Sodom - Genesis XIX - Reviews (2025)

I remember, back in 2020, the wait and hype around "Genesis XIX" - the first full-length Sodom album to be released after our beloved Onkel Tom had decided to go full clean-slate and fire both Bernemann and Makka from the band, recruiting in their place a four-piece (!) lineup including historical guitarist Frank Blackfire, who had played on the absolute classics "Persecution Mania" and "Agent Orange". Such drastic change, emphasized by the incredibly vintage-looking bandphotos and the early gigs done with this new lineup mostly covering the band's 80's/90's catalog (most notably, the entirety of the "Expurse of Sodomy" EP), suggested a huge departure from the Bernemann era (which had offered a more melodic, controlled albeit still fresh and brutal-as-hell take on Sodom's sound) in favor of a firm return to the band's roots - seemingly chasing the current wave of "retro-metal" that seems so appealing to younger audiences. It was therefore a bit underwhelming for me to hear the early EPs released under this new lineup between 2018 and 2019, which didn't sound really that far removed from the "moderate" thrash sound of the 2000-and-beyond era, except with far less of those infectious melodies provided by our dear ol' pal Bernemann - therefore sounding way less memorable in pretty much any regard despite the evident attempt to amp up the grittiness in order to win back the "Agent Orange" nostalgics. Speaking of poor Bernie: some might be aware that he and Makka, after being unceremoniously fired via WhatsApp by the one and only Angel Ripper, decided to create their own band Bonded, releasing a damn good slab of furious modern thrash on Century Media in early 2020. That was the album Onkel Tom & co. had to go up against.

So, how does "Genesis XIX" measure up against Angelripper's former colleagues? Well, it's complicated. Pretty much like on the 2018-2019 EPs, there are a few killer tracks that easily outdo anything Bonded-related, but the entire work as a whole seems to slightly fall short compared to Bernemann and Makka's newer band - which, albeit not devoid of some annoying modern metal tendencies (even to a higher degree than any post-2000 Sodom album), sounds way more angry and inspired regardless, still showcasing most of the refined melodicisms that had made Sodom's "new millennium" era so special in my eyes. "Genesis XIX" is sadly not devoid of unremarkable filler tracks - which is even more concerning, given this is Sodom's longest-running album ever (clocking at almost one hour), so it's clear that some fat could have easily been trimmed. I guess most of the blame can be put on Blackfire, if we take into account his decline as a songwriter (listen to his weak-ass, uninspired 2015 solo album "Back on Fire" to see what I mean), with second guitarist Yorck Segatz oftentimes coming to his rescue and refreshing things up with his black metal and crust punk influences (which had already done wonders on the best cuts from previous EPs, such as "Conflagration"). It's curious, however, how fans and media both seem to have wholeheartedly and enthusiastically embraced this new incarnation of the band, calling it "a return to the old Sodom sound" and of course "a strong comeback" after the supposed mediocrity of later Bernemann-era works (mediocre my ass). Apparently, Blackfire's name and a strong retro aesthetic are enough to garner hype and blind support from pretty much everyone, no matter the album sounds like "Decision Day" with 50% less melody and anthemic catchiness, rarely ever coming close to actually resemble the blunt underground thrash fierceness of "Persecution Mania" and "Agent Orange".

I'm making this sound way worse than it is, which is admittedly more the product of my pre-existing expectations towards Sodom (a band that occupies my personal top 3 of metal favorites) than any fault on the album's part. Because, in actuality, "Genesis XIX" is still pretty fucking good, if you bother skimming through the formulaic fillers to get to the truly great stuff (which is mostly placed in the album's second half). Like Judas Priest's "Firepower", this is an album that had at first fooled me into thinking it was just a cheap, ultra-generic retro-metal karaoke, only to reveal itself as something more interesting as it progressed. The first half of "Genesis XIX" (opened by the short instrumental "Blind Superstition", which was actually the intro to Sodom gigs back in 1988 and has the "Blackfire mid-tempo" trademark written all over) is admittedly pretty weak, with "Euthanasia" being the only track able to actually recapture the fierce grittiness of late-80's Sodom, sounding almost like an "Electrocution" spinoff (down to the very cadence of Tom's vocal lines!) with the same type of minimalistic riffing, if only slightly modernized: not a mindblowing track per se, but these little details and finesses have been enough to win over the Sodom fanboy within me. On the other hand, lead single "Sodom & Gomorrah" and title-track "Genesis XIX" (already featured in a slightly different rendition on the "Out of the Frontline Trench" EP from 2019) are pretty tepid numbers failing to evoke any strong feeling - most notably the former, being a painfully generic, paint-by-numbers punky black/thrash number that sounds as if it's desperately trying to pander to the Midnight fanbase, with only its black metal-ish middle bridge managing to actually bring some semblance of dark, menacing vibes to the table.

It's during the second half that "Genesis XIX" gets to truly shine. First, "Nicht mehr mein Land" and "Occult Perpetrator" regain some of the mid-paced anthemic qualities from the Bernemann era, albeit still in a much more brutish fashion that excises any bittersweet melodic trope à la "Strange Lost World" in favor of a decidedly more blunt, sinister identity. And then, there's finally some quality fast-paced thrashing - starting with the fairly catchy, choppy riffage of "Glock 'n' Roll" and getting better and better from there on. The new lineup has now reached a good degree of confidence, with both Blackfire and Yorck having finally mastered a certain synergy with each other - the former generally providing the thrashy riffage (though often sadly at a rather "moderate", held-back pace that sounds as if the band is playing with handbrakes on compared to previous albums) and the latter adding some black metal tremolos and sinister leads, perfectly interwoven with the muted riffs in a way that kind of makes up for the absence of Bernemann's trademark melodic style. By virtue of this formula, during the album's second half, we finally get to hear a handful of fantastic tunes that could have easily been featured on "Decision Day" and constitute without a doubt the highlights of this record. "Waldo & Pigpen" might be my favorite out of all them, cutting through with some brilliant sawing riffage that gradually builds up a palpable sense of urgency, tension and dread like all my favorite thrash is able to do - the same sense of tension and dread that also permeates the eargasmic solos and the killer blast-beat driven chorus from "Dehumanized". However, the album's most elaborate (and exhaustive) track has to be definitely the seven-minute epic masterpiece "The Harpooner" - which, right from the clean arpeggiated intro, bears such a dismal atmosphere that makes you feel as if you're about to witness a ruthless whale massacre at the hands of an entire ship's crew of harpooners indeed; such bleak atmosphere is flawlessly carried over the course of the song, smoothly alternating between blocky thrash riffs and chilling, sinister melodies that bring to mind some songs from the late Bernemann era ("Sacred Warpath" in particular).

After such dark detours, the album wraps up with a couple of rather punky tunes - giving a wink to the Power Trip crowd with the energetic, fairly upbeat crossover thrash piece "Indoctrination" (another definite highlight) and then going full-on savage with the hardcore blasting of "Friendly Fire" (a very intense albeit slightly formulaic song I would have loved to hear with a much rawer, messier production à la "Obsessed by Cruelty"). And so, we're left wondering once again how to judge "Genesis XIX". It's definitely a good album, featuring a few standout tracks that are destined to remain personal favorites of mine - and yet, as a longtime Sodom fanatic, it pains me to say that it falls slightly below average compared to pretty much all their other works (save for the fairly controversial "The Final Sign of Evil" from 2007, which might be the only full-length album in the band's discography I would rate lower than this one). Unfortunately, in Angelripper's case, the attempt to go down a more retro-oriented path has not proven to be for the better, quality-wise. Still, even at its weakest, Sodom remains a fairly killer band after all. If you're looking for solid, not-overproduced modern thrash, then I can safely recommend you "Genesis XIX" by all means. Just be sure to ignore the huge hype and buzz around it, so you won't have any expectation about a supposed "Persecution Mania"/"Agent Orange" successor: this just isn't that. If you truly wanna hear Sodom going full old school, your safest bet is to catch 'em live, now that they're so focused on digging through their earlier catalog (including rare cuts from the Andy Brings era such as "Silence is Consent", "The Crippler" and even the mighty "Jabba the Hut"). Oh, and also be sure to check out the "Handful of Bullets" EP if you want to hear the superior versions of "Sodom & Gomorrha", "Indoctrination" and "The Harpooner": the (re)mixes on that EP are significantly rawer, sharper and a lot more stripped down, truly sounding like leftover studio tapes from the 80's. I wish they did an entire record like that, if they really wanted to go full "old school".

Teutonic thrash metal legends Sodom are back with their 16th full length album.

Driving right in with no time wasted, a slower crawl of drums and chugging riffs sets the tone with brutality and simplicity. Speeding violence erupts with melodic and ferocious riffs topping an onslaught of blastbeats which is met by some truly malicious vocals, this is definitely in the furious vein that Sodom pioneered and have not lost touch in creating. With a blistering rage still burning strong at the heart of the music, we see an all-enveloping display of ruthless thrash metal with that blackened edge still casting a macabre shadow over the extremity. The catchiness in the speed-fuelled riffing and upbeat drums ensures memorability as the high-octane eruptions rain upon us with nuclear fire. Sodom’s return is clearly in healthy and crushing form with a record that will take no prisoners.

Continuing in the unforgiving pathway to obliteration, the instrumental side of the band has just as much passionate energy as ever, something Sodom have been consistent with, while the vocals spew a devilish morbidity across the riffs and blasts with that precise hatred that is equally reliable and never dulls. Mutilating us with a savagery yet technical proficiency that is achieved from years of fine-tuning their craft, it is excellent to see a band as important as Sodom still playing with that primal sense of urgency to create headbanger friendly assaults so gloriously. Blistering solos only further the ravenous artillery with that same frenzied magnificence that the rhythm sections bellow out flawlessly. It is clear at nearly an hour in length, things are not due to become boring or repetitive.

Barbaric tracks are unleashed one after another with a soaring sense of triumph to be found in each, while the diversity between ideas may be thin, each song definitely has its own place and character, deserving inclusion on the record. A veritable chain of bangers with ripping musicianship throughout, this is one of the strongest Sodom albums in many years to my ear with its brutal yet melodious array of bestial warfare that charges forth with self-aware confidence. Pick any track and I assure you, you will find yourself blasting the full album and banging your head as the cranked up sounds of Sodom fill the air. These are the exact kind of songs that get fans psyched up for a live show, hopefully these return and we can see these new tracks delivered to a crowd of roaring chaos. Either way, “Genesis XIX” is a titanic slab of thrash metal that deserves a blast by all metalheads.

Sodom’s return is a triumphant one, delivering a monolith of thrashing madness of the highest quality. A band with so many classic records might falter by their 16th studio album, but Sodom have not. The fury, passion, drive and angst is all as present as ever while their musicianship has only improved with time. We will never get another “In The Sign Of Evil”, but that record will always be held dear to our hearts while their new material is still devastatingly good all the same. Another victorious output from the Germanic speed metal machine.

Written for www.nattskog.wordpress.com

When Sodom mastermind Tom Angelripper decided to dump veteran band members Bernemann and Makka, it caused quite a stir among long-time fans of the band. Tom was apparently intent on heading in a different musical direction and in order to make that happen and give the whole endeavor a more authentic back-to-the-roots feel, he even brought back legendary former Sodom guitarist Frank Blackfire, the guy who appeared on the band’s classic releases Persecution Mania and Agent Orange. He also brought in another guitarist in Yorck Segatz, giving the band a double ax attack after decades of performing as a three-piece. The last new member to join the fold was drummer Toni Merkel and the result of this collaboration is Sodom’s latest full-length studio recording titled Genesis XIX.

Genesis XIX kicks off with a brief intro named "Blind Superstition," which very much feels like a couple of leftover riffs randomly slapped together, but it gets the job done and perfectly sets the tone for all the mayhem yet to follow. The first proper track, "Sodom & Gomorrah," obviously deals with the annihilation of the eponymous biblical cities and is a fast and furious cut pummeling the listener with blunt unrelenting force. It has a nice black/thrash vibe going on and may just be the most, uh, Sodom-y song Sodom have done in many years, instantly recalling the good old days of In the Sign of Evil, Obsessed by Cruelty or Persecution Mania. The song seems content to simply keep its foot planted firmly on the gas pedal, mostly sticking to that one gorgeous main riff and wasting no time with elaborate guitar solos and other exotic gadgetry. Of course it’s not quite as primitive as the band’s earliest material—as the skilled musicians they are now, Sodom couldn’t possibly recreate that exact sound even if they were hell-bent on trying—, but on Persecution Mania, it wouldn’t have felt out of place at all. This is the kind of stuff stylistically similar bands like Kreator or Destruction simply won’t come up with any more.

"Euthanasia" is no slouch either, another fast thrasher very much reminiscent of the band’s Agent Orange era. The guitar solo as well as the riff leading up to it are signature moments for guitarist Frank Blackfire, who just so happened to play on said album some 31 years before. Sodom have always been particularly effective when playing recklessly fast and it’s a good thing to see a band playing to their strengths, as Genesis XIX is a record boasting plenty of speedy thrashers. "Dehumanized" and the closing "Friendly Fire" are no less aggressive, even sporting some timely blast beats pulled off expertly by new drummer Toni Merkel, who overall makes a very favorable impression on Genesis XIX by blending blunt force with flawless technical proficiency. "Occult Perpetrator" is a song title that could have appeared on any of Sodom’s very early releases, but it’s actually more of a mid-tempo cut with very effective riffing yet also a somewhat questionable part featuring gratuitous "hey, hey" gang shouts. Luckily it doesn’t last long enough to seriously drag down an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable track.

Track number five, titled "Nicht mehr mein Land" (translating to something like "No Longer My Country"), is another intriguing tune, both musically and lyrically. It begins with about 20 seconds’ worth of violent blast beats and ends in similar fashion, whereas the minutes in between delight us with a plodding, balls-to-the-wall display of methodically grinding aggression. The guitars sound particularly vicious in this one and the whole thing has a fairly menacing and brutal aura. As for the lyrics, it seems like Angelripper is voicing his displeasure with the current state of his country, which has predictably prompted some circles within the metal scene, a sort of self-proclaimed PC police, to slap the dreaded right-wing label on him. Needless to say, such verdicts are downright ludicrous and based more on hysteria than fact. Based on his biography, we can assume Angelripper is most likely a disillusioned former voter of a certain former working-class party that actually stopped caring about the common man many years ago. Moreover, the lyrics themselves are rather vague and don’t tell us exactly what Tom is displeased with. That being said, there used to be a time when thinking outside the box, voicing anger about the current state of affairs, criticizing the establishment and assuming a non-conformist attitude was common practice in heavy metal. Nowadays such notions will have you vilified and outlawed. Stupid country indeed.

The wittily titled "Glock 'n' Roll" is definitely another highlight, showcasing even more of that thrashing velocity as well as some subtly melodic lead guitars and a highly memorable shout-along chorus. Penultimate track "Indoctrination," with its overt punk leanings, is a bit different from the rest of the album. Then again, Sodom have revealed their punk influences on quite a few songs over the course of their long career and the catchy "Indoctrination" is undoubtedly a welcome addition to Genesis XIX. The Moby-Dick-inspired "The Harpooneer" with its doomy beginning, the war-themed "Waldo & Pigpen" as well as the sinister title track, the three longest cuts on offer, are more elaborate compositions boasting some atmospheric parts, diverse riffing and more than a few tempo changes—not unlike some of the material on Better Off Dead or M-16.

Production quality on Genesis XIX is excellent and markedly different from the glossy, high-def stylings of many other thrash bands nowadays. It makes for a pleasantly raw vibe without sacrificing much in the way of heaviness or crunch. The guitars in particular sound pretty vicious, with Toni Merkel’s skillful drums and Angelripper’s trademark rumbling bass forming a rock-solid rhythm section. Speaking of Angelripper, his vocals are perhaps more guttural and menacing than ever before, delivering what is possibly his strongest and most brutal vocal performance since the glory days of Tapping the Vein.

