Xasthur
Encyclopedia
Xasthur was a California
n one-man black metal
band
formed in 1995 by Scott Conner, who goes by the pseudonym
"Malefic". Although similar in terms of low-fi
production and the wearing of corpse paint
, musically and lyrically Xasthur's focus is usually not on paganism
, Satanism
or anti-Christian
blasphemy
– as is common in the genre – but rather on astral projection
, darkness
, despair, suicide
, hate, and death
.
Malefic has toured with Sunn O)))
and has joined Nachtmystium
on stage, but stated in an interview for Pitchfork Media
that he "will always keep Xasthur a band that will not play live".
" and "Xenaoth". Malefic explains that he found the former name in a Necronomicon
paperback and believes it refers to "a demoness who kills people in their sleep". The latter name refers to a celestial deity
he read about in a book on the Afro-Caribbean religion Santería
.
, Calif.
(U.S.
), after Conner had played with several local death metal
groups in Southern California. Initially, the band began rehearsing and recording in a home studio with an unstable line-up. A 10-track tape of these early rehearsals was circulated on the trade scene. While the original of that tape is now destroyed, some tracks appear on re-releases of later albums.
For the self-released split album with Orosius, Malefic was joined on drums
and vocals by a friend from the band Draconis, who used the stage-name "Ritual" (first name Mike, last name Pardi). Subsequently, Xasthur became Malefic's solo
project, although Khaija "Blood Moon" Ausar (of Dacon and Crimson Moon) appeared as session musician
on A Curse for the Lifeless and Xasthur. Before releasing its first official full-length album in 2002, recordings were distributed in limited editions, which were later re-released by the Swedish
Total Holocaust Records and other small underground
labels
.
The first album Nocturnal Poisoning
(recorded April–September 2001) was jointly released by independent record label
s Blood Fire Death and Red Stream in 2002. Southern Lord Records
re-released a remastered double-LP version in 2005. In the next years, Xasthur's full-length albums were released through labels such as Displeased Records
, Moribund Cult, Total Holocaust Records, Battle Kommand Records
and Hydra Head Records
. Apart from demo and EP recordings, Xasthur has released several split albums with other black metal acts such as Orosius, Acid Enema, Nachtmystium
, Striborg
, Angra Mainyu, Leviathan
, and Nortt
. Xasthur has contributed to tribute albums to Ildjarn
, Burzum
and Judas Iscariot
, and appeared on various compilation albums. Additionally, Malefic has collaborated among others with the drone metal
project Sunn O)))
and the black metal "supergroup
" Twilight
and Mord (with Lugubre
members).
On March 26, 2010, Malefic announced that he was wholesaling Xasthur's eighth studio album, Portal of Sorrow
. He also announced that this would be the last album under the Xasthur moniker, as he stated that he was dissolving the Xasthur musical project. Malefic cited a lack of motivation, among other aspects, for him ending Xasthur; he also stated that there will not be a reunion of this band. Malefic remarked that another musical project was in the works, this one not being a metal project.
Malefic released the first, and only, music video under the Xasthur name, for the song "Walker of Dissonant Worlds" from the To Violate the Oblivious
album on September 30, 2010.
as an inspiration for his one-man approach: "the main way that Burzum inspired me (contrary to popular belief) was that he could do it all on his own-- why couldn't I?"; as well as Graveland
.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n one-man black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
formed in 1995 by Scott Conner, who goes by the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Malefic". Although similar in terms of low-fi
Low fidelity
Low fidelity or lo-fi describes a sound recording which contains technical flaws such as distortion, hum, or background noise, or limited frequency response...
production and the wearing of corpse paint
Corpse paint
Corpse paint or corpsepaint is a style of black-and-white makeup, used mainly by black metal bands during live concerts and photo shoots. The makeup is used to intensify the bands' imagery of evil, inhumanity, and corpse-like decay. It is most commonly used just on the face, but also on arms and...
, musically and lyrically Xasthur's focus is usually not on paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
, Satanism
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
or anti-Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
blasphemy
Blasphemy
Blasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...
