Sodom entertain with 'Sodom'
Whilst it would be easy to assume I would be getting something far more adult when the deadline for 'Sodom' was sent to me, this was a band I had already heard of before due to their weighty reputation preceding them, so I didn't make such an obvious and crude mistake. With this, their latest album in an over 20 year career, Sodom have managed to create an album that is welcoming and hook-laden to the newcomer but will undoubtedly please older fans of the band.
From the opening, with almost western, acoustic guitars, which lead into a highly enjoyable thrashing riff with uniquely growled vocals of singer Tom Angelripper on 'Blood On Your Lips', I knew this album wouldn't disappoint. And my expectations were definitely confirmed as the full 40 minutes of thrash on offer unfolded, providing many tracks which simply make you want to headbang such as 'Lay Down The Law' and the crunchy album closer 'The Enemy Inside'. 'Sodom' provides a classic approach to the thrash genre but with enough modern touches, and a very good contemporary sound and production, which highly entertains. This merging of old and new takes the best aspects of both and should hopefully snare the band some new fans, something they definitely deserve. One of the stronger aspects of the band is their ability to play, particularly the efforts of guitarist Bernemann who combines both virtuosity in his stylings and the ability to create a riff that to put it quite simply and crudely, kicks your ass.
Self-titled albums are a very strong statement; they suggest something definitive, classic, and memorable. Angelripper himself seems to note this as well; "Every band needs a self-titled album at least once in their career"; fortunately, this isn't some dull rehash of their own earlier works made to appear career spanning. This truly is an excellent example of why Sodom are such as important band in the thrash scene today. Rather than succumbing to the temptation to change their style into a rockier and more easily sell-able formula like bands such as Metallica have done, Sodom have managed to carry on creating thrash with integrity which is still catchy, dynamic and enjoyable. Whilst it would be a lie to call myself a massive fan of thrash in any of its incarnations, this album is certainly a temptation to convert.