ASPHYX Members Talk 'Deathhammer' In New Video Interview

Video footage of Dutch doom death metal legends ASPHYX talking to U.K.'s Terrorizer magazine about their new album, "Deathhammer", can be seen below.

"Deathhammer" will be released on February 27 in Europe and February 28 in North America via Century Media Records.

"Deathhammer" track listing:

01. Into The Timewastes
02. Deathhammer
03. Minefield
04. Of Days When Blades Turned Blunt
05. Der Landser
06. Reign Of The Brute
07. The Flood
08. We Doom You To Death
09. Vespa Crabro
10. As The Magma Mammoth Rises

"Deathhammer" title song audio stream:

Regarding the "Deathhammer" track, ASPHYX said, "To us, this song is 100 percent real death metal! It's heavy, aggressive and it simply can't get more in your face than this.

"This song is composed by just a few shredding riffs, which stick in your brain like a buzzsaw, vocals so angry that it could be a declaration of war, relentlessly pounding drums and a bass that roars like a tank.

"We are very proud of this song since it shows our view on real death metal: how we've always seen it, how we feel it and how we want it to be!

"Martin [Van Drunen, vocals] already roared a clear statement in the very beginning of this song: THIS IS TRUE DEATH METAL, YOU BASTARDS! And so it is!"

The cover artwork for "Deathhammer" was created by ASPHYX's longtime partner in designs, Axel Hermann. Hermann not only worked on all of the early ASPHYX artworks and most recently on their "Live Death Doom" release, but is also responsible for many of the classic Century Media artworks by bands like MORGOTH, UNLEASHED, SAMAEL and GRAVE.

Commented ASPHYX's Martin Van Drunen: "ASPHYX and Axel Hermann is a fusion that has always functioned perfectly… from the days of 'The Rack' back in 1991, 'till 'Deathhammer' in 2012. Like others such as Dan Swanö, Axel may be considered as an external member of the band and when we asked him to do the 'Deathhammer' cover — and as usual we would leave him free in his expression — we were very pleased to hear he was willing to take it on. …And the man has exceeded himself! To the perfect death metal album comes the perfect cover that still leaves enough to everyone's imagination. We hope he is as proud as we are on the final result. It seems all falls into place for this deathdozer of an album. I guess Axel can expect an offer from Le Louvre any time now."

Added Hermann: "A cover is the visual extension of an album that translates music and emotional intentions (or should I say aggression) into a clear statement of what to expect before taking the record off the shelf. In seldom cases you're ending up with two perfect sides of the same coin. With ASPHYX and myself, it has always and luckily been that case. And I am really proud of that! Show 'em death and hit them with a hammer…visually and musically! Guess, we flipped the coin once more!?"

Recorded at The Mörser Studio as well as at Harrow Studio with ASPHYX's longtime engineer Harry Wijering, "Deathhammer" was mixed and mastered in Sweden by Dan Swanö, who previously worked with the band on "Death…The Brutal Way" and "Live Death Doom" releases. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Reign Of The Brute", "Vespa Cabro", "We Doom You To Death", "Asphyx-Minefield" and "Deathhammer".

Interview:

"Deathhammer" performance footage: