suing the group for alleged unpaid royalties.

<i>In Cauda Venenum</i> 2019 studio album by Opeth

In Cauda Venenum is the thirteenth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth, released on 27 September 2019 through Moderbolaget and Nuclear Blast. It was released in two versions: a Swedish-language version and an English-language version. The band toured in support of the album throughout 2019 and into 2020. At 67 minutes and 57 seconds, it is the band's longest studio album. It is also the band's last album to feature drummer Martin Axenrot before his departure in 2021.

<i>Atonement</i> (Killswitch Engage album) 2019 studio album by Killswitch Engage

Atonement is the eighth studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage, released through Metal Blade Records on August 16, 2019. Lead single "Unleashed" was released on June 25, and followed by "I Am Broken Too" in July which would later follow up with a music video in August, as well as "The Signal Fire" shortly before the album's release. The band began a co-headlining tour of North America with Clutch in promotion of the album in July.

<i>Ohms</i> (album) 2020 studio album by Deftones

Ohms is the ninth studio album by American alternative metal band Deftones, released on September 25, 2020, through Reprise Records. The album was produced by Terry Date, making it their first collaboration since the unreleased Eros and the final with bassist Sergio Vega who departed from the band in early 2021. The album was preceded by the release of two singles: "Ohms" and "Genesis". The song "Ceremony" was later released as a single. Ohms received acclaim from critics. The title track was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance in 2022.

<i>The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!</i> 2022 studio album by Megadeth

The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! is the sixteenth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on September 2, 2022, on frontman Dave Mustaine's Tradecraft label via Universal. It is the first Megadeth album to feature drummer Dirk Verbeuren and their first studio album in six years since Dystopia (2016), marking the longest gap between two studio albums in the band's career. The album was produced by Mustaine and Chris Rakestraw.

<i>Bullet for My Valentine</i> (album) 2021 studio album by Bullet for My Valentine

Bullet for My Valentine is the seventh studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. Originally scheduled for release on 22 October 2021, it was released on 5 November 2021 through Spinefarm Records and was produced by Carl Bown.

<i>In the Court of the Dragon</i> 2021 studio album by Trivium

In the Court of the Dragon is the tenth studio album by American heavy metal band Trivium. It was released on October 8, 2021, through Roadrunner Records and was produced by Josh Wilbur.

<i>Hushed and Grim</i> 2021 studio album by Mastodon

Hushed and Grim is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Mastodon. It was released as a double album on October 29, 2021, through Reprise Records. The album is the band's longest to date, their first double album. Guest appearances include Soundgarden's Kim Thayil on "Had It All" and Troy Sanders' mother Jody Sanders on French horn but no guest vocal appearance by Scott Kelly from Neurosis for the first time since their 2002 debut Remission, due to Kelly's withdrawal from the public eye that was not announced until August 2022. The album also serves as a tribute to Mastodon's former manager Nick John, after his death from cancer in 2018.

References

  1. ↑ "CRADLE OF FILTH In The Studio: Video Footage Of Drum-Tracking Sessions". Blabbermouth.net . 1 March 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  2. ↑ "CRADLE OF FILTH Postpones Livestream Concert". Blabbermouth.net. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Cradle Of Flith Announces 'Killer' Album Existence Is Futile". voi.id. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  4. ↑ Carter, Emily (30 July 2021). "Cradle Of Filth announce 13th album Existence Is Futile; unleash brutal single Crawling King Chaos". Kerrang!. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  5. ↑ "Cradle Of Filth teilen ihre 'Necromantic Fantasies' mit uns". MoreCore.de (in German). 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Existence Is Futile by Cradle of Filth". Metacritic . Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  7. 1 2 "AllMusic Review by James Christopher Monger". AllMusic . Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Existence Is Futile - CRADLE OF FILTH". Blabbermouth.net. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  9. 1 2 Ruskell, Nick (21 October 2021). "Album review: Cradle Of Filth – Existence Is Futile". Kerrang!. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  10. 1 2 "Cradle of Filth Announce New Album Existence Is Futile". Consequence . 3 February 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  11. ↑ "Cradle Of Filth announce new album 'Existence Is Futile'". ramzine. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  12. ↑ "Cradle Of Filth Welcome New Keyboardist/Vocalist Anabelle Iratni". Theprp.com. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  13. ↑ Trapp, Philip (4 May 2022). "Cradle of Filth Lineup Shakeup Finds Band Parting Ways With 2 Members". Loudwire. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  14. ↑ "CRADLE OF FILTH Announces 'Existence Is Futile' Album". blabbermouth.net. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  15. ↑ (2021). "Existence Is Futile liner notes". In Existence Is Futile [CD booklet]. Nuclear Blast.
  16. ↑ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 1 November 2021". The ARIA Report. No. 1652. Australian Recording Industry Association. 1 November 2021. p. 6.
  17. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Cradle of Filth – Existence Is Futile" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  18. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Cradle of Filth – Existence Is Futile" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  19. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Cradle of Filth – Existence Is Futile" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  20. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Cradle of Filth – Existence Is Futile" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  21. ↑ "Cradle of Filth: Existence Is Futile" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  22. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Cradle of Filth – Existence Is Futile" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  23. ↑ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 43 (dal 22.10.2021 al 28.10.2021)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  24. ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  25. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  26. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Cradle of Filth – Existence Is Futile". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  27. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  28. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  29. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.