Review SODOM “The Arsonist”

Without a doubt, Sodom are one of the best thrash metal bands around, and rightly so. Together with bands like Kreator and Destruction, they have been at the forefront of German thrash metal for decades. Tom Angelripper and his bandmates can look back on an impressive journey through powerful and raw heavy metal, a career that continues to this day with the release of a new album.

The new album is called “The Arsonist”, and it is a real blast. This, their 17th studio album, is a massive metal experience featuring 13 songs that showcase the versatility and aggressiveness of this German metal force. Five years after releasing the excellent “Genesis XIX”, the band has managed to raise the bar even higher with their new record. “The Arsonist” showcases a highly experienced band that is still hungry for more metal.

“Trigger Discipline”, the lead single, already indicated what to expect from the album. This blazingly fast metal track relies neither on layers nor filigree twists. Instead, Sodom fires on all cylinders with a brutal thrash metal song that headbangers will love. Combined with a great solo, it’s an old-school thrash metal song without compromise. This is music played with dirt under the fingernails.

The second single is called ‘Witchhunter’, and fans of the band will know what the song is about. It is a blistering tribute to the legendary Sodom drummer Chris Witchhunter, who passed away in 2008. The song itself is a straightforward metal anthem with a chorus that allows for some loud shouting along.

The album opens with ‘The Arsonist’, a sinister intro that leads to the rousing ‘Battle of Harvest Moon’, which continues the war theme. This song is about the Vietnam War. It is a pounding metal song that also features another blistering guitar solo. The return of Frank Blackfire, who drives the riffs together with Yorck Segatz, seems to have given the band a new lease of life, a development that began on the previous album and is clearly evident on “The Arsonist”.

“The Spirits That I Called” is an anthemic thrash metal track, whereas the band slows down for “Scavenger”. Built on a mesmerising riff, this mid-tempo headbanger showcases the band’s versatility. Nevertheless, their raw and energetic style of playing metal makes “The Arsonist” one of the best Sodom albums. This aesthetic is further enhanced by the way the album was recorded. The drum parts, for example, were recorded using a 24-track analogue tape machine, giving the album a solid, natural foundation that infected the rest of the recording and production process.
The band also recorded a song called “A.W.T.F.” as a tribute to Algy Ward from the British metal pioneers Tank.

The throbbing “Sane Insanity” is another great example of thrash metal with an old-school approach that has evolved perfectly into the present day. The dystopian “Twilight Void” hands over to the massively pounding “Obliteration of the Aeons”. Like the other songs on the album, the latter shows a band that enjoys playing metal. After all these years, Sodom still has enough energy in the tank to release an album that will be one of the highlights of 2025. The more moderate-paced “Return to God in Parts” is the glorious conclusion to an album that could put your neck muscles at risk.

Headbanging is a natural behaviour while listening to these furious metal tracks, which is certainly a great training session, and we can expect fans to go wild when they experience these songs in a live setting.

‘The Arsonist’ is a great album from a great band. All the elements come together to create a blasting thrash metal storm that resonates throughout each song. Excellent work from a veteran band with guys being masters of their craft. This is raw, this is wild, this is Sodom.