As one of the greats of American black metal Xasthur left its mark on the indelible and the hard-won. Sadly, Xasthur, as of 2010, is no more but the legacy of main black Scott Conner carries on in not-so-new project, Nocturnal Poisoning.

Certainly a sound to divide fans right down the middle of Xasthur’s “X”, Nocturnal Poisoning has less to do with black metal and more to with bluegrass music, which isn’t so much of a head-scratcher when the Euros—mostly former black and death metallers—are diving into their respective folk musics to connect to a distant past. Bluegrass is, essentially, American heritage music.

Nocturnal Poisoning’s new album, Doomgrass, sums up where Conner’s head and musical fingers are at. On the surface and deep under it, the music has a dark, homespun atmosphere. It reveals Conner’s inner and outer workings.

So, sit back in your grandfather’s antique leather chair, pour yourself a libation of old, and get true (to yourself) to Nocturnal Poisoning.

** Nocturnal Poisoning’s new album, Doomgrass, is out October 7th on The End Records. It’s available for pre-order HERE. If Burzum can put together several albums of halfwit Super Mario Bros. music, Scott Conner has the right to strum to America’s heartbeat. It’s only logical.