“It has been years of unprofessional behaviour from people above us”: Cradle of Filth guitarist is the latest to quit band over “low pay” and “psychopathic” contract
Cradle Of Filth guitarist Marek “Ashok” Šmerda has quit the band, citing “low pay”, high stress and “years of unprofessional behaviour from people above us”. His wife, keyboardist Zoe Marie Federoff, also announced her departure mid-tour, alleging “dishonest” and “manipulative” management practices and “psychopathic” contracts.
Šmerda, who joined Cradle in 2014, initially said he would finish the group’s current tour before leaving, but frontman Dani Filth later announced that the musician had been fired with immediate effect. He also dismissed Šmerda’s comments as an attempt “to illegally defame and derail the band”.
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The split escalated quickly after Šmerda and Federoff – who had both announced their decisions within days of each other – began sharing details about life inside the band. In his statement, Šmerda said, “We simply do not feel like Cradle can provide for our future, and in fact hinders it. 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 prioritising/caring about members. It has been years of unprofessional behavior from people above us that led to our decision.”
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Federoff, who joined in 2022, claimed management were “dishonest” and “manipulative” and alleged they attempted to withhold advance payments for the group’s new album. The keyboardist also said she was branded “cancer” and a “dead horse” and threatened with termination when she challenged them.
“Our lawyer called it the most psychopathic contract a session musician could ever be handed,” Federoff wrote alongside screenshots of her contract, noting that she and Šmerda refused to sign.
She also broke down their earnings, saying the couple made around “£150/day currently and £25K a year roughly in this band.” The pay, combined with the stress and alleged hostility, had left them disillusioned.
Please read the statement from Marek Ashok Smerda too.This is our final account of what’s happened and why.*edit* We make 150/day currently and 25K a year roughly in this band, to clarify the math.
Posted by Zoe Marie Federoff on Tuesday, August 26, 2025
“[Filth] might not get his hands dirty, but in the end, he directs them,” Federoff said. “The atmosphere he creates is threatening and abusive, and he constantly exploits us for very low wages, yet always demands exclusivity to Cradle’s schedule. It is madness to keep people locked in poverty for the ego of one person.”
Meanwhile, Dani Filth has hit back at the accusations against the band’s management, calling them “completely unjust and unfounded.” He added that while the rest of Cradle were “taken aback” by the couple’s departure, they would continue touring as planned.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
