Opening Hymn: Prelude to Fury

The moment a listener hits play, the opening hymn, Prelude II, welcomes them with a deep, rumbling soundscape. It starts low and slow, like a storm gathering force. Then it swells, pulling you in with hints of tension. War drums kick in next, pounding hard. They mix with thick layers of atmosphere that build relentlessly, setting the stage for raw fury.

Bavarian Core, Blackened Edge

This album, Menschenfeind, runs a full thirty minutes. It packs Bavarian death metal at its core. Blackened edges add a sharp, dark bite. Hardcore abrasion scrapes like nails on stone, rough and unyielding. Sardonic hails from Bavaria, a region in southern Germany known for its heavy, no-nonsense metal scene. Bands there often draw from old traditions, blending grit with precision. This release fits right in, but pushes harder.

Production as Punishment

Menschenfeind’s production grabs you from the start. It feels strong and alive, yet far from clean or fake. No sterile shine here—just a cold grip that matches the band’s angry vibe. The sound wraps around you like fog in a ruined city. It’s meant to crush, not charm. Dystopian tones paint a world gone wrong: brutal, hopeless, pressing down on your chest. This setup lets the aggression breathe, raw and real.

Sardonic turns away from slick, overdone sounds that many bands chase. They pick raw power instead. Each instrument stands out clearly, yet the whole mix stays icy and heavy. Mastering skips the loudness wars—those tricks that make everything blast too loud and flat. The focus stays on punch and force. No shine, just unrelenting weight that hits like a fist.

Ritual Hymns of Violence

The hymns themselves crush with brutal force. They sound like a wild ritual, not some polished studio trick. Feel it in the second hymn, “Berserker.” This one blasts off with war-like beats, fast and fierce. Primal anger explodes out, mixed with tight, soldier-like control. Drums hammer without stop; guitars slash with tremolo riffs that mimic battlefield mess. Vocals bark out like orders from a general—deep growls that rumble low, then sharp shrieks that cut the air.

In the third hymn, “Schatten seiner selbst.” It opens with a short, film-like intro, echoing the old Terminator movie. Think metallic thumps, far-off factory noises, and a chill of something bad closing in. This builds dread slowly, then slams into full chaos. Tracks like these show how Sardonic weaves tension before the storm breaks.

Vocals as Cursecraft

Sardonic provides the listener with a devilmanship, showcasing a fruit of artful composition, both instrumental and music. Jimmy leads the vocals with pure, animal force. His growls rip through the sound, wild and unchecked. He shifts from low death rumbles to piercing screams. This creates a split, pained feel—like a mind cracking, straining to endure. Vocals sit front and centre, pushing forward, not lost in the noise. They drive the attack, making you face the rage head-on.

Lyrics are in German, hurled out with pure hate and sorrow. Every word lands like a spit curse or a broken secret. Themes circle war’s horrors, pain that twists the body, minds lost to insanity, and faith crumbling to dust. Hymns such as “Menschenfeind”—which means “man-hater”—and “Seelenfresser,” or “soul-eater,” dig into the ugly side of people. No soft symbols here; it’s all gut-level truth, showing cruelty in plain sight. “Kammerflimmern” nods to a heart’s wild flutter gone wrong, like medical terror. “Am Abgrund” puts you right on the edge of nothing, staring into the void.