Review of Gospel of Filth - book review by Metal Life Magazine

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Review of "Gospel of Filth: A Bible of Decadence & Darkness"
By: Terry Bunch
Date: Mar 7, 2010

Publisher: FAB Press
Writer: Gavin Baddeley with Dani Filth
Genre: Biography / History / Occult
Format: paperback
Review Rating: 9/10

cover of Gospel of Filth

An absolute MUST OWN book for anyone interested in the occult, and even more so if you are Cradle of Filth fan. This book journeys through the history of the band while exploring the world of the occult and how it shaped the band. The chapters are the CD titles and within the chapter, we explore the darkness that influenced each. The book also explores the "black metal" and metal scenes at the time and delves into the influences of those other bands, both on Cradle and the metal genre itself. On top of that, this tome even explores the world of horror movies, books, TV shows, plays and more.

This book is crammed with tons and tons of pictures; every page has pictures, photos, drawings, etc. You won't get bored reading hundreds of pages of "stories from the bands past". That's not the format of this book, this book is a visual experience.

Unlike any other band biography, this book takes you into the dark underworld and shows you the bloody sinews that bound it to the music that Cradle was writing and recording. As you read the book, you will see the band grow and the world of the occult become more and more influential on the world.

There are the obligatory mentionings of Anton LaVey, Aleister Crowley, H.P. Lovecraft, Elizabeth Bathory, vampires, etc. There is more, though, much more. The book also mentions influences such as British poet Lord Byron and an exploration that early classical composers, rebelling against the tyranny of the church, wrote "devil music" to capture the cacophony of sound they wanted to express.

At over 500 pages, this book is well worth the read. Again, if you love Cradle of Filth, then this book will tell you more about who the band really is than any other source. If you don't really care for Cradle, but are into black metal, the occult, etc., then this book is still worth reading so you can experience the growth of the occult influence on pop culture.