Sodom – Decision Day

The legends of 80s thrash metal might be getting older, but some of them are certainly not slowing down. German gods Sodom have returned after 3 years with yet another record, and while one might expect “Decision Day” to follow largely in the vein of “In War and Pieces” and “Epitome of Torture”, this album shows the band hearkening back to records like “Agent Orange”, “Persecution Mania”, and perhaps more obviously: “Tapping The Vein”. Make no mistake, this is the heaviest Sodom has been in over 20 years. If you seek a brutal thrashing experience, “Decision Day” is going to deliver.

The first few tracks kick things off in rapid-fire succession, with “In Retribution” leading the pack in terms of speed. Though the verses of this song feature only ringing chords amidst chaotic drumming, there are still plenty of hard-hitting riffs to be found all throughout the song. The chorus breaks things down into an immensely heavy section, as Tom Angelripper unleashes his patented growl. His voice continues to be about the harshest sound you can possibly hit while still remaining in the realm of thrash, and he sounds better than ever on this record.

The above description of “In Retribution” sums up this record’s strengths relative to the last couple of albums. Namely, it is faster, heavier, and more aggressive. Some songs, like “Belligerence”, display an impressive ability to move between this relentless pounding, and a slower, more sinister sound. “Rolling Thunder” similarly has a good variety in quickness, even if the tempo remains largely the same throughout the song. This effect is achieved by the excellent performance of Markus Freiwald on drums. Put simply, he shines all throughout this record, displaying some of the most impressive fills on any Sodom record, while maintaining an incredible variation of beats. While drummers typically shine on slower material where they can play increasingly technical fills, Freiwald is actually better on some of the faster tracks like “Caligula”, as he is given free reign to unleash stupidly impressive fills. 

There isn’t anything you can fault Sodom for on “Decision Day”. At this point in their career, it is an accomplishment to be making competent thrash, but Sodom is creating superior thrash. There isn’t a single other 80s thrash band out there who thrashes as fast, as hard, or most importantly, as consistently as Sodom does. A lot of the older bands will put out a couple of speedier old-school sounding songs, but Sodom writes albums that are crushing from start to finish. “Decision Day” is no exception, and actually dials up the intensity considerably from their most recent work. This record is absolutely essential for all serious thrashers!

Be sure to check out and like Sodom on Facebook!

Highlights

"In Retribution"

"Decision Day"

"Caligula"

"Belligerence"

Final Rating

4.5/5 or 90%. 

Written by Scott

Sodom - Epitome of Torture

In terms of quality, few thrash bands have been as consistent as Germany’s Sodom. Whenever they release a new record, you know you’ll be getting something that is a serviceable thrash record or better. When it comes to their sound, however, they’ve been a bit of a mixed bag. Though the band started as a black/thrash outfit, they’ve refined their sound many times: thrash, death/thrash, punky thrash, and finally back to a standard thrash sound. For the last 10-15 years, the band has settled on a straightforward thrash style, but they have still given us a modern classic in “M-16”. In 2013, the band has returned with “Epitome of Torture”, which is another solid addition to the band’s growing catalogue.

The album kicks off with “My Final Bullet”, and there could not be a more perfect choice. The intro builds to a riff that is so evil and brooding that something hellishly fast must follow. Though you might expect a great riff, you are actually assaulted with Tom Angelripper’s trademark shouting. The chorus takes the song in a bit of a different, more upbeat direction, but is still just as heavy. A second standout would be “Stigmatized”. This song is for fans of the 1992 classic, “Tapping the Vein”. It is absolutely punishing, both in terms of the rhythmic attack and in Angelripper’s return to truly harsh vocals. Even if you feel that Sodom is no longer interesting or relevant, this song is sure to get your head banging. There are other standouts, but rather than go over them, I’ll address the one flaw with this record: it lacks enthusiasm. All of the elements are there; the album has plenty of speed, riffs, and guitar solos, but I don’t see myself returning to “Epitome of Torture” like I do to “In War and Pieces”. Just from looking at the song titles, I can already hear the choruses from several songs on “In War and Pieces” in my head, but I can say the same for only a few tracks on the new record.

Despite my concerns, this is still a Sodom record. Unlike Destruction, Sodom releases are infrequent enough that even if they release less than stellar albums, it is still refreshing to hear. And it is unfair to call “Epitome of Torture” a bad record, it’s just that Sodom has such a solid track record that my expectations were higher. I’ll definitely keep spinning this album, but am more likely to return to 5 or 6 other Sodom records before I get back to this one. 

Be sure to check out and like Sodom on Facebook!

Highlights

"My Final Bullet"

"Epitome of Torture"

"Stigmatized"

Final Rating

4.0/5 or 80%. 

Written by Scott