Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder
Encyclopedia
Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder (subtitled The Life and Crimes of Gilles de Rais
) is the eighth studio album
by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth
. It was released on October 27, 2008 by Roadrunner Records
. A special edition containing bonus material was also released. Once again, Doug Bradley
provides narration for the album (as with Midian
, Nymphetamine
and Thornography
). The title of the album derives from a valediction
vocalist Dani Filth
once used to sign a letter.
It is Cradle of Filth's first album in which the band is depicted as a four-piece, rather than its usual six-man staple. It is also the last album to feature backing vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva
.
The album debuted at #48 on the Billboard Top 200 chart with sales of a little over 11,000 copies.
guitarist Andy Sneap
, who previously worked with Cradle of Filth while mixing
the band's 2006 album, Thornography
.
The band's official message boards recently revealed parts of an interview with guitarist Paul Allender
, conducted by MédiaMatinQuébec: "We already have four new songs ready and I have to say that they are... much faster than the songs on Thornography. [They] sound like old Cradle of Filth... A mixture of Midian
and Dusk...." The interview goes on to state that the album will be followed by a European and American tour. Dani Filth
has described the album as, "our most extreme, dramatic and deeply disturbing album to date. The legend of Gilles de Rais has been given fresh, vampyrical life in this conceptual meisterwerk, swathed in pitch-black magic and a viciousness unsurpassed in the annals of Cradle history. Screw what our detractors say, everyone who has heard this album has bruised their jaws on the pentagram-bejewelled floor."
In an interview with Blistering
magazine, Filth revealed that three additional songs were recorded during the album sessions, among them an instrumental piece and a cover of Celtic Frost
's "Into the Crypt of Rays". On the topic of their absence from the album, Filth has stated that they "were taken out so that the album wasn't too long. They'll turn up somewhere." They were ultimately included on the special edition.
, and how his story manifests on Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder:
on August 27, 2008. 30-second samples of each track on the album were made available on amazon.de
on September 27.
The track "Honey and Sulphur" was the album's first single
, and has been made available for purchase on the iTunes Store
. A music video
for the song was filmed at the Chislehurst Caves
of Kent
. In addition, "Midnight Shadows Crawl to Darken Counsel with Life" is available for streaming on the band's official website. A video for "The Death of Love" was released on July 31, 2009. Andy Sneap has mixed a new version of the song for the video.
Gilles de Rais
Gilles de Montmorency-Laval , Baron de Rais, was a Breton knight, a leader in the French army and a companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc. He is best known as a prolific serial killer of children...
) is the eighth studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band, formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic black metal, and other extreme metal styles, while their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily...
. It was released on October 27, 2008 by Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
. A special edition containing bonus material was also released. Once again, Doug Bradley
Doug Bradley
Douglas William "Doug" Bradley is an English actor best known for his roles in the Hellraiser film series.- Early life :Bradley was born in Liverpool, England...
provides narration for the album (as with Midian
Midian (album)
Midian is the fourth studio album by Cradle of Filth, released on Halloween 2000. The album marks the return of Paul Allender and Gian Pyres to the band and the introduction of Adrian Erlandsson and Martin Powell...
, Nymphetamine
Nymphetamine
Nymphetamine is the sixth album by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth, released on September 28, 2004. Nymphetamine marks the first recorded appearance of guitarist James McIlroy on a Cradle of Filth album. He would later record guitar for the band's 2010 release Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa...
and Thornography
Thornography
Thornography is the seventh full-length studio album by Cradle of Filth released through Roadrunner Records in October, 2006. The album is produced by Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano, engineered and co-produced by Dan Turner and mixed by Andy Sneap, and once again features narration by Doug Bradley...
). The title of the album derives from a valediction
Valediction
A valediction , or complimentary close in American English, is an expression used to say farewell, especially a word or phrase used to end a letter or message, or the act of saying parting words- whether brief, or extensive.For the greetings counterpart to valediction, see salutation.Alternatively,...
vocalist Dani Filth
Dani Filth
Dani Filth is the lyricist, vocalist and founding member of the metal band Cradle of Filth.-Personal life:...
once used to sign a letter.
