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 18 August 2009, quickly becoming the distributor's best seller.
On 30 November 2011 Asphyx finished recording on their eighth studio album entitled Deathhammer which was set to be released on 27 February 2012 in Europe and 28 February 2012 in North America via Century Media Records.
In March 2014, founding member Bob Bagchus parted ways from the band and leaving the band with no original members. He was replaced by Stefan Hüskens as the new drummer.
On 14 October 2015, Asphyx made an announcement they are working on a new album at the end of November for the long-awaited Deathhammer follow up and begin their first tour at Latin America. Their next two albums, Incoming Death and Necroceros, were released in 2016 and 2021, respectively.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphyx
Studio albums
The Rack (1991)
Last One on Earth (1992)
Asphyx (1994)
God Cries (1996)
Embrace the Death (1996; recorded in 1990)
On the Wings of Inferno (2000)
Death...The Brutal Way (2009)
Deathhammer (2012)
Incoming Death (2016)
Necroceros (2021)
Cape Horn
Asphyx Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Farewell waving hands
Set course with godspeed
To far promising lands
The sun is mildly shining
Sails bulging in the breeze
An expedition seeking
Free passage to the East
In South Atlantic waters
Crossing the equator
Passing Patagonia
And Tierra del Fuego
Screams come from the crow's nest
His horrid observation
The sight of the Flying Dutchman
Portent of damnation
Sailor's nightmare
Ship of ghosts
Fearsome traveller
Curse of boats
Dead man's island
Hell begins
Down-pour rain
Howling winds
Inconstant currents
Waves like walls
Floating icebergs
Polar squalls
Blustering maelstroms
Furious storms
Seamen's graveyard
'Round the Horn
Looming up at starboard
Monolithical form
Seafarers fall on their knees
As they behold Cape Horn
Months now lasts the effort
They have lost all hope
A dancing wreck of splintered wood
Icing on the ropes
The craft battered and broken
Crew drowning like rats
Their shattered galleon sinking
Into mysterious dephts
The song "Cape Horn" by Asphyx depicts the journey of a trader leaving harbor on a ship that encounters several trials and tribulations while attempting to reach their destination. The opening lyrics describe the departing ship with the waves reflecting the hopeful hand waves of those left behind. The journey appears to be going well until they cross into South Atlantic waters where they encounter the infamous Cape Horn, known for its treacherous storms and violent seas. The crew's burden becomes heavier when the Flying Dutchman, a legendary ghost ship, appears on the horizon, marking the beginning of their downfall.
As the journey continues, the crew experiences various challenges. They face hurricanes, inconstant currents, waves like walls, and polar squalls. The ship falls apart, and the crew dies, with their shattered galleon sinking into mysterious depths. The lyrics highlight that the sailors' hopelessness and the crew's fate were sealed the moment they encountered Cape Horn. The song is a tribute to the explorers and sailors who have lost their lives attempting to navigate the waters around Cape Horn.
Line by Line Meaning
A trader leaving harbour
The song begins with a trader leaving from the harbour.
Farewell waving hands
People are seen waving goodbye with their hands.
Set course with godspeed
The trader set his course for his destination with lots of speed.
To far promising lands
The trader is headed towards faraway lands that hold some promises for him.
The sun is mildly shining
The sun is shining with a mild glow.
Sails bulging in the breeze
The sails on the trader's boat are bulging due to the strong breeze blowing them.
An expedition seeking
The trader is on an expedition to look for something.
Free passage to the East
The trader is looking for free passage to the East.
In South Atlantic waters
The trader is now sailing through the South Atlantic waters.
Crossing the equator
The trader is crossing the equator, the line that divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Passing Patagonia
The trader has passed by Patagonia, a region at the southern end of South America.
And Tierra del Fuego
The trader is also passing by Tierra del Fuego, an archipelago off the southern coast of South America.
Screams come from the crow's nest
Someone from the crow's nest (on top of the mast) is screaming.
His horrid observation
The person in the crow's nest has seen something horrible.
The sight of the Flying Dutchman
The person has seen the Flying Dutchman, a legendary ghost ship that is a bad omen for those who see it.
Portent of damnation
The sighting of the Flying Dutchman is a sign of impending doom.
Sailor's nightmare
The sighting of the Flying Dutchman is a terrifying experience for sailors.
Ship of ghosts
The Flying Dutchman is believed to be a ship of ghosts.
Fearsome traveller
The Flying Dutchman is a fearsome ship.
Curse of boats
The Flying Dutchman is considered a curse for boats that come across it.
Dead man's island
The sighting of the Flying Dutchman is associated with Dead Man's Island, a place that takes the souls of those who die at sea.
Hell begins
The sighting of the Flying Dutchman is like the beginning of hell for sailors.
Down-pour rain
Heavy rain is pouring down.
Howling winds
The winds are howling.
Inconstant currents
The ocean currents are unpredictable.
Waves like walls
The waves are so big that they look like walls.
Floating icebergs
There are floating icebergs in the ocean.
Polar squalls
There are sudden violent gusts of wind known as squalls happening in the polar regions.
Blustering maelstroms
Strong whirlpools called maelstroms are happening in the ocean.
Furious storms
The ocean is experiencing furious storms with heavy rainfall and strong winds.
Seamen's graveyard
All of these challenges make the place a graveyard for seamen.
'Round the Horn
All of these challenges are happening around Cape Horn, at the southernmost tip of South America.
Looming up at starboard
Something huge and looming is appearing on the right side of the trader's boat.
Monolithical form
The thing appearing is in the shape of a huge monument or monolith.
Seafarers fall on their knees
The seafarers all fall to their knees in awe or fear.
As they behold Cape Horn
The huge thing that the seafarers have seen is Cape Horn itself.
Months now lasts the effort
The trader has been sailing for months now and it has been very difficult.
They have lost all hope
The crew has lost all hope of surviving.
A dancing wreck of splintered wood
The trader's boat is now broken and dancing (or bouncing) on the waves.
Icing on the ropes
There is ice forming on the ropes of the boat.
The craft battered and broken
The trader's boat is battered and broken.
Crew drowning like rats
The crew is drowning and dying like rats.
Their shattered galleon sinking
The trader's ship, a type of sailing ship, is sinking and destroyed.
Into mysterious depths
The trader's ship is sinking into the deep, dark depths of the ocean.
Contributed by Madelyn C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.