Cruelty and the Beast

Cruelty and the Beast
Cruelty and the Beast
Studio album by Cradle of Filth
Released	5 May 1998
Recorded	DEP International Studios/Abattoir Studios, Birmingham, England, January–March 1998
Genre	Extreme metal
Length	58:47
Label	Music for Nations (Europe); Mayhem (US)
Producer	Jan Peter Genkel and Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth chronology
Singles from Cruelty and the Beast
	"Twisted Nails of Faith"; Released: 1998;
Alternative covers
	Celtic Cross edition
Alternative cover
	Koch Records' 2001 two-disc edition

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.

The album, while positively received, was noted for its poor production by fans, critics and members of the band alike. A remixed and remastered edition, titled Cruelty and the Beast – Re-Mistressed, was released in November 2019.

In November 2021, during an AMA with Dani Filth on reddit, it was revealed that the track, "Bathory Aria" was the track Dani was most proud of out of the band's entire catalog.

Recording and production

This was the last Cradle of Filth album to feature guitarist and songwriter Stuart Anstis and drummer Nicholas Barker, the first to feature guitarist Gian Pyres and the only full-length album to feature keyboardist Lecter

The production and mixing for Cruelty and the Beast has attracted some criticism, particularly for the sound quality of the drumming. Sarah Jezebel Deva revealed on the band's official messageboards: "[The production is] absolute rubbish. I remember when I first heard it – Dani played it – I walked out with tears in my eyes. I had spent twenty-five hours working in the studio on that album and it sounded like I had my head in a toilet [...] most of my vocals you couldn't hear." After walking out of the room after Dani played it to her, she claimed to have bumped into drummer Nicholas Barker, who also expressed his dissatisfaction. In an interview with Scars and Guitars in 2020, Barker stated he cried when he heard the mix and demanded that the album release be postponed. Barker also stated that the main songwriters, Stuart Anstis, Les Smith and himself wanted either Andy Sneap or Peter Tagtgren to record the album and were overridden by the label.

Release

Released on 5 May 1998 by record label Music for Nations, Cruelty and the Beast reached number 48 in the UK Albums Chart.

The album was reissued in a two-disc Special Edition by Koch in 2001 and by The End in 2012.

A completely remixed and remastered re-release of the album was planned for its 20th anniversary in late 2018. Producer Scott Atkins confirmed on his Instagram page on 9 October 2018 that the remix had been completed:

"Vinyl test pressings have arrived and all the mixes sent off. It’s been an endeavour. Lots of restoration work needed to be done, noise reduction, hum and hiss, crosstalk and bleed. No additional recording has taken place, myself and Dani wanted it faithful to the original just sonically better. The songs are really killer and finally have some real weight to them, which the original sorely lacked."

The following May, however, Atkins updated that unspecified "legal issues" continued to delay the release. With these issues apparently ironed out, a November 2019 release date for the newly titled Cruelty and the Beast: Remistressed was announced in late August 2019.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Chronicles of Chaos	8/10

The album ranked tenth in Kerrang!'s list of the top ten "essential black metal" albums in 2000.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Dani Filth; all music is composed by Cradle of Filth (Filth, Stuart Anstis, Gian Pyres, Robin Eaglestone, Les Smith and Nicholas Barker)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Once Upon Atrocity" (instrumental)	1:43
2.	"Thirteen Autumns and a Widow"	7:14
3.	"Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids"	7:18
4.	"Beneath the Howling Stars"	7:42
5.	"Venus in Fear" (instrumental)	2:20
6.	"Desire in Violent Overture"	4:16
7.	"The Twisted Nails of Faith" (narration by Ingrid Pitt)	6:50
8.	"Bathory Aria" "Benighted Like Usher" "A Murder of Ravens in Fugue" "Eyes That Witnessed Madness (narration by Ingrid Pitt)"	11:02
9.	"Portrait of the Dead Countess" (instrumental)	2:52
10.	"Lustmord and Wargasm (The Lick of Carnivorous Winds)"	7:30

Celtic Cross edition
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Once Upon Atrocity" (instrumental)	1:43
2.	"Thirteen Autumns and a Widow"	7:14
3.	"Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids"	7:18
4.	"Beneath The Howling Stars"	7:42
5.	"Venus in Fear" (instrumental)	2:20
6.	"Desire in Violent Overture"	4:16
7.	"The Twisted Nails of Faith"	6:51
8.	"Bathory Aria" "Benighted Like Usher" "A Murder of Ravens in Fugue" "Eyes That Witnessed Madness"	11:02
9.	"Lustmord and Wargasm (The Relicking of Cadaverous Wounds)"	7:48
10.	"Black Metal" (Venom cover)	3:22
11.	"Hallowed Be Thy Name" (Iron Maiden cover. Sub-titled "Shallow Be My Grave" on this edition only.)	7:07
12.	"Sodomy and Lust" (Sodom cover)	4:44
13.	"Twisting Further Nails (The Cruci-Fiction Mix)"	5:32

Koch Records' 2001 two-disc edition bonus disc
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Lustmord and Wargasm (The Relicking of Cadaverous Wounds)"	7:58
2.	"Black Metal" (Venom cover)	3:27
3.	"Hallowed Be Thy Name" (Iron Maiden cover)	7:10
4.	"Sodomy & Lust" (Sodom cover)	4:47
5.	"Twisting Further Nails (The Cruci-Fiction Mix)"	5:33

Cruelty and the Beast: Re-Mistressed (2019)
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Once Upon Atrocity" (instrumental)	1:45
2.	"Thirteen Autumns and a Widow"	7:14
3.	"Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids"	7:18
4.	"Beneath The Howling Stars"	7:37
5.	"Venus in Fear" (instrumental)	2:20
6.	"Desire in Violent Overture"	4:16
7.	"The Twisted Nails of Faith"	6:49
8.	"Bathory Aria" "Benighted Like Usher" "A Murder of Ravens in Fugue" "Eyes That Witnessed Madness"	11:00
9.	"Portrait of the Dead Countess" (instrumental)	2:51
10.	"Lustmord and Wargasm (The Lick of Carnivorous Winds)"	7:31
11.	"Hallowed Be Thy Name" (Iron Maiden cover)	7:13

Personnel

Cradle of Filth

Dani Filth – lead vocals
Stuart Anstis – guitars
Gian Pyres – guitars
Robin Graves – bass
Lecter – keyboards
Nicholas Barker – drums
Sarah Jezebel Deva – backing vocals

Guest/session musicians

Danielle Cneajna Cottington – backing vocals
Ingrid Pitt – Lady Bathory's narration on "The Twisted Nails of Faith" and Bathory Aria's "Eyes That Witnessed Madness"

Production

Jan Peter Genkel – producer
Dan Spriggs – engineer
Mike Exeter – Production and additional engineering
Mark Harwood – orchestral recordings at Springvale Studios, Ipswich
Stu Williamson – sleeve photography
Louisa Morando - cover art model

Charts

Year	Chart	Position
1998	Finnish Albums Chart	13
	Austrian Albums Chart	24
	French Albums Chart	34
	GfK Dutch Chart	37
	German Albums Chart	47
	UK Albums Chart	48