Mastomah's roots date back to 1990. In March of that year, Belial (guitar, bass) and Ponti Fex (drums) formed a death metal project they called Necrophagous. In April, guitarist Peter joined the lineup. A month later, the first demo tape, titled "Thanatospresia," was ready, but the material isn't worth mentioning.
The frosty December of 1990 brought a change in the band's name and character. Influenced by eternal gods such as Blasphemy, Deicide, Mystifier, and Hellhammer, the band members chose the Left Hand Path and decided to become the most blasphemous, extreme, and perverse Satanic horde in Poland. Sealing their pact with the Darkness, they adopted the name Mastomah, a reference to the biblical serpent, Lucifer.
In January 1991, Mastomah recorded their first demo, "Luciferi Advocare," which consisted of three blasphemous compositions: "Luciferi Advocare," "Flagellum Haereticorum Fascinatorum," and "Interior." To reinforce the purely satanic message, all lyrics were written in Latin. The cassette was initially released under the aegis of Fucking zine, while a subsequent pressing with a professional insert (May 1992) was handled by the infamous Bestial Records from Gdańsk, known primarily for the scams they were involved in at the time. The material was rather lukewarmly received by the underground scene at the time, with most fanzine editors unanimously complaining about the raw sound and primitivism of the songs. Occasionally, reviews like the following appeared:
"Crazy music, inspired by the Dark Forces...haunted, mystical, and perverse lyrics in Latin...Occultism and utter damnation define the band's image. This is Mastomah!!! "Luciferi advocare," the band's first demo, was duly appreciated by fans of the genre. This production, despite its flaws and far-from-ideal sound, has been hailed by many as the most extreme recording in our underground! Incredible sound, vocals that sound as if they came straight from the depths of hell, and insane Latin lyrics – all these elements contribute equally to the cassette's atmosphere. Some call Mastomah "Satanic gods," others hate them, but one thing is certain – no one has ever played like this in Poland!"
Nothing more, nothing less! The band seemed completely unconcerned by the negative press; let's give the floor to Mastomah's leader, Belial:
"(...) for us, music plays no role here. It's merely a vehicle for what we want to convey. It's merely a backdrop, an element that creates the atmosphere. I find the accusations leveled at us that the music is too simple and vulgar amusing. I don't care much about that. It's only meant to draw attention to the content and what I want to convey."
After the release of "Luciferi Advocare," the three emissaries of the Devil successively poisoned the souls and minds of those listeners who dared to participate in their filthy live rituals. The seed of Evil had been sown.
Shortly thereafter, the possessed trio decided to continue their unholy crusade. In the privacy of a musty rehearsal room, work began on material for a second demo, with the working title "De mogorum daemonomania seu destetanda lamiarum ac magorum cum satana comercio." In the Equilibrium of Noise zine, Belial lifted the veil of secrecy and revealed a lyrical concept, intended to celebrate real events from the 13th century – "(...) the investigation" and torture to which the monk Nicholas, accused of heresy and burned at the stake, was subjected, (...) using the original text sentencing him to death, including the words he shouted during his torture." Unfortunately, "De mogorum daemonomania seu destetanda lamiarum ac magorum cum satana comercio" never saw the Dark of Night. The Abyss called its sons back to itself, where the corpse invariably lies dead and buried. The last soldiers of the Mastomah Legion are Ponti-Fex Pristinusi Rubri Rituali – drums, vocals, and Maledictio Belial Etnamini Eius Et Fillis Filabusque Eius – bass, vocals.
Dead silence fell until 2005, the Year of the Snake. Only then did the atheists known to the world as Under the Sign of Garazel and Flagellum Haereticorum Rex dare to summon the specter to Earth once again. "Luciferi Advocare" has finally received its due – a reissue as a seven-inch vinyl EP with an accompanying 12-page booklet containing a wealth of archival materials (biography, interview excerpts, reviews, old flyers, etc.). It may not have been the best-selling release in history, but the goal of Garazel and Flagellum Haereticorum Rex was quite different – to pay homage to the original emissaries of Darkness.
In closing, I'd like to add that, despite the passage of time, I still feel a great deal of fondness for "Luciferi Advocare." After all, it was one of the first demo cassettes. I heard it as a youngster taking my first tentative and awkward steps into the underground... Mastomah is undoubtedly one of the oldest black metal hordes spawned by the Polish underground. Pure Evil in its untamed, primal form, madness and orthodox Devil worship. Maximum content with minimal means. To this day, I believe this material outclasses three-quarters of the "fry" that feeds (or rather, clutters) the contemporary scene. Hail Mastomah!
Szakal FHR
This text originally appeared in #2 Cyrograf zine