Sodom The Arsonist Review

Sodom

The Arsonist
Steamhammer/SPV

2025

Fucking Sodom.

Sodom is a band that sits in Motorhead territory for me. The origin of the band brought a wave of bands that would’ve never happened if these miscreants, captained by one Mr. Tom Angelripper, had never existed. Sodom wasn’t just another band in a wave of metal bands; they invented or at least pioneered formulas and genres that had yet to exist. Thrash, Speed, Death and Black Metal all owe Sodom their first-born children. My point is, just like Motorhead (and Pizza) Sodom is always gonna be good - however, due to time, technology and the way shit seems to go down, I didn’t have the highest expectations for this. I knew I could likely give it a thumbs up and then forget about it, but these tracks are phenomenal, and the production is a breath of crushingly heavy fresh air.
 
After a creepy, yet probably unnecessary opening title track that felt, and sounded, a little like the opening of a horror movie playing at the same time as a war movie while Motley Crue’s “In The Beginning” weaseled in and out between the film sounds, the rest of the album opens the fucking throttle and pummels the listener senseless with insanely hooky yet brutal vocals and riffs - and the drums - can we talk about the fucking drums? You see, Sodom is truly old school. The drums on this album were recorded fully in analog and they sound thunderously perfect. No triggers, no plastic, no digital trickery, this album is just real from top to bottom.
 
The lyrical content is classic Sodom. It’s war, destruction, revelry and beer. There’s not a high point because the whole damn album is a high point. The only low point is maybe that opening montage - but I’m going to say that during a second listen in headphones with the rest of the album, it has its place and sets the tone for what’s to come while lulling you with static noise and ambience, allowing track 2 (Battle Of Harvest Moon) to kick you in the guts. If I must pick the song the feels the most like a single it’s “Trigger Discipline”, with its timely story of the power of the gun. The track that makes me want to stomp posers to death in the moshpit is “Scavenger”. And if you think the guys aren’t at least a little soft hearted, there’s even a tribute to their late friend, Tank’s Algy Ward, in the track “A.W.T.F.”.
 
Killer war metal style cover art by polish art legend Zbigniew M. Bielak kicks the whole thing over the top.
 
Don’t take my word for it, just go get it. It’s fucking Sodom.

~Rev