Born in Porto, Portugal, and now based in the USA, Sardonic Witchery have spent more than a decade keeping the spirit of raw, old-school black/thrash metal alive. Their latest release, “Hell’s Thorns Attack”, is an uncompromising 35-minute attack of darkness, speed, aggression and pure underground metal. We spoke with Sardonic Witchery and King Demogorgon (all instruments, vocals) about the new album, their influences, songwriting, the underground scene and what comes next. Turn up the volume and enter the darkness!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
When, where and how was Sardonic Witchery founded? Give us please a short bio of the band!
Sardonic Witchery was founded between 2011/2012 in Porto, Portugal, by myself. It started as a one-man black metal project, with me handling the vocals, drums, guitars, bass, compositions, and lyrics. The first demo, Hidden Shadows, was released in December 2012, marking the beginning of Sardonic Witchery’s journey through the underground.
After moving to Dallas, Texas, I started working with live musicians for Sardonic Witchery’s live performances, around October 2013 i did my first show on drums while singing. In 2015, I also began working with live musicians in Portugal, allowing the band to perform in both countries while the creative direction remained under my control.
In 2022, I started working with live musicians from Washington, D.C. for worldwide performances. After playing live with Sardonic Witchery since 2022, G. Lucis Ruina was officially announced as an official member of the band in 2025.
Throughout the years, Sardonic Witchery has released demos, EPs, compilations, Splits, and several full-length albums, developing an uncompromising sound rooted in raw and unholy black metal, with strong influences from black/thrash and traditional heavy metal.
From its beginnings in Porto to its current base in USA, Sardonic Witchery has always remained dedicated to the underground, keeping the music aggressive, dark, and authentic, pure old fashioned satanic black thrash cult of steel.
“Hell’s Thorns Attack” is your new album! What are your feelings now that it is released?
Honestly, we feel extremely proud and satisfied now that Hell’s Thorns Attack is finally released. We put a huge amount of time, energy, and dedication into this album, and we wanted to make it exactly the way we envisioned it.
The whole process was intense, with many hours of work, sacrifices, and unforgettable moments behind the songs, recording, production, and artwork. It was not always easy, but everything was done with total dedication to Sardonic Witchery.
We also feel that Hell’s Thorns Attack represents a new chapter for the band. The spirit and darkness of Sardonic Witchery are still there, but the music has evolved, becoming more aggressive and bringing stronger elements of black/thrash and old-school heavy metal.
Seeing people listening to the album, buying the physical releases, and receiving so many positive reviews has been incredibly rewarding. After all the work we put into it, it feels great to finally have the album out in the hands of the maniacs.
Now we are ready to take Hell’s Thorns Attack to the stage and spread the plague everywhere we can.
Where would you trace the differences between the new album and your previous work?
I think the biggest difference is the evolution of the songwriting and the energy behind the music. Our previous albums were more focused on raw and traditional black metal, while Hell’s Thorns Attack takes that foundation and pushes it into a more aggressive direction.
There are much stronger black/thrash and speed metal influences on this album, along with elements of old-school heavy metal. The songs are more dynamic, the riffs are more aggressive, and we wanted the whole album to have a stronger feeling of speed, violence, and attack.
I also think this album benefits from the collaboration between us. G. Lucis Ruina brought a lot to the musical side of Sardonic Witchery, and together we were able to push the sound further without losing its identity.
At the same time, we didn’t want to completely change what Sardonic Witchery is. The darkness, rawness, evil atmosphere, and underground spirit are still there. We simply allowed the music to evolve naturally.
We also don’t reject our past. Our previous albums are an important part of Sardonic Witchery, and we will continue playing songs from them live. Those songs are part of our history and our identity, and we want the old tracks to continue living on stage alongside the new material.
For us, Hell’s Thorns Attack is not about forgetting what came before. It is simply the next step in the evolution of Sardonic Witchery.
Sardonic Witchery combine black metal and thrash metal in a very raw and violent way. How would you describe the band’s musical identity?
I would describe Sardonic Witchery’s musical identity as raw, aggressive, dark, and violent black metal with a strong influence from old-school thrash and speed metal. We don’t try to make the music sound polished or overly modern. We want it to have that dirty, dangerous feeling that comes from the old underground.
Black metal is still the foundation of Sardonic Witchery, but thrash and speed metal give the music more movement, aggression, and a different kind of energy. There are also elements of traditional heavy metal, especially in the riffs and leads.
For us, it’s not about simply mixing genres together. The most important thing is the atmosphere and the attitude. The music has to sound evil, powerful, and genuine.
