"Touched By Jesus, Fingered By God", a slogan from a T-shirt produced by Cradle Of Filth`s own merchandise enterprise Vampyrotica. Tasteless? Maybe. Provocative? Certainly. Necessary? Well, that one will always be debatable. Cradle Of Filth are just doing their job. They are the biggest black metal band in the world, and are not only performing it, but also living it to the fullest. From BBC documentaries to features in cult style magazine The Face, worldwide tours and awards, and even female and male adoration alike, Cradle Of Filth, love them or hate them, have a business acumen second to none. Having completed their fifth album "Midian", released on Halloween 2000, the band will return to the live circuit throughout Europe and the UK in November and December this year. Imagine, if you dare, the scene: the year is 1645, people lie where they fall. The murderer is hailed a hero, but many people now believe the infamous Witch-Finder General, Matthew Hopkins, was born some 200 years too early. For now, a threat from his hometown is not just spreading it`s magic over Suffolk or the country in which he lived, but throughout the entire world. Cradle Of Filth have unleashed their sorcery through the release of three full length albums and two EP`s, the latest of which being the earth shattering "From The Cradle To Enslave E.P."
It all began (no doubt beneath a full moon on a stormy, windy night) in 1991, the first of an unholy trinity of demos was complete. The young lads knew they had started something dark; something evil; something out of this world. They didn`t disappoint with the release of their debut album "The Principle of Evil Made Flesh" in 1994 on the label Cacophonous. The full length CD was a menagerie of gothic keyboards, metal riffing and Vampyric imagery. In other words the ultimate hammer horror soundtrack. Drawing from an incredibly infinite list of influences, including the likes of Bathory, Celtic Frost and Diamanda Galas, and also the literary genius of Lord Byron, Sheridan LeFanu, Friedrich Nietzsche, Bram Stoker and Charles Baudelaire, Cradle Of Filth have produced albums of ever increasing quality. Soaring, sonic masterpieces that envelop you and take you away into the darkest depths of the collective Cradle mind. A dreamlike place full of legend, myths and Vampyres.
Unfortunately, trouble brewed in and around the Cradle of Filth estate resulting in members moving on, and their next release, "Vempire", would be their last for Cacophonous. Raging, bloody, business battles aside, the music on "Vempire" was what everyone expected. A natural progression had taken place, yet none of the ability to produce beautiful gothic epics had left. But, to be fair, everyone was waiting with bated breath for the new full length, on a new label, with newly acquired members. "Dusk And Her Embrace", their third CD, had breakthrough album written all over it, the one that would start Cradle Of Filth on their controversial, provocative, premeditated ascension. Music For Nations signed Cradle Of Filth immediately, showing off their new signing at London venue The Astoria, where the band played a blood curdling set of savage heaviness. The start of a successful relationship had begun and the music on the aforementioned "Dusk and her Embrace" was again unique to Cradle Of Filth. However, at the same time it was different ...very different. There was better production, better artwork, a wider range of formats, and most importantly, better songs. Material that the band deemed "too good for Cacophonous" was included on the album and the result was simply breathtaking. With a guest appearance by "Mr Black Metal" himself, Cronos from the influential 80`s band Venom, this was believed to be their best ever work, but the best was yet to come.
After several successful tours around the world, Cradle of Filth returned home and began to think about their next album, the second for Music For Nations. "Cruelty And The Beast" was finished in 1998. This was their most musically mature album, with amazing artwork and another special guest appearance, this time from Mrs Hammer Horror, Ingrid Pitt. Hugely successful tours followed in the US, Russia and Japan. Cradle of Filth became a phenomenon. A regular fixture in the music press, whilst still maintaining a hardcore following is one side of their success, but it is mainly due to the total devotion and energy they have for producing music which the band believe in. Never threatening to disown their roots for success, their music is becoming harsher and the promotion more provocative. Their last release was no exception, containing two highly charged original songs, two covers, a live recording and an experimental dance/black metal track. Under the title of "From The Cradle To The Enslave", the E.P. made a considerable dent in the rock charts, together with the simultaneously released long-form video, "PanDaemonAeon", which was swiftly banned from daytime MTV. The massive company`s decision only served to further prove the truly deserved reputation Cradle have built up over the years, of being the most controversial band in the world. T-shirt designs, which include the infamous line "JESUS IS A C**T" do anything BUT dampen the ever flowing flame of controversy.
The future is all that COF have left to conquer, for the past 10 years have spawned the new metal princes. There has been nothing but success for the new sorcerers of Suffolk; it`s almost as if the witches of 250 years ago, slaughtered by Witch Finder General Matthew Hopkins, have been reincarnated into not just a band but an entity.
