The Bottom Line
Pros
- Abundance of top-quality riffs, songs and arrangements.
- Memorable, unique vocals dynamic enough to reflect emotional variance.
Cons
- Though their riffs are memorable and powerful, several are too reminiscent of one another.
Description
- Released August 18, 2009 on Ibex Moon Records.
- This is their eighth full-length studio album.
- Martin van Drunen sang on Pestilence’s first two CDs and is a member of the Dutch death metal band Hail of Bullets.
Guide Review - Asphyx - 'Death...The Brutal Way'
Forming in 1987, the Dutch band never gained momentum, quite possibly because they broke up several times and were inactive for the better part of this decade. But since reforming in 2007, they’ve slowly come back from the dead.
Death…The Brutal Way offers very little by way of surprises. A simple, old school, fuzzed-out sound—reminiscent of the classic Sunlight Studios era—encases the unyielding and unforgiving onslaught of riffs that are sewn together with great care. Tempos range from the “Children of the Grave”-like doom crawl of “The Herald” to the title track’s fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants thrash drive.
What is surprising, however, is the fiery passion and energy with which they perform (as evidenced by both this release and their unforgettable set at this year’s Maryland Deathfest). It’s to the extent that bands half their age should be ashamed.
The album’s only flaw would be the similarity shared amongst several of the its key riffs. But at the end of the day, few could logically argue the fact that Death…The Brutal Way is simply a classic-in-the-making.
