XZANTHUS - World Of Misery: The Demo Anthology (1988-1991)

PRE-ORDERING WILL BEGIN FOR THIS ITEM ON JANUARY 2ND, 2026

BOOTCAMP SERIES #52 
DIVE251
CD
711576025129
Limited Edition - 300 copies

DECLASSIFIED INFORMATION:
Bay Area thrash unit XZANTHUS formed during the late-'80s in the San Jose, CA region—eventually settling on a lineup of Steev Esquivel (vocals), Henry Moreno (drums), Pat Nelson (bass), and guitarists Eric Beard and Michael Terry. At one point, Esquivel opted to relocate to Oakland and joined fellow heavy-hitters DEFIANCE. His replacement, Dave Vest, was then eventually supplanted by David Sandoval, the group's third and final frontman.

Right off the bat, the band developed a hard-charging, no nonsense brand of thrash metal that countered its gnashing aggression with an undercurrent of traditional heavy metal structure and melodicism. The first two sessions with Esquivel tended toward a rawer, down-and-dirty attack; whereas later outings with Vest and Sandoval developed tighter musicianship and slightly more dramatic singing styles.

XZANTHUS tracked a whopping four demos between 1988 and 1991; performing countless shows alongside area friends Forbidden, Epidemic, Wrekking Machine, Fatality, and Marquis de Sade; not to mention other established greats such as Vio-lence, Sacred Reich, D.R.I., and Body Count. Despite this exposure as well as an obvious progression in the quality of their recorded output, the group ultimately fizzled away without securing the interest of a record label—their material largely lost to time as a somewhat mysterious unsung gem of the Bay Area thrash scene. Much much of the information regarding XZANTHUS online is incomplete or inaccurate, and even the band members have trouble piecing together the timeline almost 35 years later.

That's why Divebomb Records is thrilled to present World of Misery: The Demo Anthology, a 15-song, 62-minute complete discography of XZANTHUS. Sourced from the original analog multi-track reels as much as possible, the transfers have been mixed and mastered by Jamie King Audio in order to preserve these rather elusive examples of this corner of classic Bay Area thrash. The CD will be packaged alongside a 12-page booklet including original artwork, photos, lyrics from the 1990 demo, and an interview with guitarist Eric Beard. For the fans, by the fans!

COMRADES IN ARMS:
Defiance, Epidemic, Testament, Forbidden, Vio-lence

TRACK LIST:
DEMO I (1988)
1. Mindwarp
2. Wastelands
3. World Of Misery

DEMO II (1989)
4. NIL
5. Without The Darkness
6. A Prelude To War
7. Images Of Hatred
8. World Of Misery

DEMO III (1990)
9. Promised Fate
10. World Of Misery
11. Images Of Hatred
12. The Unknown

DEMO IV (1991)
13. Distant
14. Wastelands
15. Face The Fear
16. CRFS

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