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Cradle of Filth Information
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'Cradle of Filth' are an English Melodic Black Metal band formed in 1991 that has been heavily influenced by Gothic music. The band progressed from a rawer, more traditional,
black metal sound, to one with a more symphonic tone. Many metal fans criticise the group as "sell outs" due to the fact that coverage by Kerrang and MTV has brought them a more mainstream and commercial image.
Biography
After the band's formation and a period of rapid line-up fluctuation as four demos were recorded, Cradle of Filth signed to Cacophonous and released The Principle of Evil Made Flesh in 1994. After further member changes, the band released Dusk and Her Embrace, a critically acclaimed album that greatly expanded the band's fanbase throughout Europe and among black metal fans elsewhere. As the band became known for increasingly theatrical stage shows, Cruelty and the Beast was released to even greater acclaim, though sales were poor. The following year the band continued primarily on the touring route but did put out a DVD, PanDaemonAeon, and an accompanying EP, From the Cradle to Enslave, featuring the music from the production. One of the best-known and favourite songs the band has ever produced was the title track of the EP, "From the Cradle to Enslave."
Cradle produced their fourth full-length studio album the following year: Midian, used as a reference from the Clive Barker movie Nightbreed (which Barker referenced from the biblical province which is the modern day Sinai Penninsula), was fittingly released on Halloween night, October 31, 2000. Their style at this point was probably their most defined, with Paul Allender joining the lineup on guitars, but their music was by no means mainstream, with titles such as "Lord Abortion," "Tearing The Veil From Grace," "Tortured Soul Asylum" and yet another cult favourite, "Her Ghost in the Fog," which was featured in the soundtrack of the movie Ginger Snaps. Their music at this point was hard, but highly melodic and as usual, incredibly verbose and eloquent.
Following the moderate success of Midian they released a "transition mini-album," as lead singer and frontman Dani Filth later referred to it, Bitter Suites to Succubi which included "Born in A Burial Gown." Besides the obvious pun, the album was a mixture of four new songs, re-recordings of three songs from The Principle of Evil Made Flesh, two instrumental tracks, and a cover of The Sisters of Mercy's "No Time To Cry." Though stylistically it is similar to Midian the album is regarded as a failure by most critics, yet many fans believe it to be their best release.
More line-up shifts followed. In 2003 they signed with Sony Music, and produced their fifth full-length studio album, 2003's Damnation and a Day, which was much less melodic black metal than symphonic metal with black undertones, or what is referred to as black symphonic metal. Though it disappointed some fans, this concept album, showing the events of the bible through the eyes of the devil and inspired by the poem Paradise Lost, featured a 40 piece orchestra and 32 piece choir, and even more complex songs, both stylistically and lyrically. It also produced at least two videos on MTV2 - videos and MTV2 appearances being a rarity for Cradle of Filth. "PanDaemonAeon" had been banned from daytime MTV after the first showing.
Some claim that the band is no longer playing "true" black metal music. Whilst this is for the most part true, they still have black metal undertones in their music, and after leaving Sony for Roadrunner Records near the beginning of 2004, claim their most recent album Nymphetamine (released summer 2004) as their return to actual black metal. Dani Filth says that it is half-way between Cruelty and the Beast and their previous full length album Damnation and a Day.
Interestingly, it has been in hot debate since near the time Cradle of Filth became popular as to if they are true "black metal" or not. Comparing Cradle to most Norwegian black metal, they are completely different; this has led to them being deemed "melodic black metal," and generally the Norwegian black metal community shuns them as well as bands such as Dimmu Borgir that were brought into popularity following the pseudo-mainstream success of Cradle. Regardless of how "pure" their black metal sound is, most fans disregard the whole debate, as does Dani Filth. In his words, when asked to describe what kind of metal he thinks Cradle of Filth is, "Cradle of Filth is Cradle of Filth." Drummer Adrian Erlandsson describes Cradle of Filth as "Extreme Metal" and also disregards Cradle of Filth falling into the category of black metal due to the fact they sound nothing like bands such as Darkthrone, Immortal, Bathory, etc. Some fans may agree upon calling them an Extreme Gothic Metal band as they have many influences from deathrock and have even appeared on one of Christian Death's albums "Born Again Anti-Christian" on a track called "Peek-A-Boo", even though this holds no connection to the Gothic Metal genre.
Trivia
* Dani Filth's real name was Daniel Lloyd Davey. According to recent news he has officially changed it to Dani Filth. He has a wife (Toni; married on Halloween, 2005) and a daughter (Luna), as well as three cats. His favourite band is Emperor.
