ASPHYX "Death...The Brutal Way" - Review.

ASPHYX "Death...The Brutal Way" - Review.

"HOLY SHIT FUCK TITTY FUCKING CHRIST! ARGHHHHHH!" Was my reponse when I heard Asphyx was doing a new album. And they got the mighty Martin Van Drunen back! HOLY SHIT FUCK TITTY FUCKING CHRIST! ARGHHHHHH! OK sorry, but I'm a HUGE Asphyx fanatic! Even look on "The Rack" thank list and you will see Mike Nelson in there (OUCH! My foot hurts from being a namedropping jerkoff!) See I used to be in contact with drummer Bob Bagchus back in the old days and we would chat, trade shirts, demos and records and all that. Anyways, enough about my lame life. Back to the album HOLY SHIT FUCK TITTY FUCKING CHRIST! ARGHHHHHH! This fucker is GREAT! The Dutch death metal machine has lost none of it's bite and dare I say they have even become MORE brutal! "Scorbutics" starts the carnage. What a way to start! Fucking mid paced banger at first with shredding riffs, and Martin's trademark howl calling for your death! I think I want to go next door and kill the neighbors! OH SHIT! Then the classic Asphyx fast one two beat comes in! CLASSIC! Martin sounds like a man possessed as usual. There is a brutal break during the chorus and then fast again. Back and forth, death and metal. Whew, drains you listening to such perfection. The title of the album SAYS IT ALL! Yes, Asphyx play some of the simplest riffs and drum beats around but THAT'S THE FUCKING POINT wanking "brutal death metal" garbage dispoasal/sprinkler core fans! ONE Asphyx riff crushes a million of yours! hahaha. "The Herald" comes next and is more of the same, which is great. Then the classic Hellhammer influence that Asphyx always has comes in. Nice and slow and doomy. The fast comes back at the end. Nice and old school skanks to headbang to! "Bloodswamp" opens with a bloodswamp of riffs and then picks up pace to pummel you. The middle has one of the heaviest riffs on the album and slows it down a bit, then returns to kill. "Death...The Brutal Way" is next! HOLY SHIT FUCK TITTY FUCKING CHRIST! This is my favorite song on here. It makes me want to go out and kill the whole neighborhood! FUCK WHAT A BANGER! Total fast and chaotic madness! Crushes everything in it's path. Then a slow doomy passage comes to give us a break! THANK YOU! MY HEAD WAS GOING TO FALL OFF! Oh shit, it's starting to pick up again! HOLY SHIT FUCK TITTY FUCKING CHRIST! Here we go again! GREAT SONG! "Asphyx 2(They Died As They Marched)" comes next and it starts off in that same classic slow doomy style. HEAVY AS FUCK! This one is nice and slow. The end reminds me of old Paradise Lost when they were death/doom. "Eisenbahnmorser" is next and starts with guitar noise then kicks in with another great fast part. Remember, fast for Asphyx is that one two beat. Still a deadly beat to this day after all these years! The next part goes mid paced banger with Martin calling the hellfire as usual. "Black Hole Storm" starts out with a creepy, horror movie style intro. Then the riff kicks in, in tune with the intro, only to go into up temp mid paced part. A slow part kicks in and as usual, Asphyx does the slow parts right. Never boring, always come in right and end at the right time. "Riflegun Redeemer" is next. Starts slower, then picks up to what? THE CLASSIC ASPHYX FAST PART! YEAH YEAH YEAH I KNOW! IT FUCKING RULES! All the songs are great, but this song and the title track are my absolute favorites. "Cape Horn" comes next. Nice and slow with a killer creepy guitar solo over the top. Picks up to mid paced and goes doomy again, then gets fast. It then ends with the creepy solo. KILLER. Finally, after all of this classic madness, we have come to the end. I will hold my tears as Asphyx would laugh at me and kick my ass if I cried in front of them, but all good things come to and end right? Yes this album has to end so the last song is "The Saw, The Torture, The Pain". This is an insturmental and is a slow and doomy one with a deadly riff. WOW, what an album! Asphyx have always created some of the best old school death metal around and it is an honor to have them back. The balls and heart heard here brings back memories of those great olden days when death metal still had a connection with METAL and not jazz or classical or outside influences that cram a million riffs into one song. This album makes you headbang and raise your fist and horns! So, don't tell Asphyx, I'm going to go cry now, OH WAIT! I CAN PLAY IT AGAIN YEAH! WHEW HEW! Oh, did I mention HOLY SHIT FUCK TITTY FUCKING CHRIST!? This album will make you say that as well! Hails to John/Ibex Moon for getting this album out in the U.S.!

Review By: Mike Abominator    10/10

Asphyx interview 9-08

Asphyx interview 9-08

1)I can't believe it has almost been 20 years since I first received a copy of the crush the cenotaph demo in 1990. How does it feel to have achieved a sort of longevity?

