Last One on Earth

This album is a step up from the classic debut by this band, "The Rack" known for it's abundance of riffs and it's gloomy atmosphere. The atmosphere is also to be found here on their sophomore album, a crushing 39 minutes of death/doom brutality. This album bludgeons the entire time and Martin Van Drunen's unique vocal style ups the amount of torturous atmosphere this record has. Van Drunen sounds like a tortured soul, his vocal style is very unique and unmatched by anyone else in the death/doom style, and most death metal bands in general.

One of my favorite things about this album is the variety of the lyrical content. M.S. Bismarck is about a warship, Last One On Earth is about being the last human alive as the world's ecosystem is wrecked and everything is practically dead, Serenade in Lead is about guerrilla warfare during a revolution in a country and other songs about war, lust and religion. This album is good for lyrical variety as well as song variety, with tempos being different on every song. While you can expect your crushing doom songs, you can also expect songs with the speed and intensity of death metal. It's once been said that death/doom is 75% death metal 25% doom metal, and that's mostly true, especially with Asphyx and this release in general. The best song on the album is the title track, with it's crushing intro and bludgeoning main riff that you will not forget. The drums and guitars are brutal and unforgiving to the listener, with Van Drunen's tortured soul vocals setting the atmosphere for a song about being the last one alive as the world around you is internal and externally dying. The pure gloom on this song apexes with the solo near the end, a solo that is hope draining and melancholy. The song is the perfect death/doom song.

The production of this album is fantastic, the guitars are loud and distorted and the drums aren't far behind on the volume. The production here really helps this album crush, kill, and destroy with it's tone and style. The only complaint I have is that the bass is less audible than on the previous record, "The Rack" on that album, the bass would pop in and out of the hearing range, and it was a nice addition to the gloomy tone, but I think they probably dictated that the tone was good enough and the bass was their more to support than to be like it was on "The Rack", where it had more moments as an individual instrument playing on the same volume as the guitars.

This album gets a 95, it takes all the aspects of the debut and improves on them very much, the band sounds just a bit different here, but this was Asphyx coming into their own, they peaked very early. While still having strong releases, they haven't quite matched this album yet. This album is definitely the album to start out with if you're looking into getting into the subgenre of death/doom metal. Death/doom seems to have it's home in Holland and that's due in part to Pestilence, Asphyx, and the also lesser known Sempiternal Deathreign with early demos and releases in the style of death metal with doom influences (not as much with Pestilence, they just popularized death metal in Holland) with great results. Bludgeon on, Asphyx!

-Nolan

This month, in an attempt to complete my studies of essential Old School Death Metal, I finally turned my attention to one of the last "classic" bands that I'd yet to dive into. Asphyx.

I had some familiarity, of course. I knew they were Dutch, and I knew The Rack was a pioneering release in the emerging Death/Doom subgenre, highly regarded by a few of my friends.

To my surprise, it was not The Rack, but its follow-up, Last One on Earth, that the Archives favors by a considerable margin, convincing me to check it out first.

Also to my surprise, I found little of the heavy, grimy doom-flavored death metal that I expected from Asphyx. Aside from the dark and brooding title track, this is mostly straightforward no-frills OSDM, more akin to an Obituary or a watered-down Consuming Impulse. I'm not sure if Last One on Earth was a departure from The Rack in that regard, but it wasn't necessarily a turn-off for me. I love me some straightforward no-frills OSDM and was prepared to also love this album.

Unfortunately, what does turn me off here, and what holds Last One on Earth back from joining my rotation of favorite OSDM albums, is the way it actually sounds. The production is... kinda awful. Everything sounds tinny and thin. Asphyx offer up plenty of good riffs on this thing, but in many cases they're robbed of impact by a lack of weight to the guitars. There's less lower-end than I like in my Death Metal sound. As a result, it doesn't ever feel very heavy. When you add in the presence of Martin van Drunen, who provides vocals on the aforementioned Consuming Impulse, one of my favorite death metal albums, listening to this just makes one wish they were was listening to Pestilence. I alluded to it before, but Last One on Earth is essentially a worse-produced Consuming Impulse without the mysterious, horror-tinged atmosphere that album had. Van Drunen's unique wailing vocal style isn't as enjoyable for me without that sense of dread in the music.

