Thornography

Thornography is the seventh full-length studio album by Cradle of Filth released through Roadrunner Records in October, 2006. The album is produced by Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano, engineered and co-produced by Dan Turner and mixed by Andy Sneap, and once again features narration by Doug Bradley (as with Midian and Nymphetamine).

Dani Filth explained the album’s title thus: “This title represents mankind’s obsession with sin and self. The thorn combines images of that which troubled Christ, the Crown of Thorns, thus intimating man’s seeming desire to hurt God and also, of the protecting thorn and the need to enclose a secret place or the soul from attack. An addiction to self-punishment or something equally poisonous. A mania. Twisted desires. Barbed dreams. A fetish. An obsession with cruelty. Savage nature. Paganism over Christianity. The title can also represent a sexual attraction to religious iconography as in the case of the ‘possessed’ Loudun nuns. I like the title because to me it invokes images of a darker, sexier pre-Raphaelite scene wherein Sleeping Beauty’s castle is won and she is awoken by a poisonous kiss. A darker, more adult fairytale.”

Paul Allender told Terrorizer magazine, “There are quite a few guitar solos on this album. To be honest, I’ve never really classed myself as a lead player as such, but this is the first time I’ve sat down and seriously practiced lead work. I’ve been so involved in actually writing new material and coming up with song structures that I haven’t had time to practice all the frilly things that go on top of it.