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SODOM “The Arsonist”
SODOM “The Arsonist”
By Dr. Abner Mality
SODOM strikes again and they ain’t messing around this time. “The Arsonist” is straight up thrash through and through and contains some of the band’s fastest material in years. Tom Angelripper is out to prove something here and I think he succeeds for the most part.
This album has a somewhat drier sound to it than the previous album “Genesis XIX”, which was arguably the richest production they ever had. I know Tom is hellbent on having total real drumming with no tricks or digital doctoring. He sure got it here and Toni Merkel responds by beating the shit out of his kit in a very straightforward fashion. No Neil Peart paradiddles on “The Arsonist”. While the news that SODOM is playing back to basics thrash is welcome, I do think that “Genesis XIX” was a more interesting listen, with various approaches to the material including some melody.
The title track is nothing but a throwaway intro, so “Battle Of Harvest Moon” really kicks things off with speed and power. I think Tom’s vocals are more gravelly and rabid than ever before.. “Trigger Discipline” and “The Spirits That I Called” follow in similar fashion; “Witchhunter” is a tribute to the long gone drummer for the band, sounding suitably punky and stripped to the bone.
“Scavenger” is the first track to ease up on the gas pedal, conjuring a chugging bruiser like the classic “Tombstone” from “Code Red”. It’s just as good as the faster tracks and actually quite a bit better than some. As the album races along, a certain sameness starts to creep in, resulting in tracks like “Sane Insanity” and “A.W.T.F.” starting to blur together. The last song “Return To God In Parts” is another slower cut, but not quite as good as “Scavenger”.
Taken as a whole, you can’t complain about a band that’s been around since 1982 sounding this fast and violent and true to the thrash creed. I think “Persecution Mania” and “M-16” will always remain my SODOM favorites, though. “The Arsonist” is hot enough to burn!
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