Thrash as a genre of metal is like the shark. It’s something which has had little need to evolve over its history, only with minor adaptations here and there, making the various styling or sub-genres like the differing species of the ocean’s apex predators. This begs the question; why study it? Why talk about it? Why try to write about it? We know it’s fierce, sharp, fast-paced and SLAYER! But essentially, boiling down what thrash metal is about can be tricky at times, especially when it comes to those who have been creating walls of relentless riffs since the 1980s.
Enter one of the kings of the European Thrash scene, Teutonic Titans Sodom. Forming one part of Germany’s equivalent of the US ‘Big Four’, Sodom have been around for just as long as their transatlantic thrashers in arms and are still going strong, with The Arsonist being the band’s 16th album since their formation back in 1982. So let us pile up the kindling, douse it in fuel, make a trail and strike the match…let’s start an inferno!
If you know who Sodom are, then it will come as no surprise when this release can be rather quickly summarised as ‘more of the same’ or ‘you know what to expect’. Being one of the major influences of the early European black and death metal sound before pivoting to a mostly thrash approach which includes Agent Orange, one of the biggest and best thrash albums of all time, it should come as no surprise that the legendary four piece are a force both in the studio and on the stage.
Opening with the sample based short title track, featuring ominous samples of distorted voices, mournful melodic vocalisations, screams and tolling bells amidst the crackling of fire, it serves to pave the way for ‘Battle Of Harvest Moon’ to open the musical assault. With its big drum intro leading into the furious riffing and snarling vocals delivered with authority and a scathing edge, it is unapologetically Teutonic thrash at its finest. Sodom creates a commanding presence through the fast tempo and cutting solo work, giving the overwhelming urge to head bang.
“this musical approach may feel everything blurring together and sounding the same, but if you persevere with the album you get to hear some fantastic musical moments”
From here, the album takes off in traditional Teutonic thrash fashion. ‘Trigger Discipline’ starts slow but quickly ramps up the intensity with its venomous vocal delivery, ‘Witchhunter’ has some hard hitting riff work but its call and response chorus is bound to be a massive hook in the live setting and ‘Scavanger’, has some great grooves underpinning the more moderately paced thrash vibes of the track.
By the time you hit the halfway point of this album, a casual listener or someone not inclined to appreciate thrash might be fatigued by the riff based onslaught of the frantic and intense sounds of ‘Gun Without Groom’ and even someone who appreciates this musical approach may feel everything blurring together and sounding the same, but if you persevere with the album you get to hear some fantastic musical moments.
On the aforementioned ‘Gun Without Groom’ the jarring atonal stabs of guitars combined with the frenzied approach of the vocals leads to a real wild edge and sense of urgency about the track. ‘Taphephobia’ has that punkish undercurrent to its flow, and the looser feel of how its sharp riffs link together make it a rather energetic track and unpredictable with its sudden shifts in pacing. ‘Sane Insanity’ is a callback to the 80s approach Sodom had with their commanding thrash and this feel follows on in the next track, ‘A.W.T.F’.
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‘Twilight Void’ slows the pace down, bringing back the groove-laden thrash approach with its tight low end and rhythm section. The brief bursts of high speed riffing just add that extra kick but the hook-laden groove in the verses just hits that sweet spot for headbanging with your arms around your pit pals and trying not to soak each other in beer as the pints are jostled in your hands. ‘Obliteration Of The Aeons’ is the penultimate track and its slight power vibes help add to the dynamics of the track. The pounding verse with the subtle voicings used in the pedal tone riffing add an intriguing edge to the music and the exotic, twisting guitar solo helps with the flair, adding some dramatics to the steady delivery.
Closing track ‘Return To God In Parts’ has a tightly controlled groove from the off. You can tell by listening to the muted guitar and bass holding down the riff whilst the fills dance across it that there is a powerful energy waiting to be unleashed and to explode to life. Much like a tightly coiled spring put under pressure and waiting to snap, the energy is unleashed in the wild solo spots which surface in the later stages of the track, but before the wild whammy bar gymnastics and lightning quick runs, there is the great display of how the track is composed. The subtle increases in intensity of the drums from verse to chorus, along with the opening up of the pacing during the second verse and then the way the track loses all restraint following the first solo, is arranged perfectly. The only downside is it just ends on a whimper of sustained feedback pitches and a resurfacing of some of the samples from the opening track.
On the whole, Sodom have done what Sodom do best with this release. The Arsonist takes small parts from all the band’s impressive 43 year existence and forges it in the flames to create some blazing thrash. It’s not quite Agent Orange, but at the same time it’s a better showing compared to the turbulent 90s material, but is it the end? With talks of Angelripper wanting to pull things back after this release, could this record be the final flickers of one of the most influential thrash acts? Only time will tell, and if it is, then it is certainly one last flicker of defiance in thrash style.