Xasthur () is the project of American musician Scott "Malefic" Conner. Conner formed Xasthur in 1995 and released eight studio albums of

black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...

by 2010, when he announced the end of the project. However, he began using the name once again in 2015 to instead perform acoustic

neofolk Neofolk, also known as apocalyptic folk, is a form of experimental music blending elements of folk and industrial music, which emerged in punk rock circles in the 1980s. Neofolk may either be solely acoustic or combine acoustic folk instrume ...

music. The first album with this new style was entitled ''Subject to Change'', released in 2016.

Etymology

The name "Xasthur" is a combination of "

Hastur Hastur (known by the epithets The Unspeakable One, The King in Yellow, Him Who Is Not to be Named, Assatur, Xastur, H'aaztre, Fenric, or Kaiwan) is an entity of the Cthulhu Mythos. Hastur first appeared in Ambrose Bierce's short story "Haïta t ...

" and "Xenaoth". Conner explained that he found the former name in a ''

Necronomicon The ''Necronomicon'', also referred to as the ''Book of the Dead'', or under a purported original Arabic title of ', is a fictional grimoire (textbook of magic) appearing in stories by the horror writer H. P. Lovecraft and his followers. ...

'' paperback and believed that it referred to "a demoness who kills people in their sleep". The latter name referred to a celestial deity he read about in a book on the

Afro-Caribbean Afro-Caribbean or African Caribbean people are Caribbean people who trace their full or partial ancestry to Sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of the modern Afro-Caribbean people descend from the Indigenous peoples of Africa, Africans (primarily fr ...

religion

Santería Santería (), also known as Regla de Ocha, Regla Lucumí, or Lucumí, is an African diaspora religions, Afro-Caribbean religion that developed in Cuba during the late 19th century. It arose amid a process of syncretism between the traditional ...

History

Xasthur was created in December 1995 in

Alhambra, California Alhambra (, , ; from "Alhambra") is a city located in the western San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States, approximately east from the downtown Los Angeles civic center. It was incorporated on July 11, 190 ...

, after Conner had played with several local

death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...

groups in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

. Initially, the band began rehearsing and recording in a home studio with an unstable lineup. A 10-track tape of these early rehearsals was circulated on the trade scene. While the original of that tape was destroyed, some tracks appeared on re-releases of later albums. For a self-released split album with Orosius, Conner was joined on

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

and vocals by friend Mike Pardi from the band Draconis, who used the stage name "Ritual." Subsequently, Xasthur became Conner's

solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''Star Wars Legends'' continuity * Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), a ''Star Wars'' character * Napoleon Solo, fr ...

project, although Khaija "Blood Moon" Ausar (of Dacon and Crimson Moon) later appeared as a

session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...

on the song "A Curse for the Lifeless" (from '' Nortt/Xasthur'') and the EP ''Xasthur'', Mark "M.H." Hunter performed on ''Defective Epitaph'' and ''All Reflections Drained'', and

Marissa Nadler Marissa Nadler (born April 5, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter. Active since 2000, she is currently signed to Sacred Bones Records and Bella Union, and released her ninth full-length studio album, ''The Path of the Clouds'', in October ...

sang on ''

Portal of Sorrow ''Portal of Sorrow'' is the eighth studio album by American black metal act Xasthur. It would be Xasthur's last album of the black metal genre, as the next album ''Subject to Change'' features a more acoustic folk sound. Track listing Person ...

''. Before releasing their first official full-length album in 2002, Xasthur recordings were distributed in limited editions, which were later re-released by the Swedish Total Holocaust Records and other small underground labels. The band's first album, ''

Nocturnal Poisoning ''Nocturnal Poisoning'' is the debut album by the American black metal band Xasthur, released in 2002. The CD version of the album is limited to 2,000 copies. Track listing External linksNocturnal Poisoningat Discogs Discogs ( ; short ...

'' (recorded April–September 2001), was released by the Blood Fire Death label in 2002.

Southern Lord Records Southern Lord is an American heavy metal record label that was founded in 1998 by Greg Anderson. It initially specialized in experimental metal: particularly doom metal, stoner rock, and drone metal. The label later expanded its line-up to ...

re-released a remastered double-LP version in 2005. In the following years, Xasthur's releases were issued through a variety of labels including Bestial Onslaught Productions, Moribund Records, Profound Lore Records, Battle Kommand Records, Autopsy Kitchen Records, Hydra Head Records, Turanian Honour Productions, Avantgarde Music and Disharmonic Variations. Xasthur released several split albums with other black metal acts such as Acid Enema, Angra Mainyu, Black Circle,

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 r ...

