| Artist: | Cradle of Filth |
| Studio: | 13 |
| Live: | 2 |
| Compilation: | 2 |
| Singles: | 19 |
| Video: | 3 |
| Music Videos: | 28 |
| Ep: | 4 |
Cradle of Filth was formed in Suffolk, England, in 1991. The band's original members consisted of vocalist Dani Filth, guitarist Paul Ryan, keyboardist Ben Ryan (Paul's brother), bassist John Pritchard and drummer Darren Gardner. With this line-up, Cradle of Filth recorded a demo in 1992, titled Invoking the Unclean. Soon after, they recorded their second demo, Orgiastic Pleasures Foul with new guitarist Robin Eaglestone (aka Robin Graves) and new drummer Was Sarginson. Robin left the band shortly afterwards, but following the departure of John Pritchard, Eaglestone returned to take his place as bassist. Guitarist Paul Allender joined the band at the same time. Following these changes, another demo was recorded, titled Total Fucking Darkness (released commercially in 2014, bolstered with rehearsal sessions and a surviving track from the abandoned Goetia album). Sarginson left the band soon after, paving the way for the entry of drummer Nick Barker.
Cradle of Filth signed with Cacophonous Records in 1994, releasing their debut, The Principle of Evil Made Flesh. A series of differences between band members arose, and there were also problems between the band and the label. Their second work, the EP V Empire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein, issued in 1996, saw further changes in the line-up. The Ryan brothers and Allender left, and Stuart Anstis (guitarist) and Damien Gregori (keyboardist) joined. While writing material for a new album, the band negotiated their departure from Cacophonous, and in November 1996, signed with European label Music for Nations and guitarist Gian Pyres joined. Later that year, they released Dusk... and Her Embrace, an album that substantially expanded the group's growing cult following.
Their next album was Cruelty and the Beast, released in 1998 featured new keyboardist Les Smith. Next year the group returned with From the Cradle to Enslave, an EP that featured new drummer Adrian Erlandsson (formerly of Sweden's At the Gates and The Haunted), as Barker had departed to join Dimmu Borgir. The band's several lineup changes continued apace as Paul Allender rejoined the group and Martin Powell (ex-Anathema and My Dying Bride) replaced Smith on keyboards for the full-length album Midian, Cradle's last for Music For Nations, which was appropriately released on Halloween 2000. Bitter Suites to Succubi was released on the band's own Abracadaver label in the UK and Spitfire Records in the US in 2001. The group signed to Sony for one album in 2003, adding a choir and orchestra for Damnation and a Day, and moved to Roadrunner Records for 2004's Nymphetamine, 2006's Thornography, and 2008's Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder. 2010's Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa was independently released by Abracadaver through Peaceville. In 2015 the band released Hammer of the Witches. In 2016 the original version of Dusk and Her Embrace (recorded with the line-up of The Principle of Evil Made Flesh but abandoned) was released for the first time.
As of 2009, Cradle of Filth had sold about 800,000 albums in the United States[1] [2] and four million records worldwide.[3] Metal Hammer magazine called them the most successful British metal band since Iron Maiden.[4]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [5] [6] | AUS [7] | AUT [8] | BEL [9] | FIN [10] | FRA [11] | GER [12] | NLD [13] | SWE [14] | SWI [15] | US [16] | ||||||||
| The Principle of Evil Made Flesh |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Dusk and Her Embrace |
| 107 | — | — | — | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| |||||
| Cruelty and the Beast |
| 48 | — | 24 | — | 13 | 34 | 47 | 37 | — | — | — | ||||||
| Midian |
| 63 | — | — | 47 | 11 | 50 | 30 | 41 | 57 | — | — | ||||||
| Damnation and a Day |
| 44 | 47 | 43 | 37 | 10 | 37 | 15 | 51 | 30 | 81 | 140 |
| |||||
| Nymphetamine |
| 92 | 53 | 56 | 59 | 32 | 44 | 25 | 29 | 23 | 64 | 89 | ||||||
| Thornography |
| 46 | 35 | 20 | 58 | 16 | 48 | 27 | 48 | 37 | 71 | 66 |
| |||||
| Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder |
| 73 | 46 | 53 | 50 | 24 | 64 | 37 | 53 | 49 | 56 | 48 |
| |||||
| Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa |
| 95 | 89 | 50 | 64 | 18 | 55 | 43 | 83 | — | 61 | 99 |
| |||||
| The Manticore and Other Horrors |
| 106 | — | 63 | 92 | 24 | 94 | 56 | — | — | — | 96 |
| |||||
| Hammer of the Witches |
| 44 | 28 | 57 | 28 | 5 | 76 | 23 | 38 | — | 46 | 196 |
| |||||
| Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay |
| 50 | 53 | 20 | 35 | 8 | 110 | 15 | 111 | — | 24 | — |
| |||||
| Existence Is Futile |
| 68 | 82 | 12 | 43 | 4 | 70 | 9 | 38 | — | 20 | — | ||||||
| The Screaming of the Valkyries |
| colspan="12" | ||||||||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | FRA | |||||||||
| Live Bait for the Dead |
| 175 | 134 | |||||||
| Live at Dynamo Open Air 1997 |
| — | — | |||||||
