Asphyx — Death…The Brutal Way (2009)

intothewellsabyss
Jun 22, 2023
3 min read

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…

14 years ago this week, Asphyx delivered a slab of “Death” Metal.. The Brutal Way”!

On June 22, 2009, Asphyx released their seventh full-length studio album “Death...The Brutal Way” in Europe via Century Media Records (released in the US on August 18, 2009 via Ibex Moon).

A limited edition of 1000 copies contains a bonus DVD featuring the band's reunion show from the 2007 Party.San Open Air festival in Bad Berka, Germany.

“Death...The Brutal Way” was their first album of nine years since 2000’s, “On the Wings of Inferno”.

Background:

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 for “Death...The Brutal Way”. Released in June 2009 by Century Media, Keith Bergman at Blabbermouth.net called the album “sonically crushing” while stating; “The title of this record, ham-fistedly simple as it is, sums up the band's sound, not to mention their entire mission. That kind of single-mindedness can be redundant and boring in the hands of lesser artisans, but when Asphyx is alchemizing their sound, "Death... The Brutal Way" sounds like the only thing that matters.

The album was later released in North America by Ibex Moon Records on August 18, 2009, quickly becoming the distributor's best seller.

Commenting about the release, Asphyx stated; "Cliché or not, this truly IS the heaviest Asphyx album of all. This could easily be THE real follow-up to “The Last One On Earth”. The songs are as always catchy, brutal and straight-forward. The slower parts have become even more slow and heavier than ever before. This is Doom/Death Metal in the real Asphyx spirit. This will grind everything to its grave! This is death metal as we, Asphyx, like it best. Old school to the bone!"

Critical Reception:

“Death… The Brutal Way” was met with positive reviews, with Jeremy Morse at Last Rites stating; “That a band can, after such a long layoff, so perfectly replicate its classic sound while remaining so vital is almost inconceivable, but Asphyx has done it. Death… The Brutal Way is a true triumph (of death). It is more than just pretty good for a reunion album, or not bad for a bunch of old guys, it is a great death metal album period. Buy it.”

While one reviewer at Metal Storm commented; “Like Bolt Thrower, Asphyx took some time off, came back tanned, rested, and ready, and delivered unto us one ripping slab of death metal, old school style, the brutal way.”

Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:

Click this link to listen to the album “Death… The Brutal Way” via Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/death-the-brutal-way/1056427666

Click this link to watch the official music video for “Death… The Brutal Way”: https://youtu.be/XNChRN79Z7E

Click this link to follow Asphyx on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/officialasphyx/

Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells