Cradle of Filth — Hammer of the Witches

intothewellsabyss
Jul 10, 2023
6 min read

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…

8 years ago today, Cradle of Filth were “Deflowering the Maiden” on “Walpurgis Eve”!

On this day (July 10) in 2015, Cradle of Filth released their eleventh full-length studio album, “Hammer of the Witches”, their first release under record label Nuclear Blast.

At the time of its release, “Hammer of the Witches” featured the band's newest line-up following the departure of Paul Allender and James McIlroy, which included then new guitarists Marek 'Ashok' Šmerda and Richard Shaw and keyboardist/female vocalist Lindsay Schoolcraft.

Background:

“Hammer of the Witches” was the first Cradle of Filth album since 2000's “Midian” to not feature work from longtime guitarist Paul Allender. Work on the album began in early 2014, with frontman Dani emphasizing that the band planned on taking their time with it.

In an interview in 2016, Lindsay Schoolcraft stated that she was pleased with the fan-response and that the band had actually finished work on the album quicker than they had expected to.

The band's highly anticipated and caliginous creation was brought to fruition in Britain’s Witch County, in darkest rural Suffolk at the reputedly haunted Grindstone Studios. The album’s title is named after the 'Malleus Maleficarum', a medieval document of guidelines regarding the persecution and torture of witches - but Cradle of Filth‘s title version is more retributory;

"It’s the 'Hammer Of The Witches'; the hammer is in the witches' hands and it's payback time." — Dani Filth

Album Art & Layout:

Vocalist Dani Filth stated:

"The artwork for “Hammer of the Witches” was created by Latvian artist Arthur Berzinsh and is a lavish walk-through of the lyricism, drawing on rich renaissance themes and displaying them in beautiful-yet-unsettling scenarios.

Half of the detailed pieces are totally original for the release, others are Berzinsh classics cunningly tailored to the themes of the album, which are themes rife with heady witchcraft, be it persecution, retribution or unfettered spiritual liberation. The female form is rampant throughout the artwork, unashamedly displayed in its classical rendition of beauty... and horror."

Single & Promotional Video:

The first single and video for the track "Right Wing of the Garden Triptych" was released on May 14, 2015.

In the video below, Cradle Of Filth leader Dani Filth talks to Iron Serbian from Capital Chaos TV about recording with the new members, old metal favourites, living in England, being signed to Epic/Sony and more. The interview was conducted at Ace Of Spades in Sacramento, California on February 20th.

Interview with Capital Chaos TV: https://youtu.be/4-hLeL7yHTM

Supporting Tour:

Cradle of Filth, one of the most recognizable British Extreme Metal bands of this era, kicked off the summer with their European tour in celebration of their 'then' latest endeavour and opus nocturne, "Hammer Of The Witches"!

Coinciding with the release of "Hammer Of The Witches", Cradle of Filth played a release show at the year’s Rock Harz Open Air Festival on Saturday, July 11, 2015! They also played other festivals that summer, including the Summer Breeze Festival.

Upon the announcement of the tour, fiendish main man and vocalist Dani Filth had this to say regarding the tour;

“CRADLE Of FILTH are extremely pleased to be hitting the European road in support of our latest album, 'Hammer Of The Witches', even more so now that British dates have been indelibly grafted onto the beginning! The band is sounding better than ever and are exhilarated to be starting our world tour here in England, at Rottingham Knock City nonetheless, the proverbial hub of heavy metal!

We have an amazing setlist prepared already and everyone, including our infamous Crewdle Of Filth, are chomping at the bit to get out there and start levelling cities with our unique brand of raucous, Hellish music and stage production.

So, long live the 'Filth and see you out there on the open field of battle!

Wielding the Witch hammers, Your fiend, Dani”

SUMMER DATES:

09.07. D Ballenstedt - Rock Harz Open Air

30.07. D Wacken - Wacken Open Air

05.08. CZ Josefov - Brutal Assault

07.08. FIN Oulu - Jalometalli Festival

13.08. D Dinkelsbühl - Summer Breeze

INQUISITIONAL TOURTURE 2015:

16.10. UK Nottingham - Rock City

17.10. UK Bristol - Motion

18.10. UK Norwich - The Waterfront

20.10. UK Wolverhampton - Wulfrun Hall

21.10. UK Glasgow - The Garage

22.10. UK Manchester - Manchester Academy 2

23.10. UK London - Koko

24.10. D Cologne - Essigfabrik

26.10. D Munich - Backstage

27.10. F Strasbourg - La Laiterie

28.10. F Paris - Caberet Sauvage

29.10. B Antwerp - Trix Muziekcentrum

30.10. D Hannover - Capitol

31.10. D Nürnberg - Hirsch

02.11. D Saarbrücken - Garage

03.11. CH Lucerne - Schuur

04.11. I Treviso - New Age

06.11. I Rome - Orion

07.11. I Milan - Fabrique

08.11. A Dornbirn - Conrad Sohm

09.11. H Budapest - Barba Negra

12.11. PL Katowice - Mega Club

13.11. CZ Brno - Klub Fleda

14.11. D Berlin - C-Club

15.11. D Hamburg - Markthalle

17.11. DK Copenhagen - Pumpehuset

18.11. N Oslo - John Dee

19.11. S Göteborg - Sticky Fingers

23.11. S Stockholm - Debaser

25.11. LUX Luxembourg - Den Atelier

26.11. NL Tilburg - 013

(𝙲𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚕𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙵𝚒𝚕𝚝𝚑 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚝 𝙽𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚒, 𝙷𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚒 𝚍𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙸𝚗𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚃𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝟸𝟶𝟷𝟻 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚛. 𝙿𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚘𝚜: 𝙺𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚊 𝚆𝚎𝚋𝚎𝚛)

2016 saw Cradle of Filth continue supporting "Hammer of the Witches" with the “Inquisitional Tourture” tour. This was a North American trek being assembled by Cradle of Filth. In support they had Butcher Babies and the masterful Ne Obliviscaris making their North American live debut!