Leviathan Leviathan ( ; ; ) is a sea serpent demon noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, and the pseudepigraphical Book of Enoch. Leviathan is of ...

Nortt Nortt is a Danish funeral doom metal project maintained by a musician who goes by an eponymous pseudonym. The project was founded in 1995 and the sole member describes his music as "pure depressive black funeral doom metal". In terms of lyrics ...

and

Striborg Striborg is a black metal / ambient project of Australian musician Russell Menzies. The project first began in 1994 under the name Kathaaria and during this time the stage name "Vvelkaarn" was used. The name Kathaaria was adapted from a Darkth ...

; contributed to tribute albums to

Burzum Burzum (; ) is a Norwegian music project founded by former Mayhem member Varg Vikernes in 1991. Although Burzum never played live performances, it became a staple of the early Norwegian black metal scene and is considered one of the most infl ...

, Ildjarn,

Judas Iscariot Judas Iscariot (; ; died AD) was, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. Judas betrayed Jesus to the Sanhedrin in the Garden of Gethsemane, in exchange for thirty pieces of sil ...

Katatonia Katatonia is a Swedish Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Stockholm in 1991 by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström. The band started as a studio-only project for the duo, as an outlet for their love of death metal. Increasing popularity ...

and

Manes In ancient Roman religion, the ''Manes'' (, , ) or ''Di Manes'' are chthonic deities sometimes thought to represent souls of deceased loved ones. They were associated with the '' Lares'', '' Lemures'', '' Genii'', and '' Di Penates'' as deities ...

; and appeared on various compilation albums. Additionally, Conner collaborated with numerous bands including the drone metal project

Sunn O))) Sunn O))) (pronounced "sun") is an American drone metal band formed in 1998 in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington. The band is known for its distinctive visual style and slow, heavy sound, which blends diverse genres including doom metal, ...

, Mord (with Lugubre members), Celestia and Gravesideservice, and participated on the first album by black metal supergroup

Twilight Twilight is daylight illumination produced by diffuse sky radiation when the Sun is below the horizon as sunlight from the upper atmosphere is scattered in a way that illuminates both the Earth's lower atmosphere and also the Earth's surf ...

. On March 26, 2010, Conner announced that he was wholesaling Xasthur's eighth studio album, ''

''. He also stated that this would be the last album under the Xasthur moniker, as he was dissolving the Xasthur musical project. Conner cited a lack of motivation, among other aspects, for ending Xasthur; he also stated that there would not be a reunion of this band. Conner remarked that another, non-metal musical project was in the works, later revealed to be called Nocturnal Poisoning, named after his 2002 album. Nocturnal Poisoning released three albums between 2012 and 2014: ''Other Worlds of the Mind'', ''A Misleading Reality'' and ''Doomgrass''. On September 30, 2010, Conner released the first and only music video to date under the Xasthur name, for the song "Walker of Dissonant Worlds" from the '' To Violate the Oblivious'' album. Conner was featured in ''One Man Metal'', a 2012

Noisey ''Vice'' (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. It was founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, and its founders later launched the youth media company ...

documentary, alongside Jef Whitehead of Leviathan and Russell Menzies of Striborg. Despite having been released in 2012, the interviews were conducted in 2009. On March 5, 2015, Conner announced on the official Nocturnal Poisoning Facebook page that the band were reverting to the name Xasthur. In reclaiming the name, he said: "For five years, Nocturnal Poisoning was locked out and denied every opportunity or open door that Xasthur used to have, or would've had. I worked hard at building up both projects, starting both of them from nothing and nowhere, but I'm taking back what's mine. Xasthur doesn't belong to the greedy hipsters that milk the metal business; it belongs to me and it's mine to take back." He noted that a new Xasthur album would be available in 2016 on the Disharmonic Variations label, and that the current version of the band (including contributions from Nocturnal Poisoning associate members Christopher Hernandez and Robert Nesslin) would be a continuation of Nocturnal Poisoning's acoustic-driven music, saying, "There's no need to rehash old Xasthur songs, the acoustic ones are plenty dark, and sometimes they're not. If you've been listening, reading, thinking and getting it, we could call it Xasthur acoustic/unplugged with, whatever, a country, blues, 'folk', bluegrass, doomgrass or singer/songwriter style and technique in it". On April 16, Xasthur's first-ever live concert appearance was announced, to take place on June 19, 2015 at the Thirst for Light: Cascadian Summer Solstice II festival at Red Hawk Avalon in Pe Ell, Washington. On September 4, the title for the next Xasthur album was announced as ''Subject to Change''; it was released May 6, 2016 by Disharmonic Variations.

