Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder

Infobox Album |
Name = Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder
Type = studio
Artist = Cradle of Filth


Released = October 25, 2008
Recorded = March–July 2008 at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, England
Genre = Extreme metal
Length = 71:15
Label = Roadrunner
Producer = Andy Sneap
Reviews =
Last album = "Thornography"
(2006)
This album = "Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder"
(2008)
Next album =
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = Studio Album


Lower caption = Limited Edition cover

"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 is a concept album, based on the life of the infamous 15th century French nobleman who fought alongside Joan of Arc and accumulated great wealth before becoming a serial killer, sexual deviant and Satanist, and is planned for release as early as October 25, 2008 by Roadrunner Records. Once again, Doug Bradley provides narration for the album (as with "Midian", "Nymphetamine" and "Thornography").

A special edition containing bonus material has also been confirmed, and will be released on the same day as the standard edition. The title of the album derives from a valediction vocalist Dani Filth once used to sign a letter.

Recording and production

The album is produced by Sabbat 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."cite web |url=http://www2.kerrang.com/2008/07/cradle_of_filth_unveil_new_alb.html |title = 2008 Album Announced |accessdate = 2008-07-21 |year = 2008 |work = Kerrang! |publisher = Kerrang!]

In an interview with Blistering.com, 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".http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/templateid/14186/menuid/3/tempidx/5/catid/4/editstatus//restemp/N%3B/fPpagesel/1?PHPSESSID=1c8df6ea67368fcccfb77b460ecdd671] 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 have since been confirmed for the special edition.

Promotion

The track "Tragic Kingdom", was made available for free download by Roadrunner Records on August 27, 2008. 30-second samples of each track on the album were made available on amazon.de on September 27. [ [http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B001E18C8G/ref=s9sims_c5_15_img1-rfc_g1-frt_g1-3195_g1-3102_g3?pf_rd_m=A3JWKAKR8XB7XF&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=11H2HBMVJAWPH7B6ENJ7&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=218412991&pf_rd_i=301128] ] The track "Honey and Sulphur" has also been available for purchase on the iTunes Store. In addition, "Midnight Shadows Crawl to Darken Counsel with Life" is available for streaming on the band's official website.

Track listing

# "In Grandeur and Frankincense Devilment Stirs" – 2:27
# "Shat Out of Hell" – 5:03
# "The Death of Love" – 7:13
# "The 13th Caesar" – 5:35
# "Tiffauges" – 2:14
# "Tragic Kingdom" – 6:00
# "Sweetest Maleficia" – 5:59
# "Honey and Sulphur" – 5:37
# "Midnight Shadows Crawl to Darken Counsel with Life" – 8:58
# "Darkness Incarnate" – 8:55
# "Ten Leagues Beneath Contempt" – 4:58
# "Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder" – 5:36
# "Corpseflower" – 2:41

Limited edition bonus disc

# "Balsamic and Anathema"
# "A Thousand Hands on the Maid of Ruin"
# "Into the Crypt of Rays" (Celtic Frost cover)
# "Devil to the Metal"
# "Courting Baphomet"
# "The Love of Death" (remix)
# "The Death of Love" (demo)
# "The 13th Caesar" (demo)
# "Dirge Inferno" (live)
# "Dusk and Her Embrace" (live)

Personnel

* Dani Filth – vocals
* Paul Allender – guitar
* Charles Hedger – guitar
* Dave Pybus – bass
* Martin Škaroupka – drums
* Mark Newby-Robson – keyboards
* Sarah Jezebel Deva – backing vocals
* Doug Bradley – guest vocals
* Andy Sneap – producer

References