Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Mephistoph was formed in 2009 by Tom Gerwitz and Andrew Abdale to replace Andy's band Unholy Sacrifice. After several other members were added, Tom and the band parted ways due to musical differences, Tom taking the name while the rest formed Amatsu. In 2010 Tom added drummer Dan Malanowicz, guitarist Dan Drexel, and bassist Sean Malanowicz. There was again a split due to musical differences, and Dan and Dan moved on to eventually form Enthauptung. In 2011 Tom added guitarist Andy Clark, and keyboardist Melissa Mayer, with the help of drummer Tom Jurkovic. The band went on hiatus soon after. In this time Tom and Tom formed Progressive Death Metal band Eira. In 2012 Tom decided to make Mephistoph a studio project and to bring in extra musicians for help. In January 2013 Tom recorded "Chosen To Burn” with the help of bassist Derek Schultz of Eira, and lead guitarist Andy Clark. Drums were handled by Tom with the use of Toontrack's EZ Drummer. Tom went to Shredly Studios to record vocals, and then returned to get his mix mastered.
How would you describe your style? Which bands influenced your music?
We would describe Mephistoph as Blackened Death Metal, influenced by bands like Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir, Old Man's Child, Vesania, Opeth, and Vader.
Why should a metalhead buy your demos/albums?
Metalheads should buy our album because we feel we bring new, creative, and interesting material to the table. You can hear we are inspired by our influences, but are not them.
What have you released so far and how were your releases received by the public/media?"Chosen To Burn” was our first release, and only recently came out (May 2013) so the album is not that well known yet.
Do you play live as well? How's your live activity so far?
We are currently just a studio project, but after recording and releasing "Chosen To Burn” Tom has been thinking about making Mephistoph a gigging band as well.
What should labels/zines/promoters know about your band? Why should they be interested in it?
We're a Blackened Death Metal band from Buffalo NY and we're looking to kick some ass! We feel we are something unique and put out material that a lot of metalheads would enjoy.
What plans do you have for the near future as a band?
We're hoping to begin working on our first full length album, and possibly some gigging to promote "Chosen To Burn.”
Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
Currently we can be found on Facebook (www.facebook.com/mephistophmusic) and we are working on a way to distribute our music. Drop us a message on there and we'll figure out a way to get our music to you! We plan to also make a Reverbnation account.
June 2013