Christian radicals in Russia scored a new victory after yet another show by a Western metal band was canceled in Siberia.
The latest victim were the British black metal legends Cradle of Filth, who were unable to play a show in Novosibirsk on Monday, Interfax said.
The original venue was unavailable because of a snap raid by drug police, the report said.
Organizers were unable to set up the equipment in time at an alternative venue, which left the band to hold a non-musical meeting with fans instead.
A spokesman for the organizers said they will be filing a complaint against Christian activists who opposed the show by a "satanic" band.
But he stopped short of blaming them for disrupting the show, the first of five that Cradle of Filth is set to play in Siberia and the Russian Far East this week.
Russian fundamentalists have recently targeted a number of extreme metal bands coming to Russia, calling them offensive to Christian faith — a criminal offense in the country.
Shock rocker Marilyn Manson and American death metal legends Cannibal Corpse saw their shows canceled in Russia over supposed technicalities. Polish satanists Behemoth were deported in May over alleged visa issues.
Band supporters in all cases have accused local authorities of exerting behind-the-scenes pressure on show organizers and venue managers in order to comply with the Kremlin's new-found ultraconservative ideology.
Cradle of Filth, founded in 1991 and with 10 full-lengths under their belt, are considered a major influence in black metal genre. The Suffolk-based band is known for a decadent goth image and provocative lyrics about vampires, mass murderers and devil worship.
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