– as is common in the genre – but rather on astral projection
Astral projection
Astral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
, darkness
Darkness
Darkness, in contrast with brightness, is a relative absence of visible light. It is the appearance of black in a color space. When light is not present, rod and cone cells within the eye are not stimulated. This lack of stimulation means photoreceptor cells are unable to distinguish color...
, despair, suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, hate, and death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
.
Malefic has toured with Sunn O)))
Sunn O)))
Sunn O))) is an American doom metal band known for its synthesis of diverse genres including drone, ambient, noise, and black metal. Supported by a varying cast of collaborators, the band has two core members: Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson .-History:Sunn O))) is named after the Sunn...
and has joined Nachtmystium
Nachtmystium
Nachtmystium is an American psychedelic black metal band formed by Blake Judd, formerly known as Azentrius, and Pat McCormick. The band's name is derived from the German word Nacht meaning "night", and the made-up term mystium which resembles the Latin adjective mysticum...
on stage, but stated in an interview for Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
that he "will always keep Xasthur a band that will not play live".
Etymology
The name "Xasthur" is a combination of "HasturHastur
Hastur is a fictional entity of the Cthulhu Mythos. Hastur first appeared in Ambrose Bierce's short story "Haïta the Shepherd" as a benign god of shepherds. Robert W...
" and "Xenaoth". Malefic explains that he found the former name in a Necronomicon
Necronomicon
The Necronomicon is a fictional grimoire appearing in the stories by horror writer H. P. Lovecraft and his followers. It was first mentioned in Lovecraft's 1924 short story "The Hound", written in 1922, though its purported author, the "Mad Arab" Abdul Alhazred, had been quoted a year earlier in...
paperback and believes it refers to "a demoness who kills people in their sleep". The latter name refers to a celestial deity
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
he read about in a book on the Afro-Caribbean religion Santería
Santería
Santería is a syncretic religion of West African and Caribbean origin influenced by Roman Catholic Christianity, also known as Regla de Ocha, La Regla Lucumi, or Lukumi. Its liturgical language, a dialect of Yoruba, is also known as Lucumi....
.
History
Xasthur was created in December 1995, in AlhambraAlhambra, California
Alhambra is a city located in the western San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States, which is approximately eight miles from the Downtown Los Angeles civic center. As of the 2010 census, the population was 83,089, down from 85,804 at the 2000 census. The city's...
, Calif.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
), after Conner had played with several local death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
groups in Southern California. Initially, the band began rehearsing and recording in a home studio with an unstable line-up. A 10-track tape of these early rehearsals was circulated on the trade scene. While the original of that tape is now destroyed, some tracks appear on re-releases of later albums.
For the self-released split album with Orosius, Malefic was joined on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and vocals by a friend from the band Draconis, who used the stage-name "Ritual" (first name Mike, last name Pardi). Subsequently, Xasthur became Malefic's solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
project, although Khaija "Blood Moon" Ausar (of Dacon and Crimson Moon) appeared as session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
on A Curse for the Lifeless and Xasthur. Before releasing its first official full-length album in 2002, recordings were distributed in limited editions, which were later re-released by the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Total Holocaust Records and other small underground
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
labels
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
.
The first album Nocturnal Poisoning
Nocturnal Poisoning
Nocturnal Poisoning is a 2002 album by the American black metal band Xasthur.-Track listing:# "In the Hate of Battle"# "Soul Abduction Ceremony"# "A Gate Through Bloodstained Mirrors"# "Black Imperial Blood"...
(recorded April–September 2001) was jointly released by independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
s Blood Fire Death and Red Stream in 2002. Southern Lord Records
Southern Lord Records
Southern Lord is an American record label that was founded in 1998 by Greg Anderson, specializing in what could broadly be classified as experimental heavy metal, particularly the doom metal, stoner rock, and drone metal sub-genres. Some of the more notable artists on the label include Earth, Om,...
re-released a remastered double-LP version in 2005. In the next years, Xasthur's full-length albums were released through labels such as Displeased Records
Displeased Records
Displeased Records is a Dutch independent record label, founded by Lars Eikema and Ron Veltkamp. The label has many Dutch and other extreme metal bands on its roster, but has also rereleased many classic albums, including albums by Agathocles , Cryptopsy, Infernäl Mäjesty, Sadus, Toxik and Whiplash...
