Review SODOM ’40 Years at War – The Greatest Hell Of Sodom’

Sodom celebrate this year a special birthday and what is suitable in such a context is a kind of birthday release. Tom Angelripper and his mates have also been inspired by this thought, but did not want to just bring a relatively dull compilation to the start.

The band started in 1982 and since then belongs to the spearhead of german thrash metal. Four decades filled with excellent albums, that’s the working report of the band and what of course should not be forgotten are the energetic live shows of the in the meantime again as a quartet operating band.

’40 Years At War – The Greatest Hell Of Sodom’ is the title of the band’s anniversary album and includes a 17-song tracklist that takes the fan right back to 1985. The opener ‘Sepulchral Voice’ comes from the ‘In the Sign of Evil’ EP and it quickly becomes obvious that it is not the big hits that have been put on this record. Rather, Sodom have concentrated on songs that until now have received less attention, or also rarely came to the fore during live shows.

Photo: Moritz Mumpi Kuenster

‘Electrocution’ is one such track and so it is not ‘Agent Orange’ that is featured on the record, but ‘Baptism of Fire’, the closer of the 1989 release. Sodom pound their way through 40 years of band history and after ‘Sepulchral Voice’ opens the album, it is ‘Euthanasia’ from ‘Genesis XIX’ that is the glorious finale to a successful retrospective.

Sodom has re-recorded all the songs with the current line-up, which gives the album a homogeneity and yet reflects the different phases. The band has not changed anything in the arrangements and lyrics. Rather, it is the fact that the guys have evolved over the years and also production-wise is more feasible, which gives this anniversary album a tight and intense sound. Happy Birthday Sodom.