Sodom – The Arsonist
Steamhammer / SPV
6,0/10,0
Brief:
We all know that good music is always also a question of sound. To this end, the human factor is crucial – along with the right equipment, of course –, after all it’s about authenticity and individual personality. With that in mind, German thrash metal band Sodom have come to a logical conclusion: To enable the most natural production possible, the drum parts on their latest album ‘The Arsonist’ were recorded using a 24-track analogue tape machine. No studio tricks, no digital overdubs, or, to quote frontman Tom Angelripper: “No plastic! The difference in sound compared to today’s standard drum productions is amazing and has had a positive effect on all the instruments. Naturally, time and effort as well as costs were also higher, but we’re happy to fork out for a superior result.” Fans will be able to hear the outstanding product of Sodom’s labours on ‘The Arsonist’ from 27 June 2025, when the album is scheduled to be released on Steamhammer/SPV on CD, LP, as a box set and for digital download.
However, it’s not only the complex production process that testifies to the band’s exceptional creative spirit, but also their diverse songwriting, which saw all four Sodom musicians – Tom Angelripper (vocals, bass), Frank Blackfire (guitar), York Segatz (guitar) and Toni Merkel (drums) – involved in the development of the material on ‘The Arsonist’. Tom: “Frank contributed those typical Sodom riffs and hooks again, whereas York favours more epic songwriting. As a perfect complement to both of them, Toni, who is also an excellent guitarist, contributed a number of songs and helped to make the album even more versatile.”
Then of course, there’s Tom’s highly distinctive vocal style, which has been described by the media as a mix of Lemmy, Cronos (Venom) and Tom Araya (Slayer), but is unmistakable in its own right. He has written all the lyrics, which on ‘The Arsonist’ deal primarily with war scenarios again. ‘Battle Of Harvest Moon’, for example, is about the eponymous theatre of the Vietnam War in the sixties. Tom: “Even though the Americans gave the operation a very poetic name, we mustn’t forget that those battles cost thousands of lives.” ‘Trigger Discipline’, the toughest song on ‘The Arsonist’, sounds equally martial and is about a sniper who has completely lost control of his actions and shoots people indiscriminately.
Alongside these fast-paced thrash numbers, the atmospheric intro ‘The Arsonist’, and the remarkable ‘The Spirits That I Called’, there are two mid-tempo numbers in ‘Scavenger’ and ‘Return To God In Parts’, which – according to Tom – allow ‘the riffs to breathe’. ‘Witchhunter’ is Sodom’s homage to their late drummer Chris Witchunter, who passed away in 2008. However, the Sodom mastermind doesn’t want to give away more about the new album, not even what’s behind the song title ‘A.W.T.F.’, just this much: ‘It’s a tribute to Algy Ward from the British band Tank, to me the best metal vocalist of all time.’ Mind you, Tom has already revealed two special features: The new album will include a bonus live EP with recordings from Sodom’s ‘1982-2002’ German tour, and the cover artwork with its martial design was penned by the exceptional Polish artist Zbigniew M. Bielak (Ghost, Mayhem, among others). So the outstanding quality promised by Tom features on ‘The Arsonist’ in every last detail!
[Edited Press Release]
Tracklist:
- The Arsonist
- Battle Of Harvest Moon
- Trigger Discipline
- The Spirits That I Called
- Witchhunter
- Scavenger
- Gun Without Groom
- Taphephobia
- Sane Insanity
- A.W.T.F.
- Twilight Void
- Obliteration Of The Aeons
- Return To God In Parts
Main Focus Tracks:
- Battle Of Harvest Moon
- Trigger Discipline
Other Recommended Tracks:
- The Spirits That I Called
- Witchhunter
Line-Up:
Tom Angelripper – bass, vocals
Frank Blackfire – guitars
Yorck Segatz – guitars
Toni Merkel – drums
Comments:
The Arsonist is just another album for Sodom, who perform without ever forcing their talent. We expect much more from a band as legendary as Sodom.
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Selected Discography:
In the Sign of Evil – 1985
Obsessed by Cruelty – 1986
Expurse of Sodomy – 1987
Persecution Mania – 1987
Agent Orange – 1989
Better Off Dead – 1990
Tapping the Vein – 1992
Get What You Deserve – 1994
Masquerade in Blood – 1995
‘Til Death Do Us Unite – 1997
Code Red – 1999
M-16 – 2001
Sodom – 2006
The Final Sign of Evil – 2007
In War and Pieces – 2010
Epitome of Torture – 2013
Decision Day – 2016
Genesis XIX – 2020
The Arsonist – 2025
Photo Credit: Mumpi Kuenster