ALBUM REVIEW: Asphyx – Necroceros

The Death-Doom monolith that is ASPHYX returns with their 10th full length album. Out on January 22nd via Century Media Records.

Wasting no time, a punishing storm of ferocious drums, brutal riffs and snarled vocals fire into life with the pulverising savagery that Asphyx have mastered over their career of killer material. The barbarian grooves and fury-driven musicianship is back on top form, that is clear from the start as we see nothing but sheer and unstoppable Death Metal might delivered with titanic prowess. Sparse and doomy morbidity brings in that creepy texture that adds so much filth to the foreboding Death Metal with pungent atmospherics of macabre proportions. The blastbeats that ensue from these slower breaks give whiplash headbanging its chance to break out while never detracting from the eerier feeling present either. If there is a band that have mastered dynamics and variety while still delivering 100% brutal old school Death Metal, Asphyx is it.

Naturally with this band, we see plenty of mid-tempo songs that harken back to the glorious early 90s Death Metal bands (of which Asphyx were one), showcasing no loss of sight in their precise journey through carnage. This band has only got tighter with time while never losing the vision they set out with, how many bands can sincerely say that 10 albums into their career? The groovy, hammering delivery from the band instrumentally lays all to waste for Martin Van Drunen’s signature spew to emanate terrific and lethal vocals through. On “Necroceros” we see a typically old school production which is clear yet doesn’t polish over the naturally raspy, guttural nature of the music, leaving the brazen and unmistakable Asphyx sound intact while hitting extremely hard with each punchy riff, beat and growl.

Continuing with the 51 minutes of Death Metal ecstasy, we see plenty of shifts from Death-Doom to grave-opening crawls to full on bombardments of ravenous aggression. Though this is a long album, the blade never dulls or weakens with its relentless strikes of pure fury. Each of the 10 tracks is a mighty offering of potent and crushing musicianship that is skilful yet still has that primal approach that makes it a perfect soundtrack for any headbanging maniac to get behind. Slashing on, we see plenty of violence and mayhem ensue, this album does not taper off, but drives forth with a rampant and unapologetic storm of marvellous riffs, wicked shredding, powerful drums and superb vocals. Like a machine of unstoppable death, this morbid record will chew you up and spit you out with fetid sonic brilliance that roars with the passion of true masters at the top of their game.

Once again, the masters have delivered pure asphyxiating, doomy Death Metal slaughter. This 10th album has all of the gritty feel of the first with the fine-tuned musical excellence of a band who clearly has grown their experience over a lengthy and highly active career. This offering is a dastardly slab of pure might that will crush all in its path with no remorse. Asphyx are back with yet another ripper of pure magnificence that all Death Metal fans will adore.