SODOM „Persecution Mania”

Some of my earliest memories in the metal scene were the furious antics of Sodom. These German thrashers were one of those bands that drew me into the wonderful world of speed and aggression that I never heard before. Persecution Mania was one of those rare gems that never left my CD player for longer than a couple of months. The band was heavily influenced by thrash/speed metal bands like Motorhead, Venom, and Mercyful Fate and like their predecessors they often touched on dark subject matter but kept it somewhat nearer to home in general. By that I mean that they abandoned the demons and fantasy creatures in favor of real life violence and horror. Sodom being German and this being the mid 80s, the ubiquitous theme of Nuclear Holocaust was of course present in the form of the opening track ‘Nuclear Winter’.

It is a record which carefully balances on the line between death and thrash metal without ever disappointing fans of both these genres. Simple, blistering, furious, no holds barred, no subtlety. These epithets really sum up the record in one sentence. Add to this a solid pinch of earnestness and you have a classic on your hands.

This album contains many of the audience favorites like 'Nuclear Winter' or 'Outbreak of Evil' and not in the least the title track 'Persecution Mania'. The rec ord starts pummelling you in the face relentlessly from the very first riffs played by the legendary Frank Blackfire. They are not only speedy but also executed quite flawlessly as is the majority of this record. In my opinion it is Blackfire’s contribution what makes this record and others by this band so great. Nothing but relatively simple chords and riffs interspersed with aptly placed solos.

Many of the tracks even though somewhat limited in depth more than make up for it in pure energy. That energy has to me always remained a trademark of Sodom even on some of their less successful releases of latter years. Another amazing trait of Sodom is the ability to insert copious doses of tongue-in-cheek humor into their recordings without it seeming to be forced or out of place. The unforgettable rendition of 'Deutschland, Deutschland uber alles' during 'Bombenhagel' or the almost cheerful, happy sounding opening riffs of 'Conjuration' always manage to raise a smile on my face. They continued that tradition on their later albums with varied success. Now granted, the humor in their recordings is not immediately apparent to everyone, I just happen to have a rather warped sense of humor.

If you’re looking for technical antics and complex song structures skip ahead to other bands. If what you’re looking for is earnest aggression and real-life horrors this is a record you should pick up and certainly won’t regret it. The songs are catchy enough to draw you straight into the record and never let go without sounding too cheesy. Sodom are classic band of the thrash era and even though they may have failed the immense critical acclaim of some of their peers they are definitely a band that you should check out. Persecution Mania is a good kick off point.

The only weak point that I can point out is the lack of complexity and somewhat one dimensional songs. But then again this is thrash. You’re supposed to bang your head and not ponder on modern philosophy.

note: 8/10