| Trouble and Their Double Lives[32] |
| — | — | |||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | GER | |||||||||
| Lovecraft & Witch Hearts |
| 96 | 95 | |||||||
| Midnight in the Labyrinth |
| — | — | |||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUT | FIN | FRA | GER | NLD | |||||
| V Empire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| From the Cradle to Enslave |
| 84 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Bitter Suites to Succubi |
| 63 | 36 | 17 | 89 | 45 | 73 | |||
| Evermore Darkly |
| — | — | — | 177 | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||
| Title | Album details | |
|---|---|---|
| Invoking the Unclean |
| |
| Orgiastic Pleasures Foul |
| |
| Total Fucking Darkness |
| |
| Dusk and Her Embrace: The Original Sin |
|
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | FRA | |||||
| 1998 | "Twisted Nails of Faith"[33] | — | — | Cruelty and the Beast | ||
| 2000 | "Her Ghost in the Fog / Dance Macabre" | — | — | Midian | ||
| 2001 | "No Time to Cry" | — | — | Bitter Suites to Succubi | ||
| 2003 | "Babalon A.D. (So Glad for the Madness)" | 35 | — | Damnation and a Day | ||
| "Mannequin" | — | — | ||||
| 2004 | "Nymphetamine" | — | — | Nymphetamine | ||
| 2005 | "Devil Woman" | — | — | |||
| 2006 | "Temptation / Dirge Inferno" | — | — | Thornography | ||
| 2007 | "The Foetus of a New Day Kicking" | — | — | |||
| 2008 | "Tragic Kingdom" | — | — | Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder | ||
| "Honey and Sulphur" | — | 98 | ||||
| 2009 | "The Death of Love" | — | — | |||
| 2010 | "Forgive Me Father (I Have Sinned)" | — | — | Darkly, Darkly Venus Aversa | ||
| 2011 | "Lilith Immaculate" | — | — | |||
| 2012 | "Frost on Her Pillow" | — | — | The Manticore and Other Horrors | ||
| 2013 | "For Your Vulgar Delectation" | — | — | |||
| 2015 | "Right Wing of the Garden Triptych" | — | — | Hammer of the Witches | ||
| "Blackest Magick in Practice" | — | — | ||||
| 2017 | "Heartbreak and Seance" | — | — | Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness of Decay | ||
| 2021 | "Crawling King Chaos" | — | — | Existence Is Futile | ||
| "Necromantic Fantasies" | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country. | ||||||
Cradle of Filth are well known for their extensive list of covers (usually included on the special editions).
| Year | Title | Album | Original artist(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Hell Awaits" | Dusk... and Her Embrace | Slayer |
| 1998 | "Sodomy and Lust" | Cruelty and the Beast | Sodom |
| 1998 | "Black Metal" | Venom | |
| 1998 | "Hallowed Be Thy Name" | Iron Maiden | |
| 1999 | "Sleepless" | From the Cradle to Enslave | Anathema |
| 1999 | "Death Comes Ripping" | Misfits | |
| 1999 | "Dawn of Eternity" | Massacre | |
| 2000 | "For Those Who Died" | Midian | Sabbat |
| 2001 | "The Fire Still Burns" | Twisted Forever | Twisted Sister |
| 2001 | "No Time to Cry" | Bitter Suites to Succubi | The Sisters of Mercy |
| 2004 | "Devil Woman" | Nymphetamine | Cliff Richard |
| 2004 | "Mr. Crowley" | Ozzy Osbourne | |
| 2004 | "Bestial Lust" | Bathory | |
| 2006 | "Temptation" | Thornography | Heaven 17 |
| 2006 | "Stay" | Shakespears Sister | |
| 2006 | "Halloween II" | Thornography | Samhain |
| 2008 | "Into the Crypt of Rays" | Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder | Celtic Frost |
| 2017 | "Alison Hell" | Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay | Annihilator |
| Title | Video details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SWE [34] | ||||||||||
| PanDaemonAeon | — | |||||||||
| Heavy, Left-Handed and Candid |
| 16 |
| |||||||
| Peace Through Superior Firepower |
| 12 |
|
| ||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | "From the Cradle to Enslave" | Alex Chandon[38] |
| 2000 | "Her Ghost in the Fog" | |
| 2001 | "Born in a Burial Gown" | |
| "No Time to Cry" | ||
| "Scorched Earth Erotica" | ||
| 2003 | "Babalon A.D. (So Glad for the Madness)" | W.I.Z.[39] |
| "Mannequin" | Thomas Mignone[40] | |
| "The Promise of Fever" | Paul Allender[41] | |
| 2004 | "Nymphetamine" | Dani Jacobs[42] |
| 2006 | "Temptation" | Adam Mason[43] |
| 2007 | "Tonight in Flames" | Paul Allender[44] |
| "The Foetus of a New Day Kicking" | Lee Lennox[45] | |
| 2008 | "Honey and Sulphur" | Michael Maxxis[46] |
| 2009 | "The Death of Love" | Will Wright[47] |
| 2010 | "Forgive Me Father (I Have Sinned)" | Dani Jacobs[48] |
| 2011 | "Lilith Immaculate" | Ross Bolidai[49] |
| 2012 | "Frost On Her Pillow" | Stuart Birchall[50] |
| 2013 | "For Your Vulgar Delectation" | Ross Bolidai [51] |
| 2015 | "Right Wing of the Garden Triptych" | Sam Scott-Hunter |
| "Blackest Magick In Practice" | ||
| 2016 | "Sleepless" | Joe Latham |
| 2017 | "Heartbreak And Seance" | Arthur Berzinsh |
| "You Will Know The Lion By His Claw" (Lyric Video) | — | |
| "Achingly Beautiful" (Lyric Video) | — | |
| 2021 | "Crawling King Chaos" | Vicente Cordero[52] |
| "Necromantic Fantasies" | ||
| 2022 | "How Many Tears To Nurture A Rose?" | |
| 2023 | "She is A Fire"[53] | |
| 2024 | "Malignant Perfection" |