SODOM were founded by ANGELRIPPER (bass/voc), WITCHHUNTER (drums) and AGGRESSOR (git/voc) in early 1980. From the very start the trio, heavily influenced by bands like Venom and Motorhead, dedicated themselves to the toughest variety of heavy metal. SODOM's first two demos "Witching Metal" (1983) and "Victims of Death" (1984) caused a sensation in the scene, and after successful gigs in Frankfurt with Venom and Destruction / Iron Angel they signed their first recording contract with Steamhammer in 1984. Guitarist AGGRESSOR left the band even before the studio sessions and was soon replaced by GRAVE VIOLATOR, with whom SODOM recorded their debut EP "In The Sign of Evil". He in turn was later to be succeeded by DESTRUCTOR.
After their first major success in 1985 - SODOM played in front of 1000 fans in Belgium - they enthusiastically set about recording their first album "Obsessed By Cruelty". Having completed the recording, DESTRUCTOR also departed. The EP "Expurse Of Sodomy" followed in 1987. It was axeman FRANK BLACKFIRE's debut with SODOM, and he helped the band on their way to brilliance and professionality. The EP, which also contained the classic "Sodomy And Lust", earned SODOM positive reactions even from formerly critical voices. That same year their second album "Persecution Mania" came out. The press enthused about a "perfect thrash album", and SODOM were well on their way to an international breakthrough. In 1988 they embarked on their first European tour with US thrashers WHIPLASH. SODOM's first live album, entitled "Mortal Way Of Live", consisted of live recordings from the shows in Dortmund and Düsseldorf. The sales figures surpassed all expectations: the concept of the record and the amazingly driving sound did not only impress old fans but gained the group numerous new supporters. In January of 1989 SODOM celebrated their biggest live success of the Eighties with close to 10,000 fans in Katovice, Poland, and in March they set out a record which was to mark an interim highlight of their career. Their masterpiece "Agent Orange" came on the market in June 1989 and acheived what no other thrash album worldwide had accomplished: it entered the German Media Control album charts! "Agent Orange" also marked the begninning of a collaboration with producer Harris Johns which continues to this day. Johns had made a name for himself with productions for Helloween, Voivod and Kreator.
"Agent Orange" reached No. 36 of the album charts, and the single "Ausgebombt", which was released on time for the European tour, immediatelyacheived indisputable cult status. An unknown Brazillian metal act by the name of SEPULTURA, whose unstoppable rise to stardom was only beginning, supported SODOM on their consequent tour. In the meantime Frank Blackfire had moved on to team up with KREATOR. During the tour progressive metal act MEKONG DELTA's stringsman lent a hand.
For their 1990 album release "Better Off Dead" they enlisted the support of guitarist Michael Hoffman (ex-Assassin), but he didn't last long either; during their Japanese tour that year Hoffman sacrificed his career in favour of a Brazillian beauty, and the position was once again vacant. In autumn '91 Andy Brings appeared on the scene. He delivered his debut with the album "Tapping The Vein" (1992) which presented a return to the mega-tough SODOM sound of the early days with songs like "Body Parts" and the german language ditty "Wachturm". Like "Better Off Dead", the album was produced by Harris Johns. They later toured with Berlin act DEPRESSIVE AGE.
In the same year SODOM's longtime drummer Witchhunter left and was replaced by ATOMIC STEIF (formerly Living Death), who first appeared on the EP "Aber bitte mit Sahne". 1993 saw the release of the sixth SODOM offering "Get What You Deserve" with the extremely popular number "Die stumme Ursel", yet another highlight of German musical heritage, and said Ursel has become an undemending and easy to handle escort during SODOM's tours. SODOM's tenth anniversary was celebrated in style with a sold-out gig at Essen's Zeche Carl, featuring every former SODOM member as well as many musician friends all together on stage.
The following year "Marooned Live", another live album, was released. SODOM's 7th studio cut "Masquerade In Blood" (1995) was produced at the RA.SH studios in Gelsenkirchen under the direction of Uli Pösselt. In the meantime the band had suffered yet another change of guitarists (the 7th to date!) Andy Brings had been replaced by Dirk -STRAHLI- Strahlmeier. In 1996 ANGELRIPPER launched his first solo project. His album "Ein schöner Tag" was the SODOM frontman's first cooperation with G.U.N. Records. With the support of various guest musicians the self-confessed fan of top fermented German dark beer interpreted twelve of the most popular German drinking songs and two original compositions on the same subject in the familiar hard-as-nails SODOM sound.
And then the long last move to a new label was finalized. "'Til Death Do Us Unite", SODOM's first album to released by G.U.N. was recorded at the RA.SH studios in October and November 1996. And once again there's been a change in the line-up: the tried and tested threesome has remained the same, the new members surrounding SODOM-mastermind Tom Angelripper are Bobby on drums and guitarist Bernemann (both of Crows and Randalica fame).
For the first time in six years "Agent Orange" producer Harris Johns was at the controls again. More than its predecessors, the material on the new album brings the style of their 1989 triumph to mind; as Tom explains: "It was important to me that the result did not sound too modern, so I went back to the classic Eighties thrash. To me "'Til Death Do Us Unite" is a typical, slightly punky SODOM album."
The subjects on the songs, however, are somewhat more varied on the new CD: they reach from personal ads for "very hariy women" ("Gisela" - without a doubt one of the highlights of this CD) to an angry, aggressive condemnation of US American police practice ("Fuck The Police"). Besides SODOM provide a pretty nasty, mean alternative to the popular Bangles version of Paul Simon's "Hazy Shade Of Winter".
With their new album SODOM corroborate once again just why they are so successful, both on a national as well as on an international level. "'Til Death Do Us Unite" should encounter pretty much the same reactions from every SODOM album so far: you either love it or hate it - but it won't leave you unaffected!
SODOM are scheduled to present their new material live for the first time in summer 1997 at the Summer Metal Meetings. "'Til Death Do Us Unite" - for all die-hard fans and fans-to-be alike. |
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