Sardonic Wrath
Encyclopedia
Sardonic Wrath is the tenth album by the Norwegian
black metal
band, Darkthrone
. It was released through Moonfog Productions in 2004, and was the band's last album with that record label. Though punk
influences are already apparent, it would be Darkthrone's last album recorded solely in the black metal style. Their subsequent albums feature much stronger punk
traits.
The entire album was leaked
on the Internet
beginning in April 2004, extremely premature of the September 2004 release date. However, the final release of the album was considerably different from the Internet leak.
The title of the album seems to have been derived from the lyrics of "Earth's Last Picture", a song from Darkthrone's Total Death album ("As lands tremble, and empires fall/Ye may hear us laugh with sardonic wrath"). Sardonic Wrath is also a term used in The Book of Satan in The Satanic Bible
("I blast out the ghastly contents of philosophically whited sepulchers and laugh with sardonic wrath!").
On the song "Hate is the Law", vocals are performed by Fenriz
and Apollyon
. Oddly, the closing song, "Rawness Obsolete", is listed on many lyric sites as an instrumental. This can be attributed to the lack of any printed lyrics in the accompanying booklet.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band, Darkthrone
Darkthrone
Darkthrone is a Norwegian black metal band. They formed in 1987 as a death metal band, but after embracing the black metal style in 1991, they became a driving force in the Norwegian black metal scene. For most of this period Darkthrone has consisted of just two musicians, Nocturno Culto and...
. It was released through Moonfog Productions in 2004, and was the band's last album with that record label. Though punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
influences are already apparent, it would be Darkthrone's last album recorded solely in the black metal style. Their subsequent albums feature much stronger punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
traits.
The entire album was leaked
Internet leak
An Internet leak occurs when a party's confidential information is released to the public on the Internet. Various types of information and data can be, and have been, "leaked" to the Internet, the most common being personal information, computer software and source code, and artistic works such...
on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
beginning in April 2004, extremely premature of the September 2004 release date. However, the final release of the album was considerably different from the Internet leak.
The title of the album seems to have been derived from the lyrics of "Earth's Last Picture", a song from Darkthrone's Total Death album ("As lands tremble, and empires fall/Ye may hear us laugh with sardonic wrath"). Sardonic Wrath is also a term used in The Book of Satan in The Satanic Bible
The Satanic Bible
The Satanic Bible is a collection of essays, observations, and rituals published by Anton LaVey in 1969. It contains the core principles of LaVeyan Satanism, and is considered the foundation of its philosophy and dogma. It has been described as the most important document to influence contemporary...
("I blast out the ghastly contents of philosophically whited sepulchers and laugh with sardonic wrath!").
On the song "Hate is the Law", vocals are performed by Fenriz
Fenriz
Leif Gylve Nagell , better known as Fenriz, is the drummer and lyricist of the Norwegian black metal duo Darkthrone...
and Apollyon
Apollyon (musician)
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...
. Oddly, the closing song, "Rawness Obsolete", is listed on many lyric sites as an instrumental. This can be attributed to the lack of any printed lyrics in the accompanying booklet.
Track listing
- "Order of the Ominous" – 2:32
- "Information Wants to be Syndicated" – 3:44
- "Sjakk matt Jesu Krist" (Checkmate Jesus Christ) – 4:04
- "Straightening Sharks in Heaven" – 3:27
- "Alle gegen alle" (All Against All) – 3:21
- "Man tenker sitt" (You Have Your Thoughts) – 3:05
- "Sacrificing to the God of Doubt" – 4:34
- "Hate Is the Law" – 3:22
- "Rawness Obsolete" – 6:14
Credits
- FenrizFenrizLeif Gylve Nagell , better known as Fenriz, is the drummer and lyricist of the Norwegian black metal duo Darkthrone...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, vocals on "Hate Is the Law" - Nocturno CultoNocturno CultoNocturno 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 currently works in Norway as a school teacher, and has a son and a daughter...
– electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - ApollyonApollyon (musician)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...
– vocals on "Hate Is the Law"