Decision Day

Looking back at Sodom's long career, it's surprising to see how consistent the Germans have been, barely changing style after the solidification of their chops on Persecution Mania and putting out album after album of mid to high quality thrash metal. Therefore, it came as a shock to see the new release heralded as a minor return to the band's early black metal influence. Always a strained relationship, Sodom's black metal credentials never went further than sharing a certain similarity to Venom and releasing a debut album of grimy, atmospheric speed metal that belongs in the same dungeon but not the same sentence as black metal. There is even less reason to state that Decision Day dallies with black metal, either in atmosphere or in musical style, since there is practically nothing here that comes from outside the spheres of thrash metal. In fact, for those looking for a more accurate description, it takes no great stretch of the imagination to say that this is very similar to the preceding Sodom albums, In War and Pieces and Epitome of Torture, both of which bear all the trademarks of Sodom's signature sound.

Therefore, there is little in the way of surprise presented in this 50 minute slab of music, though arguably fans of German thrash should be pleased at its reliable strength. Much of the music is stamped with aggressive traits, such as the hard knock of the snare against the side of your head, as well as meaty tones for both rhythm guitar and bass guitar. The line-up is unchanged from the previous album, as is the slight tendency towards melodic touches softening the edges of the songs, although that tendency doesn't inhibit some of the songs taking off with vicious abandon from time to time. The softening melody is actually the most distinctive feature about the title track or the main riffs from 'Who Is God?', plus many more that have a sombre mood to them as they roll uneasily beneath Markus 'Makka' Freiwald's drums. It's as if a loneliness had crept into Sodom's anger and alters the aesthetic of the songs: at first, one might note that the intensity is a notch down from albums like Code Red or Sodom, tending closer to M-16 or the previous effort, Epitome of Torture, while the length of the album is not as problematic in this style as a thorough thrashing might have been. That said, 'Sacred Warpath' is perhaps the most extreme example of this tone and works very well to unsettle the listener as well as to unsettle their neck from its upright position.

As for the other songs, they are all cut from a similar cloth, with little to choose between them in either quality or style. Distinctive features tend to come from the pace and vocals, since Bernd 'Bernemann' Kost doesn't provide as many memorable solos as one might like, Tom Angelripper giving quite the performance with his throat however. He opts for a range of styles, his grim throaty shout scudding along with the verses' pace in 'Vaginal Born Evil', while he switches to the more forceful declarative hoarse vocals at slower moments; there's also a few interesting moments where he gurgles a line or two in a truly monstrous way, such as the amazing "Who is God?" line from the track of the same name, which rips into one of the album's best riffs. 'Caligula' deserves a mention too, not only for Angelripper's delivery of the lyrics, which sounds slightly glib at times, but also for amusing lines like "Inner rotting / Pervy kisses" and "Crowned with kinky insanity / Caught in sexual misery". It's slightly odd to note on the song front that those slightly gloomy-sounding numbers occupy the prime positions on the album, while the adrenalized assaults of 'Belligerence' and 'Blood Lions' are relegated to comparatively insignificant positions, where one mighe expect to find filler or weaker tracks on an 11 song album. Perhaps putting one of them towards the start might have given a larger kick to open the proceedings.

In a sense, then, Decision Day could be viewed as a step forward for Sodom, consolidating past strengths and attempting to build upon the melodic angle that the band are starting to explore. On the other hand, it could also be a step back, since nothing really amazing happens and no great risks are taken, meaning that there is little reason to discuss the songs for long. There won't be too many grumbles, not with the likes of 'Who Is God?', 'Sacred Warpath', and 'Belligerence' among the ranks, though Decision Day will not stand out strongly in Sodom's discography.