Sodom | The Arsonist | Steamhammer

 

    Sodom, formed in 1981 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, is one of the foundational bands of Teutonic thrash metal. Emerging alongside Kreator, Destruction, and Tankard, Sodom helped define a raw, aggressive sound distinct from their American counterparts. With a revolving door of members over the decades, the one constant has remained bassist and vocalist Tom Angelripper, whose venomous growls and militant lyrics have anchored the band's identity. Classic albums such as “Persecution Mania” (1987), “Agent Orange” (1989), and “Code Red” (1999) have cemented Sodom as a vital force in the genre. Following the addition of Frank Blackfire and the solidification of their lineup with Yorck Segatz on guitar and Toni Merkel on drums, Sodom has moved forward with renewed purpose.

“The Arsonist” marks Sodom’s return to full-length form after five years, and the result is a heavy, violent, and deeply textured album. From the analog drum recording setup to the collaborative songwriting process, this release presents a band deeply involved in every stage of its creation. There’s an immediacy to the sound, anchored in analog warmth and relentless pacing, that feels grounded in the band’s long-standing ethos while being acutely present in its intensity.

Tracks like “Battle Of Harvest Moon” and “Scavenger” reinforce the band’s tight-knit attack, with twin guitars locking into tight riffs and rhythms. “Gun Without Groom” and “Taphephobia” carry darker tones and suggest a broader emotional range than some earlier material. “Witchhunter”, dedicated to the band’s late drummer Christian Johannes Dudek (aka Chris Witchhunter), is both personal and fierce—never slowing into sentimentality, but rather channeling tribute through kinetic rage.

The lyrical themes throughout “The Arsonist” continue Sodom’s long-standing focus on war, societal breakdown, and personal unrest, but this time, filtered through a more cryptic and introspective lens. Tracks like “Twilight Void” and “Obliteration Of The Aeons” explore collapse through surreal, nightmarish imagery rather than direct confrontation.

The musicianship is tight and unrelenting. Angelripper remains one of thrash metal’s most distinct frontmen, his vocal delivery as scathing as ever. Blackfire and Segatz develop riffs that move between blitzkrieg precision and sprawling menace, while Merkel’s analog-recorded drumming delivers a genuinely organic impact. The band’s choice to avoid digital techniques pays off: the result is not cleaner but more human, more immediate.

Despite the length of the album—thirteen tracks total—there is very little excess. Even the closing “Return To God In Parts,” the longest track, maintains tension through variation and timing rather than resorting to drawn-out repetition.

“The Arsonist” doesn’t operate on nostalgia or mimicry. It simply exists as a contemporary Sodom album—born from the present moment of four musicians working tightly together. There is no overstatement here, no affectation or pretense. Just metal.

Score: 8.4