It had been many years since I last heard Cradle of Filth, therefore I was surprised when I came off with the impression that I had heard it before. You guessed it, this is overall in the mould of what this band has been offering for years: Dani's distinctive screechy/throaty vocals, lots of female vocals and choirs and a good dose of keyboards – maybe too much at times, but what else is new. This is pretty fast-paced Gothic Metal for the most part and there's a bit of an epic vibe on some of the songs.

This is a very decent album that's a bit over the top, or I should say grandiose. While the band's roots are still alive and kicking, it's obvious that they've kicked up the songwriting and musicianship several notches, with only a few cringe-worthy moments as far as I'm concerned (I like "Achingly Beautiful" musically, but I can't stand the chorus). They even throw in a few good keyboard-free passages where you can almost forget you are listening to Cradle of Filth.

If you haven't been turned off by all the bands that had turned to the overloaded female vocals+keyboards music back in first half of the 2000s, then there might be something for you here. Ultimately, if you like the band before then you should like this, but if you didn't, I don't hear anything here that will change your mind.