176: Asphyx

This is Dreams of Consciousness Podcast Episode 176, featuring an interview with Martin van Drunen of Asphyx. It was 30 years ago that Asphyx released their first album The Rack; though the band were a respected product of the Dutch death metal scene, their doomy, unvarnished sound fell out of favor as the decade wore on and tastes veered towards more blastbeat-oriented styles. But everything goes in cycles, and as old school death metal came back into fashion, Asphyx found a new audience and a new relevance. I spoke with vocalist Martin van Drunen about the band's long history, and how he feels about being cited as an influence by a new generation of death metal bands. We also spoke about how the pandemic affected their latest album Necroceros, and whether Asphyx will ever become a studio-only band. (Answer: "No fucking way.") My thanks to Martin for speaking with me, and to all of you for listening. Music In This Episode: "Crush The Cenotaph" taken from the EP Crush The Cenotaph "Molten Black Earth" "In Blazing Oceans" taken from the album Necroceros "Death...The Brutal Way" taken from the album Death...The Brutal Way Thanks for listening! Interviews, reviews, and more at www.dreamsofconsciousness.com