Artist: Asphyxiater
Country: USA
Label: Self-Released
Formats: Digital
Year: 2026
After having spent some time operating under the moniker of Suicidal Preacher, this band changed their name to Asphyxiater in 2025 and then quickly released a digital 3-track demo. All three tracks make their re-appearance on this debut album, ‘Process Of Suffocation’, which they too self-released in digital form. Although its playing time is well under 20 minutes, it is fodder for those who cherish the old and uncomplicated days of Death Metal.
You could say that with just five tracks, including a Death cover (‘Choke On It’) and three from the demo released in December 2025, it’s a rather small catch to call this a debut album. Especially as the running time of just under 19 minutes is barely any longer than that of a 7″ EP. But, as guitarist and vocalist Eric Espina puts it so well: ‘We want to honour the golden era of Death Metal. Hope you enjoy it. We love what we do!’. That is precisely where Asphyxiater’s strength lies.
It may be a bit on the short side and perhaps not very ambitious, but the enjoyment the three gentlemen are having really comes through in the music. And that’s what it’s all about, because although it’s not particularly complex, it doesn’t seem as though they need to raise the bar much higher. This comes across particularly well on the Death cover, originally featured on the 1988 ‘Leprosy’ album. Of course, there’s no shame in not quite reaching Death’s standard, and the rest of the album also features tracks that are more in line with the simpler structures and riffs of Autopsy. But whichever way you look at it, Asphyxiater’s Death Metal offers excellent entertainment value, and I’m only too happy to answer Eric Espina’s question: “Yes, I enjoyed it a lot!”.
