Cradle of Filth / Nachtmystium / Turisas / Daniel Lioneye

Of all times for the old principle to fail me (when you’re early, they’re late; when you’re late, they’re on time), tonight was definitely the wrong night. The Best Buy Theater website stated that the show was gonna start at 7:30 PM. What happens? I get there 7:30 on the dot and I see a posted time schedule in the Will Call booth that shows Turisas going on at 6:30! I ask the cashier as I get the tickets and she confirms my fear. Later, one of the dudes from Turisas will tell me it was the venue that pushed the show up to 6:30! So, the band I was most eager to see (and compare to Ensiferum) had already gone on. I think you can already know what that did for my mood.

The next act, Daniel Lioneye, was already on by the time I entered the theater. Daniel Lioneye is the vehicle for three members of HIM: guitarist Linde, keyboardist Burton, and bassist Mige. The membership is the only similarity between the two bands. Apparently, Daniel Lioneye started out as a ‘side project’ for HIM but was not a serious effort, initially. What they offered on stage was far better than what has been recorded on "Vol. II", their second album that they’re currently supporting. Linde’s guitar riffing was unrestrained and pretty much all shred. Linde and the DL crew played a spastic mix of groovy metal along the lines of Mr. Bungle and Psyopus. It made me realize how much he holds back while playing in HIM.

Up next was my consolation for missing Turisas, Nachtmystium. They wasted no time and started their set off with ‘One of these Nights’, ‘Assassins’, and then ‘Addicts’. Nachtmystium’s stage presence was not what I fully expected from a ‘black’ metal act. There were no presumptuous airs nor any corpse paint. This relieved me to some degree because they appeared to let the music speak for itself without any posturing from the band. The best way to imagine what they looked and sounded like would be to imagine if Neurosis decided to get their inner Goth out and put a pinch of Black Metal in their for good measure. I firmly believe these guys are to be watched.

Headliners Cradle Of Filth I have seen several times before and they always put on a good show. This occasion was no exception. Their set was a decent mix of old and new, including a seriously amped up version of ‘Principle of Evil Made Flesh’ which was dedicated to those slamming away in the pit. Cradle sounded tighter than I have heard them in the past and it was good to see that Dani has not lost any of his enthusiasm for getting the audience riled up. Another noteworthy thing about the new incarnation of Cradle is the new female vocalist and keyboardist, Caroline Campbell. Her voice adds a different effect to the whole Cradle sound and she does not attempt to get all operatic – which is good. Overall, Cradle put on a show that made up for missing Turisas for one but also reminded me of why I became a fan of theirs in the first place.

Setlists:
Cradle Of Filth:
Humana Inspired To Nightmare (intro)
Heaven Torn Asunder
Funeral in Carpathia
Honey and Sulphur
Lilith Immaculate
Her Ghost in the Fog
Nymphetamine
The Principle of Evil Made Flesh
Under Huntress Moon
Ebony Dressed For Sunset
The Forest Whispers My Name
The Cult of Venus Aversa
Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids
From the Cradle To Enslave