Genesis XIX is definitely a great start for this new incarnation of Sodom and it will be interesting to see what future exploits Tom and his new crew can come up with once the new line-up is more solidified and fully established. Genesis XIX might not be perfect and maybe a track or two too long, but Tom clearly made the right decision by taking his band in another stylistic direction and giving it a rawer, meaner sound after albums like In War and Pieces or Epitome of Torture, good as they were, felt a tiny bit too cute and polished. For this new-look Sodom, the sky could very well be the limit.

Choicest cuts: Sodom & Gomorrah, Genesis XIX, Nicht mehr mein Land, Glock 'n' Roll, The Harpooneer, Friendly Fire

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 points

I was excited to hear the new Sodom record after five long years. With all the lineup changes, I didn't really know what to expect, and I was worried that it won't live up to the predecessor, "Decision Day". I was wrong, but I'm sure I wasn't the only one that was not expecting this level of sheer brutality and musical violence in Genesis XIX. Agent Orange is my favorite Sodom album, a record that I would never hesitate to give 100% to, and this is Sodom's closest moment to the level of Agent Orange since its release. Perhaps it is not as catchy and melodic, but it's sure as hell just as effective in its own destructive way.

The record is a new flavor of Sodom's music. Of course, "Indoctrination" and "Sodom & Gomorrah" are very punk-like, trademark 90s Sodom songs, these songs could have very well been from their 'Til Death Do Us Unite / Get What You Deserve era. They are excellent pedal to the metal fast-paced thrashers. Then, there are the more experimental, ultra-explosive songs, such as "Dehumanized", which is my favorite track off the entire album. "Friendly Fire" is another amazing example of how to try something new, and not suck at it or not mess it up completely. Blast beats go very well with Sodom's pitiless, aggressive style and they match the band's musical identity perfectly. Why doesn't every band get implementing a change right like this!? The record is extremely colorful with all types of different paces, structures, drum beats, so it's very easy to tell apart the songs, and I'm sure that no thrasher was bored during the first listen.

The musicianship is of course outstanding. Tom Angelripper never ever disappoints, so why talk about his performance - he is still better than practically all bassist/vocalists in all of thrash metal. The only thing he changed is that he really turned that bass up, so now, his bass is practically as audible as the guitars. His tone is very deep and crunchy, they really got that bass tune right. Frank Blackfire's performance is also outstanding, his riffs are very good, high-quality, colorful destructive riffs. However, as much as I love those two guys, I have to admit... The ultimate star of this album is the drummer, Toni Merkel. This is some of the best drumming I heard in decades. This dude is just insane, this performance should really be regarded as one of the greatest thrash drummer performance ever, in history. He can do it all, blast beats, neck-breaking paces, fucking DOUBLE BASS FILLS, everything!!! His drumming adds so much to the music, it's amazing. I don't remember the last time I heard someone this creative on drums. This is a great example of how good, but not great guitar riffs can absolutely crush amazing riffs if there is a better drummer in the background.

The production of the record is very punchy and raw. This is no modern, soft bullshit that you hear from all these modern, pizza-flavored thrash metal bands, this is real, heavy, relentless brutality. The drums are very loud and deep, the guitars are very stiff and rough, the bass is unique and scratching. The whole atmosphere of the record is just very brutal, dark, and destructive. This is how a thrash metal record should sound nowadays. All of the instruments get their fair share of space in the mix, the production could not be any better than it is this way.

This album is a modern classic. There is rarely anything worthy that the old, ancient thrash metal bands release nowadays that is worth buying. But, it seems like Sodom only gets better with time. This album is an ultra-violent brutal kick in the face that will be remembered as one of the best thrash albums of this time period. There is no mercy, no forgiveness when it comes to Sodom's music. This album is heavier than anything they ever released, maybe Tapping The Vein is just as heavy as this, but it's not this strong overall. This is Sodom's finest hour since Agent Orange, and the band has not sounded this energetic and aggressive since '89. If you are a thrasher, buy this record immediately. Support one of the last old thrash bands that still can write amazing records, and is not living off the constant, repetitive recycling of their 80s creations. (Right, Destruction?)

So why is Genesis XIX so special when everything that led up to it - including to some degree Decision Day - was plagued by mediocrity? If I'm being perfectly honest, the reasons escape me. Put it down to what you like: new members and the return of old hand Frank Blackfire, recording during the coronavirus summer, random inspiration... Any which way you put it, the truth is the same: Sodom delivered the goods in surprising fashion. This sixteenth full-length opus takes a few more risks than the last couple, extending songs beyond 7 minutes, playing around with pace, and tweaking the heaviness at a few moments, performing all of the various stunts very convincingly while still landing in the emergency helipad marked "Sodom". Genesis XIX may indeed prove a rebirth for the German dogs of war.

Although the preceding albums hadn't lacked musical power, the thick, muscular punch here validates the act of adding another guitarist to the line-up. Frank Blackfire and new hand Yorck Segatz have unquestionably bolstered Tom Angelripper's dependably chunky bass tones to deliver an album brimming with great riffs that sprawl across the tempo spectrum and encompass most of the moods that Sodom have used throughout their career. The gritty pounding gains from Toni Merkel's physical drumming, balancing the slightly warm edge of the guitars with a sharp, imprecise battery, preventing crushing slower cuts like 'Nicht Mehr Mein Land' becoming too groovy. That's the right move, because Sodom need an edge, and this album has an edge like a brick scythe. If you can't feel 'Sodom & Gomorrah' knocking you down like a panzer through bowling pins, you're probably not a fan of big, fat, ugly heavy metal, and that's bad for your health. Yep, Sodom still like Motörhead and Tank. Due to the overwhelming sonic character of Genesis XIX, the quartet never need to move that quickly, since the broadness of the sound - with Angelripper's bass hanging out the bottom at all times - makes it feel like the whole ground is quaking, which seems designed to sweep you along in its motion.

That throws up another point to consider. I've always preferred momentum over sheer pace, and Sodom have become adept over the years at choosing the former as the drive for their songs. Certain among the 11 full songs profit from instinctive, punky structuring that eliminates space and eschews fancy instrumentation, surging from one movement to the next without much fanfare. Perhaps that sounds basic and uninspired, but I already mentioned that these guys found a new source of riffs and no one minds being rudely awakened from listening to one great riff in order to feast on another. You wouldn't normally describe a 7 minute thrasher about Moby Dick as "punky", yet Sodom simply curtail the doomy introduction of 'The Harpooneer' with a relentless hooky riff, then slap the more urgent verse riff on top of that. Yes, a little melodic guitar shading turns up in the bridge, but that doesn't stop Angelripper snarling out his salty tale; the latter part of the song latches onto typical thrash structure, drumming dropping out after the second chorus for a guitar break to begin, then putting the solos between verses before powering into a final chorus. Taking out the long intro and frothing cymbals of the closing, 'The Harpooneer' runs about 5 minutes long, though that's exactly what you'd hope for from this sort of act - no nonsense for the bulk of the song and the downtime building up mood and letting it settle.

Not every cut leaves such a specific impression as 'The Harpooneer'. A few of the shorter songs actually feel ordinary by comparison to the strong character of the middle part of the album, though select moments in these still rank among Sodom's best and entertain more through their parts than mesmerizing as a whole. 'Euthanasia' can't quite follow the cataclysmic impact of the opener though succeeds with powerhouse drumming, while 'Dehumanized' has frankly the most raging riff of the album, certainly preventing these songs being filler. After the epic introduction and full-on assault of 'Waldo & Pigpen', I often assume (wrongly) that 'Indoctrination' and 'Friendly Fire' are bonus tracks at the end of the release, since their much shorter runtimes and rather off-the-cuff titles give me the impression of afterthought. Having said that punkiness worked well in constructing the longer songs, the actually punk-sounding 'Indoctrination' comes off as lightweight and throwaway when contrasted to the ballast of the riffs elsewhere, while 'Friendly Fire' feels to me like something that has been hanging around for at least a decade, fitting the M-16 era perfectly.