, Moribund Cult, Total Holocaust Records, Battle Kommand Records
Battle Kommand Records
Battle Kommand Records is an American underground record label founded by Blake Judd and Rebecca Clegg in 2004, based in St. Charles, Illinois...
and Hydra Head Records
Hydra Head Records
Hydra Head Records is an independent record label which specializes in heavy metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner in 1993...
. Apart from demo and EP recordings, Xasthur has released several split albums with other black metal acts such as Orosius, Acid Enema, Nachtmystium
Nachtmystium
Nachtmystium is an American psychedelic black metal band formed by Blake Judd, formerly known as Azentrius, and Pat McCormick. The band's name is derived from the German word Nacht meaning "night", and the made-up term mystium which resembles the Latin adjective mysticum...
, Striborg
Striborg
Striborg is a black metal artist from Tasmania. The musician 'Sin Nanna' began Striborg in 1994, and he has also recorded under the names Kathaaria and Veil of Darkness. Sin Nanna recorded and released demos on a yearly basis until 2004, when his first studio album was released. His lyrics reveal a...
, Angra Mainyu, Leviathan
Leviathan (band)
Leviathan is an American black metal band formed in 1998 by Wrest . In Leviathan, Wrest records and plays all instruments including vocals entirely on his own. Additionally, Wrest has collaborated with the band Sunn O))), and is an active member of the U.S. black metal supergroup Twilight...
, and Nortt
Nortt
Nortt is a Danish one-man black funeral doom metal band formed in 1995. The band's sole member, who similarly goes by the name 'Nortt' , describes his music as "Pure Depressive Black Funeral Doom Metal"...
. Xasthur has contributed to tribute albums to Ildjarn
Ildjarn
Ildjarn was a black metal project from Norway that formed in 1991. Ildjarn recorded music until 1997 but did not officially end until 2005. The man behind Ildjarn was Vidar Vaaer, although some releases were collaborations with a musician known as Nidhogg...
, Burzum
Burzum
Burzum is a musical project by Varg Vikernes . It began during 1991 in Bergen, Norway and quickly became prominent within the early Norwegian black metal scene...
and Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot (band)
Judas Iscariot was an American black metal band. It began in 1992 as the solo-project of Andrew Harris, who performed under the pseudonym Akhenaten ....
, and appeared on various compilation albums. Additionally, Malefic has collaborated among others with the drone metal
Drone metal
Drone metal is a style of heavy metal that melds the slow tempos and heaviness of doom metal with the long-duration tones of drone music...
project Sunn O)))
Sunn O)))
Sunn O))) is an American doom metal band known for its synthesis of diverse genres including drone, ambient, noise, and black metal. Supported by a varying cast of collaborators, the band has two core members: Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson .-History:Sunn O))) is named after the Sunn...
and the black metal "supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
" Twilight
Twilight (band)
Twilight is an American black metal band formed in 2005 and originally commissioned by the Swedish underground label Total Holocaust Records. Members of the band all go by pseudonyms: "Azentrius" , "Hildolf" , "Imperial" , "Malefic" and "Wrest" .Although Twilight has so...
and Mord (with Lugubre
Lugubre
Lugubre is a black metal band from Friesland. It started as a solo project in 1999 by Striid. He started to spread his "anti-human" black metal with his first demo "Kriich" in 1999, which was released by At War Records...
members).
On March 26, 2010, Malefic announced that he was wholesaling Xasthur's eighth studio album, Portal of Sorrow
Portal of Sorrow
Portal of Sorrow is the eighth and final studio album by American black metal act Xasthur.- Track listing :...
. He also announced that this would be the last album under the Xasthur moniker, as he stated that he was dissolving the Xasthur musical project. Malefic cited a lack of motivation, among other aspects, for him ending Xasthur; he also stated that there will not be a reunion of this band. Malefic remarked that another musical project was in the works, this one not being a metal project.
