Sardonic — Menschenfeind

Sardonic — Menschenfeind

Sept 25 via Fetzner Death Records

Sardonic’s debut full length Menschenfeind, is a brutal statement of intent from one of Germany’s most uncompromising new death metal outfits. Clocking in at just over 35 minutes, the album wastes no time delivering its message, dark, relentless, and unapologetically hostile.

From the opening “Prelude II”, a haunting introduction that sets the dystopian tone, Sardonic launch into “Berserker” with machine gun precision — sharp riffing, modern blast beats, and Jimmy’s commanding German language vocals. The choice to keep the lyrics in their native tongue adds weight and authenticity, lending each track a sense of immediacy and menace.

“Schatten Seiner Selbst” and “Ungeheuer” showcase the band’s ability to balance raw aggression with atmosphere. These are not just blunt force assaults, there’s intent and craft behind every riff and transition. “Kammerflimmern” and “Am Abgrund” dive deeper into Sardonic’s bleak vision, fusing death, black, and even doom textures into their sound without ever losing momentum.

The title track, “Menschenfeind”, stands as the album’s thematic centrepiece, a vicious reflection on humanity’s darkest impulses. From there, “Horror” and “Schlachthof” continue the descent, delivering some of the record’s most suffocating moments. Closing epic “Seelenfresser” stretches past the five minute mark, ending the album with equal parts despair and destructive power.

Recorded at Betonwerk and Wasteland Studios, the production is tight, modern, and deliberately unpolished, retaining grit while ensuring every instrument cuts through the mix. The result is a sound that is both immediate and crushing, perfectly aligned with the band’s thematic vision.

With Menschenfeind, Sardonic have crafted a debut that is concise, focused, and uncompromising. It’s an album that not only cements their place in the German extreme metal scene but also signals their readiness to take it to a global stage.

9/10 👊🏽