Live Review: Cradle Of Filth w/Nervosa at The 1865 in Southampton!

In the middle of a heatwave in the United Kingdom’s green and pleasant land, as Festivals rage across Europe, bands incorporate a few smaller than usual club shows to sell them out for intimate performances while keeping themselves warm. Tonight is one of those as Witch Country heroes Cradle Of Filth are joined by Brazilian Death Thrash quartet Nervosa at a sold out show on the South Coast. Rumours are that both bands have been bringing the fire on this run, pushing each others performances so while we’re not going to get pyrotechnics, we’re expecting a full on sonic assault on the senses in the intense heat of a packed venue.

Tonight Nervosa [10/10] are a ball of furious energy as they crash and smash their way through a set of Death Thrash classics at breakneck speed, barely pausing for breath. Twin lead guitars create spellbinding harmoniscs while whammy bar drop solos throwback to a bygone golden age with glorious nostalgia as the bass rumbles like earthquake tremors underpinning a tornado of percussive battery. The band perform as if their life depends upon it and every second counts, giving the best of themselves while being truly grateful to be opening for Cradle of Filth. From the bruising set opener “Seed Of Death” to the blistering grand finale of “Endless Ambition“, the Brazilian natives make their presence felt and with cuts like “Jailbreak” and “Death!” an absolute masterclass. Guitarist and vocalist Prika Amaral performs like a woman possessed, roaring her way through the lyric sheet like a dragon breathing pure fire. There is a knowing sense of humour to what she does on stage, exaggerating everything just a little in showmanship. At times her hair reminds of Cousin Itt from the Addams Family as she headbangs her way through the longer instrumental passages, barely able to see her guitar and loving every second. Having been welcomed like a headliner, they leave like the cast of a West End musical with a collective bow before picks are thrown in time honoured fashion into the crowd.

A banner adorned by the artwork from their album “Existence Is Futitle” rather than “The Screaming Of The Valkyries” is behind stage as the seven piece Extreme Metal act that is Cradle Of Filth [10/10] enter stage right. The extended  orchestral introduction that sets the scene all part of a masterclass in creating theatrical atmosphere. Bursting into metaphorical flame, the band begin with “To Live Deliciously” from the new record and much to our surprise everyone in the capacity crowd is singing along to the chorus. That’s one of three new cuts in the set, along with “Malignant Perfection” and “White Hellebore” which all go down a storm. Elsewhere “Nymphetamine Fix” and “The Principle of Evil Made Flesh” are essential with Zoe Marie Federoff’s vocals stunning throughout. Marek “Ashok” Šmerda is a prominent figure at the front of the stage, his fake blood splattered guitar and Pinhead from Hellraiser costume all part of the theatre of the performances. On this evidence there is no doubt that this line up of Cradle Of Filth is a solid one, each musician nailing their parts with an unknown figure handling they keys and orchestrations of drummer Martin “Marthus” Škaroupka. Whoever that figure is, he stands out like a sore thumb in a Hawaiian shirt and looks like he belongs in Faith No More. Dani Filth has lost none of his sense of humour or vocal abilities despite his trademark shrill shrieks and much to the annoyance of security calls for crowd surfing, “if you can make it“. The band depart the stage before more spellbinding orchestrations, the crowd chanting one more song while we wait. When they do eventually return, Dani Filth’s horde give us an unholy trinity of cuts, dedicating the final two to tour mates Nervosa before finishing on a brutal high with “Her Ghost In The Fog“. Tonight is nothing short of a triumph for both bands and as we head for the exit to the sound of a gothic lady vomiting, it seems like we’re not the only ones who had fun…