Former Cradle Of Filth guitarist Stuart Anstis has died aged 48, it has been confirmed. The news was announced by Anstis' wife, Antoinette, who posted the below message on the musician's own Facebook page last night:
"Stuart Anstis 2/5/1974 - 21/8/2022
Rest in Peace, you were too beautiful for this world me Lover.
Nothing will ever be the same again,
Love Always and ever your Antoinette
Until we meet again…"
Anstis joined British extreme metal heavyweights Cradle Of Filth in 1995, playing with them for four years in a stint that included co-writing classic Cradle albums Dusk And Her Embrace (1996) and Cruelty And The Beast (1998). Upon leaving Cradle in 1999, Anstis created his own project, Bastardsun, who disbanded in 2005.
Fellow former Cradle Of Filth guitarist Richard Shaw, who played with Cradle from 2014 and left the band earlier this year, posted his own tribute to Anstis.
"Rest in peace, Stuart," reads his post on Instagram. "It was an honour performing your music. Thoughts are with his friends and family at this difficult time."
As well as those two aforementioned beloved Cradle albums, Anstis also played on two EPs with the band, 1996's V Empire, or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein and 1999's From the Cradle to Enslave. He was also featured on 2002 compilation album Lovecraft & Witch Hearts and the Cradle live album Live at Dynamo Open Air 1997, which was released in 2019.
There is no more information on the specifics of Anstis's death at this time.
