ASPHYX — Embrace the Death (review)

ASPHYX — Embrace the Death album cover Boxset / Compilation · 1996 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Embrace the Death" is an archival album release by Dutch death metal act Asphyx. The album was released through Century Media Records in November 1996. It bridges the gab between Asphyx´s fourth- and fifth full-length studio albums "God Cries" (1996) and "On the Wings of Inferno" (2000). At the time of release Asphyx had just disbanded for a second time. As mentioned it´s an achival album release which was recorded in 1990 and which was originally meant to be have been Asphyx´s debut album released through C.M.F.T. Productions, but as the label went bankrupt, the album was shelved. Tracks 1 through 12 are from the shelved album recording sessions, while tracks 13 and 14 were recorded during a 1989 session and they already appeared on the December 1989 "Mutilating Process" single, and are therefore not exclusive to this release. Quite a few tracks from "Embrace the Death" are re-recorded and re-arranged material from the band´s preceding demos.

Only "The Sickened Dwell" would be re-recorded and included on Asphyx´s debut full-length studio album "The Rack" (April 1991), but the material on "Embrace the Death" features lead vocalist/bassist Theo Loomans and not Martin van Drunen.

Listening to "Embrace the Death" it´s such a shame that the album was shelved in 1990, because this album is the dream of any old school death metal fan from those days. As doom/death metal heavy as early Paradise Lost, as brutal and filthy as early Autopsy, and for a 1990 death metal release it´s very well produced. Loomans is a powerful, brutal, and savage sounding growler. He both has the deep growling style but also a higher pitched hysterical edge to this delivery. While not quite as unique and inhuman as his successor, Loomans is arguably a high class old school death metal vocalist.

Not all archival/shelved albums need to see the light of day, but Asphyx and Century Media Records arguably made a wise choice retrieving this album from the vaults, dusting it of, adding a couple of tracks from the excellent "Mutilating Process" single, and releasing it to the hungry Asphyx fans, who had just learned that Asphyx had disbanded a second time after their very short 1995-1996 reunion. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Deviance Deathcore
ASHES INTO BLOOD
Buy this album from MMA partners
Equilibrium Atmospheric Sludge Metal
BESRA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tension Between Rot And Genesis Sludge Metal
ANTHESIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Recycle Brain Crust Punk
C.P.G
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cartography Of The Mind Deathcore
TETHERED
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Besra – Unsullied (Music Video)
BESRA
Bosh66· 10 hours ago
Tethered - Breathe (Official Video)
TETHERED
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Saltwound - Walking The Blade (OFFICIAL VISUALIZER)
SALTWOUND
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Saltwound - The Negative (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
SALTWOUND
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Saltwound - Drowning feat. Taylor Barber (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
SALTWOUND
Bosh66· 1 day ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed