Forming in 1991, the Suffolk, United Kingdom-based extreme metal band Cradle of Filth has enraptured fans with songs like “Nymphetamine Fix” and “Pallid Reflection.” Led by frontman Dani Filth, the band has expanded its reach beyond the often-niche extreme metal community and enjoyed mainstream success. Recently, however, the band made news when keyboardist Zoe Marie Federoff abruptly announced her exit mid-tour. Just two days later, Dani Filth announced Cradle of Filth had also fired guitarist Marek “Ashok” Smerda, who is married to Federoff. Both husband and wife have lobbied accusations of “unprofessional behavior” on their former bandmates’ part.
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Cradle of Filth Parts Ways With Guitarist Mid-Tour
On Wednesday (Aug. 26), lead singer Dani Filth announced “with a grave heart” that Cradle of Filth has officially fired guitarist Marek “Askok” Smerda.
“Despite all attempts to illegally defame and derail the band, Cradle Of Filth WILL NOT cancel any of our South American shows,” Filth assured fans in a social media post. (The band embarked on its Screaming of the Americas tour last week.) He did warn concertgoers that the “Temptation” rockers will perform with only one guitarist until Smerda’s replacement flies out to join them.
Filth went on to thank fans for “understanding in this horrible matter.” He added that he and his bandmates are currently in “a state of shock” but will share more details soon.
“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,” he wrote.
[RELATED: Dani Filth’s Halloween Music Picks for 2024]
Keyboardist Quit Two Days Earlier
Smerda’s shocking departure came just two days after his wife announced her own. Zoe Federoff later said on social media that she and Smerda had been planning to leave Cradle of Filth for months.
A day before his former bandmates announced his ousting, Smerda confirmed that he, too, would leave Cradle of Filth after their South American tour wrapped Sept. 9.
“We simply do not feel like Cradle can provide for our future, and in fact hinders it,” the guitarist explained. “Among other reasons it is a lot of work for relatively low pay, the stress is quite high, and we haven’t felt for a while like this band actually prioritizing/caring about members. It has been years of unprofessional behavior from people above us that led to our decision.”
Smerda joined the band in 2014, with Federoff following eight years later in 2022. The pair tied the knot in January 2025.
Featured image by Matthew Baker/Getty Images
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