Author Gavin Baddeley Spreads ‘The Gospel of Filth’
Writer Gavin Baddeley, who is also a reverend in the Church of Satan, is obviously fascinated by the dark arts and all things cultishly taboo. He has authored 'The Gospel of Filth,' a coffee table-sized tome that documents the history of one of black metal's finest institutions, Cradle of Filth. In what is certainly an intended and un-ironic twist, 'The Gospel of Filth' will be available for purchase on – you guessed it- Halloween 2009!
'The Gospel of Filth' is the result of several years of collaboration between Baddeley and COF frontman Dani Filth. "It became such an epic project because, early on, we all agreed we wanted to make this a truly unique book, something that would stand as a testament not just to the band, but all of the weird worlds they've encountered," Baddeley told Noisecreep. "So, 'The Gospel of Filth' features not only Dani's inimitable views and hair-raising experiences as the head of one of the world's most infamous metal bands, but also the fruits of my decades as a dedicated student of dark culture and the occult.
"Whoever holds a copy of 'The Gospel of Filth' is also in possession of a text overflowing with cutting edge research on every aspect of the dark side, from serial murder and Satanism, to horror movies and heavy metal." Satan, the horror genre and other nefarious pursuits will always be linked to metal, and Baddeley's book only serves to strengthen the mutually dubious relationship!
Artistically, it's a gorgeous book, and it's as if Baddeley and Filth worked to capture the visual magic and spectacles you witness at a COF show and translate it to the page. "The visuals are as eye-catching and provocative as you would expect from a Cradle production, including many pictures that have never previously seen print," Baddeley said.
Fab Press, the publisher, is known for its cult books, which are universally lauded and often go on to achieve collector's status. And Baddeley and Filth are confident their 'Gospel' will enjoy the same status once the limited edition is out of print.
"'The Gospel of Filth' will delight not just Cradle fans, but is an essential buy for anybody with an authentic interest in the worlds of decadence, darkness and devilment," Baddeley said. Dani himself weighed in, saying, "This book, nay grimoire, is a road map to every valid destination in Hell, making it invaluable to not only Cradle and black metal fans, but to everybody with a penchant for occult knowledge."
'The Gospel of Filth': A new kind of "good" book!