Cradle of Filth’s frontman Dani Filth has announced the title and release window for the band’s upcoming album: “The Screaming of the Valkyries,” due in early April. The revelation came in an exclusive interview with Metal Hammer, where Filth opened up about the record’s sound, themes (or lack thereof), and that much-talked-about Ed Sheeran collaboration that remains in limbo.
For fans of the band’s early work, there’s much to be excited about. The new record promises callbacks to Cradle of Filth’s beloved classics, “Dusk… And Her Embrace” and “Midian,” both of which are cornerstones of their dark, theatrical legacy.
“It’s got elements of everything we’ve done, really. It has a few head nods to works like Midian and Dusk…, especially in the atmosphere and the subject matter. It’s also got a very brilliant production, courtesy of Scott Atkins,” Filth said.
But before you get too caught up in gothic nostalgia, he’s is quick to clarify that “The Screaming of the Valkyries,“ isn’t a concept album.
“They’re tricky things, concept records,” he admits. They’re tricky things, concept records. You have to have tunnel vision and you can’t veer from that path. So this is just an album. It’s not an album with filly bits attached, like intros and outros. No guest appearances. Just nine songs.”
For anyone hoping for a quick burst of blackened fury, be warned: brevity isn’t on the menu.“It’s still quite a lengthy running time, obviously. We can’t write a short song to save our fucking lives” Filth jokes.
Fans have been speculating for years about Cradle of Filth’s unlikely collaboration with pop megastar Ed Sheeran. While the track is finished and ready to go, it won’t be featured on the upcoming album. According to Filth, the band and Sheeran’s team are still figuring out how best to release it without it overshadowing other projects.
“We are going to bring it out,” Filth confirms. “Originally, everybody wanted us to bring it out to glorious fanfare, but Ed’s management wasn’t keen on that. We’re not absolutely sure how it will emerge, but it’s been done, mixed, and it’s sitting on the shelf somewhere… you know, virtually.”
And for those wondering if the song works, Filth is adamant that it does.
“It’s fucking fantastic,” he says. “But only a handful of people have actually heard it. My mum hasn’t even heard it.”
According to Filth, the song is exactly what you’d expect from this odd couple. “Like a cross between Ed Sheeran and Cradle of Filth,” he explains. “You hear it and go, ‘Oh, my God, fuck me, acoustic guitar, that’s Ed Sheeran.’ Then at the same time, you can flip the coin and go, ‘Fuck me, this is a Cradle of Filth song: blast-beat, Dani screaming.’”
The key, it seems, was finding common ground without veering too far into unfamiliar territory for either artist.
“Obviously, he wouldn’t put his name to a technical death metal track, and we wouldn’t put our name to a song that sounded like Galway Girl part 2,” Filth says. “It’s catchy, though. It’s a good marriage.”
In 2021, Cradle of Filth released “Existence Is Futile,“ a bleak album that reflected on existential dread and the state of the world. And when asked if anything has changed for him in the years since, Dani offers a quick answer: “Ha ha ha! Not in the slightest. It’s fucking terrifying, isn’t it? It’s a fucked-up world, and I guess that statement rings even more horrifyingly true.”
