Label: Fetzner Death Records
Genre: Death Metal
Length: 38:36
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Sardonic is a death metal band hailing from Germany. Formed in 2022, the band released their first eponymous EP in 2023. This year, they are back with with their debut album Menschenfeind, scheduled for release on 25 September via the Fetzner Death Records label. The album will be released in digital format, on digipak CD and also on cassette.
With a running time of 38 minutes and 36 seconds, Menschenfeind features a prelude and nine tracks. From the introduction onwards, a dark and oppressive atmosphere takes hold, plunging the listener straight into the band's world. Musically, Sardonic delivers straightforward death metal, without too many nuances in the structures, but aggressive enough to leave a lasting impression. It's not a totally brutal album, but it maintains a relentless intensity. The guitars alternate between fast and slower passages, the drums remain solid and effectively support the rhythm, while the vocals impress with their duality: deep growls coupled with more piercing screams that add an evil aura to the whole. Most of the songs are in German. For a first release, the production is successful: each instrument remains distinct.
Certain highlights have remained particularly memorable for me. For example, the intro to Berserker is so powerful that it immediately grabs your attention, with its tight guitars and piercing vocals. I particularly enjoyed the composition from 3:24 onwards. On Schatten seiner selbst, the blasts from 1:15 onwards are perfectly placed and create a beautiful dynamic. On Ungeheuer, I felt a hardcore influence at the start of the vocals, and from 0:53 onwards, a dark atmosphere sets in thanks to an oppressive sound on the background, which also returns at 1:58, adding a cinematic dimension. The cries of torture from 2:13 onwards reinforce this feeling of intensity.
Then there's the track Kammerflimmern (my favourite track on the album) which evolves with a nuanced structure and an unexpected melodic side. In my opinion, the vocal performance is at its peak on this track. I even detected a certain influence, or rather a touch of black metal (maybe I can wrong). On Am Abgrund, the band offers a welcome moment of calm, but this respite is short-lived: before the first minute is even up, The rhythm surges back to life, faithfully echoing the album’s spirit.
The title track, Menschenfeind, stands out for its aggressiveness, both in the instruments and vocals, all wrapped up in a dark and oppressive atmosphere. Horror, the shortest track, acts as a cinematic and disturbing transition to Schlachthof, where the vocal performance clearly stands out as one of the highlights of the album, never faltering. Finally, the album concludes with Seelenfresser, probably the most accomplished track. Its heavy and ceremonial introduction, marked by the sound of bells, sets an almost ritualistic mood before shifting to fast guitar composition and relentless drums. The richness of its arrangements makes it in ly opinion the most elaborate track on the album. I particularly loved the scream at 3:59, followed by the dark melodies from 4:23 onwards.
To conclude, I can say that Menschenfeind is a solid, direct and uncompromising debut album. Sardonic develops a dark and aggressive identity, supported by clear production and particularly striking vocals.
You can order a copy of the album on Fetzner Death Records - Website or on the Bandcamp below