Cruelty and the Beast

The subject is the legend of the Hungarian "blood countess" Elizabeth Báthory. The narration is by the actress Ingrid Pitt, who had played Báthory in the Hammer film Countess Dracula in 1971 and speaks here in the same character. It is the last album with guitarist and songwriter Stuart Anstis and drummer Nick Barker, the first with guitarist Gian Pyres, and the only full-length record with keyboard player Lecter. Reception was broadly positive, but the recording and the mix — the drum sound above all — were criticised by listeners, by critics and by the band themselves. Singer Sarah Jezebel Deva has said she walked out of the room in tears the first time she heard it, and that after twenty-five hours of work her vocals were barely audible. Barker has also described his dissatisfaction with the mix and said he asked for the release to be postponed. The album reached number 48 in the UK chart. In November 2019 a remixed and remastered edition, Cruelty and the Beast – Re-Mistressed, was issued with no new recording added. The running order here is the original's as printed.