Tabatha And Her Friends (1996)

DUSK AND HER EMBRACE, Cradle of Filth's third release (and first domestically available title), was a shock to the metal system when it was released in 1996. Arguably the British sextet's best produced album, DUSK is a fright-fest, from Dani Filth's unearthly, high-pitched vocalizations to the ferocious, flash-of-the-blade, orchestrated time changes. With production duties handled by the ever-capable Kit Woolven (Thin Lizzy, Anathema, Cathedral), the band nimbly blurs the line between black metal and death metal, all with an ambient twist. Featuring a guest vocal performance by Venom frontmanCronos, DUSK is a benchmark release in the band's hyper-creative career.

"Cradle of Filth may be one of the only recognizable underground metal acts to an average person. Although mom and dad might not know who they are, the band enjoyed a streak of notoriety through the late '90s into the turn of the century that would be hard for a music fan to miss…" (All Music Guide review)