INQUISITIONAL TORTURE 2016:

1/26 Philadelphia, PA - Theater of the Living Arts

1/27 Boston, MA - House of Blues

1/28 Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage

1/29 Raleigh, NC - The Ritz

1/31 Charlotte, NC - Filmore Charlotte

2/1 Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade – Heaven

2/2 Orlando, FL - Venue 578

2/3 St. Petersburg, FL - State Theater

2/9 Memphis, TN - New Daisy Theater

2/10 Dallas, TX - House of Blues

2/11 Houston, TX - House of Blues

2/12 San Antonio, TX - The Aztec Theater

2/14 Eaglewood, CO - Gothic Theater

2/15 Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex

2/17 Los Angeles, CA - Avalon

2/18 San Diego, CA - House of Blues

2/20 Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades

2/21 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore

2/23 Seattle, WA - The Showbox

2/29 Ringle, WI - Q and Z Expo Center

3/1 Chicago, IL - House of Blues

3/2 Cincinnati, OH - Bogart’s

3/3 Cleveland, OH - House of Blues

3/5 Detroit, MI - St. Andrew’s Hall

3/6 Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theater

3/7 Montreal, QC - Corona Theater

3/8 New York, NY - Webster Hall

Black metal heathens Cradle Of Filth returned to Belarus and Russia in May 2016 with support from Xandria. Upon announcement of their return, the band had this to say;

"We are extremely happy to announce that CRADLE OF FILTH are coming back to Belarus and Russia in May, with support from Xandria!"

RUSSIA/BELARUS TOUR 2016:

12.05 - Minsk (Belarus) “Re:Public”

13.05 - St-Petersburg (Russia) “Club Zal” (without Xandria)

14.05 - Moscow (Russia) “Volta” (without Xandria)

16.05 - Yaroslavl (Russia) “BG Gorka”

17.05 - Samara (Russia) “Zvezda”

18.05 - Ufa (Russia) “Ogni Ufy”

20.05 - Krasnodar (Russia) “Arena”

Critical Reception:

“Hammer of the Witches” received a favorable responses from critics, who appreciated its change in direction. It also received a more positive fan response than previous releases in recent years such as “The Manticore and Other Horrors” and “Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa”, with many praising it as the band's best album since “Cruelty and the Beast” (1998).

The Guardian called it "both a joyous nod towards past glories and a significant creative rebirth" and wrote "these are the most vital and incisive songs Dani Filth has conjured from the dark ether in a long time".

AllMusic wrote;

"...on their 11th studio album, this unholy horde, forever wrapped in corpse paint, leather, and spikes, look back more than they do forward. And that proves a good thing... “Hammer of the Witches” doesn't reach the heights of “Dusk of Her Embrace”, but it does offer proof that there is plenty of fire and creativity left in Cradle of Filth."

Kerrang! stated;

"Hammer of The Witches finds these fiends in fine fettle.”

While Sputnikmusic claimed;

"Hammer of the Witches” is the post-“Midian” release fans have been asking for while retaining the riff-oriented sound the band have been attempting for the past 15 years--only this time they’ve actually pulled it all off."

Consequence.net stated; "

Any environmentalist messages, though, are deeply buried beneath layers of cobwebbed gothic lyricism.... Every member excels here, contributing to one of Cradle of Filth’s best and most fun records in almost a decade."

Where Exclaim! was a little harsher on the album, stating;

“There are plenty of moments worthy of headbanging throughout Hammer of the Witches, especially on "Blackest Magical in Practice." Unfortunately, they're too often interrupted by the album's half-baked sonic experiments."

“Hammer of the Witches” peaked at No. 196 on the US Billboard 200, No. 76 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, No. 20 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart, No. 4 on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums chart, and No. 9 on Billboard’s Independent Albums chart.

Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:

Click this link to watch album trailer #1 (album): https://youtu.be/u3lNhek-hjs

Click this link to watch album trailer #2 (artwork): https://youtu.be/fL6jInrLTBA

Click this link to listen to “Hammer of the Witches” via Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/hammer-of-the-witches/1472538202

Click this link to listen to “Hammer of the Witches” via Spotify: Hammer of the Witches https://open.spotify.com/album/02WvOJdqg4zKrjcRzMFnQ2

Click this link to watch the official music video for "Right Wing of the Garden Triptych": https://youtu.be/t2Y4uZ0rnRk

Click this link to watch the official music video for "Right Wing of the Garden Triptych" (uncensored version): https://youtu.be/DNj8jlSzq-A

Click this link to watch the "Deflowering The Maidenhead, Displeasuring The Goddess" lyric video: https://youtu.be/5Zj5g3bTWQ0

Click this link to watch the "Enshrined In Cremetoria" track video: https://youtu.be/BSMWrqZmZK8

Click this link to follow Cradle of Filth on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cradleoffilth

Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells