Cradle of Filth are releasing their new album Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay on September 22.

Lead vocalist Dani Filth says it’s step forward from Hammer and the Witches, thanks to its influences from high gothic melodrama.

“We’ve utilized a choir with the emphasis on lead sopranos, so it simulates that Victorian gothic horror,” Dani says.

“There’s an emphasis on melody, a lot of new wave of British heavy metal is present, there’s a lot of orchestration and even acoustic work.”

“We’ve dispensed with the orchestral intro, outro and interludes, instead we put them into the bulk of the songs.”

Liv Cristine, who provided vocals on Nympethamine, is a guest vocalist on the track Vengeful Spirit.

The special edition includes extra artwork and two bonus tracks, including a cover of Annihilator’s Alison Hell.

“We’ve wanted to do that track for ages and we bumped into Jeff Waters and he was like ‘yeah, you guys would do a great job,’” Dani says.

“He said it’s the best cover he’s heard of Annihilator, whether that’s true or not, it’s still a great accolade.”

The band’s current lineup consists of Martin ‘Marthus’ Skaroupka (drums), Daniel Firth (bass), Lindsay Schoolcraft (keyboard/vocals), Richard Shaw and Marek ‘Ashok’ Šmerda (guitar).

Longtime guitarist Paul Allender had left before Hammer and the Witches, but despite that, the band hasn’t missed a beat.

“When people join, they already are familiar with the band, they’re fans of the band and have a commitment to holding that Cradle of Filth tradition,” Dani says.

“We had a tour with Behemoth coming up and he (Allender) decided he didn’t want to be part of it.”

“Eventually he got back in contact with me, which was weird, and said ‘when do you want me to start writing the album’ and we said we didn’t.”

Cradle of Filth are often criticized for their shock value, but it’s their juxtaposition of beauty and dissonance that makes the band avoid being a gimmick.

“Sometimes you get out of the bed on the wrong side of the proverbial grave and we cross that line where people would find it a little shocking.”

“Something like that ‘Jesus is a cunt shirt,’ that’s been around since the early 90s, it’s not something that’s modern, but continuing to shock and entice in equal measures.”

“Some things we do we step outside of morality, but sometimes we get moaned at for being too poetic, too laborious or intricate in our art; you can’t win it all.”

On their twelfth album, the one constant in Cradle of Filth is Dani Filth and his voice, and he knows the importance of taking care it.

“I have a very good doctor that I see often, he’s a vocal doctor and does a lot of throat manipulation and it’s about how to do it right,” Dani says.

Cradle of Filth’s new album Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay will be released on September 22 and be ordered here.

By Nutman

Photo supplied.