Sardonic Wrath | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 6 September 2004 | |||
Recorded | 2004 | |||
Genre | Black metal | |||
Length | 34:22 | |||
Label | Moonfog Productions | |||
Producer | Darkthrone | |||
Darkthrone chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | link |
Terrorizer | 8.5/10 [1] |
Sardonic Wrath is the 10th studio album by the Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone. It was released 6 September 2004 by Moonfog Productions, and was the band's last album on that record label. It was also Darkthrone's last album recorded solely in the black metal style, with subsequent albums featuring stronger punk traits. However, Einar Sjursø observed in Terrorizer that "even if there is a certain punk attitude to the odd riff here and there" it is a case of "the diabolic duo [Fenriz and Nocturno Culto]...simply drawing more influences into the Darkthrone melting pot, turning them into crystalline Darkthrone riffs". [1]
The entire album was leaked on the Internet beginning in April 2004, long before the September 2004 release date.
On the song "Hate Is the Law", vocals were performed by Fenriz and Apollyon.
This album is dedicated to the memory of Quorthon from Bathory.
The album was reissued by Peaceville Records in 2014. The reissue contained a bonus disc of commentary from Fenriz and Nocturno Culto.
All lyrics are written by Fenriz, except where noted.
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Order of the Ominous" (instrumental) | Fenriz | 2:32 |
2. | "Information Wants to Be Syndicated" | Nocturno Culto | 3:44 |
3. | "Sjakk matt Jesu Krist" ("Checkmate Jesus Christ") | Fenriz | 4:04 |
4. | "Straightening Sharks in Heaven" | Nocturno Culto | 3:27 |
5. | "Alle gegen alle" ("All Against All") | Fenriz | 3:21 |
6. | "Man tenker sitt" ("You Have Your Thoughts") | Nocturno Culto | 3:05 |
7. | "Sacrificing to the God of Doubt" | Nocturno Culto | 4:34 |
8. | "Hate Is the Law" | Fenriz | 3:22 |
9. | "Rawness Obsolete" | Fenriz, Nocturno Culto | 6:14 |
Total length: | 34:22 |
Darkthrone is a Norwegian extreme metal band from Kolbotn, Akershus. Formed in 1986 as a death metal band named Black Death, in 1991 Darkthrone embraced a black metal style influenced by Bathory and Celtic Frost and became one of the leading bands in the Norwegian black metal scene.
Gylve Fenris Nagell, better known as Fenriz, is a Norwegian musician, part-time music journalist, and online radio host who is best known as being one half of the extreme metal duo Darkthrone, alongside Nocturno Culto. Although primarily a drummer and songwriter, he has also played bass, guitar, and done vocals for Darkthrone and several other metal bands. Fenriz is famed for his encyclopedic knowledge of metal music, his eager promotion of underground bands and the DIY ethic, and his rejection of the "showbiz side of the music industry". Fenriz was also the studio drummer for doom metal band Valhall, and has had several solo projects, including the folk black metal project Isengard and the dark ambient project Neptune Towers.
Soulside Journey is the first studio album by Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone. It was released 13 January 1991 by Peaceville Records. It is notable as the band's only death metal album, before they became an integral part of the Norwegian black metal scene.
A Blaze in the Northern Sky is the second studio album by Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone. It was recorded at Creative Studios in August 1991 and released on 26 February 1992 by Peaceville Records. It contained the band's first black metal recordings and is considered a classic within the genre. It was the first album of what fans dub the "Unholy Trinity", the other albums being Under a Funeral Moon and Transilvanian Hunger. It was the last album to feature bassist Dag Nilsen.
Under a Funeral Moon is the third studio album by Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone. It was recorded in June 1992 and released on 15 February 1993 by Peaceville Records. Written and recorded with the aim of creating a "pure black metal album", it is the second of what is dubbed the band's "Unholy Trinity", along with A Blaze in the Northern Sky and Transilvanian Hunger. Under a Funeral Moon was the last album on which guitarist Zephyrous performed; he left the band shortly after its release.
Transilvanian Hunger is the fourth studio album by Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone. It was released 17 February 1994 by Peaceville Records.
