A technically savvy, sci-fi-minded death metal outfit from the Netherlands with ties to God Dethroned, Prostitute Disfigurement, Detonation, and Toxocara, Apophys formed in 2012 around the talents of vocalist Kevin Quilligan, drummer Michiel van der Plicht, bass player Mickeal Schuurman, and guitarists Sanne van Dijk and Koen Romeijn. Deriving their name from near-Earth asteroid 99942 Apophis, which caused a stir in 2004 after projections were made that it could severely impact Earth in 2029, the hard-hitting quintet's 2013 demo caught the ears of Metal Blade, who signed the group the following year. Invoking names like Cannibal Corpse, Immolation, and Suffocation, the band's debut album, Prime Incursion, arrived in March 2015. ~ James Christopher Monger