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)
Diabolical Existence
Asphyx Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Learn and pray
Watching you from above to dominate
Manipulate with this book
Caress an abstraction
It's only in your mind
Useless denial of reality
Diabolic existence
Centuries of inquisition
to burn your own mistake
Your eyes are the eyes of malevolence
Your horns are your faith and your cruelty
Your thoughts are corrupted with deceit
Honesty was burned at the stake
Agonize, brutalize crawl in disgust
the end of the truth is the beginning of your fate
The horns and the eyes of malice
Deceit is the name of the game
The lyrics to Asphyx's song "Diabolical Existence" seem to be a scathing critique of the Catholic Church and its use of religion to manipulate and control its followers. The opening lines suggest that believers are meant to submit themselves to the authority of the Church and learn to pray, but that this is ultimately a means of domination and control. The second stanza accuses the Church of promoting an abstraction (i.e. God) that exists only in the mind, and of denying the reality of the world. The chorus is particularly damning, stating that the Church is the root of all evil and that the inquisition was an attempt to cover up this mistake.
The rest of the song continues in this vein, painting a picture of a corrupt institution that uses deception and cruelty to maintain its power. The "eyes of malevolence" and "horns of faith and cruelty" suggest that the Church is not just misguided, but actively evil. The final line, "deceit is the name of the game," reinforces this impression.
Overall, "Diabolical Existence" is a powerful condemnation of the Catholic Church and its practices. It suggests that religion can be used as a tool of oppression, and that blind faith can lead to terrible acts of inhumanity.
Line by Line Meaning
Born to bow to the altar of the lord
Destined to submit to the will of a divine power
Learn and pray
Study and show devotion
Watching you from above to dominate
Looking down to rule over you
Manipulate with this book
Control through the use of a religious text
Caress an abstraction
Romanticize an intangible concept
It's only in your mind
Exists solely in your thoughts
Useless denial of reality
Pointless rejection of truth
Diabolic existence
Evil way of life
The root of evil is you
You are the source of wickedness
Centuries of inquisition
Many years of questioning and investigation
to burn your own mistake
Punished for your own error
Your eyes are the eyes of malevolence
Your gaze is full of ill-will
Your horns are your faith and your cruelty
Your horns symbolize both your belief and your mercilessness
Your thoughts are corrupted with deceit
Your mind is full of dishonesty
Honesty was burned at the stake
Truthfulness was punished
Agonize, brutalize crawl in disgust
Suffer, harm others, and loathe yourself
the end of the truth is the beginning of your fate
When you stop acknowledging reality, your downfall begins
The horns and the eyes of malice
Signs of your wickedness
Deceit is the name of the game
Dishonesty is how you operate
Contributed by Gianna P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.