In a time when metal still retained the image of finesse (the likes of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest were reigning) and thrash was still a gurgling undercurrent of wretchedness, the sheer ugliness of Sodom's debut EP must have been like a festering sore to the underground, yet entirely welcome. Granted, Venom had already proven you didn't need talent to make a name for yourself, but their schtick was very much a cartoon of heavy metal that was taken a bit too seriously by the impressionable fans of the day. Sodom obviously came from that school of raw and ugly metal, as In the Sign of Evil aptly demonstrates.

The five song EP, released after some demo material had circulated around, is everything you'd expect for underground thrash metal in the mid 80s: poor production, meager ability and barely adequate songwriting skills. And these are precisely the reasons why In the Sign of Evil is an enjoyable little piece of metal history. The members had metal appropriate nicknames such as "Angel Ripper", "Grave Violator" and "Witchhunter". Vocalist/bassist Tom Angelripper spit out the vocals like he had just consumed a German sized stein of beer, glass and all. The guitarist sounded like he knew six chords total, but played the hell out of them. "Outbreak of Evil", by far the most impressive song on the EP, rips along at breakneck speed, barely allowing the listener a chance to breathe. The EP also contains spooky horror-house sound effects, which would become quite the staple in black and death metal in the future.

While In the Sign of Evil is very primitive, even by Sodom's standards, it set the stage for the band's eventual prominence in the German thrash metal scene. By 1987, the band would be in their prime (and at the point where new listeners might want to consider checking in), but their initial effort is one of those that deserves a little nod of the head.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 02/2007

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Longtime thrash stalwarts Sodom arguably peaked around 1987-1988 with their two albums, Persecution Mania and Agent Orange. Invariably any Sodom fan will pick one of those two albums as the favorite, depending on which they heard first (well, usually). Sodom at that essentially figured out to play basic aggressive high speed thrash with Tom Angelripper's spittin-razor-blades vocal approach that excelled in its simplicity. I still consider Frank Blackfire's guitar contributions to be the key in what made Sodom so great. Using nothing but simple chords and riffs while adding some pretty firey solos, Blackfire was exactly what the band needed. The pacing was also quite impressive, being some of the speediest thrash I can recall at the time. The band also smartly chose Motorhead's "Iron Fist" as a cover, quite possibly one-upping their masters. This CD also contains the very good Expurse of Sodomy EP, which should be enough enticement for you to make this an essential purchase. Many of today's extreme metal bands owe a debt of gratitude to Sodom for inspiration and influence so thus it behooves you to explore at the very least the two best albums of the band's career.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 05/1999

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What a steamroller of a thrash album Agent Orange was back in 1989. I had heard the title track and "Remember the Fallen" on this ultra-cool weekly radio show that played thrash on Sunday nights for an hour and immediately had to get my paws on the album, posthaste. Enscapulating everything I wanted to hear in a thrash album in those days, Agent Orange proved to be worth every second of hassle and effort I put into finding it.

With pacing along the lines of a meth junkie's heart rate and guitars blazing away with at breakneck speed, Agent Orange is a rush of exceptionally straight forward aggression and power. Guitarist Frank Blackfire was captured in prime form on the album while Tom Angelripper and Chris Witchhunter set down a blitzkrieg pacing. With but one exception (the fairly bland "Baptism of Fire"), every song here rips your innards out with glee. The title track opener allows you just a minute's notice before jumping in full speed. The most notable thing is the band had a good sense of throwing some dynamics and breaks into the music, such as the acoustic interlude in "Tired and Red" seguing into a prototypical thrash passage that finally builds into a killer solo, thus elevating the song some more. "Remember the Fallen" is the anthemic focal point of the album, giving a nod to all those who died in senseless wars. "Ausgebombt" is a very aggressive, almost punkish song that is guaranteed to get you bouncing off the walls of your bedroom. The final notable song is the cover of Tank's "Don't Walk Away", which allows the band to close out the album on a rather fun and silly theme, rather than the heavy war oriented topics of the rest.

