Asphyx

Asphyx is a Dutch death metal band that was formed in Overijssel, Netherlands in 1987.

Biography

The band was formed in 1987 by Bob Bagchus and Tonny Brookhuis. Eric Daniels was found as a second guitarist and Chuck Colli joined on vocals and bass guitar; this line up released the Enter the Domain demo.^[1] In March 1989, Colli was replaced by Theo Loomans and the band recorded the Crush the Cenotaph demo. Brookhuis then left the band and the remaining three recorded Embrace the Death, an album which was never released because of label problems.

After leaving Pestilence in the early 1990s, Martin van Drunen joined Asphyx and the band signed to Century Media Records.^[2] After the release of their first album, The Rack, they went on a European tour with Entombed, followed by a tour with Bolt Thrower and Benediction in 1992. Shortly after the recording of the second album, Last One on Earth, van Drunen left the band, to be replaced by Ron van der Pol. Eventually Bagchus left the band as well and was replaced by Sander van Hoof.

In 1994, the band released its third, self-titled album, but broke up shortly afterward. In 1995, Loomans and Bagchus reformed Asphyx and recorded God Cries. Around the same time, the Embrace the Death album, recorded in 1990, was released. Nevertheless, the band split up again after the release. In 1998, Loomans died when a train hit his car. The circumstances suggest it was an act of suicide. Some time later, Soulburn was founded by Bagchus and Daniels and, together with Pentacle singer and bass guitarist Wannes Gubbels, they recorded Feeding on Angels.^[3] In 1999, they renamed the project Asphyx and recorded the On the Wings of Inferno album with the same line up. However, Asphyx disbanded again in 2000.^[4]

In January 2007, the band re-united with van Drunen, Gubbels, Paul Baayens and Bagchus. They did not intend to record a new album, but focused only on live performances. However, in January 2008, they recorded a cover of a Celtic Frost song and a new song called "Death... The Brutal Way". In July 2008, they announced that new material was being prepared. Death...The Brutal Way was released in June 2009 by Century Media.^[5][6] It was released in North America by Ibex Moon Records on August 18, 2009, quickly becoming the distributor's best seller.^[7]

On November 30, 2011, Asphyx finished recording on their eighth studio album entitled Deathhammer which was set to be released on February 27th, 2012 in Europe and February 28th, 2012 in North America via Century Media Records.^[8][9]

In March 2014, founding member Bob Bagchus has parted ways from the band and replaced by Stefan Hüskes as a new drummer.

On October 14, 2015, Asphyx made an announcement they are working on a new album at the end of November for the long-awaited Deathhammer follow up and begin their first tour at Latin America.^[10]

Members

Martin van Drunen during a show in 2007

Current members

• Martin van Drunen – vocals (1990–1992, 2007–present), bass guitar (1990–1992)
• Alwin Zuur – bass guitar (2010–present)
• Paul Baayens – guitar (2007–present)
• Stefan Hüskens - drums (2014–present)

Former members

• Tonny Brookhuis – guitar (1987–1989)
• Bob Bagchus – drums (1987–1993, 1995–1996, 1997–2000, 2007–2014)
• Eric Daniels – guitar (1988–1994, 1995–1996, 1997–2000)
• Chuck Colli – vocals, bass guitar (1988–1989)
• Theo Loomans – vocals, bass guitar (1989–1990, 1995–1996)
• Ron van der Pol – vocals, bass guitar (1992–1994)
• Sander van Hoof – drums (1993–1994)
• Heiko Hanke – keyboards (1994)
• Ronny van der Wey – guitar (1996)
• Wannes Gubbels – bass guitar, vocals (1997–2000, 2007–2010)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

• The Rack (1991, Century Media)
• Last One on Earth (1992, Century Media)
• Asphyx (1994, Century Media)
• God Cries (1996, Century Media)
• Embrace the Death (1996, Century Media; recorded in 1990)
• On the Wings of Inferno (2000, Century Media)
• Death...The Brutal Way (2009, Century Media)
• Deathhammer (2012, Century Media)
• Incoming Death (2016, Century Media)

Live albums

• Live Death Doom (2010, Century Media; double live album and DVD)

Extented plays (EP)

• Crush the Cenotaph (1992, Century Media)
• Servants of Death (2016, Century Media)

Singles

• Mutilating Process (1989, Gore Records/Nuclear Blast)
• Death the Brutal Way (2008, Iron Pegasus Records)
• Reign of the Brute (2012, Century Media)
• Deathibel (2016, Decibel)

Demos

• Carnage Remains (1988, Self-released)
• Enter the Domain (1989, Self-released)
• Crush the Cenotaph (1989, Self-released)
• Promo '91 (1991, Self-released)
• Promo '95 (1995, Self-released)

References

External links

• Asphyx bio on angelfire