Cradle of Filth and DevilDriver are set to kick off their “Double Trouble Live” co-headlining US tour on Wednesday night (March 8th) in Tempe, Arizona.
Although the two bands have differing sounds and aesthetics, their respective frontmen — Dani Filth and Dez Fafara — are longtime friends and colleagues of heavy metal’s upper echelon (Fafara has co-managed Cradle of Filth’s career with his wife Anahstasia). For Dani, the decision to tour together was a no-brainer.
“Frontman Dez has been a friend for years and a brilliant manager to boot,” stated Dani Filth when the tour was initially announced, “and to head out on the road for what promises to be the first leg of the ‘Double Trouble Live’ world tour with him and the band was an opportunity far too good to pass on.”
Both bands also released new music in time for the tour. Cradle of Filth unleashed the blistering and technical black metal piece “She Is a Fire,” from their forthcoming live album, Trouble and Their Double Lives, and DevilDriver dropped “Through the Depths” — a song which has some blackened-thrash characteristics of its own — from their upcoming album Dealing with Demons Vol. II.
Speaking of songs, Dani Filth and Fafara have offered up their top five tracks by each other’s band in an exclusive to Heavy Consequence. Not only are they good friends, but avid listeners of one another’s music.
Pick up tickets to Cradle of Filth and DevilDriver’s co-headlining tour via Ticketmaster or StubHub, and see what Dani and Dez chose as their favorite songs by the other frontman’s band below.
–Jon Hadusek,
Senior Staff Writer
Dez Fafara’s Top 5 Cradle of Filth Songs:
“The Principle of Evil Made Flesh”
My favorite record from Cradle of Filth is Bitter Suites to Succubi and the track “The Principle of Evil Made Flesh” is unbelievable. The keys, the backing vocals, Dani’s cadence, and all the haunting overtones of the whole band make this a standout track. Play this one in a dark room and you’ll feel what I’m talking about. The drumming is on fire and it’s a perfect complement between the guitars and keys.
“No Time to Cry” (Sisters of Mercy cover)
Now, I know this is not a Cradle of Filth original, but the cover of “No Time to Cry” by Sisters of Mercy is one of my favorite songs done by Cradle of Filth. Here is where a band truly shines: by taking someone else’s song and elevating it to a new genre: Goth to Heavy Metal. The band did a fantastic job of transposing this goth classic into their own. Dani is surprisingly wicked on this one and his vocal delivery is absolutely outstanding!
“All Hope in Eclipse”
Now, I’m going to give you another one from Bitter Suites entitled “All Hope in Eclipse.” First there is the opening drum salvo accompanied with the keys, then add the fist pumping back up tracks as Dani enters with low vocals. This goes straight into one of the most evil guitar riffs ever as Dani moves up to a faster cadence and even higher on the vocal register… it is just an outstanding performance! The mid section is over two minutes long and it sounds as if a haunted house is going mad.
“Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids”
The next song is from Cruelty and the Beast. The song “Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids” starts off with a woman speaking and Dani’s trademark high scream. Here, Dani exhibits both wonderful lows and extreme highs that compliment the drums and the fast guitars perfectly. Overall the band’s performance on this song is extraordinary and is awash with orchestral delight!
“Crawling King Chaos”
Last but certainly not least, from Existence Is Futile, is “Crawling King Chaos.” Martin’s drumming along with Daniel on bass is an insane reckoning and come together perfectly. To me this is one of the best choruses Cradle has ever written and the way the instruments and Dani’s melody go together shows absolute maturity proving that unlike other bands, the newer records from Cradle of Filth can absolutely stand out from the earlier works.
