Mystifier

Black metal band from Salvador, Bahía, Brazil, created in 1989. Current line-up: Beelzeebubth - bass (1989-1999), guitar (2000-present) Diego DoUrden - bass, keyboards, vocals (2013-present) Eduardo "Warmonger" Amorim - drums (2016-present) 1989. After playing on several bands in his home town (Death Vomit, Putrefaction, Corpus Christi, and others), Beelzeebubth decided to form his own band. Then he gathered some members from the old bands that he has taken part to complete the new band. They were: Meugninuosouan (vocalist), Behemoth (guitarist) and Lucifuge Rofocale (drummer). For the next four months, they were composing stuff for their first releasing and also they were rehearsed extensively. The band recorded it's very first demo-tape in November of 1989 and was titled "Tormenting The Holy Trinity", with nine songs and a cover song, "Massacre", from Bathory. This was the first recording done by a Death/Black Metal band in the Brazilian northeast. The band began to play in several places in their city. Many people could see the Mystifier performance development at clubs like Gamboa, Ufba Garage Rock, Plataforma Rock Bar, among others. There were a lot of fights among punks, headbangers and skinheads in that time. Many headbangers hesitated in going to those events. Beelzeebubth and few others united forces with the punks to exterminate the skinheads of Salvador. The band's first recording got a great local response. They pressed many copies of that stuff on cassette. A small vinyl record store from their hometown, Maniac Records, did a offer to the band for releasing a 7" EP. The band eagerly agreed and, in July 1990 the single was released entitled "The Evil Ascension Returns" with two songs. This was the first metal release from their town, released by a label. 1991. The most important Brazilian labels were interested to issue the Mystifier's debut album, labels like Fucker Records, Cogumelo Records, Hellion Records etc. But Beelzeebubth and the band decided to record a promo-tape just to present their new stuff to the interested labels and to their fans. It was released in July 1991, titled "Aleister Crowley", with six songs. In February 1992, the band's hard work had paid off and their debut album "Wicca" was released by the German/Brazilian label Hellion Records. It is considered one of the best black metal albums to date for many magazines and fans. Time passed and some line-up changes occured. Beelzeebubth fired Meugninousouan for his ambition on getting money from an underground band. Asmoodeeus (ex-Hatred) was recruited to be the new vocalist. Beelzeebubth decided to introduce keyboards to the new compositions for the next effort. A second guitarist and a keyboard player were contracted for participating on presentations with the band (Astaroth and Put Satanikia (ex-Calvary). During these years, Mystifier started to gain enormous worldwide underground notoriety, so the French label Osmose Productions was interested, so they signed a deal for two albums, with worldwide distribution through SPV. Then, in the November 1993 "Göetia" was released, containing 10 songs. Despite the weak production, the album was great and received huge appreciation by the fans. Months later, their debut album "Wicca" also was released in Europe by Osmose Productions, resulting in a European tour request from the German tour promoter Insolit, many reviews, articles, interviews etc in international magazines and radio stations. Later on, more line-up changes occur. Behemoth (prime member) abandoned the band without giving any explanation. After, several concerts, Astaroth and Put Satanakia left the band as well. Paulo Lisboa was contracted to record the band's third album as well as to do some concerts. Asmoodeeus began to play the keyboards in the band. 1996. Beelzeebubth was very disappointed with the international underground scene (infested of sympathetic to Nazism and Fascism teenagers) and decided to postpone the releasing of the third album. He re-compose the whole material to differ with recent stuff which he considered as false black metal. He thought that the new Brazilian bands that formed from that time, were just clones of the Norwegian black metal. He also thought that Brazil lost the know-how of producing original underground metal like Vulcano, Sarcófago, Genocidio, Sepultura, Necrofago, Invoker and more. Beelzeebuth laughed with absurdities like "black men can't play black metal, just white men can do it" etc and replied: "Attitude, determination and ideals are not manifested by the skin color or kind hair! Just fools can accept such statement!". Mystifier's fans had to wait until September 1996 to listen to the third album "The World Is Good That Who Made It Doesn't Live Here" with six songs. It was very different from their previous recordings. Many of the old fans of the band didn't understand that release but later they did recognized that the band kept their fidelity and devotion to underground and not being sell-out to the tendencies imposed by the "new global market". Despite what said Osmose Productions's interest in doing Mystifier's European tour was no more so their co-operation ended. As last work with Osmose Productions, the band recorded a Poison (9) cover of the song "Leather & Metal" for the "World Domination II" compilation. Despite all the mishaps, the band didn't stopped! They continued to their own path and their own concept of playing the metal born out of underground philosophy! The song "Give The Human Devil His Due" (from the band's third album) was added in the soundtrack of the movie "Gummo" together with with songs by Absu, Bathory, Mortician, Brujeria and more. Beelzeebubth decided to re-release all Mystifier albums in Brazil. The first one to be authorized was their debut album "Wicca" plus the single "The Evil Ascension Returns" (as bonus track) on CD. It was re-released in September 1997 on Demise Records. It was a bad choice considering that label has had so many financial problems with all bands in their roster. 