Few bands in death metal are as consistent as Asphyx. Others that come to mind in this prestigious category are Immolation and Autopsy, but even Autopsy spent over a decade apart before reclaiming their rightful throne as the kings of the genre. Just about every other classic death metal band has, at one point or another, succumbed to nu metal (Morbid Angel), deathcore (Cryptopsy), prog wankery (Pestilence), or melody (too many to name). Not Asphyx. On their tenth album, Necroceros, they stick to the same devastating brand of death/doom that put them on the map 30 years ago.
I must say that Necroceros is of the more nuanced Asphyx releases. Some cuts recall the short sharp shock of The Rack (1991) and Last One on Earth (1992). Some not so much, but don’t confuse this lack of resemblance with a deviation in the established ethos. If anything, these songs are the result of Martin van Drunen’s artistic evolution overtime and would not exist if otherwise.
For example, a couple of these songs are so doomy, the only thing keeping them from being outright doom metal is Drunen’s signature tormented vocals. “Mount Skull” sounds like Born Again era Sabbath goes death metal. Meanwhile, one can practically feel the grief on “Three Years of Famine”. The riffs are utterly colossal, laying waste to our eardrums before segueing to a mellow progressive midsection. If you can’t believe I just used the words “mellow” and “progressive” in an Asphyx review, neither can I.
When they aren’t dealing crushing blows of metallic despair, Asphyx embraces the rot, filth, and gore of their early days, proving you’re never too old for death metal. “The Sole Cure is Death” opens this album in lethal fashion and lives up to its name. This track, followed by “Molten Black Earth”, is a one-two punch these Dutch death-heads won’t let us soon forget. It should come as no surprise that my choice cut is the fastest, fiercest of them all, “Botox Implosion”. If you hadn’t told me this was a new song, I would’ve thought it was a lost track from the Last One on Earth sessions.
It’s only January and Asphyx just raised the death metal bar pretty damn high. There’s some heavy hitters coming out with much anticipated releases this year, but I don’t know. It’ll be hard to top this one. I look forward to listening to this repeatedly for the next 11 months and having my face melted every single listen. If the next time you see me my head is nothing more than a maggot riddled skull attached to a body, now you know who’s to blame.
8 out of 10
Label: Century Media Records
Genre: Death/Doom Metal
For fans of: Autopsy, Obituary, Molder