OK, first of all an apology to everybody for not reviewing this one earlier, I know it’s been out for quite a while now and that it is an important release. Second, for those of you who by some strange reason still haven’t found out, this album isn’t a Transilvanian Hunger part 2, and for all of you that still have faith on it happening, well guys, with Sardonic Wrath they didn’t get close at all; and it’s more than clear they will never ever, and I mean EVER do something as glorious as they did in their brilliant past.

Sardonic Wrath follows the vein of their previous effort Hate Them, but I actually liked this one better. First of all the production sounds more raw and that is something that I can appreciate in a Darkthrone album, but don’t expect the dark, grim and cold atmosphere found on their first albums, just a more raw production than in the previous one. Music wise they continue to play the same style of Black Metal with a bit of a punk attitude, they played on the previous release, some good riffing in some songs like Sacrificing to the God of Doubt, but to be honest with you there are some songs which I would even dare to call uninspired and boring, like Alle Gegen Alle.

Every day a Norwegian Black Metal band releases an album, is a day I feel more melancholic and makes me long for the golden age of Norwegian Black Metal; every time a band from the frostbitten kingdom of darkness (a.k.a. Norway) released an album, you could rest assured that it was going to be special and that it was going to blow you away. Now it feels like the Norwegians are extremely obsessed on remaining true and this is something that can hurt the scene a lot. I’m not saying that all Norwegian bands should change like Dimmu Borgir, or that Darkthrone should change at all, I'm just saying that there are bands that have an extremely original sound and that at the same time manage to stay true to their roots, like Taake. It's obvious that Darkthrone will never change their style, but maybe they should consider releasing their albums with more time between them, because the monotony is starting to bore me.

This isn’t a bad album by any means, no; but being so many amazing releases this year; is it necessary? Well, “kvlt” kiddies probably already have it as well as Darkthrone fans, people wondering why Darkthrone are considered gods by us, Black Metal freaks should buy their unholy trinity: A Blaze in the Northern Sky, Under a Funeral Moon and specially Transilvanian Hunger; as for the rest of the world well, I don’t feel this one is necessary at all, just a good Black Metal album, but why buy a good album when there are loads of amazing ones you still don’t have?