Sardonic Witchery has its own identity because everything comes together naturally: the raw black metal atmosphere, the violence of thrash, the speed of speed metal, and the old-school heavy metal spirit. We want the listener to feel that this music comes from the underground and was made with passion, not according to trends.
In the end, I would simply call it raw and unholy black metal with a fucking strong dose of thrash and speed metal.
Sardonic Witchery have a very old-school extreme metal feeling. Which bands and artists were the biggest influences on your sound?
Our influences come from many different sides of the old-school metal world. Sardonic Witchery was never based on only one band or one particular style.
Of course, the first wave of black metal is very important to us – Bathory, Venom, Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, early Mayhem, Sarcófago, etc… We also take a lot from the rawer and more obscure side of black metal, with bands like Maniac Butcher, Darkthrone, Azaghal, Besatt, etc…
Then there is the thrash and speed metal side, which is a huge part of what we do. Motörhead, Kreator, Destruction, Slayer, Exumer, Nifelheim, Desaster, Nocturnal, Bewitched, Nunslaughter, Destroyer 666, and Gospel of the Horns are all bands we really appreciate. I especially like the way these bands combine aggression, speed, memorable riffs, and a very strong underground attitude.
And we cannot forget traditional heavy metal. Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate, King Diamond, and Manowar have also been important influences. The guitar work, the riffs, the leads, the atmosphere, and that powerful feeling of classic heavy metal are things we love.
So, when you put all of these influences together, you get a pretty good idea of where Sardonic Witchery comes from. But we are not trying to sound like any of these bands. They are part of our musical education and the music we grew up loving. We take different elements from everything that inspired us and turn them into our own sound.
For me, the most important thing is that the music has to feel genuine. It has to have aggression, darkness, energy, and that old-school spirit. Whether a riff comes from a black metal influence, a thrash influence, or heavy metal, it still has to sound like SARDONIC WITCHERY.
When you start writing a new song, does it usually begin with a riff, a vocal idea, a drum pattern, or a particular atmosphere?
I don’t really follow a fixed formula. A song can start with a riff, a guitar idea, a drum pattern, a vocal line, or simply a particular atmosphere or feeling that I want to turn into music. I let the song develop naturally, and I don’t try to force it into a specific style. The most important thing is that when the song is finished, it has the right atmosphere and sounds like Sardonic Witchery.
With Hell’s Thorns Attack, though, things were a little different. This time we had a very clear idea of what we wanted to achieve from the beginning. With G. Lucis Ruina by my side, we decided to create an album that would make you want to climb the fucking walls — something fast, aggressive, violent, and full of energy, but still keeping the darkness and identity of Sardonic Witchery.
This was the first time in the history of Sardonic Witchery that the music was truly created by both of us. It became a real dual creation. We worked together, exchanged ideas, and pushed the songs further than I could have done alone.
That was also one of the reasons I offered G. Lucis Ruina the opportunity to officially join Sardonic Witchery. I knew what I wanted for this album, but he has much stronger guitar skills than I do, and I knew he could bring things to the music that I couldn’t achieve by myself. There was no ego involved – the goal was simply to create the strongest album we could.
So this time, we knew exactly where we wanted to go, and we built the songs around that vision. The result is Hell’s Thorns Attack.
“Hell’s Thorns Attack” contains eight compositions. How long did it take to write and complete the album?
The album was composed and recorded between September 2025 and January 2026. So, the whole process was actually quite intense and happened in a relatively short period of time.
We already had a very clear vision of what we wanted Hell’s Thorns Attack to become, and we worked hard to bring that vision to life. With G. Lucis Ruina involved in the creative process, we were able to develop the songs together and push the music in the direction we wanted.
There were many hours of writing, rehearsing, recording, changing things, listening back, and making sure every detail was right. We didn’t want to overthink the songs or spend years polishing them. We wanted to capture the energy and aggression while it was still fresh.
In the end, eight compositions were created and recorded within those few months, and we are very happy with the result. Hell’s Thorns Attack is the product of that intense period of creativity and work.
Your songs are raw and aggressive but also carefully structured. How important is songwriting and composition compared with pure speed and brutality?
For us, songwriting and composition are extremely important. Speed and brutality are powerful elements, but if you don’t have good riffs, structure, and atmosphere behind them, they don’t mean much. We don’t want to make music that is simply fast for the sake of being fast.
Every song needs to have its own identity and a reason to exist. We want the riffs to be memorable, the transitions to make sense, and the different parts of the song to create tension and atmosphere. Then we can use speed and brutality to make those elements hit even harder.
With Hell’s Thorns Attack, we paid a lot of attention to the composition. We wanted the songs to be aggressive and violent, but also to have hooks, changes, and moments that stay in your head. The brutality is important, but it has to serve the song.