Ultimately, the success of Genesis XIX comes down to admirable consistency with an excellent formula, as well as a few moments of true magic. Sodom have stuck to their guns much better than compatriots Kreator and are one of the final old guard thrash bands still releasing quality albums close to their early style, accepting the advantages of modern recording techniques at the same time. It also helps that most of the songs recorded by the quartet feel hugely fun even with their grim wartime aesthetic: the theatrical exaggeration of the vocals during 'Glock 'n' Roll' takes it to the same level as 'The Harpooneer' and 'Sodom & Gomorrah', particularly when combined with nicely accented solos from the guitarists. Definitely one for live shows. Sodom are a hugely dependable old bunch, and that's what makes a sudden surge in inspiration even more exciting.

Sodom has, for many years, flirted with its own origins, whether that's in re-recording or re-releasing early tracks or injecting some nostalgia into its more modern, slicker productions. However, I think it's their latest offering Genesis XIX which is the most legitimate attempt at making a record that might have existed between their rough earlier material like In the Sign of Evil and Obsessed by Cruelty and then their first attempts at real thrashing structure like Persecution Mania. Granted that there is a bit of production and musical evolution present on this album that does seem slightly like something a veteran thrash act might release in the year 2020, but had this been mixed a little rawer than what Siggi Bemm and Toni Merkel ultimately came up with, it would feel like it totally belonged to that 1986-87 period.

I wouldn't deign to dub the tracks 'simple', but they are all quite straightforward and cutthroat, going for that feeling of the archaic Teutonic anthem, of which they once contributed many. If you dug staples like "Sodomy and Lust", "Agent Orange" or "Nuclear Winter", this is really the effect that so many of the cuts are going for. The riffs are never more complex than needed, but still hustled and sinister and sometimes exhibiting the speed of those early Sodom or Kreator discs like Persecution Mania or Pleasure to Kill. The leads are whipping ribbons of evil and atonal noodling that meld perfectly over the frenetic rhythm guitar riffs, and the drum and bass are just an incessant, belligerent, focused force. That said, the real star of this show is Tom Angelripper's throat, sounding just as nasty and torn as it ever did in the 80s, in fact I'll go out on a limb and say this might even be better. Perfectly placed phrasing, just enough reverb or effects in the mix to create that psychotic payback that the best thrash requires by mandate, and the guy brings more threat than much more energetic vocalists half his age in this genre.

There's nothing here by way of a surprise, and I think it might be held back slightly by a number of riff patterns that are kind of common within the Sodom canon, but ONLY if you're the sort of fan who wants them to build upon their considerable legacy, to somehow evolve. If you've been long awaiting a proper return to the roots, and were always content with those first 3-4 discs before the slightly more death metal and punk phases they explored, then this is a bullet-belted, spiked, radiation-masked Godsend. I can completely sympathize with the praise being lavished upon it, even if I might not prop it up on quite that high of a pedestal myself. It's clearly the best emulation of their formative, breakout years, and one of the best albums they've released since the 80s, but then again I had no problem with the slighty beefier, more dynamic, modern sounds of Decision Day from 2016. The intentions aren't all that disparate, but Genesis XIX just goes for the nastier, earlier strategy while its predecessor was a little bit more of matured, brute force. Good album, decent lyrics (in spite of "Glock 'n 'roll"), awesome cover artwork from the legendary Joe Petagno.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

This is what I remember about Sodom way back in the early days when 'Agent Orange' was released...they were on top of their game. Seems like on this one their energy and riffs are back on top of DOMINATION. Totally kick ass and unrelenting. I don't know why any scores on here are negative about this one because the whole way through is KING. I think that Frank's leads could've been better like the old days, but the rhythms were more than adequate. The music is definitely intricate. These guys are veterans and still putting out high-quality thrash metal. I don't regret buying a physical copy of this LP.

The album features 12 songs and over 50 minutes of great German based thrash metal. This is probably once of the best recorded Sodom releases in years. They've managed to maintain a good career in thrash metal over the years even in Frank's absence. But now that he's recorded this album with the band, it just goes to show how awesome 'Agent Orange' was back in the day. It seems like their rebirth into great thrash metal once again having some of the old line-up in place. The music and vocals are the highlights of the album. Though I thought that Tom's vocals could've been better. They seemed to lack intensity.

The production quality was top notch. The sound of the album was wholly audible with every instrument heard quite well. The thrash metal intensity of the instruments were all there. Tom could've given it more grit, but still I liked what I heard. That's the only reason why I took off some points. But the songwriting was impeccable. Hope this goes on for more albums to come. I'm sure that they had some great ideas that they put on here during this pandemic. A great time to keep the intensity high and creativity up there as well too. As I say, I don't regret making a purchase and buying the CD.

Sodom has been making great thrash metal since the 80's. It's good that they have some of the original members of the band still around kicking ass. Though it sounds like Tom slowed way down. The music is intense as all hell, just his voice is deteriorating. It'd be nice to hear the future of the band. I hope that they keep this lineup for more albums to come. The music is high mighty strong and intense. It was great to know the return of Frank in the band. I think once again that's what made the album as awesome as it is. Him with the band seems to have utmost style and frivolity. Give this a listen to!

Yet another band who need no introduction, and yet another veteran act still kicking ass - and possibly producing the best material of their career - almost 40 years into their existence. Taking the most expansive track from their last EP, Out Of The Frontline Trench, and making an album using its imagery as the cover, the iconic Sodom have crafted a solidly great blackened thrash record in the form of Genesis XIX. The biggest talking point surrounding this release is, of course, the return to the fold of guitarist Blackfire. Usually, this kind of event wouldn't be anything I'd consider worth mentioning, but it cannot be doubted that his presence has had a superlative effect on the songwriting process and overall sound of this new LP. Simply put: this is the most 'Sodom' Sodom have sounded since... ooh, I dunno... M16?

This album sounds wonderful. That raw production which, even now - 20 years into the 21st century - just seems so right. It's clamorous and sometimes one instrument will overpower another, but the vibe is undeniably authentic, organic and natural. Even at this album's most extreme moments, the overall timbre is a joy to absorb. Intro track "Blind Superstition" exhibits this perfectly. You want ambient crescendos? Sound effects? News samples? Narration? Nah, fuck you, Sodom know the only way to do an intro track is riffs, riffs and more riffs. Only a minute long though it may be, it's the ideal way to get your neck warmed up for the maelstrom that follows.

"Sodom & Gomorrah" was a great choice both as an opener and a first single. It summarizes one of the main characteristics of Genesis XIX: that being the genuinely authentic old-school simplistic black/thrash method. This album is a bit of a smorgasbord for Sodom fans, covering many aspects of their sound, but it is this opening track - combined with the likes of "Indoctrination" - which take listeners right back to 1987. The punked-up drums, shout-along choruses and previously mentioned raw production are so familiar, yet exciting to hear in this day and age - especially from such a veteran quartet. Then there are the high-speed thrashers with a down-tuned modern edge such as "Euthanasia", "Glock 'n' Roll" and "Friendly Fire" which are so chock full of satisfying aggression.

What really elevates this album above the rest of their millennial output are the pleasant surprises, like the title-track, which is a redo of a track from last year's EP Out Of The Frontline Trench - and definitely the superior version. The crowning jewel of this LP is the battering "Nicht Mehr Mein Land" which switches between furious blastbeats and a hammering martial mid-tempo stomp that is totally infectious. I can't get enough of thrash metal at this pounding mid-speed, and Sodom totally nail it. Let's face it, Sodom pretty much nail everything on this album. From the expansive "The Harpooneer", to the steamroller that is "Occult Perpetrator", Genesis XIX is in the top tier of thrash metal for 2020, and a stark reminder that the oldest of veterans are still more than relevant in today's scene.

The history of Sodom, and Tom Angelripper in particular, is full of peculiarities. It starts with the fact that he had no hand free on the moped to bring the freshly bought bass home safely. Another time Tom was left at night and fog by the tour bus at the rest stop. Needless to mention that he wore the most ridiculous clothes ever when this happened. And most importantly, he was working with this weird dude called Bloody Monster, though not for long. Now Tom and the new team are writing the next chapter and in fact the new album is called after a chapter, one of the first book of Moses. "Genesis XIX" tells about another Sodom and is not uninteresting either, but I want to concentrate on the twelve fresh songs of the band from the Ruhrpott. By the way, “band” is just one of many terms one can use for Sodom. The guys are institution, legend and influencer at the same time.

