Teutonic thrash metal veterans Sodom released their sixteenth album “Genesis XIX” on November 27th via Steamhammer. Together with Destruction, Tankard, and Kreator they took the German thrash metal scene to worldwide reputation and were the instigators of the Teutonic thrash metal scene. In the 1990’s the band managed to cope with the contemporary age and released unforgettable outputs like “Tapping the Vein”, and “Code Red”. The year 2001 saw the band evolving musically as always trusting the spirit of thrash metal Sodom generated enthusiasm and released some of their most powerful albums like “M-16”, and the 2006 self-titled album “Sodom” their latest album “Decision Day” showed an unprecedented form of brutality.

In 2018 the band announced a new lineup with the return of their old guitarist Frank Blackfire (Assassin, ex-Kreator) and newly recruited guitarist Yorck Segatz, and later in 2020, drummer Toni Merkel. On “Genesis XIX” the quartet embraces an undisputed fury. Tom Angelripper has assembled an array of experienced musicians who achieve formidable ferocity to the songwriting. The band has spent the past two years creating a beast of an album with unrelenting aggression that spews pure energy of authentic thrash metal quality. 

Sodom rides in on the maelstrom of violence after the album intro “Blind Superstition”, serving as a great introduction to the album gives way to the track “Sodom & Gomorrah”, kicking off the twin guitars that illustrate the cohesive riff work. Musically, Sodom endeavors to re-install the pedigree of their early sound, ensuring the continuity of their legacy. Songs like “Euthanasia” prove how the band melds the principal elements of the eighties thrash metal with a strong blackened touch. 

Toni Merkel’s non-stop hammering along with the thrashing guitars veers through fiery tempos and the storming riffs pour down like an incendiary meteor. The title track is an epic entry that begins slowly and escalates into a savage fury. The rapid onslaught of old school thrash metal manifests fiercely as the band marches forward by veering into the speed of the fiery tempos. Besides the tight performance, the songs are quite varied and present straightforward rampage. The destructive energy that appears on “Nicht mehr mein Land” showcases some minor changes in songwriting, where the drums bring some unexpected elements from death metal by unleashing a full round of blast beats whilst the mighty riffs are unleashed.

Sodom enters a new epoch that punches down their style by defying the rules of modern thrash metal. Most of the tracks are structured on heavy riffs, while Tom Angelripper‘s raspy vocals add an ultimate power. The aggressive efficiency of the riffs on tracks like “Glock’n’Roll” and “The Harpooner” offers Teutonic warlike anthems. The surging force of the guitar solos is performed at high speed, while some of the melodies cool the air in the steaming engine. “Genesis XIX” is fiercely built to withstand the challenges of the modern era of thrash metal, simultaneously the band solidifies its supreme hierarchy.  

And that is only the first half… the second half of the album still delivers many memorable tracks such as “Dehumanized” and “Occult Perpetrator” where Sodom moves from frantic speed to unsteady grooves. Frank Blackfire and Yorck Sagatz both bring indisputable potency to the riffs whereas the drums and bass guitar lines boom like thunder. While there is definitely no doubt about the coherence and the accessibility of the sonic contents, Sodom with its latest release stands on the highest ranks of thrash metal bands. “Genesis XIX” also emphasizes the instrumentation with the epic intro of “Waldo Pigpen” showing great inspiration to the aesthetics of heavy metal. Throughout the fifty-five minutes that this album is long, Sodom proves that their dynamics have an extreme sense of savagery. “Genesis XIX” is definitely a conquering return of the German old school thrashers.   

Release Date: November 27th, 2020
Label: Steamhammer
track list:

1. Blind Superstition
2. Sodom & Gomorrah
3. Euthanasia
4. Genesis XIX
5. Nicht Mehr mien Land
6. Glock ‘n’ Roll
7. The Harpooner
8. Dehumanized
9. Occult Perpetrator
10. Waldo & Pigpen
11. Indoctrination
12. Friendly Fire