Band: Cradle of Filth

Few bands to emerge from the 90s have been as controversial and polarising, yet as successful as Cradle of Filth. The British symphonic black metal band made a name for themselves with over-the-top album art depicting lesbian vampires and epic, often bombastic songs with Filth's elaborate and evocative lyrics. At times, the band's image has overshadowed its music that, considering the number of line-up changes COF has been through, really is quite good and Filth employs a wildly versatile vocal style. Their image and perchant for theatrics has always kept them close to the mainstream, much to the chagrin of black metal purists. The band's success led them to a brief relationship with Sony that led to the critically reviled Damnation and a Day; since then COF has linked up with Roadrunner for the remarkable Nymphetamine and are easily one of the world's top-selling metal acts.