First things first, “Genesis XIX” shows no signs of leniency. Tom, and that’s the most significant difference between the German Lemmy and the original one (R.I.P.), always stood for a higher level of aggression and musical vileness. The new songs break up every crust and they develop a gargantuan heaviness without sacrificing speed. While listening to bullets like the mean, straight and fast-paced “Glock ‘n Roll”, I ask myself what the whole discussion about old Sodom or new Sodom is all about. From my point of view, Angelripper’s teams have always remained true to the spirit of this band, regardless of the constantly changing line-up. Yes, the band (institution, legend and so on…) flirted with punk and albums like “Better off Dead” showed a marginally less heavy orientation. Nevertheless, “masterpieces” like “Endorama” or “The Least Successful Whatever” have been released by other well-known Teutonic formations.

In contrast to this, Sodom never fell victim to this commercial form of fickleness. In all honesty, for me does not such thing like old Sodom or new Sodom exist. There is just one Sodom and that’s the name of the best combat unit of Germany’s legendary legions of the early and mid-eighties. In its wildest moments, “Genesis XIX”, which is unfortunately punished with one of these mega-boring Petagno covers, offers blast beats driven (death) thrash that bubbles over with energy. The most raging parts of “Dehumanized” explain explicitly what I mean. I don’t know the exact number of drum kits that were destroyed during the recording of the album, but I am sure that the personified insanity behind the drums, also known as Mayhem’s Hellhammer, would be proud of Toni Merkel’s incredible performance.

Anyway, the less rapid tunes like “Occult Perpetrator” (the unofficial successor of “Strange Lost World”) also add value to an output that does not suffer from major flaws. Only two rather dispensable songs show up. It*s surprising that "Euthanasia" falls short of expectations. This piece is rabid and merciless, but it lacks a central theme and as soon as the next track begins I cannot remember just one tone of it. Without recognizable resistance, the song falls prey to mediocrity. "Indoctrination" comes through the door with a usual guitar run, which has been heard a thousand times in one way or another. The song appears as the somewhat uptight attempt to remind us of the band's punk affinity. The quartet presents primitiveness at the push of a button, so to speak, but unfortunately punk does not work head-controlled. So what, maybe these titles only give reason to complain because of the great quality of the rest of the material.

Just take the title track. I heard it in 2019 for the first time when checking the “Out of the Frontline Trench” EP. Honestly speaking, it did not make my day and I was surprised that this pretty average tune should be the representative of the coming new album. But here, in a new configuration, this song is rising like Phoenix from the ashes. It’s almost progressively designed and it combines heavy mid-tempo parts with speedy eruptions full of anger. The chorus mills into my auditory canal with unexpected vehemence while crowning the entire song masterly. Nevertheless, the best is yet to come: despite its high quality, this is no outstanding song in a narrow sense, because the majority of the pieces reach the same excellent level. Already the next track, “Nicht mehr mein Land”, is the next highlight, not only because its chorus turns out to be an earworm. It spreads fatalistic yet violent vibes and relies on a mid-tempo approach without ignoring velocity completely. For all of you who want to know what the German text says, but can't understand it, I have good news: As a native speaker, I don't understand it either. Tom is unhappy with something (so far, so logical), but what exactly he wants to change in Germany remains his secret. In the end he uses a fighting slogan, which is also popular among the far right. But no question, Tom is no political dud or extremist and one cannot reduce the lyrics to the final line. He describes himself as neither left nor right and I think that is not unreasonable.

I should finish before my keyboard explodes, but my personal highlight may not remain unmentioned. “Sodom & Gomorrah” brings me to the edge of madness, because it demonstrates how much strength is in well-designed, fast, simple and catchy neckbreakers. Of course, one can say that this track does not offer something new, special or groundbreaking. But heavy metal is the cultural child of the working class and this class also cannot be described with these attributes, but with other, mostly positive terms. “Sodom & Gomorrah” is the perfect antipode to excellent monuments like “The Harpooneer” or the aforementioned title track and the equally simple structured “Friendly Fire” closes the circle of an album which is really impressive. How many formations have the skills to fire such a rocket into the orbit when it comes to their 16. studio album? Angelripper is a phenomenon and maybe almost the same goes for Frank Blackfire who has become a very relevant factor in the line-up as well. No doubt, this explosive full-length after such a long time in business is the best peculiarity Sodom.

PS: Don’t hesitate if you have a chance to listen to the non-album track “Along the Path to Hades” – it’s another powerful and very competently thrashing piece.

Sodom is back with another album with a cool cover art. Seeing it was Sodom, its rating in this site, and that awesome cover, I was really excited to give this one a shot. After all, Sodom is back to thrashing, right? Needless to say, I was disappointed. Couldn't even sit through the entire album. It isn't bad, but the main problem is, it's nothing special.

I get the idea here. "More Sodom for fans, more money for us, let's just output some thrash, they'll like it anyways right?" And this mentality is where nearly all classic thrash acts fail, whether it's Slayer, Metallica, or Sodom. They fail to make their sound better or move forwards artistically. They just re-write what's essentially their old material, but without any emotion or meaning, and expect us to like it. What's sad is, many fans do. Keep in mind Sodom are not the poor, passionately angry, young thrashers anymore; they're men reaching their 60s, probably rather rich as well.

Instrumentally, it's okay. They can still play, Angelripper can still sing, and they can still write like Sodom. The sound is also refined, I like their tones. But the writing doesn't feel special, almost as if they forcefully put this out. It sounds like Persecution Mania, but doesn't feel as energetic. It sounds like Agent Orange, but isn't as memorable. It sounds like Tapping The Vein, but it isn't as brutal. There's nothing special about the album's writing. It doesn't make me feel anything, at all. I often go over the instruments one-by-one, but there isn't anything to go over regarding any of them. It's so mediocre, it's hard to talk about it.

Overall, it has a good sound, but mediocre to poor writing.

The album starts off with the opening instrumental "Blind Superstition I," cool if not a bit repetitive. The opening track Sodom & Gomorrah exposes this album's lack of soul as soon as Angelripper starts singing. It's cool, it isn't unbearable, but it's not powerful, nor as energetic as old Sodom, it's just soulless. After Sodom & Gomorrah rolls along, it's the same bullshit until Glock 'n Roll, which is plagued with outright bad songwriting and composition. At least other tracks make you "feel" thrash, this one fails at even that. After Glock 'n Roll however, rolls what's the highlight of this album, The Harpooner, with a menacing bass intro and a rather energetic and memorable song that follows. After The Harpooner, it's once again more of the same. It ends unimpressively with Friendly Fire.

I guess it does deserve a place in an avid fan's collection. Otherwise, avoid.

Highlights: The Harpooner, Dehumanized.

Finally, the long-awaited new Sodom album is released. After the split with Makka and Bernemann and the new line-up, including the comeback of Blackfire, a lot of speculations if the band could keep the quality of the last records were made. So let´s have a look if they still are as good as we all hope for or if Genesis XIX is a huge disappointment.

At first, I focus on the obvious, the cover and booklet. The cover is made by Joe Petagno who also created the last cover for Sodom´s releases. So we all know what to expect. In the booklet you can find the lyrics of course and some photos. Well, I guess some of them shouldn´t be made when you reach a certain age (maybe for the family album when you are at the beach but not for public…) but most of them are quite cool and “evil”.

But even though Sodom might be too old for some kind of photos they are fortunately not too old for great music. The album starts after a short intro with a ferocity we are used to know by them. The tracks are kept very varied with a lot of twist and turns inside and you can say that there is no really big surprise concerning their style. It´s business as usual, but don´t misunderstand me; it is what the Sodom fan wants and gets. Sometimes the riffs are very similar to some Norwegian black thrash bands (Aura Noir, Infernö (please release another album!!)). They sound dark, fast and heavy and are something what you can call a bow to their own past, whereby past means here the 80s. The drums match perfectly with the guitars, there is no mismatching sound nor any disharmonies and the interaction of the instruments combined with Angelrippers angry growling voice is immaculate. Almost all songs are on a very high-quality level and in my opinion Sodom perform some of the best and fastest tracks for many years on this release. Besides this, another reason for recommending this output is the fact that there are a lot of twists and tempo variations in all tracks that make this album very varied and include a lot of surprises.

