Sodom - The Arsonist

Angry Metal Guy 60

Sodom forged a lengthy career for themselves as the bestial goon of the “Big Three” of Germanic thrash, and you could always count on them to scuzz the joint up with caveman shock trooper ugliness.¹ I’ve regularly used them as an example of a band that refused to evolve or embrace trends, but they have grown modestly since their thuggish beginnings. Born as a sludgy, proto-blackened thrash outfit way back in 1984, their In the Sign of Evil debut was the nastiest shit to hit my tender teen ears up to that point. Obsessed by Cruelty was only slightly more polished and was still as unpleasant as Doc Grier after a bottle of rotgut whiskey and a fistful of microwave burritos. It wasn’t until 1987s Persecution Mania that Sodom settled into the form they’re best known for, with a punky, thrashy sound that was rough, gritty, and mean. From there, they dropped extreme metal gems like Agent Orange and Tapping the Vein, followed by several less-than-stellar, overly-punkified albums, only to rebound with the mighty thrash classic M-16 and their eponymous 2006 outing. After another downward trending phase, 2020s Genesis XIX felt like a revitalized piece of weaponized excrement and showed that Sodom still had some shit left to kick. 4-plus years later, we get The Arsonist as these battle buzzards stumble into their 4th decade of violent existence. Does the fire still burn as that epic album artwork suggests? Prepare to get sodomized!

After a short, pointless intro, Sodom get the war rolling on “Battle of Harvest Moon,” and it’s exactly what you expect from them after decades in the trenches. It’s caveman thrash with satisfyingly fugly riffs and Tom Angelripper’s trademark rough, raw vocals slathered over the top like napalm jelly on a sucking chest wound. Long-time Sodom guitar hero Frank Blackfire throws down beef-brained riffs and a classic jangled solo, and everything feels right in the warzone. It’s not reinventing the Claymore, but it feels familiar and good enough to make an olde fan smile. The real firepower arrives on lead single “Trigger Discipline,” which is like a throwback to the M-16 era with an extra volatile dose of war-loving insanity that hits like a blockbuster bomb. THIS is the Sodom I love and always want more of. Tom sounds feral and unhinged, and everything is dialed up to 12.7. It even has hints of their 80s pre-black metal sound in Frank’s guitar work (think 80s Bathory). Put this in your mortar tube and smoke it, motherfuckers! “Witchhunter” is a rowdy, rabble-rousing ode to former drummer Chris Witchhunter, who passed away in 1992, and it delivers a satisfying amount of witch hammering excess for their fallen comrade. R.I.P.

Unlike some recent Sodom albums that had stark highs and lows, The Arsonist remains fairly consistent. The back half has a collection of burly throat punchers like “Taphephobia,” “Sane Insanity,” and A.W.T.F.,” with the latter even shoehorning in some ZZ Top-esque guitar bits for shits and giggles. Things are kept urgent and in your face across the album’s runtime, with only “Scavenger” slowing things down to a neanderthal chug-plod, and this works as a change of pace. While “Trigger Discipline” is the clear standout, nothing feels like filler, though “Obliteration Of The Aeons” is somewhat unmemorable compared to its peers. At 48 minutes with all the songs in the 3-4 minute range, The Arsonist doesn’t feel overlong, and the thrashing intensity carries it along in a blitzkrieging fury. I miss the more 80s-centric, extra raw sound they had on Genesis XIX, but everything still sounds appropriately greasy and unkempt here.

Sodom has always been the vehicle for Tom Angelripper to vent his diseased throat, and he sounds in full outbreak mode here, bellowing like a berserk maniac, wandering into death metal-esque antics, and generally sounding like he needs time in a quiet nervous hospital. It’s great to have Frank Blackfire in the Sodom camp again, and his riff chaos is not to be trifled with. Sure, he borrows a fair amount from vintage Slayer, but who doesn’t? His unique ability to blend chaotic thrash energy and stadium-ready solos and harmonies was always the element that put Sodom over the top, and he still has the kovorka. He’s paired well with returning axe-slinger Yorck Segatz, who aids him in his suicide mission to blow the material as high as possible, and some of their solos are fucking bonkers.

After 40 years, Sodom still haven’t stopped dragging their hairy knuckles through the filth, and for that Steel is thankful. Some things just aren’t meant to be pretty or smart, chief among them, these crusty cretins. The Arsonist is on par with Genesis XIX, and a consistently entertaining throwback to their glory days with enough brute firepower to please fans and shellshock unsuspecting newbies. The battle ain’t over, folks. Get your war crimes on.



Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: SPV/Steamhammer
Websites: sodomized.info | sodomofficial.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/sodomized | instagram.com/sodom_band_official
Releases Worldwide: June 27th, 2025

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