CRADLE OF FILTH Frontman Says Black Metal Scene 'Used To Be Much More Diverse'

CRADLE OF FILTH's official web site has been updated with a question-and-answer session with the group's frontman, Dani Filth, about the band's upcoming album, "Thornography". A few excerpts follow:

Q: Why the title "Thornography"?

Dani: "Funnily enough, we had a few titles in consideration for this album, all of them listed on a board in the studio (unfortunately 'Shriek Of The Pterodactyl' wasn't a winner!). The idea really was to narrow it down as the recording of the album progressed, with song structures and a comparable theme being held in mind. Eventually those working on the album decided on 'Thornography' as it was decided that this best represented the 'feel' of the album and the foetal stages of album artwork."

Q: Would you still consider yourselves a black metal band?

Dani: "Yes and no. Doesn't really help, does it? 'Yes' in context of retaining the same fire inside as when the band first formed and in pertaining to the atmospherics of the music. 'No' in relation to the narrow-mindedness of the current scene. I mean, it used to be much more diverse back in the glory days of [labels like] Cacophonous, Osmose and Deathlike Silence, what with bands as far-flung as NECROMANTIA (no guitars, just bass),EQUIMANTHORN and NEPTUNE TOWERS (wierd ambience) right through to IMPALED NAZARENE (who were kinda punk-influenced originally) and IMMORTAL. Now the scene feels a lot like a prison with everyone still trying to retain their purity despite the scene having broken down aeons ago. We'd rather be known as solely 'CRADLE OF FILTH,' I think, rather than be hampered by stupid genre barriers used by 'scenesters' to hem bands in to their own projected ideals."

Q: Why did you decide to work with Ville Valo [H.I.M. frontman] on the song "The Byronic Man"?

Dani: "Ville had expressed a desire to work with the band when he played at the Roadrunner 25th anniversary bash with Rob Caggiano ('Thornography' producer) last year. Bearing in mind that the song required a male singing lead (a bit too gay if I'd have sung it!) and I'd rather hoped that he would be in keeping with the character of Lord Byron, then it was merely a call into Ville's management to secure the collusion, as he fitted the bill perfectly. The finished result really works brilliantly, I think."

Q: Some of the songs on the new album are extremely melodic, even in the vocal department. Is this a step toward broadening your musical horizons?

Dani: "Definitely. I don't know why many people are so surprised; the melodic thing is a natural progression for us and has actually been present for quite some time. The album also features some of the heaviest stuff we've actually ever done, so it's not all one direction by far. The melodic vocals (of which there a few on the album) crept in to accentuate some of the parts that are, by nature, really catchy choruses."

Q: How is life on Roadrunner Records?

Dani: "Roadrunner have been very good for us; they have an excellent nose for the scene and people there that actually give a shit about the music. Couple that with their very loyal street teams and their history with extreme music, plus their foothold in the door when it comes to some of their more successful artists and you have a recipe for great accomplishments. What a proper brown-noser I am!"

Q: What are your tour plans for next year?

Dani: "What aren't our tour plans for next year? That would be easier to answer. Put it this way: we are going to be doing a great deal of travelling both here in Europe and also over in the States. January sees the beginning of an American and Canadian tour, then it's Europe again in spring with another U.S. tour over the summer, hopefully with another Ozzfest or something at least similar. And in-between there's Japan and Australia with an eye to playing Malaysia, India and South Africa on the way."

Q: What's happening with the book "The Gospel Of Filth"? It was supposed to have been finished an eternity ago? What is the new release date?

Dani: "As with most projects of an undeniably large undertaking, this was never going to be as quick as was first imagined. An enormous amount of research has been done on behalf of this so far and there's still plenty more yet to come, but very soon there will be some early chapter teasers put up on the fan site for you to peruse. Rest assured that however long this takes (and it can't take that long as a WalpurgisNacht -April 30th- release date is tentative),the end result will be absolutely mind-blowing. I'm in the midst of reappraising some of the earlier chapters and it makes for really fantastic reading, especially if you're interest lies in creepy occult lore, demonology, witchcraft, serial killers, gothicism, vampirism, cannibalism, horror movies, femme fatales, grand guignol, eroticism and just plain old darkness to name but a few of the things brimming hideously therein."

Read the entire interview at this location (scroll down).