If you are a fan of heavy metal (well, you’re on this website, so it’s safe to say you are), then you no doubt have some sort of connection to the gods of Gothic metal, Cradle of Filth. Don’t deny it, we all do. We’re all only one step away from donning corpse paint and screaming to the Satanic metal gods.
Arriving to The Triffid at 5pm feels strange on a Sunday, the hipsters and socially elite are winding down their Sunday sessions of moody blues and dingy rock and being replaced with a sea of goths donning the afore mentioned corpse paint, platform boots and so much black, there is a void somewhere in the universe that has more brightness emitting from it. But I digress, this is a metal show, so what more could you want or expect?
Tonight is a real treat, not only are we getting goth metal royalty on the bill, but their support is the Moldovian metal powerhouse that is Infected Rain. Now, I have been waiting for this band to grace our shores for a while and I got everything I ever wanted from their performance. From nearly copping a wayward dreadlock to the face to the vocal prowess that front woman Lena Scissorhands displays effortlessly, there wasn’t one dissatisfied punter in the venue.
Hitting the stage with an intro of A SECOND OR A THOUSAND YEARS, its not long before the full scale assault on our senses is hit with the phenomenal The Realm Of Chaos from their 2022 album Ecdysis. This really sets the scene for how much power and energy this 4 piece puts into every waking moment of their set.
With the main focus of their set being their latest album, TIME, there’s not a moment of rest before we get a double hitter with PANDEMONIUM and VIVARIUM, just incredible in a live setting. Like I said before, they’re everything I expected them to be, and more. Closing out their set with Sweet, Sweet Lies, there is no way to truly describe the performance we just witnessed.
A maiden tour of Australia is a chance to put your best foot forward and show what you’ve got. This band put EVERYTHING into their show and really gave the masses exactly what they wanted.
Cradle.Of.Fucking.Filth. There is NO ONE that comes close to these guys when it comes to musicianship, stage presence, career longevity and sheer fucking brilliance. From the time the lights go down and guitarist Marek Smerda emerges, dressed akin to Pinhead from Hellraiser and clutching The Lament Configuration in hand, Cradle have some sights to show us and we are all in to the damn hilt!
Its not an easy feat to cram 30+ years into one set, but with 4 tracks from their 2021 release Existence Is Futile, the rest of the set is peppered with one song from each album and carefully placed to make up a set that flows fantastically to not only give the punters what they want, but also to keep the energy of the evening at a consistent high.
As Dani Filth paces the stage, it’s a visual spectacular from start to finish. Do I dare say I’m in heaven with the lighting, stage set up and overall visual spectacular when I’m at a show that is so heavily Satanically driven? There isn’t one disappointed person in the venue tonight. I guarantee that.
Giving us such a hefty set on the final night of the tour feels like we’re being spoiled and as Dani stands atop the riser toward the back of the stage, you can see in his eyes that he is damn proud of what he has created and is humbly thankful to the legion of fans that have made epic treks from all over the state just to witness this musical monstrosity in all it’s glory.
As the night comes to a close, it’s only fitting that the encore has a mix of their earlier works (I was VERY happy to hear Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids in the set). These musicians truly are masters of their craft. There is no doubt that everyone has lived this show to it’s fullest and will depart The Triffid with smiles ear to ear and enough merch to last until the next time they can grace our shores once more.
– GALLERY –
