Thrashing Black Metal in its purest form is what this Italian band delivers, their latest work, “Metal Of Death”, is an album that encloses all the turbulent feeling of early 80’s Underground Metal. The music of Mephisto is much more than a reminder of the good old days… is the living proof of the timeless and immortal quality of the truly Underground Metal…

BB: Hails and thanks for giving us this interview! For those who haven’t heard about Mephisto before, can you tell us about the band beginnings?

MEPHISTO were born from the ashes of our old project. Before, I have been playing for many years in a black metal band called TRIUMPHATOR.

MEPHISTO were born in the summer 2003 from an idea by Zin (bass in MALVENTO, and for a short also in TRIUMPHATOR) and me.

In September 2003, Huntor joined the band as drummer; this formation began to create the songs.

In October 2003, Hurne (that have founded with me TRIUMPHATOR) joined the band as bass player.

With this line up, the band recorded the first demo, Tyrant's Return, in 2003, released by Satanic Supremacy in limited edition (133 copies) and, later, re-released by Tour de Garde records. This re-release contains a cover song "F.O.D." from the Canadian cult thrash act Slaughter, which was recorded exclusively for this re-release.

BB: Your first demo “Tyrant’s Returns” seems to be (judging by the name) a sort of tribute to Celtic Frost… Can you tell us more about this work? It is pretty hard to find and due its extremely limited edition, so I haven’t heard it yet…

The title of this demo is partially a tribute to Celtic Frost, but has also another meaning. After the split up of my previous project, I decided to play no more. After a while, I came back on my steps, and started this new project. At least I have been playing again with my friends of ever, for this reason I chose this title for the demo. Means that we have returned.

I don’t think that it is really hard to find, most probably Tour the Garde still have some copies. Anyway, the music on this demo is probably the most Hellhammerish stuffs that we have recorded. The first three tracks are surely in this direction. The last two, that are the first tracks that MEPHISTO have composed, are more black metal. 

BB: How has “evolved” the sound of Mephisto between “Tyrant’s Returns” and “Metal Of Death”?

I don’t think that we have had an evolution in our sound from demo to full length.

Most probably we have reached a major heaviness when a second guitarist has joined us after the demo release. But this isn’t a really evolution.

We like our sound and our songwriting, I don’t think that we need an evolution.

BB: I read that you were working at a 12” vinyl version of “Tyrant’s Returns”… being a vinyl diehard I would really like to hear that!  Can you give us more details about that?

Deathstrike rec. from Germany will release soon this 12” vinyl. This demo re-release will include three new unreleased tracks. 

BB: What about your lyrics? I’ve been quite curious about that since the first time I listened to “Metal Of Death”. I’m especially curious about the lyrics of “Antidisco Squad”…it’s a pretty weird name…

MEPHISTO’s lyrics are “restricted” to the classics of metal themes… we talk about of some themes just like VENOM.

We don’t want to try to seem “philosopher”, “occultist” or “evil messiah”, too many children try to do this around…

About “Antidisco Squad”… it deals with some metalheads who hunt down disco guys. It’s an ironic lyric born after I realized that it is hard to find people that still have the spirit of metal as in the ’80. So, this is a sort of revenge.

BB: Another detail that catched my attention about you album was the apparition of an “intro” at the fifth track (“Intro – Rites Of Antropophagia”) and a second “introduction” at the closing track “Again At War With Satan”…Why is that?

The first four tracks of "Metal of Death" come from a promo we have sent to Bestial Burst rec. After that, we have met a deal, we have returned in studio to record the other tracks for a full length. For this reason we have put the intro in this position, it splits the two different recording sessions. About “Again At War With Satan” is just an introduction for the tracks that open our next full length.

We have done the same thing on “Tyrant’s Returns”, that have been closed with the introduction of track “Megiddo”, and "Metal of Death" has started with this track. I like this kind of stuff that gives me the idea of continuity in our works.

BB: One of my favourite tracks of “Metal Of Death” is “Iron Cross”. Can you tell us about this particular song? It seems to be quite special to you too since an iron cross appears at the album cover… am I right?

“Iron Cross” is a song that deals with the first world war.

I think that this war is a compendium to the most strange things that happened in the human history. It is the war between two eras, a strange blend of ancient and modern stuffs. About the cover, yes I really like this symbol, also if I don’t have a particular reason. It gives me the idea of something old, dark, ruined and evil.

BB: Your work is plenty of references to bands like Celtic Frost, Venom, Motorhead, etc… But if you have to choose, what band would you mention as the most influential Black/Thrash Metal of history?

Most probably Venom. All has started there.

BB: You contributed with a cover of “Raise The Dead” at “A Tribute from the Hordes to Bathory”, the double vinyl LP released by Black Goat Productions… How you get involved in such project?

We have received the notice of this tribute album through a friend.

We have decided to try to participate. We have gone in the studio for recording “Raise The Dead” and send it to the label. After we have received a positive response from the label and our track has been chosen to participate to the tribute.

BB: Since I start this webzine I’ve been greatly surprised by the strong Black Metal scene in Italy.  What’s your opinion about this rising scene?

Sorry, but I don’t have a great consideration of the Italian scene. Too many clowns.

BB: I understand you’re all involved in several side-projects. Can you tell us about these bands? Is there any other underground Italian band you can recommend us?

Yes, these are all the bands in which I’m involved (chronological order):

Sagenhaft, in the vein of early Mortiis. A project with Hurne, just one demo released in the mid of ’90. Spread over 500 copies of this tape. Some years after, Hurne also released another demo but this time as his solo project. This project now is closed.

Triumphator, a Black Metal band founded also with Hurne in 1994 and disbanded some years ago. We have released some demos, but we also have some unreleased tracks from a never release title, like a 7” ep. A compilation with all Triumphator’s stuffs from 1994 to 2004 seems to be deleted from a label that have asked us to release this “commemorative” album.

Vermiis, Black Metal, raw and primitive. A side project with Triumphator members and a session drummer, active in the 1997. We only released a rehearsal tape in the 2002. This because the master of the only recording  studio session has been destroyed in an unfortunately incident before that we could make a copy. Also for this reason this project is disbanded. In the future we plan to release of  a compilation with all rehearsal stuffs we have recorded.

Manth, this is my solo project. I started to make some tracks in the 2000. I go on composing tracks, but this is a really side project. This project is a sort of industrial/Black Metal, a blend of Beherit/Havohej/Mz412. A tape entitled “A conjuration compelling obedience” will be out soon for Kampf rec. from Poland (http://www.kampf.ws).

Mephisto, you already know…

Buxen, another Black Metal band with Hurne and me. Soon we’ll be out with a split CD always from Kampf rec. This band continues the idea of Triumpator.

VTA, a project of old school thrash of some friends of mine of my town. We recorded a demo in 2005. I just made the vocals for this recording and other Mephisto members participated to help these guys to put out their stuffs.

Mysterium Iniquitatis, the last band in which we have been involved. This is a band formed with the other Mephisto members except Huntor. The particularity of this project is that we don’t rehearse the songs. We go in studio and record on improvisation, seeking a sort of pathways related to a concept of “rituals”. Just recorded the first demo. This is all my musical experiences, I only have omitted all early ‘90 experiences with unnamed band with just some rehearsal session, before I have met the right peoples.

BB: What kind of music are you listening nowadays?

The same stuffs of ever. Most metal of ’80. Stuffs like Celtic Frost, Bathory, Venom, Onslaught, Bulldozer, Venom, Kretor, Motorhead, Sodom, Assassin… But also Black and Death Metal stuffs. Also if I prefer thrash I also like many bands of any kind of metal genre. From Iron Maiden to Napalm Death and to Darkthrone from Morbid Angel.

BB: When can we expect a new album from Mephisto?

This doesn’t depend on us. At the beginning of next year we will go in the studio to record five new tracks for a split album. After we can start working on tracks for full length. But at this time we don’t have any agreement with label. If we find a label, most probably a full length can be out at the end of 2007.

BB: Thanks once more for your time… Is there anything you want to add to this interview? ...These last lines belong completely to Mephisto…

Thank you for the interview and remember:  Live for Metal, play for bangers... die for Death!