Xasthur - All Reflections Drained
July 24 2009 at 07:27:16 AM
Xasthur/Malefic/Scott Conner falling within the bottomless pit of public opinion is an image far more unsettling than his latest stab at music. A mere four years ago he was all quid pro quo for SunnO)))’s
Black One and then accompanying the aforementioned on an enchanted fairy-dusted tour of selected regions of the globe. The love affair soured between the robed ones and Malefic (for [mostly] undisclosed reasons); they parted ways, and suddenly Xasthur’s music was maligned both in cyberspace and in print (never mind the ever-thin conspiracy theories and tenuous – at best – connections between the Southern Lord Mafia and Disposable Income Nauts’ take on the California sadsack. Turmoil does wonders for inspiration apparently as Conner’s been busy littering the marketplace with unrequited love notes: Three full-lengths, an EP, and three splits since “the breakup.”
The latest,
All Reflections Drained, persists with his “ominous” death threat even if the intention of ending one’s life is buried beneath sheer fucking tonnage of computer generated string blah. I gather – maybe – there are two pieces here with lyrics: “Maze of Oppression,” and “Masquerade of Incisions,” the former speaking to life as a cycle of endless rape; the latter building upon “Maze’s” assertion of equating “hope” to a “lie,” and here substituting “hope” for “pride,” and, well, calling it a “lie,” too. The rest of the lyrics resemble spidery but awkward cut-ups from an English-as-a-second-language teen keen on self-disfigurement and shooting neighborhood cats and dogs with a spud gun. Little leap here, but add cloak, makeup, and Vans and we’ve got Malefic. There’s nothing hallucinatory or Lovecraftian or “Post-Burzum” about poorly crafted music. People into self-disfigurement and shooting neighborhood cats and dogs with a spud gun likely have five or six copies of
All Reflections Drained – one for every (“failed”) suicide attempt by antacid overdose.
Poncey diatribe contra speed-monkey Cecil Taylor comes to mind here: The anyone-can-do-that bullshit. No way Conner’s going to unleash a Bud Powell via highly fuckin’ caffeinated Franz Liszt bukkake on a Steinway. He’s more inclined to shut-in, diddle about the strings, press record and call it complete. Apparently he’s grown sick of the sound of his own voice. It’s too bad we can’t say the same for his infinitely layered and atonal guitar stylistic. But, hey, I’m not (really) here to call Conner a coose. He’s made a few good records – no shit – and his falling out of favor has more to do with him clogging the shelves with pathetically unformed material and less with the Southern Lord Mafia’s heaping dead horses into his futon every night. The party’s over. Turn out the lights. Tomorrow is another day. I’m sure Wal-Mart is hirin’.
[Stewart Voegtlin]
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this new album's atmosphere is rather strong and 'eerie' but it doesn't feel as organic as previous material. and the vocals/whispers/talking/what-the-fuck-ever on this album just destroy it for me.
I think it's hilarious that references to Malefic's Vans-wearing tendencies keep popping up. I hope it continues.
Also, I've heard that he has a wife and also heard (perhaps on here, though I assumed it false) that he's gay. Confirm/deny? Neither one is very Suicidal BM. Fucking faggot.
I'm completely baffled by dedicated Xasthur fans. My experience with him consists of one album and a couple ods 'n ends. I'm not dying to be exposed to much more than that. I have enjoyed what I've heard and maybe I'll get to more later on. Which records are the good ones?
Although I'm not dying to hear more, I hate to run the guy out of the industry on a rail. After all, he did contribute a very unique vision to black metal. On the other hand, not much more than his laurels are keeping him in the game. The only way he's changed is by adding his (purportedly) shitty drumming skills and now by largely removing his greatest asset... his voice. Otherwise, experience teaches us to be extremely wary of anything issued by him.
in terms of good albums, obviously it's subjective, but i like Nocturnal Poisoning, The Funeral of Being and Telepathic with the Deceased the best. however, i think his best material is on the Leviathan split LP.
Its fucked that these people talk shit about xasthur and love bone awl! At least they give wrnlrd some respect. Thats where its headed and matters.
I think Malefic's voice has a couple of qualities which seem at odds with one another: it's wounded and truculent simultaneously. It's almost sympathy inducing, but one would never think to manifest that sympathy for fear of horrible retribution. Kind of like a caged and wounded lion.
Assmonster
Yer right about Malefic's guitar sound, as far as I know. Here, the lo-fi recording techniques undeniably add a chilling effect. I'm not sure how he accomplishes it, but I think in addition to the layers, reverb and minor chords are vital ingredients. That said, I've kind gotten sick of his tricks too. There's too many other bands to listen too to devote much more time to Xastur. I still need to check out Wrnlrd and I can't do that if I'm listen to yet another Xasthur record.
Quality over quantity. Adhere to that and the guy's output is 80th percentile. Plus, he's got a little "scandal" to up the sales. Genuinely interested in his loss of cred w/ the kids. I'm puzzled and simultaneously amused. Cannot wait to see what happens when they finally commit patricide and through Sunn under the bus.
I am referring to "Assmonster's" comment, "Its [sic] fucked that these people talk shit about xasthur and love bone awl!"