SODOM - "Sodom"

Release:
24. April 2006 (EUR)
21. April 2006 (D)
09. Mai 2006 (US)

All major classics of German thrash metal are tantamount to a creed: the musicians stand by their musical genre in every respect, breathing its raw stance and sweating its energy from every pore. This scene doesn’t do things by halves, and Sodom hold a very special position in the history of this musical direction. Since the early Eighties, band mastermind Tom Angelripper has sailed his band into the wind of an increasingly difficult market, continuing to take an uncompromising stand in his lyrics. Sodom`s Agent Orange was the first German thrash metal release to make the official Media Control Charts in 1989, and their 2001 recording, M 16, is considered one of the most important thrash albums of the past few years. April 24, 2006, (Germany: April 21; US: May 9) will see the arrival of the group’s latest release, featuring the simple and unequivocal title, Sodom. The record sounds the way its succinct moniker suggests: pure, direct, full of energy.



The trio consisting of Tom Angelripper (vocals, bass), guitarist Bernemann and drummer Bobby Schottkowski has recorded a dozen new tracks. From the rigorous opener ´Bibles And Guns` - just like the haunting ´Axis Of Evil` a title which goes back to a quote by American president George W. Bush - to ´Wanted Dead`, the toughest and fastest number on the album, Sodom display all the strengths that have marked this band for over twenty years; including a critical lyrical analysis of western forms of society and the errors of numerous political rulers. “I’ve always written about things that go on in the world, the injustice and mistakes that happen everywhere. I know that you can’t change anything politically, but I would at least like to make clear where I stand and raise people’s awareness of those deplorable states of affair,” Angelripper explains. Probably the most typical Sodom song, ´Lords Of Depravity`, and ´Nothing To Regret`, which already enjoyed a trial run during the band’s most recent US tour, also document the musicians’ determination. “We wanted to prove to the world what we can do, that’s why we decided to roll up our sleeves and pool our strengths.” Simultaneously, they show themselves from their experimental side on ´Buried To The Justice Ground`, combining a verse reminiscent of Motörhead with a chorus that would have redounded to Venom’s honour.

Sodom was recorded and mixed at the premises of an old friend: Andy Brings. The former Sodom guitarist produced the new album at his Midas Twins studios in Hagen, Germany, together with sound engineer Haan Hartmann, bringing out the best in the musicians. “Andy did a great job and really lured the optimum performance out of me. Our new album proves that you don’t necessarily have to go to an American studio to get a good sound.” Sodom was mastered by Eroc, drummer with German rock cult band, Grobschnitt. Coincidentally, the Angelripper/Bernemann/Schottkowski line-up is celebrating an anniversary these days: the current Sodom team has proved the most consistent in the whole band history. ”We’ve been together for ten years,” explains Tom, who will tour Eastern Europe with Sodom as early as April, promising an extensive tour of Germany and Europe in autumn 2006: “It’s high time we celebrated a real thrash metal party again with our fans.”

Their origins date back to the year 1980. Be it the early demo tapes, their In The Sign Of Evil-EP (Steamhammer), their 1996 debut album Obsessed By Cruelty: Sodom intimidated the world at large from the very beginning. Two years and one album later, the band toured Europe with the likes of Whiplash, recording the live cut Mortal Way Of Life at the legendary Tor 3 in Düsseldorf in the process. In Agent Orange, the band from Gelsenkirchen in the Ruhr area unleashed a milestone of the genre. Sodom toured all over the world, travelled Europe repeatedly and played a number of successful gigs in Japan and South America. Albums like Better Off Dead (1990) or Tapping The Vein (1992) manifested the success of the band, who –despite a number of personnel changes – managed to maintain their characteristic sound, mainly thanks to bassist and vocalist Tom Angelripper. Throughout the Nineties, Sodom lost none of their authenticity on albums like Masquerade In Blood or ’Til Death Do Us Unite, remaining firmly grounded and never losing touch with their roots. With their 1999 release Code Red, a title that refers to the US Marines’ infamous punishment code, the trio consisting of Angelripper/Bernemann/Schottkowski proved as politically committed as ever. This tradition was continued in 2001 with a journey to the Far East, namely two shows in Bangkok and Saigon and the explosive subject matter of their album, M 16. Subsequently, Angelripper threw himself into the preparations for Sodom`s first DVD, Lords Of Depravity Part I (the band are already busy working on a successor), presenting their long-awaited new studio recording in Sodom.