Now... for the good. Because this album does have enough going for it to earn a solid 7 and a light recommendation from me. "M.S. Bismarck" and "The Krusher" are very good, well-written death metal songs, kicking the album off with a lot of promise and momentum. I particularly love the main riff in the former, and the drums and sudden tempo changes in the latter. "Last One on Earth" captures the most atmosphere on the album, with its slower pace, heavy riff, and vivid post-apocalyptic lyrics. It is more along the lines of what I expected from a band supposedly connected to the Death/Doom movement. After that, the album drops off a little bit, with a few tracks I would describe as "decent, but nothing special" death metal. Fortunately, the closer "Asphyx (Forgotten War)" is also a highlight, with a real sense of purpose to it that was missing on the preceding tracks, and perhaps the most memorable guitar riff on the whole album.

Overall, this album is pretty good, but not really worthy of the greatness that some seem to bestow upon it. The production definitely holds it back being as enjoyable as it could be. If you're a Death Metal completionist like I am, it's worth checking out for 3-4 notable tracks, but you're also not missing much if you stick to Pestilence and Autopsy instead.

Whereas Martin van Drunen-era Pestilence was quite an advanced death metal band, Asphyx was quite something different. Devoid of any sophistication this band alternated between the shady grooves of doom metal and death metal’s vigor sense of aggression. While The Rack marked the debut of this band, it would be Last One on Earth to leave a worthy impression behind for good.

Early doom/death metal bands rarely found themselves stuck in a certain pacing and Asphyx were no exception in this regard. I suppose that in certain ways, Last One on Earth might be comparable to the stuff Divine Eve (though I doubt Asphyx was influenced by them). The Celtic Frostian ‘’Stream of Ancient Wisdom’’ and the ominous doom-crawling ‘’MS. Bismark’’ certainly feel stylistically similar, although the distinct vocals of Martin van Drunen make a huge difference of course. It’s also worth mentioning that Last One on Earth feels much more focused compared to its predecessor. It’s not like The Rack was stylistically different, but it just lacked the stand out tracks, while this record has a fair amount of sticky, yet filthy compositions that are demanding enough to make one play guitar, throw the horns and bang their head - exactly in that order of course. ''The Incarnation of Lust’’ has a nifty ear worm of a death metal riff that definitely makes it the catchiest one on the record, although the band still manages to make one feel doomed by the time that break appears. ‘’Serenade in the Lead’’ immediately bursts out death metal riffing as if there’s no tomorrow with Martin van Drunen howling over the flamethrower-sounding guitar tones with malice.

Indeed, the cherry on this rotten cake are Martin van Drunen’s vocals and honesty, I don’t think the man has ever sounds like has ever sounded as tortured as he does here. Take the post-apocalyptic title track for instance, where the vocals tell a horrific story of a world no longer inhabited – I just don’t see how a thicker growled roar would have done the track justice. As the band’s self-titled record would reveal two years later, having the deep roaring Ron van Pol behind the microphone wouldn’t be an advantage (although the vocals weren’t the main problem on that album either).

While Last One on Earth appears cohesive and mostly focused, certain songs aren’t quite up there with the highlights, even if they’re thematically very much comparable. ‘’The Krusher’’ relies on a dwelling doom riff and while the track certainly isn’t devoid of any action, it takes a while before things get going. ‘’Food for the Ignorant’’ speeds up a lot sooner, but again resurrects around a main riff that’s somewhat lacking in brute force as well as in groove. Regardless, Last One on Earth is a solid slab of disgusting doom/death metal and although Asphyx has never been a favorite band of mine, they really delivered something worthy here.

This review was originally written for antichristmagazine.com

Last One on Earth immediately trumps its predecessor by effectively face-planting it into war-torn concrete and then stamping on it repeatedly while beating on its own chest. Admittedly, there is still a bleed-through of somewhat uninteresting riffing progressions, and this is not a record which I rank among the most highly prized gems of that 1987-1993 epoch of 'classic death metal', but it says a lot that it remains my favorite Asphyx record to this day, even more so than efforts like Death...the Brutal Way or Deathhammer which have transplanted its aggressive formula into the universe of contemporary production standards that, frankly, make a lot of older, low budgeted records sound like you're hearing them through a sewer grate. Granted, my favorite 'Asphyx' albums are called ...of Frost and War and On Divine Winds, but take that as you will, because without the existence of this sophomore (and Bolt Thrower), we wouldn't have gotten those. This was also the final Asphyx album to team up Martin van Drunen, Eric Daniels, and Bog Bagchus...all would be a part of the lineup in the future, and reunite for the Grand Supreme Blood Court debut, but Last One on Earth really marks the end of that 'classic' tenure and deserves some respect.

