British guitarist Stuart Anstis, best known for his work with Gothic Black Metal pioneers Cradle of Filth, passed away on the 21st of August at the age of 48.

Stuart joined Cradle of Filth in 1995, writing and performing guitar on their two landmark albums, "Dusk and Her Embrace" (1996) and "Cruelty and the Beast" (1998), in addition to the EPs "V Empire" (1996) and "From the Cradle to Enslave" (1999).



The sad news was first shared by former Cradle of Filth guitarist Richard Shaw, who joined the band in 2014, via a short post on his Instagram:

Rest in peace, Stuart. It was an honou ...

Sadly, Swedish guitarist David Parland, also known by his stage name Blackmoon, passed away last week on the 19th of March at the age of 42, with the exact cause of death still pending confirmation. The news came from the Facebook profile of fellow Swedish guitarist and life-long friend Lord Ahriman, who co-founded Dark Funeral with David in 1993. He had this to say:

A couple of days ago I was reached by the terrible news that my old brother David 'Blackmoon' Parland had passed away and entered the eternal fire once and for all. It's taken me a few days to grasp it all. And it still hurts, ...

It has sadly been confirmed that Trond "Trondr Nefas" Bråthen, known by many as the singer, lead guitarist and co-founder of Norwegian Black Metal band Urgehal, passed away on the 12th of May from natural causes at the age of 34. Urgehal released an official statement on the 16th of May, mourning the loss of Trondr Nefas:

The greatest is gone. Trondr Nefas, our dearest friend and companion for more than 20 years, suddenly passed away last week. He died a peaceful and natural death at one of his favourite places, surrounded by woods and crystal lakes. Thanks for all the years with friendship, ...