'One Man Metal' documentary -- Xasthur comes out the closet

[Reginald Gillette]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQl6PzXU4cQ&feature=relmfu

Though I'm not a fan of Leviathan, Xasthur, or Striborg, I found this doco really entertaining and interesting.  Most compelling and fascinating was that Xasthur seemed almost non-human, a cipher.

You see Striborg mention he's a husband and father.  Leviathan explaining his entire life story, showing us his old house, photo albums of his deceased girlfriend, the love of his life.  He 'fucking hates being around people', but seems like he could have a conversation.

However, Xasthur reveals barely any concrete connection to the human world. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sbhA78RO5E&t=9m44s

He mentions that hypothetically meeting a like-minded person would make him "...glad", though he stutters even trying to speak that word, as though he can barely conceive it happening.  He lacks the Hessian signifiers of longhair, band shirts, leather jackets, bad-ass beard--no hairstyle at all. His eyes dart about, he fidgets, he looks like an old dementia patient in the body of a 38 year old. 

I feel bad for the guy--seems like a life of loneliness and isolation turned outward in rage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQl6PzXU4cQ&t=14m5s

Regarding his hit album, "Telepathic with the Deceased":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHyMK0ADw_8&t=11m22s

He seems to embody the True Kvlt Authentic Misanthrope we've long demanded from our Black Metal: writing about hate, despair, and death, but  NOT hanging out, drinking beers, having girlfriends, working in graphic design, or having any hope whatsoever. 

It's fucked up.  Can't wait to see what you guys think!

[Tancred Hauteville]

Meh, Xasthur doesnt seemd weird, he seems like he is an overgrown teenager living on welfare......

[lord.aspie]

Despite the hipster hype, Xasthur's "Telepathic with the Deceased" truly is a great album. I would rank it one level below Joined in Darkness. Everything after that got shockingly boring.

[Tralfamadorian]

Meh, Xasthur doesnt seemd weird, he seems like he is an overgrown teenager living on welfare......

From what I gather, he never matured past the "nobody understands me" phase of adolescence.

There is nothing romantic about the solitary lifestyles of these individuals. They are not Victor Frankensteins, they are emo autists.

[lord.aspie]

Meh, Xasthur doesnt seemd weird, he seems like he is an overgrown teenager living on welfare......

From what I gather, he never matured past the "nobody understands me" phase of adolescence.

There is nothing romantic about the solitary lifestyles of these individuals. They are not Victor Frankensteins, they are emo autists.

Yes. The doc is more about bad life decisions than it is about music.

[indjaseemun]

Well well! I love people like this. I read the interview with xasthur yesterday because of another topic here in metal and really identified with the guy. Seems like a nice person, and I bet he enjoys HP. Lovecraft's writings. Of course, those writings stir up memories from lost civilizations on all of us.

I'm checking out the interview.

[Humanicide]

I agree with Traf here, with the exception of the guy from Striborg. He seems like an interesting fellow - he points out that spending TOO much time alone leads to depression. Obvious, of course, but I think it's funny given the tone of the documentary. On a semi-related note, his homeland looks absolutely gorgeous. I wish it was in color (would be less grim, but would allow for more appreciation of the landscapes in Tasmania).

Does Striborg have any material that is worth hearing?

[Forbinator]

Despite the hipster hype, Xasthur's "Telepathic with the Deceased" truly is a great album. I would rank it one level below Joined in Darkness. Everything after that got shockingly boring.

To be honest I'd rate "Subliminal Genocide" a cut above the other Xasthur that I've heard. I'm a drooling Leviathan fanboy though, so should probably be ignored.

Thanks for posting those links! Something that occurred to me while watching, was that all three men seemed very much "in touch with their feelings" and self-reflecting, probably to a greater extent than most of society. This is probably necessary to create such powerful art, and flies in the face of the autism/Asperger's stereotype mentioned earlier. On the one hand they reject humanity, but on the other they can't escape their own.

[jcpcc14]

What, are Xasthur or Leviathan actually worthwhile? I always wrote off the entire DSBM scene besides Mutiilation for some reason.

