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Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder

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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 28 October 2008, through record label Roadrunner.[1][2][3] 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.

Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder
Cover art by David Ho
Studio album by
Cradle of Filth
Released28 October 2008
RecordedMarch–June 2008 at Backstage Studios, Derbyshire, England
GenreExtreme metal
Length71:22
LabelRoadrunner
Producer
Cradle of Filth chronology
Thornography
(2006) 		Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder
(2008) 		Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa
(2010)
Singles from Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder
  1. "Tragic Kingdom"
    Released: 2008
  2. "Honey and Sulphur"
    Released: 2008
  3. "The Death of Love"
    Released: 2009
Alternate cover
Special Edition cover

Recording and production

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The album was produced by Sabbat guitarist Andy Sneap, who had previously worked with Cradle of Filth while mixing the band's 2006 album, Thornography. Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder is Cradle of Filth's first album as a four-piece, rather than its usual six-man staple. It is also the last album to feature backing vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva (although she briefly returned for Midnight in the Labyrinth in 2012) and the first to feature drummer Martin Škaroupka, replacing Adrian Erlandsson.

The band's official message boards revealed parts of an interview with guitarist Paul Allender, conducted by Média Matin Québec: "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."[4]

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 Crypts of Rays".[5] 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."[5] They were ultimately included on the special edition.

Content

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In an interview published in February 2009, Dani talked about Gilles de Rais, and how his story manifests on Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder:

After Joan of Arc's death, he slid into a life of debauchery, which ended up with him trying to reclaim his fortune through alchemy and witchcraft. This led him to murder and kidnapping. He was eventually arrested by the Catholic Church and tried. It's a great gothic sort of fairytale story, because he's a very pious man at the beginning, turns extremely evil... The story runs concurrently throughout the album, it's not just vague ideas orbiting a main satellite. It's a story, and the narrative is actually taken from trial transcripts that were taken down in secular court at the time of his judgement.[6]

The title of the album derives from a valediction vocalist Dani Filth once used to sign a letter.[5]

Once again, Doug Bradley provides narration for the album (as with Midian, Nymphetamine and Thornography). The actor Tony Todd had initially been approached, but had quit the recording sessions over discomfort with the material.[7]

Promotion and release

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On 21 July 2008, the band revealed the title and track listing of the new album.[8] The track "Tragic Kingdom", was made available for free download by Roadrunner Records on 27 August,[9] while 30-second samples of each track on the album were made available on Amazon.de on 27 September.[10] 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.[11][12] In addition, "Midnight Shadows Crawl to Darken Counsel with Life" was available for streaming on the band's official website.[13]

Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder was released on 28 October. The album peaked at number 48 on the Billboard 200 chart,[14] with sales of a little over 11,000 copies.[15] It reached number 73 in the UK Albums Chart.[16] A special edition containing a bonus disc was also released.[17]

A video for "The Death of Love" was released on 31 July 2009.[18] Andy Sneap has mixed a new version of the song for the video.

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [19]
Blabbermouth.net          [20]
Blistering          [21]
ChartAttackmixed[22]
Chronicles of Chaos7/10[23]
IGN7.2/10[24]
Kerrang!     [25]
Metal Storm          [26]
PopMatters          [27]
Terrorizer          [28]

Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder has been generally well received by critics. Terrorizer called it "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..."[28] Kerrang! called it "Grandiose, epic but still feral... eclipses the relatively weak Thornography... mixes scorching dynamics, atmosphere and overblown theatrics..."[25] Metal Hammer wrote that it "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..."[29]

Track listing

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All lyrics are written by Dani Filth; all music is composed by Paul Allender, Mark Newby-Robson and Cradle of Filth, except where indicated

No.TitleLength
1."In Grandeur and Frankincense Devilment Stirs (instrumental)"2:27
2."Shat Out of Hell"5:03
3."The Death of Love"7:13
4."The 13th Caesar"5:35
5."Tiffauges (instrumental)"2:14
6."Tragic Kingdom"5:59
7."Sweetest Maleficia"5:59
8."Honey and Sulphur"5:37
9."Midnight Shadows Crawl to Darken Counsel with Life"8:58
10."Darkness Incarnate"8:55
11."Ten Leagues Beneath Contempt"4:58
12."Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder"5:36
13."Corpseflower (instrumental)"2:41
Limited Edition bonus disc
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Balsamic and Anathema" 6:05
2."A Thousand Hands on the Maid of Ruin (instrumental)" 8:04
3."Into the Crypt of Rays" (Celtic Frost cover)Thomas Gabriel Fischer4:10
4."Devil to the Metal"Cradle of Filth6:17
5."Courting Baphomet"Cradle of Filth5:17
6."The Love of Death" (remix) 5:13
7."The Death of Love" (demo) 7:16
8."The 13th Caesar" (demo) 5:27
9."Dirge Inferno" (live at Electric Factory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 31 October 2007)Cradle of Filth6:45
10."Dusk and Her Embrace" (live at Electric Factory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 31 October 2007)Cradle of Filth5:46
Total length:60:20

Personnel

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Cradle of Filth
Additional personnel
  • Mark Newby-Robson – keyboards
  • Carolyn Gretton – lead female vocals on "The Death of Love"
  • Sarah Jezebel Deva – spoken voice, harmonies
  • Stephen Svanholm – baritone voice
  • Doug Bradley – lead narration
  • Luna Scarlett Davey – narration
  • Elissa Devins, Julie Devins, Leanne Harrison, Carolyn Gretton, Tonya Kay, Rachel Marshall-Clarke, Liz Willgoose, Laura Willgoose – choir
Technical personnel
  • Andy Sneap – producer, engineer, mixing, mastering
  • Doug Cook – producer, engineer
  • Scott Atkins – engineer, mixing of live tracks
  • "Devil to the Metal" and "Courting Baphomet" produced by Rob Caggiano and Cradle of Filth, engineered by Dan Turner
  • Mark Harwood – engineering on demo tracks
  • David Ho – album artwork
  • Travis Smith – design
  • Daragh McDonagh – sleeve photography
  • Eternal Spirits – costumes in sleeve photography

