CRADLE OF FILTH Frontman Talks Horror

In an interview with Metal Edge contributor Bryan Reesman, vocalist Dani Filth and guitarist Paul Allender discuss the new CRADLE OF FILTH album, the forthcoming CRADLE book, Paul's art side-project VOMITORIUM, and Dani's work with Dario Argento and his thoughts on controversial filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Metal Edge: You've written about Countess Bathory and other murderous figures in the past. Why choose Gilles De Rais on this album?

Dani Filth: Because he's the ultimate of all of them. He was the richest man in the whole of Europe at one time. He was the grand marshal of France, and his story is mind-blowing. I came across it while we were doing "Cruelty And The Beast" and outlined [the album idea]. But we had just done Elizabeth Bathory, and we're not a band that repeats ourselves. Now it's been 10 years since "Cruelty", and now I'm free to do this. At first it seemed like a silly idea, but the more I read [about it], I thought it's like a more elaborate version of the Elizabeth Bathory story. She's the feminine aspect of this, and he's the masculine aspect.

Metal Edge: How many songs were recorded for this album?

Paul Allender: I purposely wrote more than I should have done. Fifteen full songs. On the album there are 10 full songs and three orchestral pieces, so we still have original tracks left over. And that was done on purpose for the special edition, including two tracks held back for films. I also wrote another instrumental that is going on the special edition.

Metal Edge: The video for the song "Babalon A.D." from "Damnation And A Day" was inspired by the Pier Paolo Pasolini film "Salo", which was just reissued again on DVD. Dani, what do you think of it?

Dani Filth: I can't watch that film. I bought it and I watched it once, but I can't watch it again. It's not disturbing, it's just bleak. This [album's] subject matter is bleak at the heart of it, but it's a colorful story and the artwork is colorful. But "Salo" is just bleak through and through. I just find it utterly, utterly desolate.

Metal Edge: What do you think of Pasolini's work in general?

Dani Filth: I'm not keen on it. I bought it because I like collecting things. Recently I got into this great French film called "Frontiere(s)". That's my tip of the year for horror film. Before that I was really into a film called "Storm Warning". It's a bit like "I Spit On Your Grave", but cooler than that. It's really odd.

Metal Edge: What was it like working on a song for the recent Dario Argento film "Mother Of Tears"?

Dani Filth: Claudio's soundtrack is phenomenal. It's one of my favorite soundtracks. It's like a soundtrack you play at Halloween. Fortunately, I got the opportunity to work with him and write the lyrics for the title track. I was just blown away that I was acknowledged by a master of horror. I didn't deal with Dario directly, but he wrote a bit for our book. Clive Barker's done a bit, and all kinds of people. Claudio's a great guy. Obviously he's from Goblin.

Read the entire interview from Metal Edge.