It is Cradle of Filth's first album in which the band is depicted as a four-piece, rather than its usual six-man staple. It is also the last album to feature backing vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva
Sarah Jezebel Deva
Sarah Jane , better known by her stage name Sarah Jezebel Deva, is a British vocalist. She was the female vocalist in Cradle of Filth for 14 years and also fronts her own band, Angtoria. In 2009, Deva started her self-titled solo project. The debut album A Sign of Sublime was released in February...
.
The album debuted at #48 on the Billboard Top 200 chart with sales of a little over 11,000 copies.
Recording and production
The album is produced by SabbatSabbat (band)
Sabbat are a thrash metal band from Nottingham, England, currently consisting of Martin Walkyier , Andy Sneap , Simon Jones , Gizz Butt and Simon Negus . Over the years Sabbat have released three studio albums, four demos, two split singles/compilation albums, two singles and a live VHS...
guitarist Andy Sneap
Andy Sneap
Andy "Undie" Sneap is an English record producer, recording engineer, mixer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is best known for producing and mixing many acclaimed heavy metal albums.-Musician:...
, who previously worked with Cradle of Filth while mixing
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
the band's 2006 album, Thornography
Thornography
Thornography is the seventh full-length studio album by Cradle of Filth released through Roadrunner Records in October, 2006. The album is produced by Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano, engineered and co-produced by Dan Turner and mixed by Andy Sneap, and once again features narration by Doug Bradley...
.
The band's official message boards recently revealed parts of an interview with guitarist Paul Allender
Paul Allender
Paul Allender is the lead guitarist of the British extreme metal band Cradle of Filth.-Early life:...
, conducted by MédiaMatinQuébec: "We already have four new songs ready and I have to say that they are... much faster than the songs on Thornography. [They] sound like old Cradle of Filth... A mixture of Midian
Midian (album)
Midian is the fourth studio album by Cradle of Filth, released on Halloween 2000. The album marks the return of Paul Allender and Gian Pyres to the band and the introduction of Adrian Erlandsson and Martin Powell...
and Dusk...." The interview goes on to state that the album will be followed by a European and American tour. Dani Filth
Dani Filth
Dani Filth is the lyricist, vocalist and founding member of the metal band Cradle of Filth.-Personal life:...
has described the album as, "our most extreme, dramatic and deeply disturbing album to date. The legend of Gilles de Rais has been given fresh, vampyrical life in this conceptual meisterwerk, swathed in pitch-black magic and a viciousness unsurpassed in the annals of Cradle history. Screw what our detractors say, everyone who has heard this album has bruised their jaws on the pentagram-bejewelled floor."
In an interview with Blistering
Blistering
Blistering, founded in 1998, is an international online magazine dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock music. Its editor-in-chief is David E. Gehlke, an American music journalist who has written for About.com, Metal Maniacs, and Throat Culture...
magazine, Filth revealed that three additional songs were recorded during the album sessions, among them an instrumental piece and a cover of Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost was a metal band from Zürich, Switzerland. They are known for their heavy influence on the extreme metal genres. The group was first active from 1984 to 1993, and re-formed in 2001. Following Tom Gabriel Fischer's departure in 2008, Celtic Frost decided to break up again...
's "Into the Crypt of Rays". On the topic of their absence from the album, Filth has stated that they "were taken out so that the album wasn't too long. They'll turn up somewhere." They were ultimately included on the special edition.
Concept
In an interview published in February 2009, Dani talked about Gilles de RaisGilles de Rais
Gilles de Montmorency-Laval , Baron de Rais, was a Breton knight, a leader in the French army and a companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc. He is best known as a prolific serial killer of children...
, and how his story manifests on Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder:
Promotion
The track "Tragic Kingdom", was made available for free download by Roadrunner RecordsRoadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
on August 27, 2008. 30-second samples of each track on the album were made available on amazon.de
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
on September 27.
The track "Honey and Sulphur" was the album's first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, and has been made available for purchase on the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. A music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song was filmed at the Chislehurst Caves
Chislehurst Caves
Chislehurst Caves are a long series of tunnels in Chislehurst, in the south eastern suburbs of Greater London. Although called caves, they are chalk and flint mines and entirely man-made....
of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. In addition, "Midnight Shadows Crawl to Darken Counsel with Life" is available for streaming on the band's official website. A video for "The Death of Love" was released on July 31, 2009. Andy Sneap has mixed a new version of the song for the video.
Press reviews
- "...Grandiose, epic but still feral... eclipses the relatively weak Thornography... mixes scorching dynamics, atmosphere and overblown theatrics..." (Paul Travers, Kerrang!Kerrang!Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
issue 1223, October 25, 2008) - "...Ticks all the band's usual boxes, while also boasting genuine narrative depth and real emotional resonance... Cradle's heaviest album yet and their strongest set of songs..." (Dom Lawson, Metal HammerMetal HammerMetal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
, November 2008) - "...A much more cohesive, consistent and convincing album than Cradle have made for ages... Too samey to justify 71 minutes, but ultimately this is cracking..." (Chris Chantler, Terrorizer issue 177, December 2008)
Track listing
- All lyrics by Dani FilthDani FilthDani Filth is the lyricist, vocalist and founding member of the metal band Cradle of Filth.-Personal life:...
. All music by Paul AllenderPaul AllenderPaul Allender is the lead guitarist of the British extreme metal band Cradle of Filth.-Early life:...
, Mark Newby-RobsonMark Newby-RobsonMark Newby-Robson is a classical keyboard player, composer and writer from Suffolk, England.Robson has been a guest keyboardist in Suffolk-based extreme metal band Cradle of Filth whilst the band were touring in 1999, after having former keyboardist, Lecter, leave the band...
and Cradle of FilthCradle of FilthCradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band, formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic black metal, and other extreme metal styles, while their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily...
.
Cradle of Filth
- Dani FilthDani FilthDani Filth is the lyricist, vocalist and founding member of the metal band Cradle of Filth.-Personal life:...
– Vocals - Paul AllenderPaul AllenderPaul Allender is the lead guitarist of the British extreme metal band Cradle of Filth.-Early life:...
– GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Dave PybusDave PybusDave Pybus .Pybus's first band was called Anul Death which later changed its name to Darkened.From 1990-1994 Dave worked at Peaceville Records as a graphic designer...
– BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Martin ŠkaroupkaMartin Marthus SkaroupkaMartin "Marthus" Škaroupka is a drummer best known for his stint in the British metal band Cradle of Filth.-Biography:...
– DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Additional personnel
- Mark Newby-Robson - Keyboards
- Stephen Svanholm - BaritoneBaritoneBaritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
Voice - Doug BradleyDoug BradleyDouglas William "Doug" Bradley is an English actor best known for his roles in the Hellraiser film series.- Early life :Bradley was born in Liverpool, England...
– Lead Narration - Carolyn Gretton - Lead Female Vocals
- Sarah Jezebel DevaSarah Jezebel DevaSarah Jane , better known by her stage name Sarah Jezebel Deva, is a British vocalist. She was the female vocalist in Cradle of Filth for 14 years and also fronts her own band, Angtoria. In 2009, Deva started her self-titled solo project. The debut album A Sign of Sublime was released in February...
– Spoken Voice, Harmonies - Luna Scarlett Davey - Child Narration
- Elissa Devins, Julie Devins, Leanne Harrison, Carolyn Gretton, Tonya KayTonya KayTonya Kay is an American actress, television personality, and performance artist appearing in independent films and episodic television. Her background includes performing stunts and what she refers to as "danger arts", which consist of knife throwing and whip cracking...
, Rachel Marshall-Clarke, Liz Willgoose, Laura Willgoose - Choir - Charles HedgerCharles HedgerCharles Hedger is a guitarist who is known for his stint in the extreme metal band Cradle of Filth and his work with Imperial Vengeance.-Early life:Hedger showed musical interest from an early age...
- Live Guitars - Rosie Smith - Live Keyboards
Production
- Recorded at Backstage Studios, Sneapy Hollow, Derbyshire, England, Mars-Juno 2008 E.H
- Produced By Andy SneapAndy SneapAndy "Undie" Sneap is an English record producer, recording engineer, mixer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is best known for producing and mixing many acclaimed heavy metal albums.-Musician:...
& Doug Cook - Engineered By Scott Atkins, Andy Sneap & Doug Cook
- Mixed and Mastered By Andy Sneap
Other credits
- David HoDavid Ho (artist)David G. Ho is a Chinese-American artist.Ho was born in New Jersey. He moved to Taiwan with his family when he was a child, and moved back to California as a teenager...
- Art Work - Travis Smith, seempieces - Design Production
- Daragh McDonagh - Photography
- Eternal Spirits - Costumes