ITP REVIEW: XASTHUR ALL REFLECTIONS DRAINED

BAND: XASTHUR (CALIFORNIA,USA) GENRE:BLACK METAL/AMBIENT DSBM LABEL: HYDRAHEAD RELEASE DATE: 5/26/09

PREVIOUS RELEASES (CATALOG):Xasthur / Orosius split CDr (self-released) ('99) CDr
A Gate Through Bloodstained Mirrors ('01) CDr / CS / CD / 2xLP / 2xCD
A Darkened Winter (Promo) ('01)
Xasthur / Acid Enema ('02) split-CDr / CD
Nocturnal Poisoning ('02) CD / 2xLP / CS
Suicide In Dark Serenity ('03) 12"mLP / CD / CS
The Funeral Of Being ('03) CD / 2xLP
Nachtmystium / Xasthur ('04) split-7"EP
Xasthur / Angra Mainyu ('04) split-CD / LP
Telepathic With The Deceased ('04) CD / 2xLP
To Violate The Oblivious ('04) CD / 2xLP
Xasthur / Leviathan ('04) split-LP / CD
Nortt / Xasthur ('04) split-CD / LP
V/A - "Gathered Under The Banner (Tribute To Ildjarn)" ('04) compilation CD
V/A - "Destroyers From The Western Skies (As Night Devours The Sun)" ('05) compilation CD
V/A - "Reflections From The Abyss - Chapter I" ('05) compilation CD
V/A - Burzum - The Tribute ('05) CD
Subliminal Genocide ('06) CD / LP / CS
Xasthur ('06) mCD / 12"mLP
V/A - To The Triumph Of Evil (Witnesses To The Bringer Of Life's Decay) - A Tribute To Judas Iscariot ('06) CD / 2xLP
Cryostasium / Xasthur ('07) split-7"EP
Striborg / Xasthur ('07) split-7"EP
Defective Epitaph ('07) CD / Japanese 2xCD
Black Circle / Xasthur ('08) split-7"EP All Reflections Drained ('09) CD / CS / 2xLP / Japanese 2xCD



BEST RELEASE (s):NOCTURNAL POISONING, SUBLIMINAL GENOCIDE, DEFECTIVE EPITAPH, ALL REFLECTIONS DRAINED

XASTHUR-ALL REFLECTIONS DRAINED TRACKLISTING: I. Dirge Forsaken [5:41]
II. Maze Of Oppression [5:15]
III. Achieve Emptiness Part II [4:59]
IV. Masquerade Of Incisions [15:33]
V. Damage Your Soul [4:53]
VI. Inner Sanctum Surveillance [7:02]
VII. Obfuscated In Oblivion [5:25]
VIII. All Reflections Drained [7:57]

