Asphyx - Death... The Brutal Way (2009)

   The New Wave of Old School Death Metal had an important side-effect: many old bands decided to regroup, because the audience demanded some authentic '90s nostalgia too, directly from those who took an important role in creating the old school scene. Asphyx was one of those bands who had to regroup therefore, and there was great anticipation for their return.
   Asphyx took a weird direction after first Martin van Drunen left the band and later Eric Daniels too. Things somehow didn't work out well and they split up. The unique feeling that was created by the band, survived in similar form in Soulburn. With the same lineup they've recorded an Asphyx album too, but somehow they've caught the feeling better as Soulburn. Lately Asphyx was reunited with the same lineup with Martin van Drunen, but minus Eric Daniels, and "Death... The Brutal Way" seemed to successfully recall the feeling why Asphyx was great band before. The album starts quite intense, but later the very familiar and nostalgic slow downs and miserably monotonous themes are getting into focus. The same old concept have returned that was meanwhile divided into other Asphyx clone projects, so finally with the reuinion 4 Asphyxes existed parallelly with the same style and sound, and with some of the old members (Soulburn, Hail of Bullets, Grand Supreme Blood Court). Why was that good and necessary is unknown, but finally the long awaited legend was resurrected and left behind an album that was definitely worth to wait for. Compared to the old albums their music didn't become only more intense, but also more diverse, so the return also included some surprise too, and unlike most other reunions, they didn't try simply to replicate their old style (at least not yet), and also didn't play something disappointingly different like Carcass or Pestilence did.