Not that it can't cultivate that dignity through its musical value alone, for where The Rack often presented some rather dry, lackluster compositional scenarios, Last One on Earth is simply more exciting and more coherent an experience, on which the instruments and vocals gel together far better. Ron van Pol's bass lines are far more caustic and fuzzy, potent enough to drive home the lyrical themes and stand up to the rhythm guitar tone which once dominated them a bit much on the debut. Speaking of which, Daniels doesn't detract from any of the crunch of the prior effort, but here the chords really club the listener in the gut, and the Death style tremolo riffing sequences in tunes like "M.S. Bismarck" help remind one why they were so cool in the 80s. Drums still retain a lot of that rock stability, with lurching and minimalistic grooves to accompany the death/doom progressions that litter the landscape, but again they seem mixed a little better in balance with the other performances, and in union the three players give off an impression of a rusted tank of veterans just trying to win a battle by any ugly means necessary. Van Drunen's vocals aren't a hell of a lot different than Consuming Impulse or The Rack, unless you count that he seems to strain himself into an even more pained and bloody pulp, but really he's got such a tremendous presence anywhere that he doesn't exactly need to change up what he's doing. Very peculiar when you consider that there was some disconnect among the band members by this time. I'm not sure if he was even with the other guys when recording it, but somehow the record is completely cohesive despite that.

When it comes down to the riffing alone, this isn't the most exemplary or intricate in terms of construction or constitution, and yet it's clearly more passionate in execution than the debut, which felt a little haphazard and lazy in places. There are some brutally barebones death/doom groove patterns here in tunes like "The Krusher" which I find somewhat boring today, and also felt underwhelmed by when I was 18 and this was released. But it's really about perspective. Some people might find ghost stories frightening, or being in the dark spooky, or being jumped by a 90 lbs-when-soaking-wet schizoid crack addict intimidating, but to others among us, that's Thursday. That's lunch. Hell, if Last One on Earth had been one of my first death metal albums, I might have found it fresher and more menacing upon listening, but having already been into the genre when records like Leprosy and Realm of Chaos arrived I can't say it matches up. There's no creepiness in the processions of notes to rival the former, and as an example of a paean to desolate fields of conquest and genocide, the latter HAS no equal. Mental Funeral had really done what this record does better the year before. So, while the Asphyx sophomore is clearly comparable to such company, it just doesn't possess the stickiest riffs or atmosphere to keep me addicted. But it does fucking try, and that's why if you were to approach and ask me to opine on the career of these Dutchmen, I'd pass you this CD and then inquire you to tell me.

I wouldn't want to pigeonhole Last One on Earth entirely into that 'war metal' suburb of the death genre, because not all the lyrics here revolve around that specific subject matter, for instance "Food for the Ignorant" seems to expand upon the Axel Hermann cover artwork; but clearly tunes like "M.S. Bismarck" "Asphyx (Forgotten War") and "Serenade in Lead" deal in the specifics of conflicts and/or gunfire rampages, and this as a whole (along with Bolt Thrower) was an influence further fleshed out in Hail of Bullets, or other lesser known bands like Invasion. So there is some significance to its position in extreme metal history, beyond the fact that it's a pretty good time if you want to throw your mind away for a few minutes and just revel in the roiling riffs, doomed interludes, and ghoulish vocalizations that define pieces like "Streams of Ancient Wisdom" and "The Incarnation of Lust". If I break it down much further, the notes only occasionally move in compelling directions, perhaps too evenly dispersed between the slower and faster content, with no unexpected choices ever happening by even 1992 standards. That said, some albums are not meant to revolutionize the world, merely to catalyze its transformation into inevitable ash. Last One on Earth, if the name doesn't already give it away, belongs to that camp. Not as important to me as its peers of the time (Testimony of the Ancients, Cross the Styx, Shadows, Mindloss, etc), but you could do a lot worse than lounge out in its measured violence.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Just when you thought that Asphyx couldn't get any better - think how great "Embrace the Death" and "The Rack" were - they recorded something like "Last One On Earth" and left me speechless. This could be their best album in entire discography (although the impressive comeback LP, "Death the Brutal Way" dethroned it recently!!)! Impossible, you say? Of course everyone may have his own opinion, but to me this third album is the ultimate asphyxiation! Already the front cover makes me love this LP, definitely it's one of the best graphics in the history of death metal, probably also one of the most blasphemous ones. Decaying zombie priest, with this huge cross on his neck... and jesus weeping in agony... Come on, I can see Deicide envying.

The history says that the album could have been much different as it is, since Martin van Drunen recorded his vocals without knowing that the rest of the band wanted someone else (Ron van Pol) to sing and write the lyrics for the album. It's so weird, as van Drunen entered the studio, recorded all the vocals and left, without even seeing anyone else from the band! Luckily rest of the Asphyx (Daniels and Bagchus) decided to keep all the parts done by Martin... Anyone wonders what this album would be like if Ron van Pol recorded everything? Would it be better? I sincerely doubt that. Van Drunen has impressive voice, as always raw and screaming like maniac, what fits well to the Asphyx music. And I may not like all his lyrics, but I have to admit, I think he was one of the best death metal growlers at the time.

What do I like best about "Last One on Earth"? Well, let's be honest, musically this album doesn't bring anything new into the explored Asphyx style. The band already showed all their capabilities on the previous LPs and so this third album doesn't differ stylistically from them at all (maybe is bit faster, but that's it). But its strength lays in composing some of the best songs in band's career. It's all played in mid paced tempos mostly, but the feeling and aggression in these riffs are incredible. This is the kind of death metal I love; not overly complicated nor too melodic, not too complex or whatever, but music, which brings certain moods in the first place - be it something very dark, obscure, morbid or satanic or something, where you can smell the rotten stench floating around... Anyway, death metal with feelings, not mechanical bullshit. Asphyx is great at playing something like that, they may be the masters of this shit. And "Last One on Earth" stands as one of the best death metal albums in the history of the music, if we speak about the old school style.

To begin the album with such a track as "M.S. Bismarck", the success is guaranteed. I fuckin enjoy this song a lot, with this killer mid paced riff that opens it. This song is one fuckin moshpit killer, with the tempo and aggression uprising more and more; until that doomy part, where you still bang your head, as it also brings so much energy. Not bad as for the song about submarine he, he! Another favourite track of mine from side A of the vinyl is the title song. It is fuckin brilliant. Much slower than the "submarine anthem", it is so massive and heavy that the walls crack. And when at the end I hear this slow riff with mournful keyboards in the background, I get thrills like hardly ever. Pure masterpiece. And finally Eric Daniels plays some of his fantastic guitar leads here; I though he forgot how to do it! "The Krusher" is also all about the slow, brutal riffing, only at the end the song speeds up a bit. Surely this version of "The Krusher" sounds better than the one from "Crush the Cenotaph" EP. Oh, and if you're in need for some faster, more intense playing, "Serenade in Lead" is a pure slaughter, which doesn't slow down even for a second.

Side B brings attention with "Streams of Ancient Wisdom" especially. This is the old song originally from the "Mutilating Process" (1990) and also from "Embrace the Death" album. These archaic sounds still shred to pieces and even though I may prefer the other versions of this song, the one from "Last One On Earth" also kills. Another brilliant song from this side the vinyl is "Asphyx (Forgotten War)". Man, this is just classic Asphyx song, with the obscure riffs, either slow and heavy or mid paced and more violent... But the morbid atmosphere is there. From the other tracks, "Food For the Ignorants" is similar to "Serenade In Lead", just straight forward and relentless riffing, with only one slightly slower part in the middle, which is one god damn crushing headbanging riff.

So, as you see, Asphyx again delivered some great death metal anthems and the quality of their material didn't disappoint. Even though I really love "The Rack", "Last One On Earth" has one thing that makes this album a winner. It's the production; Asphyx went to different studio, Harrows in Holland and definitely got better, more aggressive sound than the one from Woodhouse. I may understand that to some this music may sound too primitive or too slow, but this is death metal I like. Asphyx rules and so does "Last One On Earth".

Through heavy rythms, crushing headbanging melodies, Asphyx brought us here a masterpiece. Truly it stands as on of death metals best, the kind that leaves tthe listener wandering what kind of maniacs conjured this masterpiece. Well the Netherlands does seem like it would be a place to inspire many a metal freak, and a yes the death freaks were inspired. Last One on Earth portrays exactly what the title stands for, this is death metal at its heaviest, pushed beyond the sonic boundaries of sound. Staying true to the ancient death metal sound, this is no avant-garde over the top techinical death metal, no sillyness here folks. Only pure apocalyptic death.

