Filth originally broke the news over a year ago, about potentially working with the 31-year-old singer/songwriter, who is one of the most successful musicians on the planet, during an interview with Kerrang! Radio”Breakfast Show” at last year’s Bloodstock Open Air festival in the U.K. At the time, Dani said: “I’ve actually been e-mailing with (Ed)… He actually touched base with me. I’ve been invited up to his place. Well, he said he could come down to mine, but I pointed out to him that I don’t own my own bar or village, and it’d be better if I went there.

“He said he’d do anything,” he added. “Quite literally. He said he’s a massive fan. He seems like a genuinely very nice guy actually.”

Filth went on to say the prospect of collaborating with someone like Sheeran is not as far fetched as one might think. “We’ve always been like that,” he explained. ‘If someone tells us not to do something, then we’ll do it. That’s been our prerogative the whole time. I did this rap song with this band called TWIZTID in America. It’s actually turned out more like RAMMSTEIN and BEASTIE BOYS than full-on rap. So, in that respect, I think it the Ed Sheeran collaboration would be great fun. I think it’d be great if we did it for charity, because at least it would bring a bit of credibility to it. Because obviously to his public, it’d be, like, Oh my god, he’s got this weird comical guy,’ and to my public it’d be, like, ‘Oh my god, this is a bit weird, isn’t it? But I think that sort of thing nowadays works.”

In July 2021, Sheeran floated the possibility of exploring a more extreme musical path while speaking to The Sun. He said: “I was really into death metal as a kid. I listened to CRADLE OF FILTH and SLIPKNOT and all that stuff. I’m not saying I could ever step into that world. I learnt all those riffs on guitar as a kid. That’s something I’ve never thought about doing — but something I would not be opposed to creating.”

Sheeran had previously dabbled in a variety of genres, including rock, dance, rap and reggae.

After The Sun published Sheeran‘s comments, Filth posted a screenshot of an article headlined “Ed Sheeran is open to recording a death metal album after spending his youth listening to CRADLE OF FILTH” and wrote in an accompanying caption, “I’ll believe it when I see it. Fellow Suffolk lad could come good in the end. ‘Dracula’s Castle On The Hill’ anyone?”

Sheeran previously admitted to his love of SLIPKNOT in a 2017 interview with Gist. Speaking about the inspiration for his then-brand new album “Divide”, Ed said: “I’ve had the concept for ‘Divide’ since 2010. I wanted the whole album to feel a bit schizophrenic. My first sort of music that I got into that wasn’t from my parents was rap, metal, punk… I went one day listening to ‘lowa’ (from) SLIPKNOT and the next day listening to Damien Rice‘s ‘O’. It was quite a switch.”

As it turns out, SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor is also a Sheeran admirer, as he made clear in a 2017 interview with NME. Speaking about Ed‘s massive commercial success, Corey said at the time: “I’m stoked for people like Ed Sheeran — that kid worked his ass off, so why shouldn’t he get the recognition?”

Cradle Of Filth announce that they will be hitting the road this October, on an extensive European wide tour. Each night, the vile six-piece will be bringing their eldritch extravaganza live to our stages, travelling to 22 cities across 12 different countries. Blackgaze pioneers Alcest will be accompanying them on the road as support.

Tickets will go on-sale this Friday 29th April @ 10am BST / 11am CEST, via the below links:

Cradle Of Filth – Dark Horses And Forces EU + UK Tour
w/ support Alcest
01 Oct – FRA, Paris, Elysée Montmartre
03 Oct – LUX, Luxembourg Rockhal
04 Oct – BEL, Antwerp, Trix
05 Oct – HOL, Eindhoven, Effenaar
07 Oct – HOL, Zwolle, Hedon
08 Oct – GER, Bochum Matrix
09 Oct – GER, Berlin, Columbia Theater 
10 Oct – GER, Cologne, Essigfabrik
12 Oct – CZE, Brno, Fleda 
13 Oct – AUT, Vienna, Simm City
14 Oct – ITA, Milan, Live Club
15 Oct – SWI, Zurich, Komplex 457
17 Oct – GER, Munich, Backstage Werk
19 Oct – FRA, Toulouse, Le Bikini
21 Oct – SPA, Barcelona, Razzamataz 1
22 Oct – SPA, Madrid, BUT Club
23 Oct – SPA, Pamplona, Totem
25 Oct – FRA, Rennes L’etage
27 Oct – UK, Bristol Marble Factory
28 Oct – UK, Nottingham Rock City
29 Oct – UK, London, Indigo at the O2