I think the best extreme metal happens when aggression and songwriting work together. You can play at 250 BPM’S, but if the riffs don’t make you feel something, what’s the fucking point?
For Sardonic Witchery, we want both: strong songwriting and total fucking violence!
There are plenty of riffs and guitar solos throughout the album. How do you approach writing solos, and what makes a solo fit a particular song?
The guitar solos on Hell’s Thorns Attack are mainly the result of G. Lucis Ruina’s work. As I said before, he has much stronger guitar skills than I do, so I gave him a lot of freedom to express himself through the leads and solos.
For us, a solo has to fit the atmosphere and energy of the song. We don’t want to put a solo there just to show how technically good someone can play. It has to feel like a natural part of the composition and add something to the song.
Some solos are more aggressive and chaotic, while others are more melodic or have a more traditional heavy metal feeling. It depends on what the particular song needs. Sometimes the solo should make the song even more violent; sometimes it should create a different atmosphere or give the listener a moment to breathe before the attack continues.
Lucis Ruina brought a lot of his own personality into the guitar work, and I think that’s one of the things that makes this album different. The solos are not just decoration – they are part of the songwriting and help give each track its own character.
The most important thing is that when the solo ends, you feel that it belonged there. It should make the song stronger, not simply make the guitarist look good.
The blast beats and relentless drumming give the album tremendous energy. How important is the rhythm section in creating the overall Sardonic Witchery attack?
The rhythm section is extremely important to the Sardonic Witchery attack. The drums are not just there to keep time – they are one of the main weapons of our music.
The blast beats bring speed, chaos, and violence, but we also use different rhythms and slower parts to create contrast. On Hell’s Thorns Attack, we wanted the drums and bass to push the riffs forward and make everything hit harder.
For me, the rhythm section is the engine of Sardonic Witchery. The guitars bring the riffs and solos, but the drums and bass give them the fucking force to attack.
The vocals are particularly savage and intense. What do you want your vocal delivery to express, beyond simply aggression?
For me, the vocals have to express hatred, darkness, anger, and pure fucking evil. It’s not just about screaming as aggressively as possible – the voice has to carry the atmosphere and feeling of the lyrics.
I want the vocals to sound possessed, desperate, and violent, depending on what the song is expressing. The voice is another instrument, but it also has to feel human and real.
If the listener can feel the emotion and atmosphere behind the scream, then I’ve done my job.
Your lyrics deal with dark, blasphemous and unholy themes. What inspires you lyrically? How important is the lyrical concept to Sardonic Witchery?
I really love the moments when I sit down to write lyrics for Sardonic Witchery. Before I start writing, I prepare the atmosphere around me – I get my whiskey, light the candles, put myself in the right state of mind, and fucking disappear into the darkness.
That’s when the ideas start flowing. The lyrics come from darkness, blasphemy, occultism, war, death, hatred, lust, violence, and the darker side of human nature. I don’t force anything; I let the atmosphere and the ideas take me wherever they need to go.
Some of my most memorable moments from creating Hell’s Thorns Attack were actually those hours spent alone writing and getting completely lost in the atmosphere. For me, that is a very important part of Sardonic Witchery.
The lyrics aren’t just words added to the music. They are part of the atmosphere, part of the ritual, and another way of expressing what Sardonic Witchery is about – darkness, freedom, and no fucking limits.
Is there a particular song on “Hell’s Thorns Attack” that you consider the best representation of Sardonic Witchery? Why?
Honestly, I cannot choose one. I really fucking love all eight tracks the same. Every song on Hell’s Thorns Attack is very special to me, and each one is different and brings a different feeling.
I know it is our own album, so maybe I am not the most objective person to say this – hahahaha – but I really love this album a lot. We put so much of ourselves into it that every song has its own personality and atmosphere.
For me, the album works as a whole. I don’t think one particular song represents Sardonic Witchery better than the others. Each track shows a different side of what we wanted to create this time, and that’s exactly what makes Hell’s Thorns Attack so special to me.
Lucis Ruina handled the mixing and mastering. What were you looking for in the production, and how did you make sure the raw character of the music remained intact?
Lucis Ruina had already handled the mixing and mastering of our previous album ”Barbaric Evil Power”, so I already knew exactly what he was capable of. Like I said before, I didn’t put him in the band just because he is a good guy – hahahaha! He is a very professional musician and producer, a fucking big metal maniac, and he understands exactly what I want with Sardonic Witchery.
All of those things together make him a very important part of the band. When it came to Hell’s Thorns Attack, we knew we wanted a powerful production, but we also wanted to keep the raw, aggressive, and unholy character of Sardonic Witchery intact.
The day I officially made him a member, we promised each other that we were going to put out a fucking great album together. We had a clear vision of what we wanted, and we really fucking did it.