Malefic released the first, and only, music video under the Xasthur name, for the song "Walker of Dissonant Worlds" from the To Violate the Oblivious
To Violate the Oblivious
To Violate the Oblivious is a 2004 album by the American one-man black metal act Xasthur. After the original release on Swedish Total Holocaust Records, a re-mastered US pressing was released on Moribund Records in 2005...
album on September 30, 2010.
Influences
Malefic has noted BurzumBurzum
Burzum is a musical project by Varg Vikernes . It began during 1991 in Bergen, Norway and quickly became prominent within the early Norwegian black metal scene...
as an inspiration for his one-man approach: "the main way that Burzum inspired me (contrary to popular belief) was that he could do it all on his own-- why couldn't I?"; as well as Graveland
Graveland
Graveland is a Polish black metal band which was formed in 1992 by Rob Darken . The lyrics of Graveland are strongly inspired by nature, paganism and nationalism.-History:...
.
Last line-up
- Malefic (Scott Conner) – vocals, rhythm and lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboards, synthesizers, cello
- Marissa NadlerMarissa NadlerMarissa Nadler is an American dream-folk singer-songwriter and fine artist based in Boston.-Early life:Marissa Nadler was exposed to art at a young age through her mother Pamela, an abstract painter, and her older brother Stuart, a guitarist and writer...
– vocals (session)
Past members
- Mike "Ritual" Pardi – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
on the Xasthur/Orosius split - Khaija "Blood Moon" Ausar – Session Keyboards on "A Curse for the Lifeless" (split with NorttNorttNortt is a Danish one-man black funeral doom metal band formed in 1995. The band's sole member, who similarly goes by the name 'Nortt' , describes his music as "Pure Depressive Black Funeral Doom Metal"...
) and on "Xasthur" - M.H. (Mark Hunter) – Vocals and Ambience (session musician on Defective Epitaph and All Reflections Drained)
Full-length albums
- Nocturnal PoisoningNocturnal PoisoningNocturnal Poisoning is a 2002 album by the American black metal band Xasthur.-Track listing:# "In the Hate of Battle"# "Soul Abduction Ceremony"# "A Gate Through Bloodstained Mirrors"# "Black Imperial Blood"...
(2002) - The Funeral of BeingThe Funeral of BeingThe Funeral of Being is a 2003 album by the American black metal band Xasthur.-Track listing:*All Songs Written By Xasthur.# "The Awakening to the Unknown Perception of Evil" - 7:12# "Tyrant of Nightmares" - 6:47# "Intro" - 1:02...
(2003) - Telepathic with the DeceasedTelepathic with the DeceasedTelepathic with the Deceased is a 2004 album by the American black metal band Xasthur.-Track listing:*All Songs Written & Arranged By Xasthur.#Entrance into Nothingness - 2:06#Slaughtered Useless Beings In A Nihilistic Dream - 6:14...
(2004) - To Violate the ObliviousTo Violate the ObliviousTo Violate the Oblivious is a 2004 album by the American one-man black metal act Xasthur. After the original release on Swedish Total Holocaust Records, a re-mastered US pressing was released on Moribund Records in 2005...
(2004) - Subliminal GenocideSubliminal GenocideSubliminal Genocide is a 2006 album by the American one-man black metal act Xasthur. It was reviewed as being "more spiteful than...previous albums".-Track listing:#Disharmonic Convergence - 1:50#The Prison of Mirrors - 12:42...
(2006) - Defective EpitaphDefective EpitaphDefective Epitaph is a 2007 album by the American one-man black metal act Xasthur. This is the first recording on which Malefic played acoustic drums, although some tracks still make use of a drum machine. Like previous Xasthur albums, the lyrics were not released to the public...
(2007) - All Reflections DrainedAll Reflections Drained- Bonus Disc :* Note: Outro is not listed on the CD case.- External links :* at Discogs...
(2009) - Portal of SorrowPortal of SorrowPortal of Sorrow is the eighth and final studio album by American black metal act Xasthur.- Track listing :...
