So the story goes, Tom “Angelripper” Such started Sodom as a last ditch effort to escape a life of working in the coal mines in Germany in 1981, naming the band after black metal forefathers Venom’s “A Thousand Days in Sodom.” After replacing the group’s original drummer with Christian “Witchhunter” Dudek, who brought a new level of songwriting experience to the band, Sodom produced two demos which eventually led to a record deal with Steamhammer in 1985. One of those demos would become 1985’s In the Sign of Evil EP, which along with the 1986’s full-length Obsessed by Cruelty, would become cornerstone albums for the up-and-coming musicians that would dominate the controversial second wave of black metal that emerged in the early 1990s in Norway.
When Frank “Blackfire” Gosdzik joined the band in 1987 for Persecution Mania, the band’s lyrical trajectory steered more towards common thrash topics, delivering the political and war-themed lyrics that are now a hallmark of the band. Aided by better production, the band would put out a string of releases that solidified them as one of the Big Four of Teutonic thrash. When Blackfire left the band for Kreator after 1989’s classic Agent Orange, Sodom would continue to evolve and produce high quality material through the band’s unique blend of black, thrash and even death metal, most notably on 1992’s Tapping the Vein. The following decades would lead to myriad of records, a brief reunion with Witchhunter to re-record In the Sign of Evil shortly before his unfortunate passing, and Blackfire rejoining the band in 2018 on a permanent basis.
Now, after influencing innumerable bands in those same genres, Sodom is preparing to release their 17th studio album The Arsonist through Steamhammer/SPV, the same label that signed them so many years ago, on June 27th. The lyrical themes of the album remain firmly in Sodom’s stronghold, describing the horrors of war from the human perspective of being forced to fight for another’s cause. There are two tracks on the album, however, which deal with losses experienced by Sodom’s frontman and primary lyricist. “A.W.T.F.” is a tribute to departed Tank lead singer Algy Ward, whom Angelripper described as “the greatest heavy metal vocalist of all time.” The track “Witchhunter” appropriately serves as both a memoriam and cautionary tale about his former drummer and dear friend, who died of complications from alcohol abuse in 2008.
Ahead of the release of The Arsonist, I had a chance to speak Tom, the only original member of the band remaining, about a number of topics, including:
- the writing process for The Arsonist, the inspiration for new songs and lyrics on the record, his unique vocal style and disdain for comparisons to Tom Araya, and how he decides which style of singing will suit his lyrics best.
- a discussion of Algy Ward and stories from touring with Tank, memories of Withhunter, how the tribute to him is not meant to glorify his actions, the lyric video tribute created for Dudek by former Sodom guitarist Andy Brinks, and how Tom feels he’s ever present when Sodom perform.
- Tom’s feelings on Obsessed by Cruelty influencing the Norwegian black metal scene, the album’s poor production value and tuning issues, how it influenced Mayhem and Burzum, memories of Euronymous, and plans for a reissue of the album.
- the differences in recording Sodom’s first and second albums, the transition from occult lyrical themes to more political material on Persecution Mania, his reflections on over 40 years in the metal world, and a thank you to Sodom fans worldwide.
You can view the entire interview HERE:
Tom was a pleasure to speak with and expressed gratitude to his fans worldwide at the end of the interview, who will surely be ecstatic to listen to the new material Sodom have created on The Arsonist. You can pre-order the new album at the link below.
Sodom have two festival appearances lined up in Europe this summer. Stay tuned to their website and social media channels for any further information on support dates for The Arsonist.
