CRADLE OF FILTH Frontman On Black Metal Movement: 'I Just Don't Get It, To Be Honest'

Finland's Metalliluola recently conducted an interview with frontman Dani Filth of U.K. extreme metal veterans CRADLE OF FILTH. You can listen to the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the musical influences behind the band's new "Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay" studio album:

Dani: "It's hard to say, really. We convened in Brno in the Czech Republic to collate our ideas for a week and a half prior to a festival in Slovakia. Brno is where Martin [Skaroupka] and Ashok [Marek Šmerda], the drummer and one of the guitarists, live. We went there as a team-building exercise and as I said, to collect ideas. It was only due to the amount of work people had done before going there that we actually came away with eighty percent of the album written. People had written whole songs or parts of songs or individual riffs. We actually had more done than we thought. It was a very productive time. And so I can only go on what was presented. We had been working on material they thought was one step forward from the previous album, 'Hammer Of The Witches'. Obviously, we toured that extensively and we played quite a smorgasbord of different material from every facet of CRADLE OF FILTH's existence and primarily, quite a lot of early stuff. Maybe that's what shone through. But there was no definitive plan. It was more of an organic process. Everybody delivered what they thought they would contribute to the record and we looked through it and decided what worked and what didn't. Henceforth, the album came out."

On how CRADLE OF FILTH has changed and evolved over the course of twelve studio albums:

Dani: "It's hard to say, really. I'm too close to it. Obviously, different lineup. We have arrived at a good lineup. It's a journey and I've enjoyed every single album we've done, every single lineup we've had. We've got a really strong lineup at the present. People are really into what we're doing. It's a bit of a renaissance of the band. We've had a very illustrious career. I don't look upon it…these sort of questions I don't really understand. It's like asking someone 'Can you just take me through your life. Tell me of the highs and lows.' You go 'It's impossible.' It's an ever-evolving thing. When this interview is done, it will still be going."

On the band's numerous lineup changes:

Dani: "People come and go in all walks of life. If you're working in a magazine or for a radio station, TV station, people change their profession, people think they can do it better elsewhere. Some people just want to retire because they don't like it. In the case of bands, sometimes people feel that it's too much hard work. They don't like being away from home for long periods of time, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera."

On how his DEVILMENT side project helps him maintain a fresh perspective on CRADLE OF FILTH:

Dani: "I've had people question me [saying] that it's taking me away from the essence of CRADLE OF FILTH. It's actually completely the opposite. In fact, it's helping with CRADLE OF FILTH because it gives me another outlet for what I want to do. Stuff that I can't do with CRADLE OF FILTH or would just be shunned. People can say 'Last year, CRADLE OF FILTH's record is a real return to form. They're really strong. I really like it.' If you look at the history of DEVILMENT, it literally falls within those two albums. Yeah, it's a pressure-valve that gets released and keeps things fresh."

On the fact there are Facebook fan pages that have guidelines telling users not to discuss DIMMU BORGIR and CRADLE OF FILTH:

Dani: "Ironically, both bands actually built the scene to let these other bands fucking have those comments, which is ironic, really. What a load of shit. For the whole maxim, do what that wilt shall be the whole of the law. Freedom of expression etcetera, etcetera. They're literally like fucking neo-Nazis when it comes to music. It's pathetic."

On whether he follows the current black metal movement:

Dani: "What black metal movement? I've never understood this. I've been involved in it and I've known most of the major players in it and not once, apart from a few idiots, have ever… I just don't get it, to be honest. I know there was this Polish neo-Nazi thing going on. But again, that's fucking ridiculous. Yeah, music is music. And yeah, it's a very powerful weapon and you utilize that, obviously. The reason I'm so…not bitter about it, it's that we've never been a part of that, even when we were touring with DISSECTION, EMPEROR. We've played with IMPALED NAZARENE and ROTTING CHRIST and all the original bands. It wasn't a scene as such, it was universal. Being from England as well, where we invented black metal with VENOM and with BLACK WIDOW and WITCHFINDER GENERAL and all these other bands, obviously BLACK SABBATH from the very start. We never felt like we were connected to anybody. We felt like one of the few bands who were doing anything like we were doing. Even so, we've always been friends with EMPEROR, like I said, we toured with DISSECTION a lot. Played with DIMMU. Obviously, I had a band going with King [Ov Hell] from GORGOROTH and GOD SEED [TEMPLE OF THE BLACK MOON]. I've known a lot of people from a lot of things. It's never been discussed as such as this masterminded fucking black metal movement."

"Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay" was released on September 22 via Nuclear Blast. The album was recorded at Grindstone Studios, Suffolk, U.K. by the very honorable Scott Atkins, who has been the resident go-to producer for CRADLE OF FILTH for several albums. Dani Filth sat in during the mix, serving up flaming mugs of teas, making the studio couch his own and lending his ears when necessary.