I would like to mention some tracks which are maybe a little bit more remarkable than the others. The first one is “Occult Perpetrator”, which somewhat sounds like a mixture of “Remember the Fallen” and “The Saw is the Law”. “Nicht mehr mein Land” is a song in German language which starts very slowly and begins to explode in the last minute. It is a track with an interesting political message about racism, selfishness and ignorance these days. “The Harpooneer” is a very varied song with a lot of breaks and surprises, a very thrilling track. “Indoctrination” is a little bit different from the rest, it is somewhat punk-style with some gang-shouts and could have had been on “Get what you deserve”.

The last thing I frankly want to mention is the production. It is very pressureful and well-balanced like on the last albums so that you can enjoy this masterpiece the whole 55 minutes. It is like a wrecking ball that smashes a house without remorse and leaves you stunning with open mouth. I listened to it several times now and I still discover new facets and subtleties in the tracks. To catch up my statement from the beginning, it is not a disappointment but a really must-have album in my eyes and one of the best thrash releases this year without any weak track.

Sodom is somehow synonymous with nostalgia to me, as it was one of the bands that struck me the most in the late eighties while I was enthusiastically exploring the speed/thrash metal genre that had emerged a couple of years ago. I still remember the day I was listening to Slayer's Live Undead with my mates, saying "Slayer was the heaviest band I'd ever heard" when one of my comrades replied "Wait till you hear Sodom!". I will never forget that day, for some unknown reason this moment was remarkable enough to be part of my gallery of memories, which, with age, becomes more and more selective. It didn't take me long to listen to Persecution Mania and Mortal Way of Live that, despite not having the colossal impact I expected, were interesting enough to arouse my curiosity about the band and towards thrash metal spawned outside the Big 4 bubble. I soon discovered a brave new world, boiling with creativity, excitement, and modernity. In Europe, more specifically in Germany, there was a triumvirate that stood out from the pack, namely Destruction, Kreator, and Sodom, undeniably Europe's greatest exponents of the genre at the time. While I was never an enthusiast of the former, the latter two quickly entered my daily thrash playlist alongside the American behemoths or Brazilians Sepultura. By now, thrash metal was already widely spread, being undoubtedly the most exciting and relevant heavy metal genre at the time.

Although Sodom was already an established and highly regarded name within the underground circuit in the mid-eighties, it was its legendary 1989 release, Agent Orange, that catapulted them into international stardom. Together with Beneath the Remains, Extreme Aggression, and Alice in Hell, Agent Orange was considered by both press and fans one of the best albums of the year, making it not only a landmark of its time but also one of the greatest thrash metal albums ever recorded. Agent Orange was able to perfectly encapsulate the band's style which blended a distinct primary signature, reminiscent of Motörhead and Venom, with a modern riff package that mirrored not only the band's maturity but that of the genre itself. The album's aesthetic, sometimes close to death metal, captured me in such a way that I still consider it one of my all-time favorites. Angelripper's distinctive imprint, together with Blackfire's lethal riffs and Witchhunter's colossal drumming, produced a formula so unique that it will never be able to be replicated again.

The reason I'm focusing on Agent Orange is not only because it is the band's most relevant work, but also because it's the main creative core through which Genesis XIX orbits. As we dive into the brief instrumental 'Blind Superstition' we are immediately propelled to 1989, not only by its overall vibe but also by Toni Merkel's drumming that reminds of Witchhunter's tempo dynamics. This Agent Orange-esque approach remains in the following tracks, 'Sodom & Gomorrah' and 'Euthanasia', with the former additionally carrying the band's early black metal resonances. This move towards the band's golden era is also due to Frank Blackfire's return to the death squad, which now performs as a quartet for the first time in its history. His riffs, along with Angelripper's distinctive delivery, ensure a bridge with the past, soaking the songs with a familiar and nostalgic layer. However, the album's greatest particularity lies in the way it balances its vintage signature with a more contemporary twist, embedded with blast beat tempos. 'Nicht mehr mein Land', 'Dehumanized' and 'Friendly Fire' are examples of this more contemporary layer that stands out from the rest of the familiar landscape. Personally, I think the inclusion of blast beats to the band's signature was a wise decision, which should not only be replicated but even reinforced in the future. It is something that places the band within a more up-to-date and relevant musical spectrum. As expected, Angelripper's punk-ish roots are still very much alive in songs like 'Indoctrination', which carries a well-known formula already explored in classics such as 'Ausgebombt' and 'Bombenhagel'. This more straightforward approach not only reinforces the band's renowned trademark but also perpetuates the strong influence that Motörhead and Venom had in the making of Sodom's DNA. The doom-ish segments in songs such as 'Genesis XIX', 'The Harpooneer', and 'Dehumanized' should also be mentioned, as they bear the contrasts that enhance the album's dynamics.

Genesis XIX brings back Sodom's old-school sound under a more up-to-date, contemporary flavor, echoing not only a certain revitalization but also a willingness to embrace the new decade with renewed ambition and enthusiasm. This unshakeable resilience deserves to be celebrated, not only for mirroring Angelripper & Co's longevity but also for succeeding in taking us into its glorious past. And for a brief moment, here I am once again, younger, skinnier, proudly wearing my denim jacket and my old torn elastic pants, shouting "AGENT ORANGE, BURN!"

Originally written for www.sputnikmusic.com

You can say whatever you want about Sodom, we all have different opinions and it's alright, Sodom can be either a good or a bad band for you but there's a fact we can't deny and it's that they established back in the early 80s the bases of some metal style that came to stay. A work of Tom "Angelripper" Such and Frank "Aggressor" Terstegen, they created a style of thrash metal with clear influences of black metal they decided to name as "witching metal", today it's been polished as blackened thrash: brutal, fast and impressive. While it's true that in some cases they went more thrashy than usual, these three characteristics have never been left out in any of their albums. We can appreciate the first times that Sodom signed on the music world with the legendary EP "In The Sign Of Evil" (1985) and the debut album "Obsessed By Cruelty" (1986), now in their sophomore album "Persecution Mania" in 1987 we heard the roots of what we know today as the sound that's been remaining on one of the biggest teutonic thrash metal bands on history and of course we're including their most recent album "Genesis XIX".

When Sodom announced a new album coming out this year, to be exact on September 18th, the hype sensation I had wasn't even normal, man, my favorite thrash metal band was about to drop a new record, that pretty cover art gave me the feeling of how promising it looked along with the strong lineup: the legend we all know, the mastermind behind Sodom, Tom Angelripper, a man that's over 55 years old and it's still as brutal and killer as always; another legend Frank Blackfire, epic guitarist who's also been in Sodom for recording the guitars on "Persecution Mania" (1987) and "Agent Orange" (1989), after that he left the band and spent almost 30 years outside, but he came back in 2018; guitarist Yorck Segatz and his first studio recording with the band though we've listened to his majestic play before in the extended plays "Partisan" (2018) and "Out Of The Frontline Trench" (2019); last but not least the new drummer Toni Merkel, a drummer that we can label as a beast behind the kit after hearing how great he is on this album with his accuracy, speed and of course the beloved blast beats, but not just that, he did play as well for Frank Blackfire on his solo album. Previous to the release date we all had the honor of getting to listen three killer promoting singles that personally they made me think of this record as a masterpiece (spoiler alert: it indeed was a masterpiece). On September 25th we got to hear "Sodom & Gomorrah", and despite the fact it does not reflect the best that Sodom can do, it's of course a hella strong and tremendously good song, now the speed lovers as me got impressed when the next single, "Indoctrination", came out in late October, a song that's undoubtedly in my top 3 songs off "Genesis XIX" mainly because of how these guys amped up the tempo, now I wasn't ready for what they delivered to us a week before the great day when the record came out, "Friendly Fire" is out of the three singles my personal favorite with that killer bass, blast beats and the simple but amazing guitar solo at the beginning, while it's slightly slower than "Indoctrination", it's so terribly good that it seemed like it would be a perfect album if they just released it with those three songs, in a while I'll tell you my surprise with the finished product.