Starting of with MS Bismark, the music rolls into heavy rythms of thrashing and headbanging. All the while the listener waits patiently at whats to come next. You are then invited into Martin Van Drunens lyrical destruction, and can this man horribly sing, and thats a good thing in the world of death metal. It seems obvious he took his lessons from Mr. Becerra, and dare I say surpassing his vocal shrieks. I first came across Martin Van Drunen is Pestilence's Malleus Malleficarum, another gem, a thrashing album of sorts. But it is in this album that Mr Drunen delivered his overall vocal performance. To no let down the other musicians they also contributed to this crushing sound. The guitars are the center to this album, doomy and thrashy, they bulid ambience around the drums and Martins hellish howls. Note the crushing riffs to the Last One on Earth, no need for blasts beats or mid tempo beats, the riffs are what make this song heavy. To say this is one of my death metal favs, the atmosphere is jusy sick, memorable riffs all around, two horns up, also check out Celtic Frosts " Dawn of Meggido".

If you look for total destruction in your death metal you cant go wrong with Asphyx. Here is a gem that needs a bit more attention. Definately wont let down, only in ruin, post apocalyptic death metal!

On ‘Last One On Earth ’ Asphyx corrected two of the three major fuck-ups that had earlier damaged ‘The Rack’. First of all the production was (finally!) mega mighty. Enormously wide and thick layers of guitars but without damaging the other instruments this time. The drums finally sounded good. The band had clearly learned from earlier mistakes.

Same goes for the second improvement: more up tempo songs and sections make this album far less monotone and more dynamic than ‘The Rack’. The band was clearly more focussed on releasing an album not only featuring good individual songs but staying interesting as a whole from start till finish as well. And what a way it did end! ‘Asphyx (Forgotten War)’ is one of the best songs on the album. Hell, it’s one of the best in their career. Heavy, dynamic, it had everything an Asphyx fan could wish for. Also the old EP classic ‘Streams Of Ancient Wisdom’ was re-recorded for this album.

‘The Last One On Earth’ saw the band introducing vocalist/bassist Ron van Pol but Van Drunen’s vocals were kept. Van Drunen however sounds rather different than earlier Asphyx and Pestilence releases. His vocals have a higher pitch than normal yet I find these vocals rather suiting, giving contrast to the ultra heavy guitars. Van Drunen actually sounded more ‘in touch’ with the band and especially the atmosphere of the music instead of just grunting some lyrics over an already recorded album. The weird thing being that the band had already decided to fire him when he was recording. But he does a more than adequate job here, simply shattering what he had done on The Rack.

“Last One on Earth” is a solid album of death-doom metal. On vocals, legendary Martin Van Drunen delivers his trademark low deep growl, with the occasional high-pitched scream. Asphyx music weaves in and out between slow dense rhythms, heavy as anything, and then braking into dense bursts of pure death metal.

Released in 1992, “Last One on Earth” would be the third and last time Martin Van Drunen recorded with Asphyx, the first of course being 1991’s “The Rack” and the 1992 ep "Crush The Cenotaph". Even though both albums sound very similar, this album has a more violent and aggressive sound in most of its songs. Asphyx music is not intricate and fancy, no 100 mile per hour double drum blasts, no elaborate guitar solos or sophisticated bass patterns. Asphyx is the true definition of “old school death metal”. The music is simple, yet the riffs and over all rhythms all come together to form an evil and raw sound.

The first four tracks of the album “M.S. Bismarck”, “The Krusher”, “Serenade in Lead” and “Last One on Earth” follow the formula of starting with a slow melody, introduce Martins growl with a scream and then step up the tempo until it becomes death metal, Van Drunens voice terrifying the listener the whole time.

Track number 6, “Streams of Ancient Wisdom” is a bonus for the true Asphyx fanatic. This song was first released with the mystical Theo Loomans on vocals in 1989 in a single called “Mutilating Process”, this track can also be heard with Theo on vocals in the “Embrace the Death” album. Here we get to hear Van Drunen have a crack at it, and even though the brutality of the original song would be hard to recreate by any vocalist, Martin pulls it off. I am not sure if the exact same lyrics are used in both versions, it is well known that Martin refused to sing many of Theo’s original lyrics, calling them very obscure and mysterious.

The album closes with two brutal death metal tracks, “Food for the Ignorant” and “Asphyx (Forgotten War)” they are the heaviest tracks in the album and really finish the album of brilliantly. This album is a must for every single death metal fan, the bands ability to churn out riff after riff of head banging proportions really amazes me and will make you yearn for the death metal of the early 90’s!