Live Bait for the Dead is another in a string of high-quality (and sort of cynical) cash-ins for
Cradle of Filth: odds 'n' sods compilation
Bitter Suites to Succubi, best-of collection
Lovecraft & Witch Hearts, and live DVD Heavy, Left-Handed and Candid all saw the light of day during the three years between studio albums
Midian and
Damnation and a Day. In fact, those in possession of the aforementioned video will recognize disc one of
Live Bait as the exact same live set -- recorded April 11, 2001, at Rock City in Nottingham, England -- which is the centerpiece of the DVD. Sure, it's a high-quality recording, and the performance and set list are impeccable, but it's ultimately redundant, and strictly for fans only. Disc two consists of mainly filler: three remixes of varying degrees of uselessness, two soundcheck recordings, a demo, a curious, tossed-off instrumental track ("Deleted Scenes of a Snuff Princess"), and an entertaining cover of
Twisted Sister's "The Fire Still Burns" (originally found on the tribute album
Twisted Forever). On the plus side, the CD packaging of
Live Bait is gorgeous and intricately designed -- an apparent enticement for
Cradle completists and collectors to track down this far-from-essential rehash.