Asphyx

Asphyx
Asphyx, during a concert in London (2007)
Background information
Origin	Overijssel, Netherlands
Genres	Death metal death/doom
Years active	1987–1994, 1995–1996, 1998–2000, 2007–present
Labels	Century Media Records
Associated acts	Soulburn Pestilence Hail of Bullets Pentacle Grand Supreme Blood Court
Website	MySpace page
Members	Martin van Drunen Paul Baayens Alwin Zuur Stefan Hüskens
Past members	Bob Bagchus Tonny Brookhuis Eric Daniels Chuck Colli Theo Loomans Ron van der Pol Sander van Hoof Heiko Hanke Ronny van der Wey Wannes Gubbels

Asphyx is a Dutch death metal band that was formed in Overijssel, Netherlands in 1987.

The band was formed in 1987 by Bob Bagchus and Tonny Brookhuis. Eric Daniels was found as a second guitarist and Chuck Colli joined on vocals and bass guitar; this line up released the Enter the Domain demo. In March 1989, Colli was replaced by Theo Loomans and the band recorded the Crush the Cenotaph demo. Brookhuis then left the band and the remaining three recorded Embrace the Death, an album which was never released because of label problems.

After leaving Pestilence in the early 1990s, Martin van Drunen joined Asphyx and the band signed to Century Media Records. After the release of their first album, The Rack, they went on a European tour with Entombed, followed by a tour with Bolt Thrower and Benediction in 1992. Shortly after the recording of the second album, Last One on Earth, van Drunen left the band, to be replaced by Ron van der Pol. Eventually Bagchus left the band as well and was replaced by Sander van Hoof.

In 1994, the band released its third, self-titled album, but broke up shortly afterward. In 1995, Loomans and Bagchus reformed Asphyx and recorded God Cries. Around the same time, the Embrace the Death album, recorded in 1990, was released. Nevertheless, the band split up again after the release. In 1998, Loomans died when a train hit his car. The circumstances suggest it was an act of suicide. Some time later, Soulburn was founded by Bagchus and Daniels and, together with Pentacle singer and bass guitarist Wannes Gubbels, they recorded Feeding on Angels. In 1999, they renamed the project Asphyx and recorded the On the Wings of Inferno album with the same line up. However, Asphyx disbanded again in 2000.

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. Death...The Brutal Way was released in June 2009 by Century Media. It was released in North America by Ibex Moon Records on August 18, 2009, quickly becoming the distributor's best seller.