Vastum is an American death metal band, formed in 2009 in San Francisco, California. The current line-up of the band consists of guitarist and vocalist Leila Abdul-Rauf, vocalist Daniel Butler, drummer Adam Perry, guitarist Shelby Lermo, and bassist Colin Tarvin.[1]
The band is noted for its lyrics, which deal with themes such as sexuality and eroticism,[1][2][3][4] and are influenced by French writer Georges Bataille and psychoanalyst Jean Laplanche.[5] Musically, the band's releases feature a death metal sound based on "slow to mid-tempo, grinding grooves, interspersed with up-tempo shifts, and a bellowing, enunciated growl."[5]
The band's third studio album, Hole Below, was listed as number 19 on Pitchfork's list of "The Best Metal Albums of 2015."[6]