Endless Solitude
Genre: Depressive Black Metal
Origin: United States (2009)
Endless Solitude is the dark, raw embodiment of depressive black metal, formed by Lord Xaphan in Covina, California a small town in (Los Angeles) in 2008. What started as a personal project during his time with the band Vassago quickly evolved into a solo venture when the struggles of finding a permanent drummer led Xaphan to write and record the first material himself. The band’s name, “Endless Solitude,” was inspired by a night spent listening to Shining, a moment that would define the band’s ethos and sound for years to come.
In the early stages, Endless Solitude was recorded at Malphas Studios with the help of friend Art Paiz, where Xaphan recorded his first demo entirely in Paiz’s bedroom. While the project began as a solitary pursuit, Xaphan adopted the stage name Lord Xaphan—a moniker also used for his work with Vassago at the time. Endless Solitude became a reflection of Xaphan’s inner turmoil, with music rooted in raw black metal and melancholic, depressive undertones.
Endless Solitude is primarily a one-man project, with Lord Xaphan writing, recording, and performing all the music himself—guitars, bass, and vocals. For live performances, Xaphan relies on session musicians, with session drummer Lifeless contributing to recent recordings to improve the overall sound and drumming quality. Despite the collaboration with session members, Xaphan remains the creative force behind the project, crafting a unique blend of bleak, sorrowful melodies and aggressive, mid-tempos. The music conveys a sense of hopelessness, with agonizing wails that deepen the dark atmosphere. The band’s sound, while often described as depressive black metal (DSBM), is rooted in Xaphan’s vision of raw black metal, where darkness, sorrow, and despair reign supreme.