For years, many have speculated about the true nature of Cradle Of Filth – whether it operates as a fully collaborative band or if it is, in essence, a Dani Filth solo project. In a new interview with Terry Palamara of Loud And Proud Italy, Filth, the band’s only remaining founding member, directly addressed these perceptions.
When asked if he would ever consider releasing a solo album, Filth responded (via Blabbermouth): “I’m too busy to release a blooming solo record. And, yeah, if it was just me, it’d be called Dani Filth, and it’s not — it’s called Cradle Of Filth,” he stated, emphasizing that the band is more than just his personal endeavor.
Dani also defended the band’s evolution, explaining that most departures were not due to dismissals but personal choices. “I think everything needs change. We’ve never — well, that’s not true. We sacked three people over the span of our career. And it was all a long time ago, like 20 years ago at least.”
As with many long-standing bands, changes in membership are inevitable. The demands of constant touring, recording, and promotion can be overwhelming. “People leave the band because it’s just a lot of commitment, a lot of hard work, a lot of traveling, a lot of mental disrepair. As in the case of our previous guitarist, people leave to start families and find that the lifestyle is a bit too hectic … or they just think they can do it better or just drift apart,” he added.
Beyond musicianship, Dani noted that members of Cradle Of Filth are expected to take on various roles. “It’s very important to be a family when you join our band, and as a musician joining – well, any band, I guess, nowadays, you have to wear many hats,” he said. “So it’s not just being a pretty face. In Cradle Of Filth, you have to write, contribute toward the album. That happened on The Screaming of the Valkyries; everybody contributed to its creation. And then you’ve gotta do other things. You’ve gotta speak to people, meet-and-greets, videos. There’s a lot of different things you have to actually get rather good at, or at least deal with.”
The upcoming album, The Screaming of the Valkyries, set for release on March 21, 2025, via Napalm Records, features the latest lineup: drummer Martin “Marthus” Skaroupka, bassist Daniel Firth, guitarists Marek “Ashok” Smerda and Donny Burbage, and keyboardist/vocalist Zoe Federoff.
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