Filth agrees, "The films are an ultimate escapism that often runs parallel with our own evil-versus-good outlook on the universe. In essence, the Star Wars films are gigantic modern fairy-tales."
"Star Wars was just at the right time and the right place," Pybus explains. "There had never been anything like it, but kids of my generation were just waiting for something big like Star Wars to come out. Luckily for me, I was the right age to enjoy all of it. I remember leaving the cinema with a certain buzz afterwards I've yet to feel again from any modern movie. The music helped. It was so uplifting."
Even with the band's own dark leanings on the music scale, everyone is in agreement over the profound influence music composer John Williams has had on them. "Star Wars has influenced me a huge amount actually," Hedger says. "For me, music is very visual. I tend to see pictures and stories within music. That's why I enjoy classical music so much, because it's very descriptive. I've always been drawn to music and film that is multi-layered, and it doesn't get a lot more multi-layered than Star Wars. In fact, John Williams has been and will continue to be one of the biggest musical influences of my entire life."
"We love movie soundtracks," Pybus says. "John Williams has played quite a large part in how we address some of our own terms of styles in our own music. Like the 'Imperial March' makes you feels so proud to be on the baddies' side. That's what we want people to feel when we make songs."
"The soundtracks have definitely inspired some of our darker orchestral pieces," Filth says. "John Williams is a god. We used to go stage to the 'The Imperial March' and I recently wrote the following for The Rough Guide of Playlists wherein I had to write about my top ten favorite tunes of all time:"
I have a passionate love of soundtracks and though I could name a few hundred greats, it is this song (Darth Vader's theme) that I want played at my funeral as my polished black coffin is being loaded onto a Star Destroyer by a legion of crack Imperial stormtroopers.
In addition to the movies and their music, the band also enjoys diving into the Expanded Universe for a bit of fun. "I used to buy all the screen adaptations as a kid and the Christmas annuals that I still have somewhere," Filth says. "Other than that I also like the books that center around the Star Wars vehicles and ships. Recently I bought a pop-up book on the Empire's fleet."
"I have the original 12-issue comics of Star Wars," Pybus says. "They ruled. And Return of the Jedi, which interestingly has issue 13 with Boba Fett flying out of the Sarlaac's mouth. I hope that could happen in the new movies. The fans would go ballistic! I loved the Timothy Zahn and Kevin J. Anderson stories they wrote."
"I liked the Heir to the Empire books, and the Dark Empire comics," Hedger says. "It was nice to see Fett again."
With the new animated series on the way, as well as a live-action TV series and video games, comics and novels, the band is excited to see what's next for Star Wars and will continue to be influenced by the saga's stories, characters, music and collectibles. "I'm proud to call myself a Star Wars fan because whenever I watch it, it unceasingly delivers me to a galaxy far, far away," Filth smiles. "It makes me feel like a kid at Christmas again. When I buy my new huge TV, Star Wars is the going to be the first film to grace it. I mean, it's like buying a new car and not expecting to drive it on a road!"
Star Wars is one of the greatest story ever told," Hedger says. "I know that's supposed to be the Bible, but did Jesus have a bacta tank? Exactly.."
"If people refer to a fan as a geek, then so be it," Pybus smiles. "But it meant more than that when it first came out. It changed so much for us kids. It really made life fun. From the toys to the films to the music to even having a bedspread made you special in some way. It really was a fantastic time to be in. But I'm not one these days for talking openly about my collection or fandom. I just wait for people to see it for real and then they really know what it means to me. I wish I could go back in time and watch them again on the big screen. Leaving the cinema afterwards was like walking on air. I'll never forget that. Star Wars simply ruled! It always will for me."
To learn more about Cradle of Filth visit the official site here. Also check out Cradle of Filth on MySpace to listen to music tracks.
Be sure to listen to their latest Roadrunner Records release Thornography, as well as their theme song to Dario Argento's latest horror opus Mother of Tears: The Third Mother.
Stay tuned to Star Wars Rocks for more interviews from some of your favorite bands and celebrities.
