Sodom
Code Red

"Metallica sold out after the Black Album!" "Slayer without Lombardo are not Slayer!"

"Megadeth sold out after Countdown To Extinction!" "Anthrax should be replaced by Testament in the Big 4!"

And what do these bands have to do with a review about Sodom, you might rightfully ask? Well, a few months ago, I was involuntarily added to a Facebook group for Thrash purists, if we can call them that, who were spouting the phrases above like a mantra to anyone who dared to question their beliefs, and among them was yours truly, trying in vain to say that "Youthanasia" isn't such a terrible album, that "God Hates Us All", although, personally, the last great Slayer album, is too underrated, and on it went. However, I've never heard a bad word about one band, Sodom. Sure, no one is without fault and missteps, but the career that Tom Angelripper has managed to sustain for nearly 40 years is impeccable, with his own personal yet simple idea of maintaining a Thrash style that seems to have changed little over the years, but that's not quite the case.

After releasing genre masterpieces like "Persecution Mania", "Agent Orange", and the underrated "Tapping The Vein", Sodom entered a decidedly more punk-oriented phase that did not yield the expected results, especially in terms of sales. Too many bands at that time were trying in vain to branch into different genres to attempt a sort of reclamation of past popularity, just mention Kreator, Exodus with "Force Of Habit", or the systematic downfall that Sepultura experienced at the end of the nineties. Finding themselves in a similar situation, Sodom returned to a sort of call back to their more violent works, coming out in '99 with "Code Red". A title as simple as it is prophetic!

Exactly, because if you're used to associating Sodom with that mix of Thrash and enhanced melody, a formula that seems to please many bands in recent years, steer clear. "Code Red" is probably the most direct, genuine, and violent record of the German band. No long-winded compositions, no eternally long intros, slowdowns or anything else, just forty minutes of pure Thrash Metal. It's thanks to works like this that Angelripper will be able to excellently replicate the same formula two years later, with the great "M-16".

Returning to "Code Red", the album immediately stands out not so much for the attitude of the songs but for the raw, dirty production that gives the tracks that personality that has always distinguished Sodom, almost lost with the previous works before the album reviewed here. Just the impact of the Titletrack is enough to dispel any doubts, with a Tom Angelripper who gracelessly screams "CODE RED!" with spine-chilling emphasis. Not least is the earth-shattering drum performance by Konrad Schottkowski on tracks like "What Hell Can Create" or the explosive "Addicted To Abstinence". A compact album, then. The risk, however, in cases like these, is that many songs might sound similar to each other, but this doesn’t happen here, at least if one listens to the album carefully. For example, it ranges from the tight riffing of "Spiritual Demise" to the mid-tempo "Cowardice", where Angelripper stands out with his bass and an absolutely formidable vocal performance, in a positive sense.

"Code Red" at the time was a godsend for Sodom, who were at risk of fading into oblivion. This was also the second work featuring Bernemann, until recently the guitarist of the German band, who helped give the sound a refresh and brought Sodom back to the forefront. And for those like myself, who find the latest works not only by Angelripper but by many other bands in general, which lean more towards melody, hard to digest, there are always many other albums to take refuge in... and "Code Red" is one of them.