Originally written by Alex de Moller.
Who’d of thought you could admire someone so much for never giving a fuck.
Sodom have had a difficult 20 year career… they’ve been fucked by record companies, beaten to death by self-righteous metal journalists and endured serious financial hardship in their battle to stay alive. And yet… Tom Angelripper has always managed to pick himself up again and spit back at his oppressors, never compromising his values or the dignity of his band for the empty pleasures of a wad of cash. This is a band who have always done as they pleased when they pleased and I daresay… one who have always remained ‘true’ to their fans and themselves.
Live in Bangkok is not just your average throw-it-together live album, but more importantly a summary of their entire existence, a journey into days bygone… when heads thrashed and fists talked to the melodies of apocalyptic prophecy. So naturally – Its time for a little history lesson.
For those of you who’ve never heard any Sodom (May Tom have mercy on your souls.), I can tell you that they were without doubt the heaviest fucking band on the planet in 1982 (and indeed beyond), a year when Slayer were busy being laughed at and other bands were simply content to rip off Venom and Motorhead as much as they possibly could. More than a few of the extreme metal bands of today root their music to the manic and blackened thrashing of works like Obsessed by Cruelty, Persecution Mania, and their greatest offering – Agent Orange.
I’d honestly sell my own mother to see Sodom play live…
Unfortunately, Live in Bangkok is the closest I’m ever going to get.
While Kreator undoubtedly got a shitload of cash to ‘kreate’ a live album, Sodom’s offering is a low-key yet enormously well executed piece of work. Live albums can either be intense or disastrous, and having witnessed the screaming, shrapnel-like discord of their previous Marooned: Live album I approached Live in Bangkok with a certain degree of scepticism.
Sound and production are everything when it comes to making a live album and I’m happy to say that this one won’t let you down. The guitars are focused and clear, tightly knit with the drums and most crucially you can always hear the reactions of the crowd (unlike a certain Megadeth live album).
Sodom have found an incredible new vitality. Tom’s Germanic growls are a satisfying thing to hear once again as the band break into “Among the Wierdcong” from their recent album M-16. Quite rightly, the band are confident with their recent releases and a lot of newer Sodom material accompanies the classics. Immediately following “Among the Wierdcong” a cymbal crash heralds the intro to “The Vice of Killing” and Angelripper emits one of those sickening grunts which are always so satisfying when an intro breaks. Hearing “Remember the Fallen” performed live is an almost priceless experience for me and Tom does it justice as he begins with:
“This next song is dedicated to those who’ve died in all of the senseless wars all over the world!”
Plenty of other classics like “Agent Orange”, the whiplash worthy “Masquerade in Blood”, “Witching Metal” and a brilliant close with “Stalinhagel” (The live version of “Bombenhagel”). Unfortunately I have nothing more to say about Live in Bangkok because listening to it has made me insane… METAL VILL NEVER BE DIED!!!!
(No seriously guys… I am pissed that you didn’t play Nuclear Winter)
