XOTH: "We wanted something that combined elements of advanced ancient technology in another universe with a dose of spookiness"
Cosmic Metal force XOTH recently landed to bring some interstellar turmoil into our earthly homes with their new album "Exogalactic", that was unleashed on November 3rd via Dawnbreed Records. With their powerful blend of Prog, Thrash, and Tech Death, they might easily deliver one of this year’s Extreme Metal highlights.
Band-Links: BANDCAMP / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK
Welcome to learn more about the mighty cover artwork, their musical background, and the topics of the album here:
Hey, thanks for making time to answer my questions. Could you please introduce yorsuelf and Xoth to our readers?
Xoth is an extreme Sci Fi metal band from Seattle, WA USA comprised of Tyler Sturgill (Guitar/Vocals), Woody Adler (Guitar), Ben Bennett (Bass), and Jeremy Salvo (Drums).
Congrats on the release of “Exogalactic”, which is a beast of an album! How do you feel about it, and how was the reception so far ?
Thank you! We feel excellent about how it turned out. The reception has been mind-blowing! We are very grateful for the support.
Let’s take a look at the stunning cover artwork: What can you tell us about its origins, and how does it reflect the album thematically?
We were very fortunate to work with Shindy Reehal from Shindy Design this time around and he did an amazing job! Inspiration came from a number of places - classic album artwork from bands like Iron Maiden, Bal Sagoth, Mania, Angel Dust, and Asia as well as video games like Doom Eternal, Elden Ring and Halo.
We wanted something that combined elements of advanced ancient technology in another universe with a dose of spookiness. It’s more representative of the general mood and themes of the album than a particular song.
Could you dive a bit into the record’s story / topics with us, please?
We covered a lot of ground this time around: fighting alien reptiles in an alternate dimension, an esoteric library that devours all who access its forbidden knowledge, cosmic fungus brought by mysterious spaceships that reset society, the weaponization of human connection through modern technology, a blade forged by an elder god that controls whoever wields it and shapes the course of history, discovering an ideal simulation in which to resettle society only to have it go horribly wrong, the brutality of medieval combat... in space, and using ancient technology to rebuild a megalithic structure that has overcome many cataclysms.
These are some epic stories to tell! Fitting to that, your sound is mind blowing yet melodious, melting the brutality of Death and Black with the virtuosity of Prog Metal. What is your musical background, and where do you draw your inspiration from?
We are four lifelong musicians - all started playing at an early age - and we all have pretty eclectic tastes in music that go way beyond metal, so inspiration comes from a lot of places. These could be anywhere from other albums, movies, video games, life experiences, or just strange ideas.
Could you briefly describe your writing and recording process, please?
The writing process always starts with the guitar. Woody and Tyler write something either together or on their own. After that we bring it into our rehearsal room and flesh it out as a band. After many, many changes to the original composition, we land on a final version that we are all happy with. We have done all of the tracking for our albums ourselves, once we get through that process we send it to our guy Joe Cincotta of Full Force studio to mix, and our friend Jason Williams at RiffsThatRule to master.
Let’s make a trip through time and space - When and how did you guys get together?
From 2010-2014 Tyler met the various members in this order: Jeremy (shared a rehearsal space when we were in other bands), Woody (Worked together at a Music School in Seattle), and Ben (met at a concert, had some good laughs at the Area 51 Arcade Machine). We played together for the first time in February 2014 and it is all history from there.
How did you come up with your band’s name, and is there a deeper meaning behind “Xoth” for you?
Xoth is a star in Lovecraft’s universe where Cthulhu lived before coming to earth. Besides the Sci Fi angle, we picked it because it’s four letters, one syllable, and starts with X - not easy things to come by!
Indeed! Talking about Xoth live: What was your most memorable show so far?
We have a lot of cool memories. One time we played at a Historic and allegedly haunted hotel in Flagstaff Arizona - That was a really cool venue! One time we played at 3AM in Tijuana, Mexico to a bunch of very drunk and very tired people. Overall our 2021 Plague Survival tour was the best experience we’ve had as a band. Every show was great and the fans were all very grateful to be seeing us and live music again.
Totally can relate to that. Since we’re traveling around the world musically: How would you describe your local music scene, and did you notice changes over the recent years?
The Seattle/Puget Sound Region Metal Scene is pretty large. We have quite a number of bands that are from here and most of the major tours seem to make their way to the area eventually. It has certainly grown in size over the last 10 years that we’ve been a band. We do wish there were more venues that hosted metal and all-ages shows.
Where do you see the biggest chances and challenges in today’s music business?
It’s easier than ever to write, record, and release music yourself. The barrier to entry is low. The challenge is that unless you fit a particular mold, you’ll probably have to deal with a lot of gatekeepers for bigger live opportunities and certain media.
What can you tell us about your future plans?
Now that the album is out, we are focused on shows, tours, and festivals. We have several different things in the works for 2024 that should be announced in the coming months.
Band-Links: BANDCAMP / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK
Before we wrap things up, do you have any further thoughts you’d like to share here?
We would like to thank everyone that has supported us throughout our existence. From the very beginning, to those who just discovered us via EXOGALACTIC, we are pleased to be on this journey with you.
You're most welcome :-) Thanks again for your time, and these amazing insights into your work!
Thanks for having us! Mostly Metal Rocks! 🤘👽