(2010)
EPs
- Xasthur & Orosius (1999) (split release)
- A Darkened Winter (2001)
- Xasthur & Acid Enema (2002) (split release)
- Suicide in Dark Serenity (2003)
- Xasthur & Angra Mainyu (2004) (split release)
- Xasthur & LeviathanLeviathan / XasthurLeviathan / Xasthur is a split album with music from the black metal bands Xasthur and Leviathan on it. Tracks 1 through 7 were performed by Xasthur...
(2004) (split release) - Xasthur & NorttNortt / XasthurNortt / Xasthur is a split album by the American one man band Xasthur and the Danish one man band Nortt. This split album was re-issued on CD and LP by Southern Lord Records with different artwork...
(2004) (split release) - Xasthur (2006)
- A Living Hell (2008) (split release with Black Circle)
- 2005 Demo (2010)
Singles
- Xasthur & Nachtmystium (2004) (split release)
- Xasthur & Striborg (2007) (split release)
- Xasthur & Cryostasium (2007) (split release)
- Xasthur & Black Circle (2008) (split release)
Other appearances
- "Chill of the Night" and "Der Det Skjulte Lever" – Gathered Under the Banner: A Tribute to IldjarnIldjarnIldjarn was a black metal project from Norway that formed in 1991. Ildjarn recorded music until 1997 but did not officially end until 2005. The man behind Ildjarn was Vidar Vaaer, although some releases were collaborations with a musician known as Nidhogg...
(2004) - "Erblicket die Töchter des Firmaments" (Burzum cover) – BurzumBurzumBurzum is a musical project by Varg Vikernes . It began during 1991 in Bergen, Norway and quickly became prominent within the early Norwegian black metal scene...
: The TributeThe TributeThe Tribute is a compilation album, released by Ash Nazg and Perverted Taste Productions, features covers of songs by the black metal band Burzum.-Track listing:All songs originally by Burzum# Veil - Ea, Lord of the Depths...
(2005) - "Maanens Natt" (Manes cover) – Destroyers from the Western Skies (2005)
- Twilight - TwilightTwilight (band)Twilight is an American black metal band formed in 2005 and originally commissioned by the Swedish underground label Total Holocaust Records. Members of the band all go by pseudonyms: "Azentrius" , "Hildolf" , "Imperial" , "Malefic" and "Wrest" .Although Twilight has so...
(2005) - "Tyrant of Nightmares" – Reflections from the Abyss Chapter I (2005)
- Voices on Sunn O)))Sunn O)))Sunn O))) is an American doom metal band known for its synthesis of diverse genres including drone, ambient, noise, and black metal. Supported by a varying cast of collaborators, the band has two core members: Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson .-History:Sunn O))) is named after the Sunn...
's Black OneBlack OneBlack One is the sixth album by Sunn O))). It is a combination of both experimental and traditional Sunn O))), utilizing many guest musicians, including black metal musicians Malefic and Wrest from Xasthur and Leviathan, respectively...
(2005) - "The Cold Earth Slept Below" (Judas Iscariot cover) – To the Triumph of Evil (Witnesses to the Bringer of Life's Decay): A Tribute to Judas IscariotJudas Iscariot (band)Judas Iscariot was an American black metal band. It began in 1992 as the solo-project of Andrew Harris, who performed under the pseudonym Akhenaten ....
(2006) - Bass and keyboards on Mord's Imperium Magnum Infernalis (2006)
- Guest keyboards on CelestiaCelestia (band)Celestia is a black metal band from Avignon, France, formed in 1995 by Noktu. Nowadays Noktu is the only remaining original member.Celestia remained in the demo stage until around 1999 when they released the EP "A Cave Full of Bats" through Drakkar Productions with a line-up consisting of Noktu ...
's Frigidiis Apotheosia: Abstinencia Genesiis (2008)
External links
- Official website (fansite)
- Xasthur at Encyclopaedia MetallumEncyclopaedia MetallumEncyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives is a website which lists bands from various forms of heavy metal music...