As Neil Young said, “It’s better to burn out then to fade away.” I usually hate this quote, especially when tied to that one guy who used to be in that really popular “alternative rock” band (Nirvana, I think they were called), but in this case, Malefic, a.k.a. Xasthur, is taking Young’s advice. Instead of going on for years on end, hashing out mediocre after mediocre recreations of previous records, Malefic has officially called it quits from music-making under his Xasthur moniker. “I’m not able to make it work anymore. I don’t want to turn into one of those bands who rely on too many guests and session musicians to make people interested in their music again.”
Not only has he given up the name, but he’s also given up on trying to change the face of “metal.” “There’s no use in trying to reinvent black metal or turn it upside down, it’s all been done and in the end, it’s still metal and will remain within those circles, stereotypes and boundaries no matter what.”
Good news is that Malefic isn’t giving up on playing music. In fact, he’s already working on a new project. “It’s a new beginning that I’m quite excited about. It’s probably of no interest to you and again, it has nothing to do with metal and I’m not trying to keep any connection or ties to it. I will not name influences, genres or anything of the sort.” Read the rest of Malefic’s explanation here.
With all this said, Malefic has decided to end things on a good note and release one final album, Portal of Sorrow, which features vocals from singer/songwriter Marissa Nadler, as we reported earlier. The album’s out now on Xasthur’s own Disharmonic Variations label and will be released on vinyl in June on Hydra Head.
Portal of Sorrow tracklisting:
01. Portal of Sorrow
02. Broken Glass Christening
03. Shrine of Failure
04. Stream of Subconsciousness
05. Karma/Death
06. Horizon of Plastic Caskets
07. Mesmerized by Misery
08. This Abyss Holds the Mirror
09. Mourning Tomorrow
10. Miscarriage of the Soul
11. Obeyer’s of their own Deaths
12. Released from this Earth
13. The Darkest Light
14. hiver de glace
• Xasthur: http://xasthur.mercurous.net
• Hydra Head: http://www.hydrahead.com
