Xasthur

Xasthur
Malefic of Xasthur
Background information
Origin	Alhambra, California, United States
Genres	Black ambient Black metal Dark ambient
Years active	1995-present
Labels	Hydra Head Records Displeased Records Southern Lord Records Battle Kommand Records
Associated acts	Twilight Sunn O))) Celestia
Website	Official Xasthur Website
Members
Malefic
Former members
Ritual Blood Moon Ausar

Xasthur is a Californian one-man ambient black metal band formed in 1995 by Scott Conner (born August 20, 1973), who goes by the pseudonym "Malefic".^[1] 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,^[2] but stated in an interview for Pitchfork Media that he "will always keep Xasthur a band that will not play live."^[3]

Etymology

The name "Xasthur" is a combination of "Xastur" 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.^[4]

History

Xasthur was created in December 1995, in Alhambra, Calif. (U.S.), after Conner had played with several local death metal groups in Southern California.^[5] 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 labels 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.

Influences

Malefic has noted Burzum 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.^[3]

Members

Current Line-up

• Malefic (Scott Conner) – vocals, guitars, bass, drums, synth, cello
• M.H. (Mark Hunter) – Vocals and Ambience (session)

Past members

• Ritual – drums and vocals on the Xasthur/Orosius split
• Khaija "Blood Moon" Ausar – Session Keyboards on "A Curse for the Lifeless" (split with Nortt) and on "Xasthur"

Discography

Full-length albums

• A Gate Through Bloodstained Mirrors (2001)
• Nocturnal Poisoning (2002)
• The Funeral of Being (2003)
• Telepathic with the Deceased (2004)
• To Violate the Oblivious (2004)
• Subliminal Genocide (2006)
• Defective Epitaph (2007)
• All Reflections Drained (2009)

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 & Leviathan (2004) (split release)
• Xasthur & Nortt (2004) (split release)
• Xasthur (2006)
• A Living Hell (2008) (split release with Black Circle)

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 Ildjarn (2004)
• "Erblicket die Töchter des Firmaments" (Burzum cover) – Burzum: The Tribute (2005)
• "Maanens Natt" (Manes cover) – Destroyers from the Western Skies (2005)
• "Tyrant of Nightmares" – Reflections from the Abyss Chapter I (2005)
• Voices on Sunn O)))'s Black One (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 Iscariot (2006)
• Bass on Mord's Imperium Magnum Infernalis (2006)
• Guest keyboards on Celestia's Frigidiis Apotheosia: Abstinencia Genesiis (2008)

References

External links

• Official website
• Xasthur at MySpace (fansite)
• Xasthur at Encyclopaedia Metallum