Avsky - Malignant
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The intro to “Fuck Your Values, Fuck Your Beliefs” is a direct throwback to Black Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath,” heavy metal’s big bang moment. Church bells toll over stark tritones, as iron boots trudge underneath. Eventually, the mid-paced slog of mid-period Darkthrone settles in. Most of Malignant (Moribund, 2008) is mid-paced, a refreshing change from black metal’s usual blur. Avsky (Swedish for “disgust”) understand that heavy requires slow, a principle that makes me prefer Darkthrone after their classic records. Blastbeats crop up occasionally, but otherwise this record is built for headbanging – see the huge, curmudgeonly hook that starts “The Filth.” Yes, Malignant is derivative, down to its cover – see Ihsahn’s The Adversary – but why mess with the template when one can perfect it? Darkthrone haven’t sounded this caustic in years.
Fuck Your Values, Fuck Your BeliefsThe Filth
Malignant is available at Moribund, Relapse, and The End.
