Review: Darkthrone “Sardonic Wrath” CD

After a two-and-a-half-minute dark ambient intro (that perhaps ironically sounds far thicker and smoother than anything else on the record), Norway's kings of no bullshit black metal return with another half-hour or so of their patented material. Expect sneering vocals, powerful midpaced or slow tempos that balance things out with a sinister undercurrent, and a good dose of energized speed on occasion. It's amazing to think that Darkthrone now has more than 10 records under their collective belt, yet they're still going strong. Old fans won't be let down by this one either. As has been the case with their past work I really enjoy the fact that they're more concerned with songwriting and force than they are with speed, so they use speed with tact and tend to dwell more on plodding midpaced rhythms that are darker and more aggressive in the end. "Alle Gegen Alle" is among the slowest tracks herein, while "Man Tenker Sitt" follows not far behind, and "Straightening Sharks in Heaven" achieves an excellent atmosphere with some nice guitar layering and persistent midpaced tempos that never get too fast. "Sacrificing to the God of Doubt" even bases around a strangely rocked out riff that sounds sort of like Mot?rhead played at 1/3 its original speed or something!? Very dissonant, and very fucking cool... a really killer standout, this one. "Information Wants to Be Syndicated" has some of the fastest playing herein, with the aptly titled "Hate is the Law" a very close rival that actually gets more in your face with some of its more shouted vocal work. Closer "Rawness Obsolete" is another dirge-like piece, plowing on for more than six minutes with more prominent distorted bass and a truly powerful aesthetic. And, of course, the recording is pretty damn primal. More so than it was on "Hate Them", though still effective in a manner that Darkthrone has certainly perfected (if not created) over the last 13 years. It's a little thin to a degree, but you can actually hear the bass parts in there, the drums are distant but sound good to me, and the grating guitar tone works out surprisingly well - due in part to the audible presence of the basslines and the fact that the vocals sound perfect and are mixed in very closely against the instruments. As usual it's the kind of thing that "true" black metal bands always shoot for, but very few pull off without a hitch. I'm really digging the layout on this one. Everything is in black and white, as usual, but it looks different this time out, with a nice painting of fucked up angels tormenting lost souls or whatever, and nice fonts as well. Shit, even the two band photos are fucking great in my opinion: All attitude, and for once a black metal band that shuns cheesiness in their band shots. Nice work there. The lyrics are a little cryptic, mostly in English this time, and definitely different than the norm for this band: "All you take for granted is fake, And all the angels are on the take, Fear the silent majority, When you hate, God can't see you..." Who could complain? Now that I've been appreciating Darkthrone for a number of years (after my initial uncertainty regarding their sound), I can't imagine being let down. They're one of the most consistent bands ever to walk the earth.