![]() After several minutes of silence, Martin replied, “If there’s one who deserves it and would fit totally, it’s gotta be Husky.” As a long-time fan, complete with ASPHYX tattoos on his arms, Husky was overwhelmed and honored as he accepted the offer. ![]() One day, when Alwin and Martin were driving to a show, Alwin suggested a friend from the German band Desaster, Stefan “Husky” Hüskens. The question was: Who could possibly replace him? It wasn’t a matter of finding the best drummer, but rather someone who would respect and honor the ASPHYX tradition. Bob, however, expressed his desire for the band to continue to build on its recent successes. The band fully supported and understood his decision, but feared it was the end of ASPHYX. But in 2013, drummer and founder Bob Bagchus was no longer able to balance the increasing demand for live performances with his family life and work. It seemed that the struggles that had plagued ASPHYX in the past were well behind them, with a stable line-up producing the band’s heaviest and most refined work to date, achieving a previously unforeseen level of popularity and status. In 2012, with new bassist Alwin Zuur (Escutcheon) on board, the band forged “Deathhammer,” a phenomenal success celebrated by hordes of ASPHYX fans worldwide. The incredible response from fans old and new re-established ASPHYX as an unstoppable force in metal, able to deliver crushing blows of aggression and gloom in the raw, authentic style forged decades before. The band’s triumphant return to the stage soon led to the release of “Death…The Brutal Way” (20009), which bucked the modern-day trend toward speed and technical complexity, and instead delivered a re-energized take on the traditional ASPHYX sound of doom-laden groove, pounding drums, gut-wrenching vocals, and an aura of inescapable desolation. In 2007, Germany’s Party.San Open Air festival shocked the metal community with the announcement of an ASPHYX reunion show, featuring founding member Bob Bagchus (drums), legendary growler Martin van Drunen (Pestilence, Bolt Thrower), guitarist Paul Baayens (Thanatos, Hail of Bullets) and bassist Wannes Gubbels (Pentacle, Soulburn). Despite rising to be one of the international metal scene’s premiere bands, a slew of line-up issues led to the band’s eventual demise in 2000. After producing several demos that rapidly spread through tape trading, full-length masterpieces “The Rack” (1991) and “Last One On Earth” (1992) led to international success and tours with Bolt Thrower, Benediction and Entombed. Now, four years later, ASPHYX is ready to unleash another dose of merciless brutality on the masses, with 2016’s “Incoming Death.”įormed in 1987, ASPHYX took the burgeoning underground scene by storm, with a crushing sound inspired by the likes of Venom, Messiah, Hellhammer, and Slaughter. While classic albums like “The Rack” and “Last One On Earth” established their permanent place in the annals of death metal history, 2009’s “Death…The Brutal Way” and especially 2012’s “Deathhammer” brought in legions of new fans and propelled the band into the upper echelon of death metal supremacy. While that was undoubtedly the plan when ASPHYX returned to the stage in 2007, several years after the band’s demise, an unforgettable performance proved the Dutch death/doom masters were far from finished with their signature old-school sound. About bringing the old songs back for the loyal diehards. Special edition of this Asphyx record now featuring two bonus tracks, seeing the band cover songs from both Winter and Master!
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