In case you forgot, and I’m sure many of you have, Cradle Of Filth released Hammer of the Witches back on July 10th. Dan and I shared our own thoughts on the 11th studio album from symphonic black metallers on The Nine Circles Podcast way back when, however that is where our coverage end. That said, album did quite well upon release, especially here in the United States. Now, as we approach the end of 2015, Cradle Of Filth have released a new music video for the fifth track on the album, “Blackest Magick In Practice”.

In case you haven’t listened to Hammer of the Witches yet, I’ll let you know that it sounds like, well, Cradle Of Filth. Dark yet exceptionally symphonic, the group out of Suffolk, England continues to generate accessible black metal that is overall enjoyable… and fantastically over the top. In both sound and image. And the same rings true here. We open with a rather straightforward deliberate guitar passage and these creepy female vocals that eventually give way to Dani Filth’s classic whispers and shrieks. The song then travels in a number of different directions as the keys assert their presence at various stages and we’re introduced to increased tempos and some more technical leads. You get the idea.

The video itself inspires sorrow through the glimpses of various dark imagery. The clever utilization of burning candles and blood being inscribed on parchment is a really nice touch, matching the pain and dark mood of the music well. And the boxes of human body parts, like an ear, are just eerie. The sound is dark, yet depressive, and for the most part the video is well put together in a similar light. Pain, loss, and suffering is portrayed in a number of different ways, really driving the music home. But of course, constantly present every few seconds or so is Dani Filth in one of his more intricate costume designs yet. As he sways to the music in his cape, horns, shoulder spikes, and makeup (er, sorry, corpse paint), it becomes difficult to take any of it seriously. But, then again, that’s basically Cradle Of Filth’s contribution to black metal. You either enjoy for what it is, or you ignore it completely. Anyway, take a look below if you’re interested. It can be fun.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– Corey