Cruelty and the Beast
Cruelty and the Beast is the third studio album by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth. It is a concept album based on the legend of the Hungarian "blood countess" Elizabeth Báthory and features guest narration by actress Ingrid Pitt in-character as Báthory, a role she first played in the Hammer Horror film Countess Dracula in 1971. It was released on 5 May 1998 by record label Music for Nations.
| Cruelty and the Beast | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 5 May 1998 | |||
| Recorded | DEP International Studios/Abattoir Studios, Birmingham, England, January–March 1998 | |||
| Genre | Extreme metal | |||
| Length | 58:47 | |||
| Label | Music for Nations (Europe) Mayhem (US) | |||
| Producer | Jan Peter Genkel and Cradle of Filth | |||
| Cradle of Filth chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Cruelty and the Beast | ||||
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| Alternative covers | ||||
Celtic Cross edition | ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
Koch Records' 2001 two-disc edition | ||||
The album, while positively received, was noted for its poor production by fans, critics and members of the band alike. A remixed and remastered edition, titled Cruelty and the Beast – Re-Mistressed, was released in November 2019.
In November 2021, during an AMA with Dani Filth on reddit, it was revealed that the track, "Bathory Aria" was the track Dani was most proud of out of the band's entire catalog.