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\n\tCradle of Filth<\/a> guitarist Marek \u201cAshok\u201d \u0160merda took a number of shots at his now-former band just days after his wife, keyboardist Zoe Marie Federoff, left the British black metal group abruptly mid-tour, including mocking the group\u2019s long-anticipated collaboration with Ed Sheeran<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI ask you to please respect my wife and myself in this transitional period. I am indeed leaving Cradle of Filth at the end of this current tour, and the reasons behind this are conclusions my wife and I came together at long before this week. We simply do not feel like Cradle can provide for our future, and in fact hinders it,\u201d \u0160merda wrote on Facebook<\/a> on Tuesday (Aug. 26). \u201cAmong other reasons it is a lot of work for relatively low pay, the stress is quite high, and we haven\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u0160merda\u2019s post came two days after wife Federoff, who joined the group in 2022, announced her departure<\/a> in a post in which she explained, \u201cIt is with deep regret I share that for personal reasons I am unable to continue this tour and continue in general with Cradle of Filth. Please respect my privacy and my family\u2019s privacy. I will answer no further questions. Be kind to my successor. I wish her and my now former bandmates well.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIn addition to announcing his intention to split with the extreme metal band he joined in 2014, \u0160merda threw some shade at the group, specifically tied to their untitled, long-delayed collab with Sheeran. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI have also asked all compositions of mine removed from upcoming releases including Ed Sheeran collab,\u201d he wrote. \u201cThis song feels like foolish clown antics for me at this point anyways- first it was charity single for kids, then for profit single, then on next album, and now who knows and I just do not want to be involved anymore, no disrespect to Ed Sheeran.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThough a release date has not yet been announced, CoF singer Dani Filth first mentioned<\/a> the Sheeran collab in 2022. Earlier this year, he confirmed that the song would not be<\/a> on the band\u2019s latest album, The Screaming of the Valkyries<\/em>, because they didn\u2019t want to \u201covershadow\u201d their own LP. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cBut we are going to bring it out. Originally, everybody wanted us to bring it out to glorious fanfare but Ed\u2019s management weren\u2019t keen on that,\u201d Filth said. \u201cWe\u2019re not absolutely sure how it will emerge, but it\u2019s been done, mixed and it\u2019s sitting on the shelf somewhere\u2026 you know, virtually. And it\u2019s f\u2013king fantastic. But only a handful of people have actually heard it. My mum hasn\u2019t even heard it.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tFilth described the track as sounding like, \u201ca cross between Ed Sheeran and Cradle of Filth! You hear it and go, \u2018Oh, my God, f\u2013k me, acoustic guitar, that\u2019s Ed Sheeran.\u2019 Then at the same time, you can flip the coin and go, \u2018F\u2013k me, this is a Cradle Of Filth song: blastbeat, Dani screaming.\u2019 Obviously, he wouldn\u2019t put his name to a technical\u00a0death metal\u00a0track and we wouldn\u2019t put our name to a song that sounded like\u00a0\u2018Galway\u2019 Girl\u00a0part 2. It\u2019s catchy, though. It\u2019s a good marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAnd though \u0160merda rubbished salacious internet speculation on why he and Federoff were splitting with the group, he promised to \u201cfinish strong\u201d on the band\u2019s current South American tour, slated to run through a Sept. 28 show in Mexico City, before moving on to Europe in November. \u201cIt is my last ride with Cradle and I am proud to give it my best,\u201d he wrote. \u201cI am sad to not share the stage with my wife these last times but I respect why she left and I am happy our friend Kelsey Peters has been given opportunity to shine.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tCradle of Filth was founded in Suffolk, England in 1991 by singer Dani Filth along with guitarist Paul Ryan, bassist Jon Pritchard, keyboardist Benjamin Ryan and drummer Darren \u201cDaz\u201d Gardner; at present Filth is the only remaining original member of the band that has cycled through nearly three dozen members over the past 35 years.<\/p>\n \n\tAt press time, spokespeople for Cradle of Filth and Sheeran had not returned Billboard<\/em>\u2018s request for comment on \u0160merda\u2019s statement, but the band made their position on the matter crystal clear in an Instagram post (see below). \u201cIt is with a grave heart that Cradle Of Filth officially announce the firing of guitarist Marek \u2018Ashok\u2019 Smerda from the band, effective immediately,\u201d they wrote on Tuesday night (Aug. 26) of the guitarist\u2019s apparent sacking.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cDespite 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\u2019s temporary replacement is flown out to join the tour in a few days time,\u201d they continued. \u201cThank 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. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe message also noted that the rest of the Dani Filth-led group are \u201ccool,\u201d though taken aback, by the accusations about their management, which they called \u201cunjust and unfounded.\u201d They ended with the message, \u201cPatience is a virtue and the truth will always out.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tSee the band\u2019s full statement below.<\/p>\n