Third studio album by the English extreme metal band. 'Cruelty and the Beast' is a concept album based on the legend of the Hungarian 'blood countess' Elizabeth Báthory. The album features guest narration on certain passages by Ingrid Pitt in-character as Báthory, a role she first played in the Hammer film Countess Dracula in 1971.
Track Listing:
1. Once Upon Atrocity - Cradle of Filth (1.43)
2. Thirteen Autumns and a Widow - Cradle of Filth (7.14)
3. Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids - Cradle of Filth (7.18)
4. Beneath the Howling Stars - Cradle of Filth (7.42)
5. Venus in Fear - Cradle of Filth (2.2)
6. Desire in Violent Overture - Cradle of Filth (4.16)
7. The Twisted Nails of Faith - Cradle of Filth (6.5)
8. Bathory Aria: Benighted Like Usher/A Murder of Ravens in Fugue/Eyes That Witnessed Madness - Cradle of Filth (11.02)
9. Portrait of the Dead Countess - Cradle of Filth (2.52)
10. Lustmord and Wargasm (The Lick Carnivorous Winds) - Cradle of Filth (7.3)
Year of Production: 1998