 Bob:It makes you feel old. I remember that we recorded the Crush the Cenotaph demo in June 1989....but it feels like yesterday.

2)Do you consider this a reunion, being that martin is the only member from the old glory days? Or is it more of just keeping the old school flames burning?

Frankly, Martin didn't start the band, but joined Asphyx after leaving Pestilence. Bob Bagchus is the only founding member who's still in the band now.

Bob:Know your sources and know the history man.....

3)What was the reasoning at reuniting the band as every previous attempt had failed?

The Party San festival did several offers in the past, but the band didn't reunited because former guitarist Eric Daniels didn't want to play the six string axe again at that time. And so a couple of years passed by until Martin and I talked at a Hail of Bullets drinking session in November 2006 about Asphyx. I kept on asking about the band and we came with the idea to give it a shot when I would handle the guitars. The reunion was mend to do an one time only show at the Party San festival, which was special for the band because Asphyx split up 3 days before their show in 2000. So it was to make it up and put things straight.

We never thought about doing more shows and writing songs but we have so much fun in playing live that quitting wasn't an option.

4)You are in 2 other bands THANATOS AND HAIL OF BULLETS, the latter really achieving a level of success with the debut album of frost and war. How do you find time for all 3 bands?

I wasn't suppost to be active in 3 bands. Thanatos should be put in ice for a while to focus on our new band called Hail of Bullets two years ago. Thanatos had the idea to release a new album in 2006, but when the label went broke we were unable to finish the recordings. And so the band marches still on.

With Asphyx, we thought to do only 1 reunion show, but that turned out very different. It is sometimes hard indeed to combine all bands and a full time job. But all bands aren't rehearsing every week. We are writing songs by recording them at home with a drumcomputer and send them to the other bandmembers. When we have enough songs we're rehearsing them and so we try to be efficient with our time.

Hail of Bullets for example only did for about 6 a 7 rehearsals before entering the studio.

5)Do you consider it hard to get inspired considering all 3 bands are very similar in style?

For myself speaking... I don't consider my 3 bands similair in style. It wouldn't make sense for a musician to play in 3 same bands. Especially Thanatos is playing a complete different style; it's thrash/death. Hail of Bullets is different (compared to Asphyx) in songstructure and feeling.

6)The new single is the bands best and harshest material in years. A prelude to the upcoming album?

The new Asphyx songs remind us of the first albums. Played intensely, raw to the bone, including with all typical Asphyx elements. We all had in mind that the upcoming album should be the successor of 'Last one on earth'. I guess we succeded in that.

7)How far into the process of the new album are you? When is it going to be released?

New songs are coming up, in total 8 songs are written. In fact, we already recorded the drums and guitar of 6 songs at a small studio called "Sonic Assault" of our soundman Frank. We want to write one more song to have an album with 9 songs. After completing the recordings we will mix the songs at the Harrow studio's. Harry Weijering mixed and mastered almost every Asphyx album and so he knows best how to get this Supreme Brutality on tape.

8)You guys are back with century media. Was there alot of interest in you guys or was cm the obvious choice as you worked with them in the past.

Asphyx still is in contract for two more full length albums. The contract is very old, so we will have to rewrite it. Century Media is still a major label in the scene. Asphyx was one of their first signings, so there's a special bond between Asphyx and CM.

9)You guys have been playing festivals this summer and will do some spot on gigs the rest of the year. How has the crowd response been at these shows?

The reaction of the crowd was overwhelming. We didn't expect this huge response. Probably there are  more people who still like to hear the old classic songs. It's very cool to get this appreciation. It gives the band the push to write new material and do more shows.

10)You'll be appearing at the maryland deathfest next spring. Will this be the only appearence in the states for the band or will there be a possible tour here?

At the moment we aren't planning a US tour or something. The band will not tour anyway. Wannes and Bob are fathers now and with my job it's hard to get days off. We all prefer doing weekendshows instead of long touring.

11)Did you ever think that after this long asphyx or your style of death metal would still be relevent?

At the mid 90's old school metal wasn't that hot anymore. Action = reaction they say. So probably this metalstyle came back as reaction at the hectical technical (US) deathmetal. Old school deathmetal is for me the essence how metal must be: raw, to the point, brutal and hard.

12)How do you feel about all these new bands who seem to be reduplicating old school style death metal?

'Reduplicating' sounds a little disrespectful. I'm glad the interest for old school death metal returned and people want to play it. I guess that's why Asphyx received a large welcome back.

13)What are asphyx's plan for the rest of the year and what does the future hold for the band?

Besides doing some shows we'll focus on the new songs. Martin is now writing lyrics and probably some songs will be arranged. Hope to release a brand new album in May 2009, maybe together with a dvd, but we don't know that yet at this time.

14)Well this concludes our session.It was great talking with you. Any final words or comments.

Ok man! Thanks for your time. Hope we'll meet eachother to cheers. Check out www.myspace.com/officialasphyx for more info and new. See ya!