B.J. LISKO 2 years ago

Former Cradle Of Filth Guitarist Stuart Anstis Passes Away Aged 48

Ex-Cradle Of Filth Guitarist Stuart Anstis, who performed on the band’s “Dusk and Her Embrace” and “Cruelty and the Beast” albums has passed away. He was 48. Anstis first joined the band in 1995, a year after the band’s debut album, “The Principle of Evil Made Flesh.” The “Cruelty and the Beast” album is widely regarded as the effort that defined the Cradle Of Filth sound and featured the classic track, “Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids.”

Anstis’ passing was confirmed by his wife on Facebook. “Rest in Peace, you were too beautiful for this world me Lover,” she wrote. “Nothing will ever be the same again, Love Always and ever your Antoinette. Until we meet again…” A cause of death has not been revealed.

Richard Shaw, who also played guitar for the band from 2014 until this year, posted a tribute saying: “Rest in peace, Stuart. It was an honour performing your music. Thoughts are with his friends and family at this difficult time.”

Cradle Of Filth frontman Dani Filth paid tribute to Anstis on Facebook: “It is with a deeply saddened heart that I have heard of the passing of my former guitarist Stuart Anstis at 48. Stuart -despite our eventual differences- was an amazingly talented guitarist who brought a real sense of magick to everything he wrote in Cradle Of Filth.”

“For a long time he and I were bestest of friends living in a small village here in Suffolk and despite that relationship eventually changing, it did nothing to diminish the fan’s appreciation of his creative flair and talent right up to the present day. ‘Vempire’, ‘Dusk… and Her Embrace’ (though written mostly by former members, Stuart played all the guitars on this album),’Cruelty And The Beast’ and ‘From the Cradle To Enslave’ would have been completely different creatures if it were not for the depth of his astute and deliciously dark musicianship.

“It truly is with a heavy sense of loss that we (and extreme music in general) bid farewell to Stuart. May sombre flights of ravens wing you to your grave mate. Rest In Phallustein.”

Anstis was asked in a 2021 podcast if there was a possibility that he would work with his ex-bandmates again in some capacity. “I don’t know,” he said. “People have made noises about, it but they are just noises. I wouldn’t say never, but it’s not super likely. What frustrates me, is I do actually have all my demos for the album after ‘Cruelty,’ but it never happened. Unless it was relevant and new and those songs could come to life proper, I’m happy for them to (stay unreleased.)”

“People assume that I follow that band, and I really don’t,” he continued. “I’m getting on with my own thing. Cradle of Filth to me was this lucky and excellent opportunity to make some music and have somebody else pay for the studio. We were having a great time doing it.”