DARKTHRONE The Dull Years Part 1

Artist: DARKTHRONE
Title: Sardonic Wrath
Year of Release: 2004
Label: Moonfog
Format: LP

Darkthrone are one of my fave bands without question, and as previously mentioned their last two offerings ‘The Cult Is Alive’ and ‘Fuck Off And Die’ are the best they have conjured, and by far, since 1995’s ‘Panzerfaust’.

So how have the band managed to remain vital? How have fans such as myself remained loyal? I’ve bought every Darkthrone record as it was released, and though disappointed, continued to support them and continued to fly the flag.

Sure, you could argue that they made four extraordinary releases (the first four BM records) but what about that old adage… where you are only as great as your last outing? Why doesn’t that apply? It’s probably true that Darkthrone have not really decreased in popularity, but they certainly haven’t raised the bar any higher. At least not until ‘F.O.A.D’ which I imagine has opened the door to a whole new fanbase.

So I’ve been spinning ‘Sardonic Wrath’ a few times today, and this is one of those records that no matter how often I hear, it just fails to move me. Perhaps the more primitive, punk rock aura of the last two offerings is all my brain is capable of understanding? I imagine it’s more than that somehow.

The cover of this album seems kinda daft. Corpse Painted angels doing whatever it is that corpse painted angels do. Though I think the cover of ‘F.O.A.D’ sucks heavily, it didn’t lessen the virtue of the music for me. No, the problem with ‘Sardonic…’ is simply that it’s tedious. Yeah it has a ripping sound which offers some salvation, but it’s so watered down and uninspired that even that perfect balance of clarity, rawness and conviction is unable to converge to inspire something truly memorable. The riffs are really uncreative also. I can’t really imagine playing any of these riffs in isolation and being aroused by them. Isn’t that a benchmark for what a great song should be underpinned by?

The highlight for me is definitely ‘Sjakk Matt Jesu Krist’, and while I really love the band’s take on the Celtic Frost sound - a sound I believe to be pertinent here on ‘S.W’, it just fails overall to inspire the same feelings that the (un)godly ‘Panzerfaust’ did.