The vision was to make the music we loved the most. That was Death Metal in the vein of old Death, Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, Messiah, Slaughter and of course Venom, etc. It was just for ourselves.

It got more brutal and straightforward. Also we used fewer and fewer solos. We also got heavier and heavier. But as a overall view, we didn't change much. We always kept the typical Asphyx style.

Yes, I think it's true indeed. I don't exactly know how we achieved this, it just came/comes naturally. It's the style we like the best. We are just being ourselves. In fact, we can't do anything else or even want to do anything else. Every song is based upon 1 or 2 single riffs which are repeated over and over again.

Art is what is in the heart, entertainment comes from the head. Art is real, entertainment is forced.

Books mostly for the lyrics, but it's the old horror/slasher movies which inspired us for the music. The creepy feeling and atmosphere. That combined with our longtime musical influences and you get the epic sound of Asphyx.

We always listened to bands like Venom, Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, old Messiah, Necrophagia, etc. so that kind of death metal was part of us anyhow. But also Black Sabbath was an influence more or less, with 1 or 2 single riffs carrying a whole song. And we always wanted to keep our music as simple as possible to get a heavier and catchy sound/writing. We never liked alot of riffs in a song, neither from ourselves nor from other bands. We like repetition. It's simply inside us. Asphyx = repetition.

Yes, we were the most consistent factor all over the years. It's not too hard to work with different members 'coz I know how Asphyx should sound. The guitarist does all the compositions and then we'll arrange them in the rehearsal room. For instance on our new album Death...The Brutal Way Paul did all the riffs and compositions, then we got into the rehearsal room and Martin and I changed some little things and there it was. Some things came into existence through pure jamming as well. But Paul understands 100% how Asphyx should sound like, like he was a member all along. Really amazing!

Yes, that's true indeed. I was fed up with the music business at that time so I quit Asphyx in 1993, after Martin left the band in 1992. It felt I had no control anymore of my own band, so I got frustrated quite alot. I said to Eric that he was free to continue with Asphyx which he did. The Asphyx album is a good album. Eric did a great job on that one. But no, we don't play any material from that album live...oh no, wait, yes, we do play "Abomination Echoes," a very old song from the 1989 demo Crush the Cenotaph.

There no actual reason for it, to be honest. It just happens. It's the Asphyx who leads our way I guess...however cheesy that may sound. But it just always turns out that way.

We always start with a basic riff that must carry the whole song. Or,sometimes we say, "Let's make a brutal Necrophagia-like riff (like Black Hole Storm)" and we take off from there.

But sometimes it's the emotion who leads the way as well, like "Asphyx II (they died as they marched)" when we were in the ultra doom mood or "Scorbutics" when we were in the total aggressive death mood.

Hahaha, you're not the first one to ask this. It's not only the effects/distortion who make the sound...also the playing is a part of it.

The soul and emotion. Very simply said, but it's the truth. Technique has nothing to do with it. The more technique is involved, the less soul the music has. Music comes from the heart, not from the head.

Yes, they have. In fact, they changed quite a bit, unfortunately. Death Metal did evolve from straightforward very dark and brutal music to megafast super technical lalalabullshit as we know it these days. Don't get me wrong, there are still great new bands around, but most bands are trying to break the new speed/technique record instead of focusing on the songs itself.

But, luckily, there are still great bands who still know how REAL Death Metal should be played and be carried on. The old true spirit is still there. Take for example the German Necros Christos -- totally dark and obscure straightforward death metal. Or the Swedish Revolting or Paganizer! Excellent stuff...or Ribspreader! Brilliant Death Metal to the bone!

Let me say this: "DEATHCORE SUCKS MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE"...man,I hate that term as well...Deathcore...bluurrghh! Modern death metal is horrible as well. It's getting way too technical and has no soul whatsoever. Sorry,not for me.

I don't know. We're still enjoying this alot. Our next move is a split 7" with Finnish doomsters Hooded Menace.

Death Metal has an idea behind it, of course. Obscure, dark, scary and heavy music which easily could come out of a grave. The music is deathly, the lyrics are deathly and the atmosphere is deathly. That is what real Death Metal means to me. The creepy graveyard atmosphere surrounded by hostile darkness.

A big failure since we are becoming victims of our own madness to science. I mean, we're even experimenting with creating black holes.....

18 questions it was, but it was fun doing them. Great to hear you're a long time Asphyx fan! Cheers to that!