Seattle-based metal outfit Xoth have built their identity around a sound that refuses to be confined to a single genre. Combining elements of death metal, black thrash, power metal, and progressive musicianship, the band creates music that feels as though it belongs to an entirely different universe. Their songs are packed with intricate guitar work, shifting time signatures, dramatic melodies, and imaginative storytelling that takes listeners somewhere far beyond the traditional boundaries of heavy metal.
We recently sat down with Tyler Sturgill (guitar and vocals) to discuss the band’s beginnings, the creative vision behind their music, the influences that continue to shape their songwriting, and the experiences that come with years of touring. From their original experimental ideas to their upcoming fourth album, Sturgill offered insight into the personalities, inspirations, and collaborative spirit that make Xoth what they are today.
From an Experimental Beginning to a Metal Force
Although Xoth officially formed in 2014 in the Pacific Northwest, the band’s origins weren’t necessarily rooted in the sound they eventually became known for. What started as an experimental musical collaboration gradually transformed into something much heavier. We started by asking Tyler to introduce himself and explain his role in the band.
“Hi, my name is Tyler Sturgill. I do guitar and vocals in the band Xoth from Seattle, Washington.”
With members originally coming from different parts of the country, their paths crossed through Seattle’s music community. Interestingly, the initial concept involved synthesizers and metal drumming rather than the guitar-driven sound they have today.
How did four people from different areas come together in Seattle and decide to combine space, Lovecraft, and shred? How did everything fall into place?
“Our drummer Jeremy, he’s from Long Island, New York. I’m from Idaho. We’ve both been living in Seattle for a couple years, and we shared a jam space. He was in another band, I was in another band, and those bands broke up. We started doing a kind of a synth thing. I played synthesizers. He played drums. We were trying to do synth and metal drums, and I’m like, okay at keyboard, but I’m way better at guitar, so it kind of morphed back into guitar.
“Then I worked at a place called School of Rock, and Woody, our guitar player, started working there too. We hit it off. We had a cover band for a couple years that did all metal covers, from heavy metal to death metal, King Diamond, Carcass, Manowar, whatever. Ben came to one of our shows. That’s our bass player, and we met him at one of our shows and asked him to jam with us. It all just kind of fell into place nicely.”
It’s an interesting beginning for a band whose music now incorporates so many different elements. What started with an experimental idea and a shared rehearsal space eventually became a creative partnership built around a mutual appreciation for heavy music.
Creating Stories Beyond the Music
One of the most fascinating aspects of Xoth is the attention given to the worlds surrounding their music. Their songwriting often feels cinematic, drawing listeners into imaginative landscapes filled with science fiction, fantasy, and cosmic horror influences. Rather than simply writing songs and leaving the listener to interpret everything through the music alone, Xoth embrace the idea of creating a larger narrative.
What originally inspired the lore and the decision to incorporate those elaborate storylines into the band’s music?
“I always liked high-concept metal, like King Diamond, probably my all-time favorite metal band. Then power metal bands like Rhapsody that had stories, or Bal-Sagoth is another band I really like, where the lyric book would be way more than the lyrics actually done on the album.
“It was these whole stories with maps in the booklet and all that. I really love that, and then I love books and movies and video games, and just wanted to make music that would invoke images that you get from those topics and other forms of media as well.“
That influence helps explain why Xoth’s music feels so expansive. There is an intentional visual quality to their compositions, almost as if each song is meant to accompany a scene from a science fiction film or an epic fantasy adventure. For Sturgill, storytelling isn’t simply an additional feature of the music. It’s part of the creative foundation.
Why Xoth Refuse to Be Defined by One Genre
Listening to Xoth, it’s easy to understand why critics have struggled to settle on one particular genre. Their music can move between death metal brutality, blackened thrash aggression, power metal melodies, and technical progressive arrangements without feeling disconnected.
When reviews describe Xoth using several different genres, do you approach songwriting with those labels in mind, or do you simply write a riff and let everyone else figure out what to call it?
“It is fun to see what people try to pin us as. We’re just very open with our influences, so I think overall we try to make everything really epic and catchy, and just have a nice dynamic between kind of scary and brutal parts, and really beautiful, even major-key sort of parts.
“We don’t necessarily focus on genre, but just try to create a soundtrack, painting a picture that goes with the vision of the story we’re trying to tell. I always found inspiration through movie soundtracks and video game soundtracks. I always liked how those worked with it. It just happens to all have a metal spin, and it’s fun to hear people try to figure out our influences and style.”
That philosophy is particularly interesting because it allows the band to experiment without having to satisfy the expectations of one particular metal audience. Instead of asking whether a riff fits a specific category, the more important question becomes whether it contributes to the atmosphere they’re trying to create.
Keeping the Technical Elements Memorable
Xoth’s music isn’t short on complexity. Between the unexpected key changes, shifting time signatures, and elaborate guitar arrangements, there’s plenty for musicians to appreciate. However, the band’s songs also maintain an anthemic quality that prevents the technical elements from taking over completely.
Your songs have so many key changes and time signature shifts, but they still feel like anthems. How do you keep the progressive elements from killing the pit part?
“I always think of ’80s Rush, especially ’80s King Crimson, but a Rush album like Power Windows, where they got a little poppier, but there’s still all that crazy stuff. You try to get it in there without making it too noticeable in a way where your average person could hear it and not be distracted by it.
“Rush and, again, King Diamond was really good at that. Those are probably our two biggest prog songwriting influences.”
It’s a thoughtful approach to progressive songwriting. Technical musicianship can be impressive, but when it becomes the only focus, it can sometimes disconnect listeners from the emotional impact of a song. Xoth seem more interested in using complexity as a tool to enhance the overall experience. Their influences also reveal an appreciation for artists who understand that memorable songwriting and ambitious musicianship don’t have to exist separately.
Does the Story Come Before the Song?
Considering how much imagination goes into the band’s lyrical concepts, we wanted to know whether the stories themselves determine the direction of the music or whether the music inspires the narrative afterward.
When writing songs around these elaborate stories, does the music come first, does the story come first, or do the two develop together?
“I’d say usually it’s a concept of the story, whether that’s just a title or something. I almost view it as like a painting. We see that, or I see it, whatever. If it’s about a giant ancient megalith, like one of our songs, I’m thinking of that. I’m picturing it, and that’s where the music goes.
“Then we usually write all the lyrics afterwards, which can be troublesome. I should probably try writing them first sometimes.“
Sturgill went on to confirm that the band generally develops the musical foundation before completing the lyrics. This approach makes sense when considering the cinematic quality of Xoth’s material. Having an image or concept in mind gives the musicians an emotional and atmospheric direction to follow, allowing the instrumentation to help establish the world before the lyrics fill in the details.
Two Guitarists, One Creative Vision
Another interesting part of Xoth’s musical identity is the relationship between its guitarists. Rather than assigning one member to rhythm and the other to lead, Sturgill and Woody share responsibilities, giving both musicians room to contribute their own ideas.
How do you and Woody divide the guitar work? Is one of you primarily responsible for leads while the other handles rhythm?
“We both do rhythm. We both do leads. We both like it, and there are some songs where we both play. I’ll do the lead the first time, he does it the second. Even if it’s the same part, just because I want to play it too, you know? We like trading and sharing.”
Does that same approach carry over into the recording process, where whoever comes up with an idea takes responsibility for developing it?
“Yeah, it’s pretty equal as far as how it’s split. We’re just like, yeah, we like playing and creating together.“
That collaborative relationship is an important part of what makes the band’s arrangements work. Instead of approaching songwriting as a competition over who gets the more complicated part, they seem to genuinely enjoy building something together. Sturgill also explained that while he handled all the vocals on the band’s previous two albums, bassist Ben and guitarist Woody contribute backing vocals during live performances.
The Evolution of Touring
After years of working their way through the underground metal scene, Xoth are now experiencing a different side of touring. Their earlier runs involved plenty of DIY booking, smaller crowds, and the challenges that come with being responsible for organizing everything themselves.
What’s changed about touring since those early days in 2014?
“All our other tours we’ve done have been us headlining. So in the early days, we were booking ourselves DIY, playing to sometimes five people, just grinding away over and over and over again.
“Then the last couple years, we’ve gotten to work with some booking agents, which has been cool. But this is our first-ever support slot we’ve gotten, and it’s been very cool. It’s a nice change of pace. Less stress. You don’t have to worry about it as much.”
For a band that has spent years putting in the work independently, having the opportunity to step into a support position on a larger tour represents an exciting milestone.
What has been the biggest difference with this particular tour?
“All the booking was done by someone else. We show up, we get to play first or second, and get done. It’s cool. Instead of leaving at two in the morning, we’re usually leaving at 11:30. It’s cool, but we’ve been wanting a support slot like this for a long time. So, thank you, Havok.”
It’s a well-deserved opportunity for a band that understands the amount of work required to build a following from the ground up. Those early DIY experiences may have come with smaller audiences and longer nights, but they also helped establish the foundation for where Xoth are today.
Cities That Have Made an Impression
Touring introduces bands to different audiences, scenes, and communities. Some cities become memorable because of the energy in the room, while others leave musicians wanting to return.
Is there a particular city that really understands your weirdness, or somewhere you’ve played that made you think, ‘We need to come back here’?
“All of them would be cool. We’ve done really well. We love our hometown, Seattle. Probably Philadelphia and Chicago have been our two out-of-town concerts where we’re like, ‘Oh, holy shit!’ But I don’t know. We’ve been having good success everywhere.”
While the band has enjoyed connecting with audiences across the United States, there are still plenty of international destinations they’d love to experience.
Are there any countries you’ve been particularly interested in playing?
“We really want to play in Japan. We really want to play in Australia, and we would love to play in Europe, of course.“
For a band whose music draws so much inspiration from imaginative worlds and different musical cultures, taking that sound to international audiences would be another exciting chapter.
A Fourth Album on the Horizon
With the current tour underway, Xoth are already looking toward their next creative chapter. Fans wondering whether new music is on the way won’t have to wait forever.
What can fans expect after this tour? Are you already working on new material?
“We are finishing writing our fourth album, and want to record that in the winter and put that out sometime next year, and start touring again.“
With the band currently putting the finishing touches on its fourth full-length release, there’s plenty to look forward to. Given their history of combining progressive arrangements, imaginative storytelling, and aggressive metal influences, the upcoming album has the potential to introduce another chapter in the ever-expanding Xoth universe.
Beyond the Interview
What stands out most about speaking with Tyler Sturgill is how naturally Xoth’s musical identity connects to his personal interests and creative influences. From the elaborate storytelling of King Diamond and Bal-Sagoth to the progressive songwriting of Rush and King Crimson, the band’s sound reflects a genuine appreciation for music that challenges expectations while remaining memorable. Xoth aren’t interested in choosing one genre, following a formula, or making their music fit into a predetermined box. They’re interested in creating something that feels massive, imaginative, and unpredictable while still giving listeners something they can connect with.
After years of DIY touring, the band is entering an exciting period with its first support slot, international ambitions, and a fourth album currently in the works. If there’s one thing to take away from our conversation with Sturgill, it’s that Xoth aren’t simply writing metal songs. They’re building worlds, creating soundtracks for those worlds, and inviting listeners along for the journey. Keep an eye on Xoth as they prepare to enter the studio and bring their next chapter to life.
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