1999. After the recording of the cover song "Warriors Of Death" for the tribute to Sepultura "Sepultural Feast", the drummer Aab Benaia left the band for not being able to conciliate the band's heavy duty work with his private jobs. Louis Bear (who also play in other bands) was contracted to replace him. A second guitarist was recruited, Thony D'assys (ex-Carnified). The first presentation of the new members was in the Rotting Christ Brazilian tour in which Mystifier was the opening act. Celebrating Mystifier's 10 years of existence, Demise Records released the EP "Demystifying The Mystified Ones (For A Decade In The Earthly Paradise)" as a pay-off for that bad work on the debut re-release. It contained seven new songs and an alternative version of the song "Beelzeebubth" from the second album. The band has been invited by international labels to take part in several tributes and collections by recording songs from cult metal bands like Sarcófago, Slayer, Morbid Angel, Sepultura etc. For some recordings, Beelzeebubth had to contract the musicians Tiago Nogueira and Martin Mendonça (drummer and guitarist respectively) due to the incapability of some members. Eventually however, the band stopped all participations for these tribute releases as they considered them as money-hunting attempts. Thony D'Assys, after participating on several recordings and concerts, was fired for not giving the due dedication to the band. 2001. The Belorussian label Eldritch Music re-released "Fourth Evil Calling From The Abyss - Tormenting The Holy Trinity" CD which contained the demo-tape "Tormenting The Holy Trinity" plus bonus: "Dethroning Nazarenus", "Woman Of Thousand Men's Dream", a cover of the Sarcófago's "Satanic Lust" (originally released on the tribute to Sarcófago) and "Woman Of Thousand Men's Dream", a cover of Poison (9)'s "Leahther & Metal" (originally released on the collection "World Domination II)" and the first raw mixing of the EP "Demystifying The Mystified Ones...". A video clip of the song "Dethroning Nazarenus" was also included. The vocal lines and the video clip were recorded by vocalist Sathanael due that Asmoodeeus was traveling during the recording sessions. After Beelzeebubth had to record all guitars parts of the new songs for the "Fourth Evil Calling From The Abyss - Tormenting The Holy Trinity" CD , he decided to play guitar full time. Paulo Lisboa was fired, Beelzeebubth recruited the bass player Brunno Rheys and keyboard player Leandros Kastyphas to complete the line-up. The Brazilian label Encore Records (11) released the band's fourth album entitled "Profanus" with thirteen songs. Beelzeebubth resolved in re-recording all the maxi-single songs ("Demystifying The Mystified Ones..."), so that that Demise Records can not trade it as unpublished stuff. One year later, it was also released in USA by Crash Music, Inc.. 2002. One more version of the band's first recording was re-release on vinyl format, on the Dutch label From Beyond Productions, titled "Tormenting The Holy Trinity - Since The Beginning", as bonus the "The Evil Ascension Returns" single was added. It was a limited edition of 500 copies. Unhappily, many Mystifier fans weren't able to get a copy copies. Following the course of the re-releases: Mutilation Records from Brazil, re-released on LP and CD format band's first album "Wicca". Some live recordings, covers of Sarcófago and Poison (9) were added as bonus songs. Band considering this version to be the best from the six versions already released. 2003. The band played in one of the Iconoclasm (2) Brazilian tour dates. In the opportunity, Louis Bear hesitated to play with the band due to the fact that one of his other bands had a concert on that same day. Beelzeebubth didn't hesitate to fired him. Mystifier had to invite the drummer Leandro Anúbis to accomplish the event. Bass player Brunno Rheys left the band to be devoted to his personal projects. Leandros Kastyphas, besides the keyboards and backing vocals, will be bass player as well. At the same time, Bruno Brittus came to be the guitarist. After 10 years, "Göetia" was re-released. A meticulous production, cover art redone, songs re-mastered, full lyrics added, new band pictures etc as well as slightly altered track-list. It was released in November 2003 by the Brazilian label Dying Music. 2004. The drummer who replaced Louis Bear was fired for not having skilled time to be devoted to the band. He just participated of a recording session and a concert with the band. Arnald Asmoodeeus decided to leave the band in order to join another band. In fact, he wanted to stay in both bands, but that was declined by Beelzeebubth. Right now, Mystifier are finishing the songs for their fifth album titled "Summoned Unto Disobedience To Rebel".