Description

Original first press with 6038 – DEAD80-2 093006 matrix number

One of America’s most prolific and unapproachable underground metal musicians, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Malefic has been responsible for half a dozen releases since 1995 under his nom de plume of Xasthur. Rarely counting with outside help and with his music mostly qualifying in the atmospheric black metal field. It seems that most people either love or hate his work. So 3 years, 3 full-lengths, and a slew of splits later, Malefic presents this eponymous EP. Does it measure up to the early material? Well, somewhat…considering that nearly half of the time on the EP is taken up by a new recording of an old song from A Darkened Winter (Doomed By Howling Winds), which is by far the best of the material presented here. It’s all standard Xasthur fare though. The gloomy, multi-layered atmosphere is there. The crappy drum machine is still there. The vocals are still buried beneath the rest of the mix and still drowned in effects. I was really put off by the fact that Bubonic Plague ends abruptly, as if Malefic forgot to put a new cassette into his 8-track and just said ‘Fuck it’ and sent it to Moribund anyway. Minimalistic as always theres no lyrics and the artwork is bleak. There are no major flaws but it still feels like only a mandatory purchase for the Xasthur fan

Track listing:
1. Instrumental
2. Bubonic Plague
3. Doomed By Howling Winds