Cradle of Filth/Devildriver - Santa Ana, CA - 3/11/23

British extreme metal band Cradle of Filth and groove metal band Devildriver announced a co-headlining tour that also featured Black Satellite and ONI. A tour like this was set to be an explosive one with great bands all around. This is the first leg of the tour so other cities will be announced later this year. The one city that was extra excited was this stop in Santa Ana, California. The show sold out in just three days after tickets went on sale. Clearly a tour like this in SoCal was meant to be held at a much bigger venue. Even before doors opened, a line had already formed for all the early birds who wanted to get the best spot up front. It was Saturday night and what a better way to spend it than with metal bands.

Devildriver came out and started their show with Keep Away from Me, the first single from their latest album Dealing with Demons - Part 1 which was released in 2020. Part 2 will be released on May 12. The crowd immediately went wild as the heaviness of the song filled the venue. The next couple of songs were Hold Back the Day and I Could Care Less. The band took a quick break for a speech which involved frontman Dez Fafara letting the audience know that original bassist Jon Miller had returned to the band after originally leaving in 2011. The one song that Miller wanted to perform was Grinfucked, and so Devildriver performed that song next. The fans were loving every minute and they showed their appreciation by moshing, raising their horns and banging their heads. Devildriver kept the energy going by playing tracks like Ruthless, Clouds Over California and even an AWOLNATION cover of Sail. Fafara made note on how the show sold out in just three days of tickets going on sale and thanked everyone. To end the night, Devildriver played Meet the Wretched. It was the last chance that the audience had to go wild and they did not disappoint. The show came to an end. Devildriver said their goodbyes, then made way for the headlining band of the night.

Cradle of Filth is no doubt one of the most popular bands in the world. With their Gothic imagery, they would surely catch the eye of anyone. In 2021, they released their thirteenth studio album, Existence Is Futile. This was also the first USA tour for their newest members which are Donny Burbage (guitars) and Zoe Marie Federoff (keyboards/vocals). Fans showed that they were more than excited to see COF as they once again cheered with excitement as the lights went out. The members made their way to the stage and waited as the intro track finished. They kicked off their show with Heaven Torn Asunder. The music hits you loud and hard. The venue was instantly filled with Dani Filth's ear-piercing growls and shrieks. The COF way. The next song was the classic Gilded Cunt and it drove the fans wild as they moshed and shoved each other around. On March 1st, COF released their new single She is a Fire which will be featured on their upcoming live album Trouble And Their Double Lives. It is their first live album in 20 years. That single was the one of the early songs played. COF has a haunting presence when playing live and it was further felt with all the props and fog that would often cover the stage. COF played a variety of old and new songs which included Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids, The Principle of Evil Made Flesh, Crawling King Chaos and Born in a Burial Gown. During the fan-favorite Nymphetamine (Fix), Federoff got a chance to show off her hauntingly beautiful vocals that the song calls for. Nearing the end of their set, COF played Her Ghost in the Fog. One of their most popular songs and is a staple song on their setlist. Federoff once again got to shine and use her vocals during the female segments of the song. Now at the end of the set, COF played their usual ending song which was From the Cradle to Enslave. It was the final opportunity for the fans to let out whatever remaining energy they had and they let loose with mosh pits and crowd surfers. Filth thanked the audience for a sold out show and, of course, that they would be coming back real soon. COF never disappoint live and they should be seen by everyone regardless of whether you're a fan or not.

Photos and review by Misael Ruiz

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Cradle of Filth

DevilDriver