Panzerfaust is the fifth studio album by Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone, released in June 1995 by Moonfog Productions (Europe) and The End Records. The track "Quintessence" featured lyrics by Varg Vikernes, their second and final album to do so. As with the previous album Transilvanian Hunger, all instruments on Panzerfaust were recorded solely by Fenriz on a 4-track recorder set up in his bedroom ; with Nocturno Culto performing vocals on all songs except for the outro.
Total Death is the sixth studio album by Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone. It was recorded in August and October 1995 at Ancient Specter Ruins and released in 1996 by Moonfog Productions.
Ravishing Grimness is the seventh studio album by Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone. It was released 29 September 1999 by Moonfog Productions.
Plaguewielder is the eighth studio album by Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone. It was released 10 September 2001 by Moonfog Productions.
Hate Them is the ninth studio album by Norwegian black metal band, Darkthrone. It was released 10 March 2003 by Moonfog Productions. Like their subsequent release, Sardonic Wrath, the album had an electronic intro and outro created by Lars Sørensen from Red Harvest. The cover image was the work of Eric Syre from Thesyre, and incorporated images of the Sagrada Família Catholic church in Barcelona. In 2012, the album was reissued by Peaceville Records, including a bonus CD with audio commentary by the band.
Ted Skjellum, also known by the stage name Nocturno Culto, is a Norwegian musician best known as the vocalist, lead guitarist, and partial bassist of the influential black metal band Darkthrone. He has been with the band since 1988. He is also the vocalist of the band Sarke, and has a solo project called Gift of Gods. He currently works in Norway as a school teacher, and has a son and a daughter. He has also released a documentary film called The Misanthrope in which he deals with black metal music and life in Norway.
Aura Noir is a Norwegian black/thrash metal band from Oslo. Aura Noir is heavily influenced by early thrash bands such as Voivod, Slayer, Sodom and Kreator, to the latter they have also dedicated some of their songs. The band's main lyrical themes focus on blasphemy, death and aggression.
The Cult Is Alive is the 11th studio album by the Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone. It was released 27 February 2006 by Peaceville Records. This album represented a shift in the band's style, as they incorporated more punk and crust punk traits. Drummer Fenriz stated, "Call it black metal or evil rock, I don't care..."
Goatlord is a demo album by Norwegian band Darkthrone, released in 1996. The album was re-released by Peaceville Records in 2011, with new artwork approved by the band and a second disc containing commentary from Fenriz and Nocturno Culto.
Apollyon is a black metal/thrash metal multi-instrumentalist, formerly associated with Dødheimsgard and Cadaver, now playing in Aura Noir and also Immortal after its reforming in 2006. He has done guest vocals on the Darkthrone albums Plaguewielder and Sardonic Wrath, and also on Audiopain's EP 1986 (2000). He was a live guitarist for Gorgoroth from 2003 to 2004, and performed at Gorgoroth's now infamous Kraków gig in February 2004. In 2004 Apollyon participated in a live tribute to Quorthon of Bathory at the Hole in the Sky festival in Bergen, Norway. Apollyon played bass on all songs, and also did the vocals on the song Equimanthorn. In addition to Apollyon, the line-up of this tribute band consisted of Bård Faust (ex-Emperor) on drums and Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved) and Samoth (Emperor) on guitars, as well as guest vocalists Gaahl (Gorgoroth), Abbath (Immortal), Grutle Kjellson (Enslaved), Nocturno Culto (Darkthrone) and Satyr (Satyricon).
Circle the Wagons is the 14th studio album by the Norwegian band Darkthrone. The album was released 5 April 2010 by Peaceville Records. Fenriz, the band's drummer, described the music as Darkthrone's "own brand of heavy metal/speed metal-punk", and declared it a further shift from their old black metal style. About half of the album was written by Fenriz and half by Nocturno Culto.
The Underground Resistance is the 15th studio album by Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone. It was released 25 February 2013 by Peaceville Records.
Arctic Thunder is the 16th studio album by Norwegian band Darkthrone. It was released 14 October 2016 by Peaceville Records. It was recorded from August to December 2015 at Necrohell II Studios. The first single from the album was "Tundra Leech".
Old Star is the 17th studio album by the Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone, released on 31 May 2019, by Peaceville Records. The album represented another drastic musical shift for the band, now featuring a Doom metal style in the vein of Candlemass, combined with the band's more recent "blackened heavy metal" sound.