One cannot tell the tale of extreme metal without mention of Sodom. Crucial to the development of thrash, black, and death metal, few acts in the history of this music have proven as influential. At the forefront of it all is Tom Angelripper: The band’s undisputed leader from their earliest witching metal days of the ’80s, up through today, and right on the cusp of their 18th studio album, The Arsonist. While many of their peers have mellowed with age, if not having given up metal altogether, Sodom remains brutal as ever, still as hungry to outdo the last effort as they were in those olden blackened golden days. We had the honor to sit down with Angelripper to discuss this latest outing, 40 years of In Sign of the Evil, and what the future has in store for these Teutonic titans.
I’d like to start by thanking you for taking the time to do this interview. At the moment, we’re a few weeks away from the release of Sodom’s brand new album, The Arsonist. How soon after 2020’s Genesis XIX did work start coming together on this one?
Tom Angelripper: We started working on new ideas right after the release of Genesis XIX. We don’t have a specific timeframe for when we’ll start composing. After the pandemic, we were obviously on the road a lot, playing gigs, so there wasn’t much time to write. But we kept collecting ideas, and then arranged and improved the songs together in the rehearsal room. In between, we had rehearsed and recorded the songs for the 40 Years (at War) album, and released the EP 1982. When we finally got the option to submit a new album to the record company, things actually happened pretty quickly.
I want to ask you about the album’s title, The Arsonist. How did this title come about, and is there an overarching theme or concept that threads the album together lyrically or musically?
TA: The title doesn’t refer to any specific person or politician. It describes the nature and ability of humans to kill each other and repeatedly start wars. I worked with the cover artist to ensure the cover and album title fit together well. The cover describes the current situation in our world. In the lower section, we see a very peaceful and reverent atmosphere, and above all, our alltime mascot “Knarrenheinz” reigns, setting the world ablaze. However, it’s not a concept album; the themes of my lyrics are very diverse.
The Arsonist is the second Sodom album released featuring the lineup of yourself on bass and vocals, Frank Blackfire on guitars, Yorck Segatz on guitars, and Toni Merkel on drums. How does his current incarnation of the band compare or contrast to past lineups, and in what ways has the band evolved since Genesis XIX?
TA: With two guitarists, we obviously have more options. This is especially advantageous for live concerts. However, I’m also aware that our fans found the old power trio lineup more iconic, but over the past few years, this has become more widely accepted. Our drummer Toni also contributed a few songs to the new album, so now we have three composers and I act as arranger. This makes it very diverse and covers all possible genres in metal.
The first single released off the album is a violent thrasher, “Trigger Discipline”. What was the inspiration behind this song and did the band know from the get-go it would be the lead single?
TA: This song was written by our drummer Toni. His black/death metal background is evident in every riff, but the typical Sodom trademarks are, of course, in the foreground. The story is about a sniper who killed hundreds of enemy soldiers during World War II. After the war, he realized he enjoyed this activity and continued shooting people with his rifle in civilian life. He later called himself a monster who no longer had the right to live. He killed his mother because she had given birth to him, and then he executed himself. This story is based on a true event.
Next up is “Witchhunter”, which you’ve described in other interviews as not a nostalgic tribute to Sodom’s original drummer, but rather an honest portrayal of his life. Musically, it channels that early blackened thrash sound of releases like In the Sign of Evil and Obsessed by Cruelty. Was it important for you to have a blackened sounding cut to capture the spirit of that era? Furthermore, how do you feel about Sodom’s role in the evolution of black metal as a whole?
TA: Yes, that’s true. He used to be my best friend and a founding member. I thought the time was right to dedicate a tribute to him, but I didn’t want to glorify him heroically. In the text, I describe his characteristics and attitudes. He was always friendly and accommodating, but also depressive and choleric. His addiction took his life, and I witnessed this drama. Writing this text was like therapy for me. Yes, the music fits perfectly and reflects the glorious ’80s, when people still wrote good songs without a care in the world. Our first albums with Chris had a huge impact on second-generation black metal, and it’s endured to this day. Of course, that makes me a little proud that our old records are still so deeply rooted in the scene.
Speaking of In the Sign of Evil, this year marks the 40th anniversary of that groundbreaking release. Looking back, what memories stand out to you from the making of that record, and what are the biggest lessons you took away from those early years?
TA: In the early days of our first two releases, we were quite undisciplined and rebellious. This caused many problems. For example, that we had to record our first album twice. Despite all the admonitions from the record company, we always did our own thing. Our daily dose of alcohol was more important to us than tuned guitars. Everything was constantly in chaos, but we just wanted to have fun and didn’t accept any consequences. After that, Harris Johns became our producer, and he made sure we worked soberly and seriously on the songs. Without him, we probably wouldn’t have made the jump. The differences between Obsessed (by Cruelty) and Persecution (Mania) are clearly audible.
The latest single, “Taphephobia”, gives off strong Persecution Mania vibes, thanks largely to that undefeated combo of your ferocious vocals with Blackfire’s combative riffs. What’s it like having Frank in the band a second time around, and would you say your creative relationship has grown with age?
TA: Our drummer Toni wrote this song. There are five of his songs on the album. What many people don’t know is that he’s also a good guitarist. Yes, Frank and I are a well-rehearsed team. Frank’s sharp ’80s riffs are a hit with the fans and always give the songs a bit of Agent (Orange)/Persecution spirit.
Most metal bands are lucky to have one or two classic albums to their name. Sodom has a multitude that have proven influential on multiple subgenres. Do you personally ever go back and listen to your work? If so, what past Sodom album do you gravitate towards the most and why?
TA: I like all of our records, but don’t want to pick one out. Agent Orange was obviously a really important album because it finally gave me the chance to make a living from my music. That’s every musician’s dream. Our first records were very popular in the underground black metal scene. That hasn’t changed to this day. Looking back, I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved. There’s hardly anyone who has produced more records than me, but that’s the result of hard and consistent work. It’s always important not to disappoint your fans and to try to win over fans from the new generation too.
Last year was a big year for Sodom, as the band played their first ever extensive run of dates in America. I was lucky enough to catch the Chicago show. What was this experience like for you, and could you see Sodom ever gracing U.S. shores again?
TA: Of course, I know we’re a rarity in the US., but after the difficult process of getting a work visa, we were happy to finally perform in your country again. It was absolutely amazing. The entire organization was perfect, and all the shows were sold out. I noticed that we’ve built a strong fan base since our founding.
You’ve spoken in other interviews about Sodom winding down, or at the very least dialing things down on the touring front, upon the completion of this album cycle. If The Arsonist happened to be Sodom’s final album, would you be content?
TA: I’m just going to take a break, and I have no idea how long that will last. I have to take care of other personal things at the moment, but I’m still working. We also want to reissue our back catalog. There are still a lot of records waiting for a re-release. We’ll see what the future brings.
The new Sodom album, The Arsonist, comes out Friday, June 27th on Steamhammer. For more information on Sodom, click here.