As previously reported, CRADLE OF FILTH wrapped up their European tour in December. They have updated their European tour diary with entries from Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Belgium. Below is their report from Antwerp, Belgium:

December 16th, Antwerp, Belgium - Hof Ter Lo

"Yesterday was a bloody long travel day, but one that did manage to afford us several food court stops. Everybody slept well and I don't believe that I once saw proper daylight at all, in fact I know that that now constitutes a week for me without sun.

The day was spent watching films and working, Dave playing his infernal Madden American football game incessantly (as he has been the whole tour-wait 'til we get to the US, I'm going to bring a soccer game to bore him with!), Paul working on some new designs and Rosie and Sarah sleeping like well-stocked hamsters.

We arrived at the venue about midnight, which was apt as i'd just finished watching the new rendition of The Omen. A goth club awaited us, though it wasn't quite as exciting as it sounds and all there was to drink was beer which was free with a handful of tokens from the promoter.We retired about three having consumed about ten little cups and having endured a multitude of crap Euro goth music.

The afternoon today found most people, Myself, Martin, Dani, Dave and Steve with bothersome hangovers, which must of meant bad beer as we drank the equivalent of about three pints each (and there's no need to call us lightweight drinkers because, at this late stage of the tour, our combined blood is probably close to 100% proof and could theoretically dissolve metal!). Another light is brought into the dressing room to combat the sodium bleaching of the permanent ones (and to dull the sluggish thuds) and showers are sought and drowned.

The afternoon is then spent listening to music, speaking to the other bands (today is like a mini festival), undertaking interviews and photo-shoots; our good friend Cindy Frey (who took the photos of the band back in the Ancient Belgique approximately five weeks ago and which now adorn the band's Myspace page) having turned up with her Auntie (who brings gifts of embroided towels and chocolate) to take some more pictures.

Other friends arrive and slowly but surely the day's solemnity slowly rolls over into fresh camaraderie, especially with the secreting in of some top notch booze and some people to enjoy it with. Dani and Paul once again are bombarded with television interviews and the band prepare for stage early with yet another photo-shoot being organised right on the eleventh hour.

The show tonight marks the last outing in Europe for quite a while so everybody is intent on making it a gig to remember. And what a way to exit the continent...

Everything about tonight's performance is great, from the wings where I sit with two lovely young girls, the set is performed with merit and aplomb, especially by Martin, who over the course of this tour has matured into one of the best drummers I have ever heard. There should be many critics, seeing as he is taking over from another amazing drummer (the former Adrian Erlandsson), but I have not heard anything but congratulatory praise from all walks of strife for his drumming ability. And tonight he is on top form, as are the rest of the vulgar mob.

'Tonight In Flames', 'I Am The Thorn' and 'Rise Of The Pentagram' all pass by fantastically as the crowd once again are extremely appreciative of the newer material, though there's no denying the power of the older tracks like 'Her Ghost...', 'Forest' and 'Cthulhu Dawn' which are met with the pit circling madly. Then there's the rudimentary pause to allow Cindy to get her shot of the band against a backdrop of devil horns and it's into 'From The Cradle To Enslave' and the biggest ring-out thus far of the tour.

Afterwards it's a bit of a party backstage with gifts of Belgian beer and tokes from the proverbial peace pipe. I wander off to mix it up with some of the punters before they leave and hit the bar, snagging my pantyhose as I do so, which raises more than just a few pierced eyebrows. Then it's a swift load-out as we're hoping to get the ferry about three--thirty but in the end this turns into another late one as we have to wait for the truck to clear customs as well. I had intended to stow away in the belly of the bus asleep and risk certain icy death should the ferry capsize, but seeing the majestic white cliffs of Dover got the better of me right at the last minute. Plus there was the sparkly lure of English duty free and a twenty four hour bar and restaurant.

And so my day ends with Willy G threatening to launch a table through the Karaoke machine in the bar, a bemused old lady watching an unaware Kat robo-dance whilst on the phone (it really was like something from a comedy sketch!), saluting the white cliffs with Dani, Dave and Charles and finally crawling quite contented into bed around seven in the morning having watched the bus disembark and drive rightly back on the left-hand side of the road.

Today we are in Manchester and shall witness the inevitable arrival of Sabbat, who join the tour for the last three dates in Britain. For now I drift off to sleep in a booze-filled haze, content in the knowledge that English shores have been breached.

Thank the stars! I've survived! If I die it shall be not be on foreign shores!"

Click on the following links to check out additional new diary entries:

Aarhus, Denmark

Oslo, Norway

Copenhagen, Denmark

Gothenburg, Sweden

To read all the previous tour updates go to this location.