ITP RATING: ***
PRODUCTION: **1/2
SONGWRITING: ***
PERFORMANCE: ***

MALEFIC of one man ambient black metal project XASTHUR has got to be one of the most enigmatic people in all of metal. MALEFIC lurks in the shadows, offers no interviews and lets his amazing body of work speak for its self in a statement of anti image as XASTHURS music might be a pre apocalyptic soundtrack for this earths or your own demise. SCOTT CONNER is MALEFIC as "ALL REFLECTIONS DRAINED " has to be his most haunting work to date.
MALEFIC goes on a limb employing such interesting instruments such as cello, acoustic, electric classical guitars, plays bass and programs a drum machine, all one man, one masterpiece of depression. ALL REFLECTIONS DRAINED marks the debut of ambient master and vocalist M.H.
However, XASTHURS ALL REFLECTIONS DRAINED is not black metal in the conventional sense, in fact ALL REFLECTIONS DRAINED is not black metal, OR metal at all. Perhaps XASTHUR(ALL REFLECTIONS DRAINED) musical companion is drone/doom (SUNN O))) and the later works of BURZUM fitting in to the ambient/ DSBM (depressive suicidal black metal) scene.
XASTHURS "ALL REFLECTIONS DRAINED" drones in an unconventional, instrumental, song "structure" as the CD should be listened to as a whole, instead of singular songs, a long droning, suffocating soundtrack to isolation and misery.
A repetitive down tuned guitar melody opens ALL REFLECTIONS DRAINED as "Dirge Forsaken" invoke miserable sounds capes and atmospheres of utter isolation, fear and dread. Pretty damn creepy.
"Maze of Oppression" offer up MALEFICS tortured vocals to an DSBM funeral dirge of orchestral misery, as light keyboards, round out the dark beauty of this masterpiece.
"Achieve Emptiness part II" invokes a funeral doom like atmosphere of isolated beauty and sadness, sunrise after a burial. The ending sample describes the nihilist in many of us, that we are dead or we are born to die: "I perceived everything and everyone in existence to be dead,including myself, because I never experienced anything inside my self, I was always empty, quite, there was just nothing."
"Masquerade of Incisions" is by far the longest composition (15:29) on ALL REFLECTIONS DRAINED as the song opens quietly with MALEFICS screams in the back round, invoking a psychedelic atmosphere ala ESOTERICS (UK's) quieter, post rock moments. Trippy and very creepy..UNTIL: 5:32 when XASTHUR up the ante to post black metal and bring guitars into the song, and it sounds very cohesive without ruining "Masquerade of Incisions" fragile, psychedelic atmosphere, as the song is divided in half with beautiful acoustic and electric guitar and light piano, and echos of MALEFICS spoken word. WOW..
"Damage Your Soul" is unholy with it's mournful wandering keyboard and MALEFICS ungodly whispers, a DSBM funeral dirge of isolation segueing into a climax of droning noise.
"Inner Sanctum Surveillance" is just as horrifying in it's sound scapes of human decay and nihilism focusing on the cleaver bluesy and almost jazzy instrumentation with a down tuned acoustic guitar and ambient, droning noise. MALEFICS tortured vocals are used sparingly on ALL REFLECTIONS DRAINED focusing instead on the instrumentation and a suffocating atmosphere of misery and dread.
"Obscufated in Oblivion" is orchestral and psychedelic in it's balanced approach of beauty and darkness..
ALL REFLECTIONS DRAINED closes with the title track, a repetitive dirge with spoken word vocals.
XASTHUR's ALL REFLECTIONS DRAINED is not for everyone, and a controversial release in MALEFICS catalog. After all, MALEFICS vocals are minimal, in the shadows focusing instead on droning, repetitive, suffocating, ambient atmospheres of isolation and decay. ALL REFLECTIONS DRAINED is sure to divide fans of XASTHURS back catalog whom looked forward to MALEFICS tortured rasps, and atmospheric, minimalistic black metal. Most of XASTHURS fans might just be bored with AFD and consider the release transitional as they would prefer a more traditional approach to XASTHURS minimalistic, atmospheric black metal.
XASTHURS ALL REFLECTIONS DRAINED atmosphere is claustrophobic, creepy and a lesson to be learned that there are so many OTHER ways to be heavy in isolated misery and despondency. AFD gets underneath your skin, pushes some buttons, as we are often uncomfortable with a persons decision to end their life, AFD is the musical equivalent of post funeral panic attack.
If ALL REFELECTIONS DRAINED is a misstep in XASTHURS catalog, the release might be a sign of XASTHUR'S experimentation and perhaps progression into funeral drone doom territory. The production is low fi, the drumming is sloppy. Some people loved XASTHUR in it's conventional sense, with vocals..
I'll take XASTHURS ALL REELECTIONS DRAINED for what it is. Yes, AFD is epic and haunting, provoking an even more isolated atmosphere without vocals, although I would prefer to hear more of MALEFICS tortured screams. Otherwise, yes, XASTHURS ALL REFLECTIONS DRAINED is a devastating sound scape of depression, human decay and nihilism.
I'm truly devastated, but awe inspired, only one per coffin?

ITP RATING: ***
PRODUCTION: **1/2
SONGWRITING: ***
PERFORMANCE: ***

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-