It's the awaited day, as soon as it drops on my country I'm right there blasting the intro track "Blind Superstition" with a smile from ear to ear on my face, the appetizer to "Sodom & Gomorrah" that we've previously heard a couple of months ago. Now it comes my personal favorite song which is "Euthanasia", not only that, from the many reviews I've read on diverse social media sources it seems to be the favorite of most of people that already have taken a listen to this gem of an album. Of course we also have to mention the title track, it contains some material previously heard on the "Out Of The Frontline Trench" EP last year and the song "Glock N' Roll" that's another tempo-amped song we could name as the sibling of "Euthanasia". What I like the most about the album is... EVERYTHING! Absolutely everything here is just unbelievably perfect: the bass, the guitars, vocals, drums, productionwise it's excellent, of course it's not the cleanest production but it doesn't really matter, it even gives it a darker and an ambience that fits the moment better than anything else and all the instruments are perfectly audible, songwriting is precious; it reminds me to "Decision Day" (2016) mainly because that album is pretty varied, what I mean is that you can find different styles that go from the fastest to the most technical and with the heaviness in between, something similar happens in "Genesis XIX" with the difference that here all the songs are way more killer than in the previously mentioned Sodom record from four years ago. It looks a bit like it's gonna be a conceptual album as "M-16" (2001, about the Vietnam War) about the biblical texts and history of the Genesis' nineteenth chapter "Sodom And Gomorrah", here we have the etymology of the album. The artwork is really good, it was drawn by Joe Petagno who did the artwork for "Decision Day" as well and I've got to say it, it's my favorite artwork from all the sixteen albums Sodom has released.

Now let me talk about some stuff to conclude. Definitely it comes from inside of me a feeling of respect and veneration towards this album (and of course the band!) that I will keep until the day I cease to exist. The record has one of the strongest lineups the band has ever played with and curiously it's the first time Sodom tries a four people lineup instead of three people as they've always done since they debuted in '86, we can divide this lineup in two with two men that have the years of experience, legends that have witnessed their music be born and grow up around the world as well with the origins of their own music, in the other hand we have two young guys with potential to become the future legends in metal on the upcoming years with the energy of people in their mid 30s. Proposing the idea of ranking of every studio album by the German band I would not surprisingly place "Genesis XIX" on a very high place, not just the best work from the XXI century in my opinion but the best record released since 1992, only surpassed by "Agent Orange" (1989), "Tapping The Vein" (1992) and my personal favorite "Better Off Dead" (1990), this album is at the level of "Persecution Mania" and also their 2013 record "Epitome Of Torture", I name the new Sodom album as the best record of 2020 (obviously so far) and extremely hard to be surpassed. Who's to say that new metal music can't be as good as all-time metal classics?

2020 has been a really crazy year, we're living through some really hard stuff at the moment I write this review like the COVID-19 pandemic, but in music it has been such a good year with albums like "Empire Of The Blind" by Heathen, "Verminous" by The Black Dahlia Murder, "Weapons Of Tomorrow" by Warbringer, "Quadra" by Sepultura, "Titans Of Creation" by Testament and Lamb Of God's self titled just to mention some. Recently another band from the German big 4 of thrash metal delivered us a great album: Destruction with their newest record "Born To Perish" in summer of 2019, this year was the turn of Sodom and it looks like a great opportunity for teutonic thrash bands to drop new music, like Tankard that hasn't released new material since 2017 with "One Foot In Grave" and Kreator with "Gods Of Violence" from the same year, speaking of Kreator, they have now the ex-bassist for DragonForce Frédéric Leclercq that's a genius unfolding in diverse subgenres. Ah man, how much do I wish that Sodom delivered us some new music soon, sadly all things have to come to an end, probably we'll have a new announcement for 2023 or 2024 or even new EP's to come before, who knows? It's true that some day it has to happen the sad but inevitable dissolution of the band but it's been years that they've left their legacy and signature forever in the section of legends of metal on that metaphorical book we're living in that we call history. My biggest and most sincere congratulations to Sodom and all the personnel that worked for making "Genesis XIX" a reality.

When it comes to the most vicious end of the thrash metal spectrum, few can claim to have blazed the trail for the style’s unholy union with the blackened aesthetic as impressively as Germany’s own Sodom did back in the mid to late 80s. Spearheaded by the particularly vile and forbidding harshness of vocalist Tom “Angelripper” Such, who’s distorted and punchy bass work also made him a sort of Lemmy-like figure within the Teutonic thrash scene, this one-time power trio set a truly dark precedent with their 1986 debut outing Obsessed By Cruelty. However, it would not be until the following year when their sound would truly germinate into the mad thrashing beast that would solidify their status as kings of the German scene alongside Kreator and Destruction, largely due to the stellar riff work and virtuoso stylings of newly acquired axe-man Frank “Blackfire” Gosdzik. With his re-entry into the fold in 2018, nearly 3 decades after his departure, it would be an understatement to say that expectations for their next studio offering would be extremely high.

To put it mildly, 2020’s Genesis XIX, the 16th LP to come flying out of the chamber of Sodom’s trusty rifle, is a full shot of late 80s extreme thrashing nostalgia wrapped with a modern production bow. It listens like a summation of all the stylistic elements that brought the Expurse Of Sodomy EP, Persecution Mania and Agent Orange out of the deep abyss of this band’s creative arsenal and into existence. Of those three seminal offerings that culminated in Blackfire’s original tenure with the band, this new installment most closely resembles the heavier and more developed character of Agent Orange, adorned with some occasional moments of the groovier material that developed in subsequent years, but mostly driving at full speed into enemy territory. Perhaps the only substantial point of contrast is that this time around Angelripper has opted to wage war against the aligned spines of the masses via a four-piece with scene newcomer Yorck Segatz also manning the guitar and recent pickup Toni Merkel (who also destroyed the kit a few years back on Blackfire’s solo album) on drums.

Though largely an exercise in no nonsense, straight to the jugular thrashing, this album takes on a notably methodical approach to how it unfolds. Functioning as a sort of warm up session/prelude to coming horror, the mid-paced simplicity of “Blind Superstition” definitely does a solid job of setting a mood for the emerging storm of darkened rage. Immediately nipping at its heels is the first taste of that high octane, riff happy goodness that made the late 80s version of this band so riveting in “Sodom & Gomorrah”, listening like the vile offspring of “Nuclear Winter” and “Agent Orange” respectively. Angelripper’s vocal assault is notably more forbidding and dynamic relative to his former self, which shines through even more so on the follow up crusher “Euthanasia”, which amps the tempo up even more and sees the shred machine commence at just after the 2 minute mark, merging together the chaotic tonality of Kerry King and the technical excellence of Alex Skolnick into a spellbinding guitar solo display that recalls the glory days and also builds on them.

As things play out further, it becomes pretty clear that the primary development in this lineup’s approach relative to the late 80s is a more complex presentation, both in terms of guitar chops as well as overall songwriting. Though generally things wind up in the same high speed on just about every song, longer offerings such as the title anthem “Genesis XIX” takes their time getting there, emerging from a heap of feedback noise and settling into a slow-coasting, doom-like theme comparable to Slayer’s “South Of Heaven” before kicking things into gear. The similarly longer and elaborate “The Harpooneer” takes it a step further and allots for a bass intro that morphs into a full on nod to old school Black Sabbath before things really start to cook, and even then the melodic contours of the guitars hint at a lingering doom character at times. Most of what rounds out the rest of the album tends to accomplish a similarly elaborate mixture of elements, with “Dehumanized” and the comically titled “Waldo & Pigpen” being the standouts, though straightforward cruisers like “Glock ‘N’ Roll” also make a hell of a racket.

