It would be easy to dislike Midian, to bridle at its relentless bombast, its po-faced obsession with all things Goth. Many would detest a purposefully pretentious mix of Carl Orff and Obituary that occasionally collapses into early Eighties-style prog-metal. And who could possibly like J.K. Potter's laughable artwork, wherein the band appear like characters in Clive Barker's miserable Night Breed, the source of the album's name? Silly, poorly conceived and wretchedly unthreatening, the images make Deep Space Nine look like The Exorcist. But there is also a lot here to appreciate. Singer and lyricist Dani Filth is becoming ever more convincing in his adaptations of Barker and H.P. Lovecraft, and less childish (and consequently more effective) in his attempts to offend, while some turns of phrase in his blood-spattered gothic romances even manage to recall Keats and Byron. Musically, the band seldom fail to entertain and sometimes even reach the operatic heights of Laibach or Lacrimosa. So, eventually, Midian is excellent, a bloody-minded rush and a mighty stride forward for Cradle Of Filth. More reading, refinement and control may turn their next album into the first Goth masterpiece since The Sisters Of Mercy's First And Last And Always. --Dominic Wills