* Sarah Jezebel Deva, though she has been with the band since the start, has never been considered a band member. (She also performs with a variety of other melodic metal bands, such as The Kovenant, Therion and Mortiis.)
* One highlight of their career includes a show during which a man jumped on stage with an eight-inch carving knife, intending to stab Dani (spoke of briefly on the Nawrdwar interview).
* The torture room in the From the Cradle to Enslave music video is a homage to Terry Gilliam's Brazil, a movie from which was also quoted in the opening line of the Midian song Lord Abortion ("care for a little necrophilia?").
* Dani had a column in the British metal magazine Metal Hammer called Dani's Inferno.
* It has been purported that in order to attain his impressive vocal range, lead singer Dani screams until his vocal cords bleed. This is unlikely, however, because the resulting inflammation from this injury would decrease, rather than increase, an individual's vocal capabilities.
* Described by The Guardian as proving that "the devil doesn't always have the best music".
*As quoted by Lord Provost of Glasgow on the back of their November 2005 DVD release 'Peace Through Superior Firepower,' they are "sick and offensive," something which all Cradle of Filth fans and evidently the band themselves will happily agree with.
Line-up
Current band members
*Dani Filth - Vocals (1991-)
*Sarah Jezebel Deva - Female backing vocals (1991-)
*Adrian Erlandsson - Drums (2000-) (ex-At the Gates, ex-The Haunted)
*Paul Allender - Guitar (1991-1996, 2000-) (The Blood Divine)
*Charles Hedger - Guitar (2005-)
*Dave Pybus - Bass (2003-2005, 2005-) (ex-Anathema, Dreambreed)
*Rosie Smith (Details Currently Unknown) - Keyboards (2005-)
Former band members
*Martin "Foul" Powell - Keyboards (2000-2005) (ex-My Dying Bride, ex-Anathema, ex-Cryptal Darkness)
*Gian Pyres - Guitars (1996-2002)
*Bryan Hipp - Guitars (1994-1995)
*Stuart Anstis - Guitars (1996-2000)
*Paul Ryan - Guitars (1991-1994)
*Darren White - Drums (1991-1992)
*Was Sarginson - Drums (1999-[2000)
*Nicholas Howard Barker - Drums (1992-1999)
*Jon Richard - Bass (1991-1992)
*Robin Eaglestone - Bass(1992-2001)
*Benjamin Ryan - Keyboards (1992-1994)
*Les "Lecter" Smith - Keyboards (1997-1999)
*Damien Gregori - Keyboards (1994-1997)
*Dave Hirschheimer - Drums (1992-1999)
*Jared Demeter - Guitars (1996)
*Jeff Acres - Guitars (1997-1998)
*Mark Newby-Robson - Keyboards (1991-1994)
*James McIlroy - Guitars
Discography
Studio releases
*The Principle of Evil Made Flesh - (1994)
*V empire (or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein) (EP) - (1996)
*Dusk and Her Embrace - (1996)
*Cruelty and the Beast - (1998)
*From the Cradle to Enslave (EP) - (1999)
*Midian - (2000)
*Bitter Suites to Succubi - (2001)
*Lovecraft, and witch hearts - (2002)
*Damnation and a Day - (2003)
*Nymphetamine - (2004)
Live and other releases
*A Pungent And Sexual Miasma (split with Malediction) - (1992) Cassette Tape only - Very Rare
*Invoking the Unclean (Demo) - (1992) Cassette Tape only - Very rare
*Orgiastic Pleasures (Demo) - (1992) Cassette Tape only - Very rare
*The Black Goddess Rises (Demo) - (1992) Cassette Tape only - Very rare
*Total Fucking Darkness (Demo) - (1993) Cassette Tape only - Very rare
*Sodomizing The Virgin Vamps (Total Fucking Darkness demo + live tracks) - (1997) Bootleg Release
*PanDaemonAeon (VHS/DVD) - (1998)
*RareDaemonAeon (Compilation/Covers) - (2001) Bootleg Release
*Bitter Suites To Succubi (compilation) - (2001) Half Studio Album and Half Revised Tracks
*Lovecraft & Witch Hearts (Compilation) - (2002) Greatest Hits
*Heavy Left Handed & Candid (VHS/DVD) - (2002)
*Live Bait For The Dead (Live) - (2002)
*Babylon AD (So Glad For The Madness) (DVD) - (2003) UK only release
*Mannequin (DVD) - (2003) EP DVD - Comes in a CD case.
*Nymphetamine Special Edition-(2005)
*Peace Through Superior Firepower (Live DVD Filmed In Paris + Documentary And Other Extras) - (2005)
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