Sardonic Wrath

Infobox Album | Name = Sardonic Wrath
Type = studio
Artist = Darkthrone


Released = September 6, 2004
Recorded = 2004
Length = 34:22
Label = Moonfog Productions
Producer = Darkthrone
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|3.5|5 [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:1efqoataeijx link]
Last album = "Hate Them"
(2003)
This album = "Sardonic Wrath"
(2004)
Next album = "The Cult Is Alive"
(2006)

"Sardonic Wrath" is the tenth album by the Norwegian black metal band, Darkthrone. It was released through Moonfog Productions in 2004, and was their last album with the record label. It was also Darkthrone's last album to be recorded solely in the black metal style, as their next albums would feature much stronger crust punk traits.

The whole album was leaked on the Internet during April 2004, which was extremely premature considering 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 their "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, which many find to be quite strange, considering some vocals are easily comprehendible.

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" (My Thoughts Sit) – 3:05
#"Sacrificing to the God of Doubt" – 4:34
#"Hate is the Law" – 3:22
#"Rawness Obsolete" – 6:14

Credits

*Fenriz – drums, vocals on "Hate is the Law"
*Nocturno Culto – electric guitar, bass guitar, vocals
*Apollyon – vocals on "Hate is the Law"