Do you believe that black/thrash metal needs to remain connected to its old-school roots, or should bands constantly experiment and evolve?
For me, black/thrash metal should absolutely remain connected to its old-school roots. That’s where the real spirit of this music comes from. But you have to put your own magic, your own soul, and your own personality into it.
I don’t fucking believe in making a copy of something that was already done 40 years ago. Take the old-school feeling, the riffs, the aggression, the atmosphere – but make it your own.
That’s what we try to do with Sardonic Witchery. We respect the roots, but we add our own identity, our own ideas, and our own fucking soul. You can sound old-school without sounding like a copy.
What is your opinion of the current underground black/thrash metal scene? Are there any newer bands that have impressed you?
I think the underground black/thrash scene is still very fucking alive. There are many bands around the world keeping this music alive, and I really respect the ones doing it with passion instead of trying to follow trends.
I listen to a lot of underground bands, and there are definitely newer bands that impress me. What I look for is not necessarily how extreme or technically good they are, but whether they have their own personality and whether I can feel that they really believe in what they are doing.
There is a lot of great music coming from different countries right now, and I think the underground will always produce something interesting. As long as bands keep putting their soul into the music and don’t simply copy what was done before, black/thrash metal will remain strong.
The underground is where the fucking magic is.
“Hell’s Thorns Attack” feels like an album designed to be played loud and from beginning to end. Do you see the album as a complete experience rather than simply a collection of individual songs?
Absolutely. Hell’s Thorns Attack was designed to be played loud and from beginning to end. There are no intros, no middle bullshit, and no fucking unnecessary moments. It is 666% intense for the entire 35 minutes.
All eight songs are different and have their own character, but they work together as one complete attack. We wanted the intensity to stay there from the first second until the very end.
Of course, people will have their favorite tracks, but for me this album is meant to be experienced as a whole. Put it on, turn the volume up, and let the fucking thing attack you for 35 minutes.
If you could choose three classic black/thrash albums to explain the musical DNA of Sardonic Witchery, which ones would you choose?
That’s a fucking difficult question because three albums are definitely not enough! Hahahaha. Four isn’t enough either, so let’s make it five!
Slayer – Hell Awaits
Sarcófago – I.N.R.I.
Desaster – Hellfire’s Dominion
Gospel of the Horns – Realm of the Damned
Maniac Butcher – Epitaph
These five records represent different parts of the musical DNA that runs through Sardonic Witchery – the riffs, aggression, darkness, speed, atmosphere, and that raw old-school feeling that we fucking love.
But honestly, even five is not enough! Hahahaha. There are so many bands and albums that have influenced us over the years. These are just five records that give you a good idea of some of the musical blood running through Sardonic Witchery.
After “Hell’s Thorns Attack”, what are your plans for Sardonic Witchery? Are you already working on new material or considering live performances?
Yes, we already have plans for the future. We were supposed to start a US tour on September 10, which had actually been booked since 2025. Unfortunately, the promoter did not honor the agreement with Sardonic Witchery, especially regarding the flights needed to get us to the starting point and back home.
Two weeks before the tour, we were suddenly asked to buy our own flights and supposedly get reimbursed later… hahahaha. Maybe they wanted me to organize the whole fucking tour too!
So we canceled our participation in the tour. The tour itself will still happen with the other bands, and some of the local promoters are understandably unhappy because they still wanted Sardonic Witchery to play their individual shows. But they don’t understand that once we canceled our participation in the tour, we couldn’t simply continue playing selected dates.
We don’t want drama, though. We did everything we could from our side – we prepared Hell’s Thorns Attack on time, worked on merchandise, promoted the tour, and got everything ready. We were serious about making it happen.
Fortunately, we still have some shows that we’re really excited about. We will be playing in Mexico for the first time, with shows in Mexico City on October 30 and León, Guanajuato, on October 31.
We’re also preparing some shows for 2027. We really want to take Hell’s Thorns Attack to the stage – we just need the right opportunities and people who are serious about working with us. When the right doors open, we’ll be there!
Finally, if “Hell’s Thorns Attack” were an invitation to hell, what would you tell the listener before they press play and enter the world of Sardonic Witchery?
Don’t press play if you’re looking for something comfortable! Hahahaha.
Hell’s Thorns Attack is 35 minutes of pure fucking violence, darkness, speed, and evil. There are no intros, no bullshit, and no time to rest. From the first second until the last, we’re taking you straight into our world.
So turn the lights off, pour yourself a drink, turn the fucking volume all the way up, and leave the outside world behind.
Once you enter the world of Sardonic Witchery, don’t expect to come back the same.
Welcome to hell, bastards. 666!
