Understated and simple drone has been supplanted by understated and simple drone more fully realized, and more likely to catch your fancy. By ‘your’ I mean that narrowly focused group of diehard backward leaning black metal aficionados. Memorability comes into play, like the opening riff on “Dead End”, simple, memorable, and a lead in to further development. Expanding on the filth of Hellhammer riffing is always desirable. The vocals are much unchanged, still a combination of shrieks from tortured and torturer, but now there is time to breath a bit between vocal  lines. The drums now get to compete on a more equal footing volume wise and space wise, making for a more balanced delivery. The middle of “No Compassion, No Regrets” is as memorable as the Pink Panther theme, AE is really Henry Mancini’s illegitimate bastard step child. Tracks that fester the most in your gut are “Dead End”, and “The Sickness Within”. The track that will rot your brain is “No Compassion, No Regrets”, and the most jarring to your constitution is “The Beyond.”

Ultimately I’m convinced that what has happened is that the Avsky cancer is not in remission, it has instead spread so voraciously as to overwhelm the system. What we are witnessing is not a beating back of the Malignant values but those values unrestrained and unopposed.

They will need to find a new host body for album number four.

 Reports guitarist/bassist AE, “We’re extremely satisfied with the result so far. The material is much better and more complex than before, and we will have Nox from CRAFT make a guest appearance on one of the tracks.” Scorn is slated for release during the second half of 2009. AVSKY’s previous album, Malignant, was released last year by MORIBUND to rave reviews internationally.

For more info, consult www.moribundcult.com, www.avsky.tk and www.myspace.com/avskyband.

This is slow heavy riffs, screamed vocals, stripped down and raw, but not primitive production values. It actually sounds good, relatively crisp. The guitar buzz does not bury the drums. “Like Poison” shows some bursts of mid-paced speed and a hint of melodic lines. The seven and a half minute title track is extra slow with an ominous guitar solo and the drummer does some fills. Seven minutes is not easy for this style.

Why listen to this band instead of say Craft? Same reason why listen to Julliard graduate number 47,876 playing Mozart piano pieces, someone has got to keep the past alive. Someone else can be the developer of the next genre, we will always need new bands playing retro styles, be it black, thrash or death. You know when ignorant people look at abstract art and say their three year old could paint like that and the retort is your three year old didn’t think to do so. My three year old can play like this, and does, quite the accompaniment, and I’m encouraging her to think to do so, I’m starting them young, the next generation is on the way.

Is it the most vile, hateful, raw black metal concoction ever committed to plastic? No. Was it a worthy endeavor? Of course. There is no reason to download a sample before buying, if you don’t already know what it sounds like you’re not worthy, instead go up to your parent’s bedroom and slit your wrists, not too deep, and you better have some pills with you incase you chicken out with the knife. And make sure you have your Brittany Spears cd spinning so metal does not take the negative publicity hit.