Various Artists
Covered In Filth: A Tribute to Cradle Of Filth

October 2003
Released: 2003, Deadline
Rating: 3.0/5
Reviewer: JP

A Cradle tribute? An influential band certainly, but too much too soon. Deadline know for many, many tributes over the past several years dabble into the world of (Ahem, cough) Black Metal releasing this thirteen track CD.



Good packaging, presentation and layout help to increase my appreciation of this disc. In my mind the point of a tribute loaded with lesser known , (or even unknown bands who at times pay to be on these types of releases) is not really to pay tribute to an artist that doesn’t need or deserve it BUT to give new young bands exposure. This is a good method of exposure for a new band because a person might buy a tribute CD for the familiar songs and are willing to try hearing new bands. And then, the theory goes people will check out the new bands original material. Deadline take this to heart and have full and extensive info on each band participating including a photo, liner notes, contact info and so on.



Cradle’s influence is truly world wide as this CD has bands from Europe, Australia, Asia and The US. Most of the bands are pretty deep in the underground, some just starting, some with a few indie releases under their belt. There are a couple of oddities…DDT (formerly the power metal band Dofka) cover a cover tune, ‘No Time to Cry’ and the bonus track is an ambient, darkwave kinda band from Indonesia called Kekal that doesn’t really fit. They do a bizarre interpretation of ‘Danse Macabre’, I guess that is why it is the bonus track.



Most bands do relatively faithful versions covering material from most of COF’s career but with a favouritism towards the older material with half the material coming from the first two Cradle CD’s. This review may a bit short on the specifics of what band sounds like what and how they tweak each song , but each are solid, competent death and black metal bands…some more sonically ‘pure’ than others but all in all a good crop of young hopefuls. Werewolfe stands out as among the most talented and noctuary and chronzon caught me ear as well and I was already familiar with shock rockers Willow Wisp.



Recommended to check out the new bands as for cover tunes it depends on your preference for covers and how they are executed. These fairly straight-ahead cover versions serve more to introduce these bands to the world, than to pay tribute to an act that needs little exposure in the metal community.