While this might not quite reach the same level of iconic status that Persecution Mania and Agent Orange have come to enjoy, this is about as close as Sodom has ever gotten to recreating the same magic that birthed those undisputed classics. One area where this album does manage to surpass its predecessors is in the execution of the guitar work, as the full on metallic assault of Segatz proves a highly effective foil to Blackfire’s more nuanced blend of metallic shred with an array of older rock and blues elements, functioning as the Mustaine to Blackfire’s Poland/Friedman. With Destruction likewise taking on the four-piece approach to thrash metal in recent years, one could say that the day of the power trio is now largely dead in Teutonic thrash metal circles, but it’s a loss that most of the metal world can live with given what has arisen in its place. Those seeking thrash metal of the highest order, blending musical excellence with all the auditory violence that one expects from the likes of Sodom, will definitely not be disappointed.

Originally written for Sonic Perspectives (www.sonicperspectives.com)

Sodom. Their contribution to extreme metal cannot be overestimated. Started in the early 80s as a black speed metal outfit, they couldn't play very well yet, but that didn’t stop them from inspiring the second wave of black metal a lot. Later they evolved their songwriting and technique much and became pioneers of the harsher and blacker side of thrash. But instead of creating new music in the same style all the time, they were changing a bit with almost every release, and in most of the styles they were trying, they were managing to sound very good. One of their biggest highlights is definitely M-16, which is maintained in more catchy side of thrash metal, but is still really raw, a bit dark and serious. In general, by analyzing Sodom’s discography, one can distinguish two main types of their music: more primitive and/or straightforward one (mostly the whole 80s and the beginning of the 90s) and more melodic and melancholic one (M-16, Sodom). After hearing the first single from their new album, I thought that this one will belong to the first group, but I was wrong. It combines both, but also adds a lot of different motives and still remains consistent and impressive.

Right after its release was announced, it was sure for me that Genesis XIX has the makings to be an outstanding release. Most of all, it marks the full-length return of the mighty Frank Blackfire, known from the classic masterpieces: Persecution Mania and Agent Orange. It seemed like this new album would create a “Blackfire trilogy” with those records and it really does! But it doesn't stop here. This long-play is also the first one to feature Sodom as a four-piece and the first one to feature Yorck Segatz on guitars and Toni Merkel on drums. And I would tell that it’s one of the strongest line-ups that Sodom has ever had. Also the concept of the record is intriguing. Even though it’s not a concept album, the subject of the opening and title songs and the cover is the biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah (Chapter 19 of Genesis), probably one of the most interesting parts of the Bible, because it’s a very broken and evil one. So, with such a background, the fans could be convinced that they are going to experience something great, right? My skeptical mind didn’t allow me to be so sure. But now, after plenty of spins, I am.

Genesis XIX is being opened by Blind Superstition; an intro track that was being used by the band on their tour in 1988(!). It’s based on a catchy riff that builds the tension and it fits very well. The fact that it’s a re-recording of an intro from the tour from Persecution Mania era, proves that things are gonna get a little old-school here. The opening song Sodom & Gomorrah confirms it. Right after the intro, it irritates listener’s ears with a very pugnacious, blackened and primitive (in a good way) riff. According to Tom Angelripper, “In the 1980s, parts of the song were arranged in a totally different way”, which means that this song also has its roots in the classic era of Sodom, but was re-arranged. This, in turn, means that old-school style meets modern style and it’s kept on most of the record. Production-wise, the band and the staff found the Golden mean. The sound is organic and crunchy, but the instruments and the vocals are separated well and sound as clear as they should. Sodom & Gomorrah is definitely maintained in the primitive style of Sodom, with no catchy elements and with a very simple chorus, but it’s memorable and works perfectly as an opener. I would also tell that this song is “as Sodom as it gets”. After it, the listener experiences three songs connected with each other. The first one, Euthanasia, was described by Tom this way: “A typical thrash grenade that could only have been penned by Frank. To me the song sounds like a lost gem from our Persecution Mania days and takes me back to a glorious past.” It’s hard not to agree. It’s the most in-your-face part of Genesis XIX and it makes me have the “sour face” all the way through. Surprising, but exciting is the fact, that Frank’s riffs and solos shine just like his old ones did on Persecution Mania and Agent Orange. If you’re also a fan of those records, you’ll know what I mean, it’s a special type of magic. Same with Angelripper’s vocals. It’s hard to believe that he has kept almost the same throaty and angry vocals after all these years and he’s still one of the best vocalists in the genre. I would even say that he sounds better than on the classic albums, maybe because of the modern technology in recording and maybe because of the fact that he’s already old, so his voice sounds like it’s more scratched (in a good way). Or he simply developed vocally!

After Euthanasia, comes the mighty title track. There is no gap between these two songs and I’m really glad that they decided to connect them, as it helps the coherency. Genesis XIX is a journey of a song, and probably one of the most progressive Sodom songs of all time. This one and The Harpooneer from this album are some of the longest songs by the band, the only one that is longer by them is Reincarnation from Tapping the Vein. Genesis XIX stands out with its un-obvious structure and a lot of catchiness and melody. This is the part of the album where the listener starts to hear the motives known from M-16 or Sodom and when the combination of the straightforward style and the melodic style starts. The best thing about this song is that it has many inspiring parts, especially pre-chorus and chorus, which give me chills. The transitions between specific parts are also worth a praise. The lyrics about Sodom & Gomorrah fit the music perfectly too. Worth noting is the fact that production-wise and songwriting-wise, this song was perfected since its version from Out of the Frontline Trench EP. It’s way better now. Again - without a gap, when the title track says goodbye, Nicht mehr mein Land says hello. To this part, the album means outstanding song after outstanding song. It’s a song with lyrics in German, built on a slow, savage tempo mixed with maniac blast beats moments. All of it create an amazing atmosphere. Also, the German language fits here very well, I think that Sodom need to have more songs in German in their catalogue.

This record marks the return of blackened thrash Sodom style. It’s one of the most blackened albums in Sodom’s discography. Almost every song has black metal-sounding parts, a lot of riffs are based on tremolo and it’s great. The most blackened songs are in the second half: very melancholic and progressive The Harpooneer, heavy Dehumanized or epic Waldo & Pigpen. But thrash and black metal aren’t the only styles that are present here. Genesis XIX has motives from classic rock, hard rock, punk rock, death metal… and it’s probably not everything. Another thing that makes it stand out is that many moments of it are very… lively and catchy. I know that it shouldn’t be very surprising, because thrash is basically Polka, but here it reaches another level. The song that fits the term “lively and catchy” the most is Glock 'n' Roll, which is based on a riff written by Yorck. I’m glad that he brought his creativity to the band. This song balances on the border between good taste and kitsch, but manages to never reach the kitsch. Mostly because of the fact that the jumping tempo of it is counterbalanced by slower, melancholic moments. The worst part of the album in my opinion is Indoctrination, that was chosen for a second single, while it has the least in common with the rest of the songs, so it doesn’t represent how the album is at all. It’s a fast punk rock slaughterhouse, which means that Sodom again decided to romance with punk. Not a bad song at all, but it’s the least original and useful one (musically, because lyrically it’s probably the most useful one). The record is ended by Friendly Fire, a song with a tempo and riffs that can drive you insane.

A problem with many modern Sodom and other classic thrash band’s albums, is that they are overly long and/or monotonous and boring at some parts. Despite Genesis XIX is almost 55 minutes long, that isn’t the case here. Mainly because the material is eclectic and well-balanced in terms of style and tempo. And it’s eclectic, but still very consistent. It’s visible that the band took much time on working on this opus. It’s impressive that the record consists of 12 tracks (11 actual songs) and only one of them is a bit weaker. And all the songs are well exposed, thanks to the composition of the album. I think that the line-up change, the comeback of Frank Blackfire and the joining of a good drummer Toni Merkel did Sodom very well, as Frank brought a lot of great ideas again and Yorck contributed to the songwriting too. Probably also Tom found new inspirations. It’s audible not only in the music, but also in the well-written and meaningful lyrics. Together they managed to create a record that I can certainly call the ultimate Sodom album – musically, lyrically, artistically. It’s probably the most eclectic record of them and it outperforms in consistency even some of their classic works. It will remain as one of the strongest efforts in the history of Sodom and the best part of their modern discography… unless they’ll decide to surprise us even more in the future.

Originally written for Tony Blackthrasher on Instagram and Facebook and The Metal Observer.