Cradle of Filth Frontman Dani Filth Discusses Upcoming Projects, Horror Films + More

Cradle of Filth vocalist and lead creative force Dani Filth has been crafting his brand of gothic and black metal to the masses for 20 years. Filth has also developed a vocal style consisting of high shrieks, low gutturals and borderline throat singing, which has been said to span five octaves.

The band released the 'Evermore Darkly' EP just in time for Halloween this year, including a live DVD and exclusive documentary. Cradle of Filth also plan to release two albums in 2012, a new full-length record and an orchestral re-imagining of the band's early work.

In addition to telling Loudwire about his religious beliefs, Dani Filth gave us the inside info about the history of Cradle of Filth, his thoughts about the current black metal scene and his fascination with all things horror.

Tell us about Cradle of Filth’s new EP ‘Evermore Darkly’

It’s kind of a fan edition thing. It’s two discs and it’s split between a DVD, which contains a lost video, a documentary about our travels around Russia and Europe earlier in the year and a live show when we headlined Graspop this year. On the other side of things, there’s an audio CD with a new track. We reworked demos that were for ‘Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa record, a remix and a couple other things on there including a foretaste of our forthcoming classical album, which is full of tracks from my first four albums, but re-imagined, big orchestral cinematic pieces.

That’s going to be called ‘Midnight in the Labyrinth’ right?

That’s right. That’s looking at about an April release, which is the time we’re due to go in to start working on our new album, which we’ve been tentatively writing over the last few months. We’re about three or four songs into it – it’s going really well. It’s a bit hard to describe in so many words. Its very good, very Cradle of Filth and it’s moving on from where we left off on the previous record. ‘Evermore Darkly’ is more like an interim release. It’s something for our fans at Halloween.

What can fans expect to see in the documentary on the ‘Evermore Darkly’ EP?

It’s like a behind the scenes of a band touring and I guess its brought to norm. You can see the band tired and stressed at certain points [Laughs] with a lot of traveling and waiting around in airports and things like that, but its informative. It gives another viewpoint to life in Cradle of Filth – and its not all doom and gloom. I think its about a 45-50 minute long documentary specifically for the fans.

You’ve said that your next album is going to bring back the female vocal parts that Cradle of Filth is so well know for.

I think it’s going to have elements of some of our earlier stuff, but it’s not really going back to it – more just incorporating ingredients that made Cradle of Filth what we were. I think we’ll be taking elements from parts of those records, but trying to push the boundaries even further with what we do.

Is there any chance that we’re going to hear former Cradle of Filth vocalist Sara Jezebel Deva collaborate with you again?

Possibly, but not on the next album - we have someone who is working with us on the next record, but it may be a possibility in time. It’s certainly not ruled out by any means.

Is Cradle of Filth planning on touring in 2012?

Yeah. Obviously, it would be with the release of our album, which should be at around Halloween strangely enough. We’ll be going straight out on the road. We just wanted to get back into the studio really at this point in our careers. This one does follow quite swiftly on the heels of our previous album, ‘Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa.’ We’re obviously utilizing ‘Evermore Darkly’ as a sort of final nail in that album’s coffin and as a springboard to future material. But yeah definitely, once we’re out of the studio we’re straight back out on the road.

You’ve been around for nearly 20 years now…

Don’t make me feel old. [Laughs]

[Laughs] You’re constantly putting out new music and its always sounding really fresh. How do you compare the amount of thought and energy you put into your music now compared to when you were getting started?

I think its pretty much the same – other than we were a bit more naive back then, but naivety can sometimes be better because I usually find that a lot of band’s first couple of albums to be their better, but its just the way things are you know? That’s when that new, kindled energy comes from. Nowadays you’re a little bit older, a little bit wiser, but it’s only been, like you say, 20 years. Our first album came out in 1994, so we’re talking like 17 years as what I call a “professional band.” I’ve never really had time to look back, henceforth why we’ve done nine albums and three EP’s and a couple of DVD’s and a movie and a book and a fluffy toy. [Laughs]

Cradle of Filth were one of the pioneers to bring black metal to a large audience. Are there any new black metal bands that you’re into at the moment?

Yeah, I like Nachtmystium. I like Ghost. Eastern Front, who are funnily enough from our town. Wolves in the Throne Room… there are quite a few cool bands out there. The new God Seed will be really good – its not actually released yet. Craft are an amazing band, so yes there are a few.

You’re somewhat of a horror movie buff. It seems like a lot of new horror movies don’t resonate with people today. Are there any newer horror films you’ve enjoyed?

I went to see one last week actually; well I’ve seen quite a few recently. Not too much of horror but films like ‘The Others’ and things of that ilk, like ‘The Haunted.’ I just saw one called ‘The Awakening’ and it was all set in this big boarding school between the first and second World War. It was really evocative, really creepy, very gothic, very spooky and that was a really good film. I also really like the recent spurt of gore in particular. I like the French movies like 'Frontiers.' I’ve got precedence for all kinds really. It depends, sometimes I like really cheesy no-brainers and sometimes I like really flamboyant movies.

Do you tend to gravitate to any era of the horror genre like the silent films or the black and whites or the ‘80s?

Recently since its been Halloween I’ve gravitated back to John Carpenter’s stuff and I’m really looking forward to the remake of ‘The Thing’ although I know they’ll probably crap it up like they do with most remakes nowadays. [Laughs] Just because it’s been Halloween I’ve watched the original ‘Halloween’ and ‘The Thing’ and ‘They Live’ and ‘The Fog’ and stuff like that.

Did you hear that they’re remaking the first ‘Hellraiser’ movie?

Yeah, I’ve known that for a while. Strangely enough Doug Bradley (Pinhead) is a friend of mine and he won’t be in it, which is odd, but then I suppose it’s the same thing they did to Freddy Krueger, which they f---ed up.

Being a father, has it become more difficult to tour and be away from your family, as your daughter is getting older? Or was it more difficult when she was younger?

It’s about the same, really. It can be difficult – the Ozzfest was a pretty hard one because that was 10 or 11 weeks and that’s enough on anybody’s body, liver or state of mind. [Laughs] Of course it’s difficult, but I see the band as a beast of two halves anyway and our lifestyle also mimics that by the fact that if you add up all the days you’re probably at home for half the year and away for half the year. It’s just not as cut and dry as being six months away and six months at home, so by the time you get bored with one half, you move into the other one, so it’s a nice balance.

What bands have you been listening too the most lately?

I’ve been listening to a load of soundtracks, that’s for a start. I actually bought the soundtrack for ‘The Awakening’ because I thought it was so cool. Aside from that, the new Misfits album, the last Bad Religion record, some of those bands I mentioned before like Craft and a whole bunch of ‘80s stuff. Anything from W.A.S.P. right through to German thrash like Destruction and Kreator.

I’m still addicted to that new Bad Religion album, ‘The Dissent of Man.’

I’ve always been a fan of them. I don’t know why, I just really dig what they do. I’m a big fan of dark sounding music, but there’s something about Bad Religion that has a real edge – there always has been and I’m one of those people who just don’t want them to change. I know all their albums sound a bit like the last record, but that’s to the untrained ear. To everybody else who is a big fan of Bad Religion - keep doing what you’re doing.

Watch a 4-Minute Clip of the Cradle of Filth 'Evermore Darkly' Documentary