Subliminal Genocide

Xasthur | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 12, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hydrahead Records
• ASIN: B000GYHXTG
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #75,309 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More... (I also happen to like it), October 12, 2006

By 

77Jim (Philadelphia PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Subliminal Genocide (Audio CD)

Subliminal Genocide is another consistant, well crafted release from a respectable underground artist. It bears practically all of the elements Xasthur has previously established himself with and it offers more. More... plain and simple. I personally have no qualms with "more" and Genocide does not rock the boat on the quality front so I see no need to alert the Black Metal "Quality Control Police."

I would think many people into music would have legitimate reason to mildly envy guys like Xasthur, Leviathan, Sapthuran etc. They are able to take the darkest ideas and emotions from the sweet spot of their brains and translate them into physical, transportable plastic disks for others to hear. Angry guys alone in a basement somewhere making angry art and seizing the tools at hand to fine tune and deliver it... all in this awful modern era of George W. Bush. From their complex logos and artwork to the song titles, album intros and liner notes... it's all crafted with attention to detail. It's VERY cool stuff and quite respectable if you ask me. Even that Leviathan album of "demos" offers interesting moments worth investigating... takes me back to when I first discovered SST records / Black Flag as a teen. Something to get excited about... check these guys out.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than I initially expected..., September 13, 2006

By 

Internal Abbatoir (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Subliminal Genocide (Audio CD)

I will admit that upon listening to the leaked promo of "Subliminal Genocide" I was disappointed with what seemed to be an album full of b-sides from To Violate the Oblivious. When all is said and done, Subliminal Genocide surpasses Xasthur's last two albums. People who are already fans of Xasthur's music will not be disappointed here because Xasthur remains "trve" to his original vision. Of course, if you have heard this band before, then you should know what to expect here -- reverb drenched discordant guitars and processed vocals. It is pretty much impossible to hear what Xasthur is playing with these dreadful mixes. What is different here is that the production is once again muddy and dirty. However, it is still a step above the first three records. In the end, this seems to be the culmination of Xasthur's sound, and quite possibly Malefic's fully realized vision for this band. These songs are bleak and dissonant. It sounds like you are moving through the consciousness of a really messed up, demented person on the verge of (hahaha, you guessed it) committing suicide. The songs play out like a slow moving funeral procession. They start with a raw distorted riff and go through a breakdown and start up once again just when you think the nightmare is over. The riffs are still grim, cacophonic, and dark. They are processed through fuzz, reverb, and whatever else Malefic decides to pile on top. The ominous keryboards are still present, but they are mixed low. The drums on the last Xasthur record were more in your face, but they seem to be buried here.

In the end, this album is grim and dirty. It seems that Malefic is finally starting to get some recognition (possibly due to his appearance on Black 1?). But, this music is still guaranteed to polarize most listeners, so people who are worried about this no longer being "kvlt" should just relax. I don't think you are going to see Xasthur on Ozzy's second stage anytime soon, but of course I could be wrong (if he permanently joins Sunn o))), that is). However, I think that Subliminal Genocide pushes Xasthur's sound to the limit. I would like to see Malefic go into a "completely" different direction on his next release... Because, even though this is another strong offering of trance inducing black metal, there is nothing new here.

Edit (January, 2007):

I have to admit that the more I listen to "Subliminal Genocide" the more I am impressed. This is without a doubt Malefic's best material yet. Sure, Nocturnal Poisoning was a fine album and all, but after listening to Subliminal Genocide over and over again for the past five months, I am only beginning to pick up on the sheer amount of detail and effort that went into this release. Malefic is the Kevin Shields of the black metal world. No doubt.

And for the people who call this "black metal for normals:" Let me ask you this, are there any bands out there that really sound like this? Of course, you could say Manes and Mütiilation but, as far as I am concerned, Malefic has evolved Xasthur into his own distinguished vision over the past couple of years. Subliminal Genocide is a testament to this vision... This IS a strong release. You want "black metal" for normals? Check out Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth. Like I said before, Xasthur has remained true to his original vision. There are no valid reasons to call him a sell out other than the fact that he jumped onto Hydra Head records where, according to Malefic, he could make music without the usual record company hassles. Sure, it is a "hipster" label, but who really cares when the releases are still as strong as this?

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, August 25, 2007

By 

Fra. Jarrod - See all my reviews

This review is from: Subliminal Genocide (Audio CD)

The cliche, "you get it or you don't" applies both to this album and Xasthur's music in general. Music for the status quo? I find that hard to swallow.


There are fractal layers of depth to Subliminal Genocide. One layer is a guitar fuzz of incomprehensible droning and repetitive drum machine rhythms. But Malefic tends to record two to four tracks on top of each other, leading to melodies of otherworldly beauty. If you're repulsed or bored by this album, you can shrug it off like most of the black metal Quality Control Legion does. Or you can listen more closely..


As a musician, there is only so much angst and sorrow one can spew forth. How much depressive music can one invoke? Xasthur is unrelenting with expressing the darkest emotions. The novelty in his music is that it seems so un-selfconscious, lacking in pretense. Rather than conjuring up some grandiose image or forcing out emotion, this emanates straight from his soul. The sense of isolation is suffocating. What has become of the modern Western individual? Fragmented, drug-addled, separate from the flux of Nature. A crippled shadow of once great strength and joy. Desparately searching for any bit of sanity or happiness from the array of distractions presented by our great "civilization." Malefic screams not with a single voice; anguish-filled tears of the millions rush forth.



Indeed there is a limit, but at times Xasthur in some way overcomes himself. He briefly loses touch with the physical domain and lifts into an ethereal realm of pure ideas. By reaching into the sheer essence of sorrow, by delving into its utmost extreme, he lifts beyond his painfilled and limited humanity. This music is that bliss.