Xenolith

Xenolith formed in Seattle in 2013. The band's name comes from a geological term for a rock fragment embedded within another, which hints at their layered approach to music. They've released albums like 'The Abyssal Divide' in 2015, 'In the Shadow of the Sunless' in 2018, and 'Beneath the Desolation of Waves' in 2021.

Their sound pulls from atmospheric doom metal, with some progressive and ambient textures mixed in. Songs like 'Phobos (Constructing Nightmares)' and 'Calabi-Yau Shaped Maze' show their tendency toward long, immersive tracks with poetic titles. The band members use pseudonyms, Alexius V. on vocals, Aether on guitar, Zephyr on bass, and Erebus on drums, and keep a low profile, rarely giving interviews.

That 2021 album 'Beneath the Desolation of Waves' gave them a wider audience, with the title track becoming a notable piece in their catalog. They've built a following through steady releases rather than media presence, letting the music, tracks like 'The Origins of Disturbed Reflections' and 'Machine Apotheosis', carry their identity.