Cradle of Filth Fire Guitarist Days After Keyboardist’s Departure: “Horrible Matter”

Cradle of Filth have fired their guitarist Marek “Ashok” Smerda mid-tour, days after keyboard player Zoë Federoff abruptly left the band.

Cradle of Filth have announced the immediate firing of guitarist Marek “Ashok” Smerda while on their South American tour. The band issued a statement today (August 27), describing the decision as made with “a grave heart.”

“Despite all attempts to illegally defame and derail the band, Cradle Of Filth WILL NOT cancel any of our South American shows,” Dani Filth said, making clear that their run of The Screaming Of The Américas tour will continue.

For the short term, the band will play with only one guitarist until a temporary replacement joins them. “Thank you for your understanding in this horrible matter, we are all in a state of shock over proceedings and will share our side to these unfortunate events in due course,” the statement continued.

The band also addressed rumours surrounding the decision. “The rest of the band are cool, even if taken aback, and accusations toward management, who work very closely with me and the band, are completely unjust and unfounded,” Dani wrote.

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Here’s the full statement, posted to the Cradle of Filth social accounts:

“It is with a grave heart that Cradle Of Filth officially announce the firing of guitarist Marek ‘Ashok’ Smerda from the band, effective immediately. 

Despite all attempts to illegally defame and derail the band, Cradle Of Filth WILL NOT cancel any of our South American shows, though fans will have to bear with us being a band with only one guitarist live, that is of course until Ashok’s temporary replacement is flown out to join the tour in a few days time. 

Thankyou for your understanding in this horrible matter, we are all in a state of shock over proceedings and will share our side to these unfortunate events in due course. Please, respect our decision to part with Ashok now rather than at the end of the tour and avoid speculation as more clarity on the situation will be provided. 

The rest of the band are cool, even if taken aback, and accusations toward management, who work very closely with me and the band are completely unjust and unfounded. 

Patience is a virtue and the truth will always out. 

Thank you once again fellow Filthlings and we look forward to the rest of ‘The Screaming Of The Américas’ tour here in Uruguay and beyond.”

The firing comes only days after the departure of keyboardist Zoë Federoff, who announced earlier this week that she was leaving Cradle of Filth for personal reasons. Federoff, who married Ashok earlier this year, made it clear that her exit didn’t have anything to do with her husband, stressing, “Ashok isn’t cheating… we remain very much certain that we love each other.”

Federoff also clarified in the comments that both herself and Ashok were planning to leave the band later this year, but that “certain events have sped that up for me.”

Cradle of Filth are scheduled to continue touring South America through September in support of their latest album The Screaming of the Valkyries, which was released in April. Despite back-to-back lineup shifts, the band has committed to finishing the tour.