Influences

Conner has noted other one-man black metal projects such as

and Graveland as an inspiration for his singular 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?" Although similar in terms of low

fidelity Fidelity is the quality of faithfulness or loyalty. Its original meaning regarded duty in a broader sense than the related concept of '' fealty''. Both derive from the Latin word , meaning "faithful or loyal". In the City of London financial m ...

production and the wearing of

corpse paint Corpse paint is a style of body painting, used mainly by black metal bands for concerts and band photos. The body painting is used to make the musicians appear inhuman, corpse-like, or demonic, and is perhaps "the most identifiable aspect of the ...

, musically and lyrically, the focus of the first edition of Xasthur was usually not on

paganism Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...

Satanism Satanism refers to a group of religious, ideological, or philosophical beliefs based on Satan—particularly his worship or veneration. Because of the ties to the historical Abrahamic religious figure, Satanism—as well as other religious ...

or anti-

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

blasphemy Blasphemy refers to an insult that shows contempt, disrespect or lack of Reverence (emotion), reverence concerning a deity, an object considered sacred, or something considered Sanctity of life, inviolable. Some religions, especially Abrahamic o ...

– as is common in the black metal genre – but rather on

astral projection In Western esotericism, esotericism, astral projection (also known as astral travel, soul journey, soul wandering, spiritual journey, spiritual travel) is an intentional out-of-body experience (OBE) in which a subtle body, known as the astra ...

darkness Darkness is the condition resulting from a lack of illumination, or an absence of visible light. Human vision is unable to distinguish colors in conditions of very low luminance because the hue-sensitive photoreceptor cells on the retina a ...

, despair,

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

hate Hatred or hate is an intense negative emotional response towards certain people, things or ideas, usually related to opposition or revulsion toward something. Hatred is often associated with intense feelings of anger, contempt, and disgust. Ha ...

and

death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...

Live

Conner has toured with

and has joined

onstage, but until recently, stated that he "will always keep Xasthur a band that will not play live". However, Xasthur's first live concert took place in June 2015.

Members

Current

* Scott "Malefic" Conner – vocals, all instruments (1995-2010, 2015-present)

Past

* Mike "Ritual" Pardi – drums and vocals (1996-1999) * Robert Nesslin - vocals (2015). Took part in Nocturnal Poisoning's ''A Misleading Reality'', ''Doomgrass'', and Xasthur's ''Subject to Change'' * Christopher Hernandez – guitar, vocals, harmonica, bass (2015—2021) * Rachel Roomian — acoustic bass (2016—2018) * Joe Larriva — guitar (2019—2021)

Past session musicians

* Khaija "Blood Moon" Ausar – keyboards on '' Nortt/Xasthur'' and "Xasthur" * Mark "M.H." Hunter – vocals and ambience on ''Defective Epitaph'' and ''All Reflections Drained'' *

– vocals on ''

'' * Ronald Armand Andruchuk – drums on Nocturnal Poisoning's ''Other Worlds of the Mind''

Discography

Studio albums

* ''

'' (2002, Blood Fire Death) * '' The Funeral of Being'' (2003, Blood Fire Death) * '' Telepathic with the Deceased'' (2004, Moribund Records) * '' To Violate the Oblivious'' (2004, Moribund Records) * '' Subliminal Genocide'' (2006, Hydra Head Records) * '' Defective Epitaph'' (2007, Hydra Head Records) * '' All Reflections Drained'' (2009, Hydra Head Records) * ''

'' (2010, Disharmonic Variations) * ''Subject to Change'' (2016, Disharmonic Variations) * ''Victims of the Times'' (2021, Prophecy Productions) * ''Inevitably Dark'' (2023, Prophecy Productions) * ''Disharmonic Variations'' (2024, Prophecy Productions)

Collaboration albums

* ''The Hallucination Tunnels'' with Casket of Dreams (2021, Appalachian Noise Records)

