CRADLE OF FILTH: Bassist DAVE PYBUS Rejoins The Fold

CRADLE OF FILTH frontman Dani Filth has posted the following message on the group's official web site:

"Greetings fans, friends, fiends and boys and ghouls of all persuasions.

"Things have been going exceptionally well in the CRADLE OF FILTH camp of late, with the American airing of 'Viva La Bam' being shown for public consumption at the beginning of the month; (we're pursuing the European showing date even as this is being written... )

"And, more importantly we have over sixty per cent of the new album under our belts; including the following laments... 'I Am The Thorn', 'Lovesick For Mina', 'The Byronic Man', 'Cemetery And Sundown', 'Libertina Grimm', 'The Flora Of Nightfall, The Fauna Of War' and 'Dirge Inferno', to name but a few. There will also be a band instrumental on this new musical opus, which, although remaining untitled as yet, will be a first for the band in its eleven year career. The initial start date for recording the album is scheduled for October 10th.

"On the DVD front, a cover representation will be posted shortly with the title of 'Peace Through Superior Firepower' and pending the documentary of backstage shenanigans, being completed over the next few weeks, by Dani and guitarist Paul Allender, a release date of late October/early November is to be expected.

"Book-wise; 'The Gospel Of Filth -The Midian Bible' is coming on very nicely with the chapter about 'Serial Murderers' currently being expounded upon. Next month's arrival of the 'Member's Only' chamber on the website, entitled 'The Order Of The Dragon', will see excerpts from this unholy tome being revealed unto the unwary with the countdown to the release of the book’s special edition (which features an extra chapter by Dani Filth and is signed by both authors alike in a gilded leather-bound cover... ); sometime early next year.

"Incidentally, this 'Members Only' chamber will not only include up-to-the-minute information, but will also feature live band chats, video messaging, special promotional items, tickets for exclusive one-off shows, downloads, competitions to win band property and interaction with band decisions in the form of consensus and polls (i.e in deciding titles, themes, new products and songs etc, etc...) to name but a few. More on this as it arrives.

"Last but not least, some other strange occurrences have been happening to the band line-up since last I put severed wrist to paper; in the form of a further departure, a turnaround and a come-back! It has been known to the select few that this band is a sum of it's parts and sometimes more than just a band, sometimes more a lifestyle, so it is not often surprising that, (as magazines and other creative workplaces do all the time),people unfortunately come and go; yet the entity that is the band remains the same. The plan has always been to deliver on the musical front for at least another five to ten years, regardless of what and whom are in the line-up.

"Anyway, the departure is that of James McIlroy a.k.a 'Germs Warfare' who has left to pursue a Masters degree and other things musical; in the wake of his last appearance with the band on 'Viva La Bam'. As always in these situations, our best wishes and hopes for the future go out to him on his new journey through this abysmal farce called life.

"His replacement is none other than Charles Hedger (who people would have seen fulfilling bass duties on our last European tour...; his primary function being that of playing and tutoring in the guitar, along with maintaining another high level of blondness). Bass duties resume being manhandled by Dave Pybus a.k.a 'Herr Pubis', who returns after a short sojourn from the live circuit and all the vile machinations of the music industry. These changes having been secretly implemented before the main bulk of the writing process started.

"As yet a suitable keyboard replacement has yet to be found, (please keep those demo ceedees winging their way in... ),but this offers the band little concern as the parts are being written and being further expanded upon by Daniel Presley, who has arranged and orchestrated for the band over the last two albums. So absolutely no worries there at all.

"The Future is Bright. The future is the darkest shade of ebony black, as they are prone to say."