Year: 2019
Total Time: 49:54
Label: Season Of Mist
Brazilian Blasphemous band MYSTIFIER have remained for 30 years loyal in exploring the darkest aspects of extreme metal. A band that, from the release of their demo “Tormenting the Holy Trinity” in 1989, until today still faithful to 90’s underground spirit. MYSTIFIER along with SARCOFAGO, early SEPULTURA, MORTEM from Peru and MASACRE from Colombia have built the foundations of Black Metal and Blackened Death Metal years before the burning of churches in Norway. In the 1992-1996 period, MYSTIFIER have released three great albums: “Wicca”, “Göetia” and ‘The World Is So Good That Who Made It Doesn’t Live Here’, creating a powerful name in the underground area. They’ve returned in 2001 with their fourth full length album “Profanus” and then, after 18 years, came back in 2019 with their fifth infernal creation “Protogoni Mavri Magiki Dynasteia”.
The album starts with the titled song, in which Jim Mutilator (ex-ROTTING CHRIST, ex-VARATHRON, YOTH IRIA) participates in vocals and constitutes with his ceremonial style the introduction to a record that could easily have been released in the 90’s. The album, in terms of its melodies and overall atmosphere, flirts with Greek Black Metal sound of 90’s, as designated by ROTTING CHRIST, NECROMANTIA, VARATHRON and THOU ART LORD. Of course, the old school Blackened Death/Thrash metal style of MYSTIFIER is present and apart from Greek Black Metal scene influences , there are Heavy Metal elements like Mercyful Fate and Doom Metal. The album songs have a huge variety , as there is a balance between fast ,slow parts and different musical styles.Also in the songs we have very often change of rhythms which demonstrate that the band worked a lot with songwriting and the result is very good for them. Diego DoUrden’s vocals are fantastic, he has managed to sound paranoid and theatrical as he can change his voice constantly using Death metal grunts, Black Metal screams and ritual chants, and there are moments that he sounds completely demonic. The lyrics of the album have been written entirely by Beelzeebubth who has made also and the very good production of the album.
So MYSTIFIER after 18 years are back with a very good album, a real old school Black/Death metal album which proves that the flame of the 90s still burns inside them. They invite us to follow them on a dark journey through caves with candles, pentacles ,spells and demonic screams… “Protogoni Mavri Magiki Dynasteia” is one of the best releases in Black Metal for 2019.
Rating: 7.5/10
Nikos Manousis
Related Link: MYSTIFIER – Facebook Page