EPs

* ''Xasthur/Orosius'' split with Orosius (1999, self-released) * ''A Darkened Winter'' (2001, self-released) * ''Xasthur/Acid Enema'' split with Acid Enema (2002, self-released) * ''Suicide in Dark Serenity'' (2003, Bestial Onslaught Productions) * ''Xasthur/Angra Mainyu'' split with Angra Mainyu (2004, Total Holocaust Records) * '' Xasthur/Leviathan'' split with

(2004, Profound Lore Records/Battle Kommand Records) * ''Nachtmystium/Xasthur'' split with

(2004, Autopsy Kitchen Records) * '' Nortt/Xasthur'' split with

(2004, Total Holocaust Records) * ''Xasthur'' (2006, Moribund Records) * ''Striborg/Xasthur'' split with

(2007, Autopsy Kitchen Records) * ''Cryostasium/Xasthur'' split with Cryostasium (2007, Bestial Onslaught Productions) * ''A Living Hell'' split with Black Circle (2008, Turanian Honour Productions) * ''2005 Demo'' (2010, Hydra Head Records) * ''Self Deficient/Upscale Ghetto'' (2018, Disharmonic Variations) * ''Aestas Pretium MMXVIII'' (2018, Lupus Lounge)

Demos

* ''Rehearsal '97'' (1997, self-released) * '' A Gate Through Bloodstained Mirrors'' (2001, Profane Productions) * ''2002 Rehearsal'' (2002, self-released) * ''Sigils Made of Flesh and Trees'' (2017, Appalachian Noise Records)

Compilations

* ''Nightmares at Dawn'' (2012, Avantgarde Music) * ''1997-1999 Rehearsals'' (2013, self-released) * ''Vol.1 Splits 2002-2004'' (2024, Lupus Lounge) * ''Vol.2 Splits & Bonus 2007-2009'' (2024, Lupus Lounge)

Compilation appearances

* "Chill of the Night" and "Der Det Skjulte Lever" ( Ildjarn covers) on ''Gathered Under the Banner of Strength and Anger: A Homage to Ildjarn'' (2004, Pestilence Records) * "Erblicket die Töchter des Firmaments" (

cover) on ''The Tribute'' (2005, Ash Nazg/Perverted Taste Productions) * "Maane's Natt" (

cover) on ''Destroyers from the Western Skies (As Night Devours the Sun)'' (2005, KillZone Records) * "Tyrant of Nightmares" on ''Reflections from the Abyss - Chapter I'' (2006, Kthulu Productions) * "The Cold Earth Slept Below..." (

cover) on ''To the Triumph of Evil (Witnesses to the Bringer of Life's Decay): A Tribute to Judas Iscariot'' (2006, ISO666 Releases) * "Palace of Frost" (

cover) on ''December Songs - A Tribute to Katatonia'' (2006, Northern Silence Productions)

As Nocturnal Poisoning

* ''2011 Demo'' EP (2012, self-released) * ''Other Worlds of the Mind'' (2012, Disharmonic Variations) * ''A Misleading Reality'' (2013, Disharmonic Variations) * "Clarity Within Your Confusion" 7" single (2014, Children of the Night) * ''Doomgrass'' (2014, The End Records)

With
Twilight Twilight is daylight illumination produced by diffuse sky radiation when the Sun is below the horizon as sunlight from the upper atmosphere is scattered in a way that illuminates both the Earth's lower atmosphere and also the Earth's surf ...

* ''Twilight'' (2005, Southern Lord Records)

Guest appearances

* Vocals, guitar and keyboards on

's '' Black One'' (2005, Southern Lord Records) * Vocals on "Coma Mirror" from Sunn O))) and

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

's '' Angel Coma'' (2006, Southern Lord Records) * Bass and keyboards on Mord's ''Imperium Magnum Infernalis'' (2006, Non Compos Mentis) * Vocals and keyboards on Celestia's ''Frigidiis Apotheosia : Abstinencia Genesiis'' (2008, Paragon Records/Apparitia Recordings) * Bass guitar on Gravesideservice's ''Masters in Lunacy'' (2011, Church of the Immaculate Deception) * Bass guitar on Gravesideservice's ''Fog'' (2013, self-released)

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Black metal musical groups from California People from Alhambra, California Musical groups established in 1995 Southern Lord Records artists Musical groups disestablished in 2010 One-man bands