Metal Underground.com

Cradle of Filth has a habit of releasing a new EP with extra tracks and remixes in-between proper albums, and like clockwork we’re on schedule for “Everemore Darkly…” These midway mini-album launches tend to be hit or miss affairs, but this time around the release is definitely worth it, having enough new and old material to work for anyone regardless of whether they already have a copy of “Darkly, Darkly Venus Aversa.”

The CD side of the release starts off with a recreation of the infamous Art Bell “hell sound” broadcast, although it sounds suspiciously like Doug Bradley of Pinhead fame reading the lines instead of Bell himself. Rather than actually playing the hell sound (don’t worry – it’s a serious letdown and you aren’t missing anything anyway) the introduction of “what you are about to hear is very, very disturbing indeed” leads straight into the new song “Thank Your Lucky Scars,” which is pretty brilliant setup actually. As far as Cradle of Filth songs go, it belongs among the best the band has to offer, having the atmosphere of the “Cruelty and the Beast” era tracks and ending up heavier than some of the band’s newer material.

Even the material originally coming from the last album has been changed and updated, so it’s worth hearing even for those overly familiar with the re-release songs. The first instance of “Forgive Me Father” ditches the female vocals and throws in a new male vocal lead instead, while the second appearance of the song is a full-on industrial/techno remix that might as well be a new track for how different it sounds. Obviously anyone who doesn’t like techno probably won’t appreciate it, but overall the track is surprisingly well done and will lead to many a metal head wondering where the nearest glow sticks can be found.

The CD half of the release ends with an orchestral re-working of “Summer Dying Fast,” which has a Castlevania style vibe and could easily fit into a video game or movie score. Picking up after the CD side is a DVD with music videos and a documentary taking a look at life on the road for the Filth guys and gals. The road doc is actually pretty entertaining, although it may destroy some of front man Dani Filth’s persona, as he’s very, very British and rather plump and cuddly without the makeup on.

With its wider range of sounds, more concise run time, and extra video material, “Evermore Darkly” works well either as a companion or as a redux replacement of “Darkly, Darkly Venus Aversa.”