Charts

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Year Chart Position
2008 Finnish Albums Chart 24[30]
German Albums Chart 37[31]
Australian Albums Chart 46[32]
Billboard 200 (USA) 48[14]
Swedish Albums Chart 49[33]
Ultratop Belgian Chart (Wallonia) 50[34]
Austrian Albums Chart 53[35]
GfK Dutch Chart 53[36]
Ultratop Belgian Chart (Flanders) 55[37]
Swiss Albums Chart 56[38]
French Albums Chart 64[39]
UK Albums Chart 73[16]
Oricon Japanese Albums Chart 143[40]

References

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  1. ^ "CRADLE OF FILTH Frontman Interviewed On BRUCE DICKINSON's Radio Show; Audio Available". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 1 November 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  2. ^ "CRADLE OF FILTH: New Song Available For Free Download". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 27 August 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  3. ^ "GET A TASTE OF HONEY AND SULPHUR". Roadrunnerrecords.com. Roadrunner Records. 24 October 2008. Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  4. ^ "Cradle of Filth Frontman Explains New Album's Concept". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 28 July 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  5. ^ a b c Gehlke, David E. "Cradle of Filth Feature Interview". Blistering. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  6. ^ Powers, Nicole (26 February 2009). "Dani Filth: Cradle Of Filth". Suicide Girls. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  7. ^ Harris, Chris (9 April 2008). "Cradle of Filth Scare Off the Candyman". MTV. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  8. ^ "Cradle Of Filth unveil new album track listing". Kerrang!. 21 July 2008. Archived from the original on 1 August 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  9. ^ "Cradle of Filth: New Song Available For Free Download". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 27 August 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  10. ^ Amazon.de: Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder
  11. ^ "Behind the scenes of "Honey and Sulphur" - the video". MySpace. 13 October 2008. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  12. ^ "Videos - "Honey & Sulphur" - Cradle Of Filth". Roadrunner Records. 24 October 2008. Archived from the original on 26 October 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  13. ^ "Cradle of Filth: New Song To Be Made Available Tomorrow". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 7 October 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  14. ^ a b "Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder – Cradle of Filth | Billboard.com". billboard.com. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  15. ^ "Cradle of Filth's 'Godspeed' Cracks U.S. Top 50". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 5 November 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  16. ^ a b "Artist Chart History - Cradle of Filth". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  17. ^ "Cradle of Filth: 'Godspeed' Special Edition, Vinyl Versions Detailed". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 12 September 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  18. ^ "Cradle Of Filth Reveal New Video Plus Go Behind The Scenes". Roadrunner Records. 1 August 2009. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  19. ^ Jurek, Thom. "Cradle of Filth - Godspeed On the Devil's Thunder review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  20. ^ Ogle, Ryan (15 December 2008). "Cradle of Filth - "Godspeed On The Devil's Thunder"". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  21. ^ Gehlke, David E. "Cradle of Filth - Godspeed On the Devil's Thunder". Blistering. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  22. ^ Harper, Kate (11 December 2008). "Cradle of Filth - Godspeed On the Devil's Thunder". ChartAttack. Archived from the original on 19 December 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  23. ^ Williams, Paul (13 December 2008). "Cradle of Filth - Godspeed On the Devil's Thunder". Chronicles of Chaos. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  24. ^ Kaz, Jim (3 November 2008). "Cradle of Filth - Godspeed On the Devil's Thunder Review". IGN. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  25. ^ a b Travers, Paul (25 October 2008). "Cradle of Filth - Godspeed On the Devil's Thunder". Kerrang! (1223).
  26. ^ Anderson, Baz (3 November 2008). "Cradle of Filth - Godspeed On the Devil's Thunder". Metal Storm. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  27. ^ Begrand, Adrien (30 October 2008). "Cradle of Filth: Godspeed On the Devil's Thunder". PopMatters. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  28. ^ a b Chantler, Chris (December 2008). "Cradle of Filth - Godspeed On the Devil's Thunder". Terrorizer (177).
  29. ^ Lawson, Dom (November 2008). "[Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder review]". Metal Hammer.
  30. ^ "Cradle of Filth - Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder (album)". Finnishcharts.com. Media Control Charts. Archived from the original on 17 April 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  31. ^ "Album – Cradle of Filth, Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder". Charts.de (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 28 April 2014.[dead link]
  32. ^ "Cradle of Filth - Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder (album)". Australian-charts.com. Media Control Charts. Archived from the original on 3 May 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  33. ^ "Cradle of Filth - Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder (album)". Swedishcharts.com. Media Control Charts. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  34. ^ "Cradle of Filth - Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder". Ultratop (in French). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  35. ^ "Cradle of Filth - Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder (album)". Austriancharts.at (in German). Media Control Charts. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  36. ^ "Cradle of Filth - Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder (album)". GfK Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Media Control Charts. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  37. ^ "Cradle of Filth - Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder". Ultratop (in Dutch). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  38. ^ "Cradle of Filth - Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder". Hitparade.ch (in German). Media Control Charts. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  39. ^ "Cradle of Filth - Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder (album)". Lescharts.com (in French). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  40. ^ クレイドル・オブ・フィルスのアルバム売り上げランキング (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
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