Asphyx

With the reunion of Dutch death metal masters Asphyx comes a brilliant new album in the form of the aptly titled Death… The Brutal Way. The band feature Martin van Drunen (vocals) and Paul Baayens (guitars) from death/thrash outfit Hail of Bullets, and although it's van Drunen's first vocal performance since 1992's The Last One On Earth, it seems as though the two releases are no more than a year or two apart. From the opening attack of "Scorbutics" to the figurative middle finger that is the title track to the slow-tempo groove on album closer "The Saw, The Torture, The Pain," Asphyx convey exactly the type of tight musicianship and brutality extreme bands from the Netherlands are known for. With crushing riffs and intensely aggressive vocals (possible van Drunen's best performance to date), Death… The Brutal Way is classic Asphyx. The record captures the band's characteristic style and it's precisely everything that old school death metal should be.