Still one of my all time favorites from the mid to late 80s thrash era, Sodom's Agent Orange is a shining moment of a trio in a lull between member changes. Blackfire joined Kreator after this album's release and Sodom vanished from stateside attention not long afterwards. Regardless, Agent Orange offers some of the most ripping and wonderfully frills free thrash metal you'll ever find.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 08/2000

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Right off the bat you know this huge compilation of Sodom in most of its heinous incarnations was an effort by SPV/Steamhammer to cash in one last time as Sodom had signed to G.U.N. Records. So much hate and disgust will be directed at the record label for not putting as much effort and care into as this amazingly long running thrash trio deserves. The second disc's track order is completely wrong and the booklet contains a few photos of the band, but no real substantative information that a long time fan would like to see. Things such as a famous metal writer adding some comments (such as Tomas Pascual did with the Celtic Frost tribute) or acknowledging which track came from what album would make this collection a whole lot better. So SPV/Steamhammer should be spanked soundly for this obvious attempt to wring a few last dollars out of the fans.

Rant aside, this is a killer collection for someone who hasn't been able to find any new Sodom releases in the 90's (due to the stateside general apathy towards metal). Containing thirty six songs, you get a total overview of Sodom. Seminal releases such as Agent Orange get quite a few inclusions, some studio and some live. You also get to hear some of their more punk-ish songs such as the final few songs on disc two (don't ask me the names since the track listing is completely wrong) plus their earlier thrash standards. Sodom has never been a band to wow one with their technical ability (they're relatively talented at their instruments, but not overbearingly so). Rather their dedication to rough pummellings of ripping guitars, hoarse gravelly vocals, distorted bass and drums careening on the edge of control is what makes them special, like something akin to a thrash metal Motorhead. Tom Angelripper deserves credit for sticking to his guns all these years and if you, like me, haven't been able to catch up with Sodom in the past few years, this compilation is a perfect place to catch up with them.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 08/1998

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Code Red is a return to form of sorts for this long running German thrash band, finally receiving a decent US licensing deal after years of being regaled to import-only status as well as a resurrection of their very classic late 80's sound. Though the lineup has been entirely in flux around band leader Tom Angelripper, Code Red's membership follows the Sodom sound true and narrow. In fact, the first two songs are a blitzkrieg of speed and blinding thrash assault, with nary a letup in intensity until the intro of "Tombstone". Much of the album rolls along in a somewhat precise, Sodomatic way. Frankly, Tom Angelripper essentially has a sound that he has stuck with faithfully throughout the years. This particular album sounds a bit less hardcore-ish than some of the other 90s material I have heard and more along the lines of what you might expect from Agent Orange. Code Red lacks some of the strong material of that particular album. Regardless, Sodom is still rock solid and rumbling along as if the entire decade of the 90s never happened. For that alone, thrash enthusiasts need to find this one.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 01/2000

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Yes, it's another Sodom release. It's hard to believe this trio (albeit with various lineups) has lasted for so long and for so many releases. But it's true. Tom Angelripper and his crew have somehow persevered for quite some time and still have retained a consistent, recognizable sound throughout their existence, regardless of whoever was manning the guitar and drum positions. M-16 is the band's latest release and features a barrage of tracks concerning themselves with the Vietnam War. War obviously has never been an unbroachable subject for Sodom, so the lyrical nature should come as no surprise to anyone. Moreover, Sodom's musical approach for M-16 shouldn't be much of a surprise to anyone either. Much like 1999's Code Red, M-16 rattles forth with typical Sodom speed and heaviness. The sound developed long ago on Agent Orange and Persecution Mania is in effect here, with only a trace of the hardcore-ish elements that found their way into the band's sound during the 90s. And although the band has been around for so long, they sound no less fervent or harsh as they did over a decade ago. Tom Angelripper's vocals are still strong as ever, which suggests he has the most calloused vocal chords this side of Lemmy.

M-16 is definitely a solid, consistent release that will most certainly please Sodo-maniacs. Considering how hard it is to find legitimate thrash releases in 2001, M-16 is a good effort from one of the more defining German thrash bands of all time.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 11/2001

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