Xasthur
2005 Demo
(Hydra Head)

Xasthur’s appropriately titled two-song demo from 2005 is pretty much what you’d expect if you’re a follower already. But for those who aren’t, it can be best described as hypnotic black drone metal. The key components of lone-member Malefic’s sound are present here, as every instrument serves a textural purpose, from the crumbling towers of heavy distortion paired with bleak guitar arpeggios underneath, to the wordless, guttural screams that are the vocals.

The effect is transcendence, almost soothingly ambient, and while it makes for effective mood music, I should remind you that the pervasive mood is doom-like and suicidal, made all the more intense by the lo-fi production value inherent in demo recordings. Music for daydreams, it is not.