[Umbrage]

I agree with Traf here, with the exception of the guy from Striborg. He seems like an interesting fellow - he points out that spending TOO much time alone leads to depression.

Only if you're an extrovert. If you're an introvert you will feel more and more happy as you spend less time with others.

The documentary sure fits the DSBM style: pretentious black and white, retards pretending to have depth, suggestive documentary title so even the biggest moron can understand the concept.

What, are Xasthur or Leviathan actually worthwhile? I always wrote off the entire DSBM scene besides Mutiilation for some reason.

I've never even really considered DSBM to be part of metal, it's pop music if you ask me. No surprise metal got infested with hipsters after the DSBM rage. It has all the ingredients hipsters like: self-centered, self-pity, self-castration...

[indjaseemun]

Wow, I was right. Xasthur is some demoness from the Necronomicon plus mixed with a name of a Santeria spirit. The guy must be into some crazy stuff.

It's funny how musicians, specially black metal, have a way of relating to the spirits on a totally intuitive, musical way. That is, those who do not practice occult rites, that I know of examples being Yamatu, Therion, Mystifier, Emperor, Mayhem, Beherit, Acheron, Demonic Christ, Black Funeral, Dissection, Sovereign, Profanatica, Arckanum, Morbid Angel and many others. Glen Benton also claimed he was possessed, but I guess it's more of a joke, with a real backstory which is subconscious influence. They even mention the necronomicon on one of their lyrics. A lot of those are influenced by HP Lovecraft also.

I never really listened to xasthur until now, I am enjoying all of his work. Pure ambiance and sadness, no matter what this guy does, ambient soundtrack metal or whatever, it's his emotions on music he wants to convey and I find it all in very good taste. His persona seems similar to that of the man of Krieg.

I don't really think he does not talk to people. I think in reality he hangs out with people

[WAAAAAAGH!]

Wow, I was right. Xasthur is some demoness from the Necronomicon plus mixed with a name of a Santeria spirit. The guy must be into some crazy stuff.

It's funny how musicians, specially black metal, have a way of relating to the spirits on a totally intuitive, musical way. That is, those who do not practice occult rites, that I know of examples being Yamatu, Therion, Mystifier, Emperor, Mayhem, Beherit, Acheron, Demonic Christ, Black Funeral, Dissection, Sovereign, Profanatica, Arckanum, Morbid Angel and many others. Glen Benton also claimed he was possessed, but I guess it's more of a joke, with a real backstory which is subconscious influence. They even mention the necronomicon on one of their lyrics. A lot of those are influenced by HP Lovecraft also.

I never really listened to xasthur until now, I am enjoying all of his work. Pure ambiance and sadness, no matter what this guy does, ambient soundtrack metal or whatever, it's his emotions on music he wants to convey and I find it all in very good taste. His persona seems similar to that of the man of Krieg.

I don't really think he does not talk to people. I think in reality he hangs out with people

So in other words, Xasthur should be avoided because it is the ego drama of a complete twat.

What is most disingenuous about men (boys really) like him is the charade of misanthropy. If he truly makes this music for himself and hates people, keep the recordings to yourself. Of course, he doesn't want to work so he must sell his recordings. Double the act, double the bullshit.

[scourge]

On the bright side, we never got much Gygaxian themes except for two Burzum cover art. Oh and this possibility:

According to published background, Iggwilv is said to have once been named Natasha,[6]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iggwilv

[we hope you die]

http://www.deathmetal.org/interview/vidar-vaaer-ildjarn/

Interesting as this was, I don't think any of these guys have anything on the kind of solitude that Ildjarn seems to live in.

[indjaseemun]

Yeah. But I bet the guys making fun of Malefic think Ildjarn is cool, therefore his lifestyle is good. We don't know if Malefic walks in forests or not. We know nothing of the guy really, to pretend to know something about him from this minuscule documentary is preposterous. But I bet it's Idljarn's agressive personality that will make people think he is the cool one. 

WAAAAAAGH!: What bands in a similar style then would you recommend? In the style of Xasthur, Burzum, and the slow songs of Krieg?