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The Gospel of Filth: A Bible of Decadence & Darkness
The members of Cradle of Filth are the titans of Black Metal underground. Now Dani Filth and Gavin Baddeley lay bare the fascinating underworld of contemporary culture. Dissecting the Satanic sources that have influenced and informed Cradle of Filth, with a roadmap to every significant landmark in the domains of darkness, including the arcane secrets of Black Magic, via the sex rites of vampirism. Artfully combining Hammer horror style schlock, dripping with eroticism, backed by authentic Black Arts info and a wicked sense of humor, this will dazzle devoted disciples of darkness. Contributors include actor Christopher Lee and Satanist Anton LaVey, to serial killer expert Robert Ressler and necrophile Karen Greenlee.
544 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 30, 2024
Going through my shelves and thought I had this on GR. I own this amazing piece of magic & read it years ago. It’s a gorgeous hardcover collection of all things metal, horror and influential to Dani Filth’s writing and musical work
May 31, 2014
Content-wise I was rather surprised by the variety of topics, ideas and concepts presented and sources quoted, although almost all were only brushed upon.
Still, the book is massive (540 pages, roughly 20x30x3.5 cm). Glad I got the hardcover, doubt the paperback would survive long.
The writing style I found rather (unintentionally) amusing (at times), though certainly not dry and a bit jumpy at times, though the common thread is always visible.
What put me off was the design;
Among the huge amount of pictures, far too many were tacky, trashy, tasteless, ridiculous and/or unnecessary (half a dozen pictures of LaVey shopping or boobs covered in blood would be good examples for the later) in my estimation.
The typesetting (and typography in some cases) is terrible and in general the placement of photos, illustrations and "boxes" containing commentaries or additional information are rather chaotic.
Certainly there are great illustrations and artful photos, though in some cases they are too small, despite the high quality print.
Still, the book is massive (540 pages, roughly 20x30x3.5 cm). Glad I got the hardcover, doubt the paperback would survive long.
The writing style I found rather (unintentionally) amusing (at times), though certainly not dry and a bit jumpy at times, though the common thread is always visible.
What put me off was the design;
Among the huge amount of pictures, far too many were tacky, trashy, tasteless, ridiculous and/or unnecessary (half a dozen pictures of LaVey shopping or boobs covered in blood would be good examples for the later) in my estimation.
The typesetting (and typography in some cases) is terrible and in general the placement of photos, illustrations and "boxes" containing commentaries or additional information are rather chaotic.
Certainly there are great illustrations and artful photos, though in some cases they are too small, despite the high quality print.
March 22, 2013
Most people who look at the cover of this book and read the title will believe it to be the biography of Cradle of Filth. It certainly has those aspects in it, but the book is largely a historical read on occultation. It has a plethora of information and lore throughout english history that has to do with the occult and dark arts. Dani makes commentary on various subjects that range from witch burning to hellfire clubs and religious massacres.
If you're a fan of Cradle of Filth, the book is separated into different chapters that detail where the inspiration for their albums came from. It covers Dusk and her embrace, lovecraft and witchhearts, thornography, and midian, as well as a bunch of songs in particular. Including Haunted Shore, Cthulu Dawn, and a lot of others. If you're a fan of black metal in general then this is the perfect book for you. It has a ton of images to accompany the vast amount of information in this book.
Be prepared though - it's a long, dry read, and should only be enjoyed by those who have a serious interest in the occult throughout english history.
If you're a fan of Cradle of Filth, the book is separated into different chapters that detail where the inspiration for their albums came from. It covers Dusk and her embrace, lovecraft and witchhearts, thornography, and midian, as well as a bunch of songs in particular. Including Haunted Shore, Cthulu Dawn, and a lot of others. If you're a fan of black metal in general then this is the perfect book for you. It has a ton of images to accompany the vast amount of information in this book.
Be prepared though - it's a long, dry read, and should only be enjoyed by those who have a serious interest in the occult throughout english history.
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July 29, 2011I thought this was great fun. I wouldn't read it as a coursebook, but it's an entertaining glance at the dark side of western (popular) culture, as seen through a satanic (laveyan) lens. There's a feel of a slightly anachronistic teleology in the book, but it's readable (and recommended!) for anyone regardless of one's view on Cradle of Filth as a band.
June 6, 2010
This is not a Cradle of Filth biography. It's a biography of Gothic history and horror throughout England, mainly. Yes, Cradle is certainly covered and the book details the inspirations of all their albums (which is a lot of history in itself) but the bulk of the book is what they only teach in specialized university courses. This is REALLY good and flippin' huge!
June 12, 2012
It's such a great book
I foud that it was the best thing ever to happen for my english essay on this band
It goes into what inspired the band so deeply that it tells you what inspired the people who inspired cradle of fith
I foud that it was the best thing ever to happen for my english essay on this band
It goes into what inspired the band so deeply that it tells you what inspired the people who inspired cradle of fith
February 24, 2014
This book as absolutely amazing. I love it!
June 18, 2016
i highly, highly recommend this book to any lover of cof, gothic history, horror films and occult studies. also, the vampyric photo shoots in here are amazing!!!
July 28, 2019
boys and girls
this one isnt just a bands merch
this one isnt just a bands biography
this one is a modern day grimoire
this one is an ensyclopedia of darkness indeed
LOVED LOVED LOVED IT
this one isnt just a bands merch
this one isnt just a bands biography
this one is a modern day grimoire
this one is an ensyclopedia of darkness indeed
LOVED LOVED LOVED IT
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews