Monday, June 1, 2009

The Rack

Dude, you like crushing neanderthal Death Metal, right? Good, because I have a treat for you, bro, Asphyx's debut album The Rack from way back in 1991, the year Death Metal was king. Asphyx were Holland's contribution to the budding global early '90s Death Metal scene. Asphyx are purely about blunt force and brutish primitive attack. Martin Van Drunen's trademark voice is not one of a demon or a fetid, gurgling corpse but the voice of a desperate condemned soul making his final descent into a hellish abyss. He sounds winded, barely able to forge on at times and it is the perfect icing on Asphyx's heavy slab of satanicake. As it stands, if you aren't aware of Asphyx you probably see Holland as a serene socialist utopia of weed, windmills, and whores but that is about to change. Asphyx is about to put their wooden shoe right up your ass.

19 comments:

Helm said...

Always liked their logo and Van Drunen is certainly one of the best death metal vocalists I've heard.

Asphyx did much better than 'The Rack', though. And this isn't all brutal atavist assault, the record - as most Asphyx offerings, actually - is practically death/doom. Worth listening to certainly.

cdb said...

This is probably the best record Van Drunen has ever sung on.

Anonymous said...

sweet! I recently found a cassette copy of this at Amoeba Hollywood (along with Bolt Thrower's IVth Crusade. Old Death Metal Cassette Attack!), so it'll be nice to have it on my eyehatepod.

Asa said...

Great record. Asphyx were fantastic at MDF. My favorite MVD record is hands-down Consuming Impulse.

Aesop said...

Well my favorite MVD record is still "Last One on Earth" but this one was first.

Todd said...

Asphyx certainly were great at Maryland Death Fest. Martin drunkenly scamming on an awful fat chick bummed 17-year old me* out really badly.

*Dag Nasty style unrealistic expectations

Aesop said...

Martin apparently likes his women like he likes his Death Metal, heavy and ugly. No shame in that.

Ragin' Ron said...

haha i'm glad other people caught MVD and the fat groupie. according to a friend, he will forever associate van drunen with the memory of seeing him making out with her backstage - she was apparently so wasted she passed out and fell out of her chair. also: asphyx and hail of bullets both played amazing sets.

Todd said...

Haha, I had always imagined dudes as extreme introverts spewing forth contempt for the genetic sewage surrounding them. In reality, Martin & Attila from Mayhem both like fat chicks. Both of these worlds are cool, but one is certainly funnier...

skullgrid said...

i've been a bit shite with comments lately so here's a catch-all...

this + Toxik = enjoyable blasts from the past

Angel = totally fucking epic. i'm definitely in the "love it" camp, even if "camp" is the main reason for that. ha.

Dag Nasty = well, personally, i kinda blame them for emo. so... meh.

Apoctosis said...

One of the best Death Metal albums ever.

brandi said...

I shared a pin joint with Van Drunen last week, in the morning, in front of our hotel in maryland. He was a damn pleasant dude. Both asphyx and hail of bullets killed and this LP is an old favorite.

Aesop said...

Yes, I met the man in Austria last March. Very nice dude.

Asa said...

Todd: I was backstage, too. That was hilarious-- the two of them were neckin' pretty hardcore by the end of Saturday.

harry lime said...

me like fat death metal and fat girls too

Θόρυβος Τώρα said...

fat women are better kissers than skinny girls.

Aesop said...

I love how a post on one of the greatest death metal records of all time has become a discussion about the merits of chubby chasin'.

Todd said...

Aesop, I would apologize, but I'm not sorry for this turn of discussion. However, I will point out that the intro/outro riff on The Rack is one of the great goose-bumpers of all time for me. See also: Incantation - Christening the Afterbirth @ 2:05

annev said...

I know that "full bodied" girl you are speaking of. She is absolutuley hilarious, creative, generous, energetic and apparanatly a great kisser to boot -- what more could a wailing dutchman want? I married one and if you can make a dutch man happy you have extreme talent. This girl is beautiful - MVD is lucky to have come across her - if you need new songs written just ask her (or me) it's easy for us ....