Stockholm Sweden's MEFISTO have had themselves quite a career leading up to their new album Phosphorus. They started out in 1984 under the name TORMENT then later in 1985, switched to their current name. They released two demos in 1986 titled Megalomania and The Puzzle and have their name brought up in debates about what bands started Blackened Thrash/Death metal. Then that was it for the band until 2016 when they released the album This is the End of it All... the Beginning of Everything. They simply seemed to keep themselves relevant by re-releasing their first two demos until 2016. The reason for the long hiatus was the simple fact that the band itself does not get along well. Fair enough. In 2017 they released another album called Mefisto and another in 2019 called Octagram, in which they recruited DARK FUNERAL guitarist Chaq Mol, who also plays on the new album.

The album kicks off with the track "The Demigod" and riding along to a steady and not over the top guitar riff, the track comes together nicely with the backing vocals and organ. The vocals have a deep harsh growl that settles in with more rhythm than I thought would be involved. A catchy and creative solo seals the deal to a positive opening track. "Book of Death" is a direct death metal track that includes, well I think it is, a theremin. It provides a spacy and haunting vibe to the track that swings with the momentum of the guitars and bass lines. The next track "Blades of Lucifer" lulls you into a catatonic state before amping up and also includes more theremin, which I am sold on. The song is a dark reminder of what was becoming in the late 80's with Thrash metal that carried a little more of a darker element to the music that included bone crushing riffs.

The album is well written, the tracks "The Blasphemous Souls" and "Through Purgatory Flames" are two good examples that come to mind. Purgatory is a heavy hitting track with a crunchy bass and has a killer solo that stands up well to the whole track. "Evocating the Necromancer" will be a catchy track to anyone who is a fan of melodic Swedish Death metal. The heavy melodic opening is built up by all instruments following that melody to a tee. Some will simply say "been there done that", but it is a catchy track nonetheless. "In Umbra Mortis" is just over a minute instrumental that would be chosen by a bass player to be played at his funeral. A deep bass line played over whispers and a sketchy organ. The album finishes up with the track "Hellhounds". The song is a Blackened Thrash metal kick to the throat. The track won't blow your socks off but should be able to get some heads banging. There might be a little much added with the mixing that takes away from its rawness and could benefit from the more live recorded band jamming out the track sound.

The album was darker than I had anticipated, and I believe that can be credited to the vocals of Robert and the instruments of Carl. All in all, everything on the release works well within the songs. The songs show the experience of everyone on board and the mixing and mastering was done by two talented musicians in their own right. Overall I liked the album and what the band was trying to accomplish with it. The guys have been around the genre their entire career and now seem to be able to tolerate each other enough to be able to constantly release new material.