Mystifier is a Black/Death Metal band from Salvador Bahia, Brazil. They formed in 1989 and have remained active since. For this review, I chose my favorite album of all time, their second full length album “Goetia” released in 1993, before this album they released two other demos, “Tormenting the holy trinity” in 1989 and “Aleister Crowley” in 1991, One full length “Wicca” in 1992, and a split with swedish black metal band Marduk in 1993. The Lineup for “Goetia” included Arnaldo “Asmoodeus” on vocals, Armando da Silva Conceicao “Beelzebuth” on bass and rhythm guitars, Aab Benaia “Lucifuge Rofocale” on drums, Paulo Santos “Astaroth” on guitars, and Behemoth, whose actual name is unknown, also on guitars.
The Punk and Metal scenes in Brazil during the 80s and 90s have become quite infamous because of the level of violence and gang-related activity that fans were involving themselves in. A quote from Beelzeebubth from an interview on cultneverdies.com states “There were lots of fights outside in the streets, mainly in saint paulo, but we never got that kind of problem really. Sepultura (another band) did. In the 90s that kind of skinhead bullshit was a fucking nightmare in Brazil. It was punks against skins, skins against headbangers… But today the shit you had is over. Punk in the beginning here, it was fucking violent for sure, not so much heavy metal.”
This album was released via Osmose Productions at 121 Rue de Saint-André, 62870, Campagne-lès-Hesdin, France.
The tracklist for this album has 9 songs and a total running time of 56 minutes and 2 seconds.
Tracklist:
- Aleister Crowley & Ordo Templi Orientis 8:03
- An Elizabethan Devil Worshipper’s Prayer Book 6:08
- The Sign of the Unholy Cross 7:00
- Caerimonia Sanguilentu (Goetia) 5:38
- Beelzebuth 3:39
- The Realm of Antichristus 5:12
- The True Story About the Doctor Faust’s Pact with Mephistopheles 6:18
- Cursed Excruitation / The Sinuous Serpent of Genesis (Leviathan) 8:24
- The Baphometic Goat of Knights Templar in the 12th Century 5:40
Because this is one of my all time favorite albums I have to give it a 10/10, being one of the first black/death metal bands from brazil they paved the way for many more bands. Reminiscent of bands such as Varathron, Mortuary drape, Beherit, and Goatlord. Mystifier’s “Goetia” is slow, murky, and atmospheric. Its hard to pick a favorite song off of this album because its one of my favorites.
