RIGOR SARDONICOUS - USA

Principia Sardonica - 2004 - Paragon
Apocalypsis Damnare - 2005 - Paragon
Risus Ex Mortuus - 2006 - Endless Desperation
Vallis Ex Umbra De Mortuus - 2008 - Paragon
Ego Diligio Vos - 2012 - Memento Mori
Praeparet Bellum - 2023 - Memento Mori

Rigor Sardonicous image
  
 
Members
Vocals
Teloch Vovin, Cadaverist>>JOSEPH J. FOGARAZZO>>Teloch Vovin, Cadaverist

Guitar
Abhorrence, The Forgotten, Dimentianon, Sectioned, Teloch Vovin>>JOSEPH J. FOGARAZZO>>Abhorrence, The Forgotten, Dimentianon, Sectioned, Teloch Vovin


Bass
Abhorrence>>GLENN HAMPTON>>Abhorrence - Evoken>>Steve Moran

Drum





History & Biography
The act came together through Glenn Hampton in 1988. The music veered from death metal to funeral doom. One characteristic, as the monicker indicated, was the oft use of latin titles.

Bassist Glenn Hampton was accompanied by drummer Gabe Madsen (also in the short-lived American version of Abhorrence), but the latter was gone by the time the first release was rolled out. Glenn joined Abhorrence. Fogarazzo would later join Abhorrence as well. They would resurrect the dormant Rigor Sardonicous in 1992.The 1994 demo was named Risus Ex Mortuus.This material, and more, became the basis for the re-recorded album of 2006. Similarly, the 1999 demo Apocalypsis Damnare became a 2005 album. The Forgotten (remember them?) and the band had a split single on Paragon Records in 2002. The band used the song Human Rot from its last demo here. Paragon, incidentally, belonged to The Forgotten members and Fogarazzo would join that group and also that band’s reincarnation, Dimentianon. The label released the duo’s first record in 2004. Steve Moran was the second bassist here. The band was gigging sporadically and was booked for the Ashes To Ashes Doom Festival. An appearance at the Day Of Doom festival was cancelled. The band was on Entering The Levitation - A Tribute To Skepticism in 2007. Vallis Ex Umbra De Mortuus included several video clips. Vivescere Exitium was a 2011 demo.

The band switched to the Spanish concern Memento Mori and released Ego Diligio Vos in 2012. There was a musical gap here, but the band was working on a game called ZOMZ - The Awakening. Then again 2018’s Ridenti Mortuus was an independent release. The act released it on the 100th anniversary of the ending of WWI. The band’s singer/guitarist had spent the better half of the last decade in Teloch Vovin. A new album appeared in 2023.

The monicker was inspired by the 1961 mystery film, Mr. Sardonicus. The band has called its style, “Raw, Apocalyptic Doom.” Fogarazzo has reported that he used to work in a funeral parlour. One promotional photograph of the band featured the duo armed with a rifle and machine gun.


Reviews

RIGOR SARDONICOUS - APOCALYPSIS DAMNARE - PARAGON  
Talk about an underground release; this is not Rigor Sardonicous' debut album, but it might as well be. The band with next to no profile has apparently modified its speedier and deathlier previous style in favour of a slower and doomy direction and signed on to Paragon Records for Apocalypsis Damnare. The band is clearly aiming for the Disembowelment and Winter segment of the doom corner, but are the Americans that good? Well, not really. The band's music is simple and slow and past a useless organ intro completely free of frills. Judging by an old video also on the disc the group is a former deathly brutal band (my only evidence is a cheesy video worthy of a Necrophagia DVD), although, and as mentioned, this is a slow moving grunt fest worthy of a hog farm of massive proportions. The drummer's name is not identified and one can understand why. The drumming is actually quite offbeat with cymbals crashing the march of the pigs at indeterminate intervals. A slight deviation is provided by the song Misery with its harder double bass start and the sharper snare sound. This is one case where the band needs more twists and intricacy to its music. - Ali "The Metallian"


Interviews







Rigor Sardonicous