| Written by Alex Stojanovic TRACK LISTING The Arsonist Battle Of Harvest Moon Trigger Discipline The Spirits That I Called Witchhunter Scavenger Gun Without Groom Taphephobia Sane Insanity A.W.T.F. Twilight Void Obliteration Of The Aeons Return To God In Parts Release Date: June 27, 2025 Label: SPV/Steamhammer Records |  |
They say that age is just a number, and that statement continues to be proven true in this day and age when you see the amount of bands from the 70s and 80s that are still going strong to this day with touring and releasing quality records that can sit alongsde their classics. As thrash metal reaches its 4th decade of dominance in the 2020s, many of the originators are still showcasing the ferocity that they exuded when they were all starting out. While many of the originators have adapted with the times and shifted to using digital methods of recording, you can count on one hand the amount of bands who prefer to stick to the analog way of recording by using tape. One of those bands is Sodom. For the last few records, the German thrash kings have recorded drums on analog tape for the most natural production possible, which is worthy of so much respect in an age where digital recording trends have become the norm, and that continues on their seventeenth album The Arsonist.
The record comes five years after the release of Genesis XIX, released during the depressing period known as Covid. While a really good album, it was definitely lacking a bit of the magic that made records like In War & Pieces and Epitome Of Torture pure gems of Sodom's later career. Tom Angelripper is one of the ageless wonders of thrash that has lost nothing off his voice, still retaining his fierce shouts and menacing black metal lows, and it's proven on tracks such as "Battle Of Harvest Moon", "Trigger Discipline" and "The Spirits That I Called". On "Witchhunter", the band pay tribute to their fallen friend and bandmate Chris Witchhunter, who played on the first five records. I'm sure many old fans will be transported back to the old days with this song too.
I've often said that the last Sodom album I enjoyed from top to bottom was Epitome Of Torture. Since then, the records that followed didn't exactly all hit the bulls-eye. While they all had great sporadic moments, there seemed to be an inconsistency in terms of memorability. That being said, The Arsonist also has its fair share of clunker moments. I do feel that a handful of tracks could've been left off, as they do feel more like fillers. Particularly "A.W.T.F.", "Obliteration Of The Aeons" and "Return To God In Parts". The strongest tracks were placed at the front of the album, while the second half starts to lose the momentum starting at "Gun Without Groom". The total amount of 13 songs also plays a factor.
Many bands this late into their career go into an album with the goal of just creating an album with another batch of songs for the fans to enjoy, and for the band to also still use their creative juices that are still flowing. I'm sure that was Sodom's intention all along and not to try to top any previous album, and that's definitely a respectable intention. However, after all that's been said, The Arsonist feels like just another Sodom album with its share of standout moments and clunkers, just like the previous two albums. This is an album that I'll only come back to for certain tracks and that's it.
The record comes five years after the release of Genesis XIX, released during the depressing period known as Covid. While a really good album, it was definitely lacking a bit of the magic that made records like In War & Pieces and Epitome Of Torture pure gems of Sodom's later career. Tom Angelripper is one of the ageless wonders of thrash that has lost nothing off his voice, still retaining his fierce shouts and menacing black metal lows, and it's proven on tracks such as "Battle Of Harvest Moon", "Trigger Discipline" and "The Spirits That I Called". On "Witchhunter", the band pay tribute to their fallen friend and bandmate Chris Witchhunter, who played on the first five records. I'm sure many old fans will be transported back to the old days with this song too.
I've often said that the last Sodom album I enjoyed from top to bottom was Epitome Of Torture. Since then, the records that followed didn't exactly all hit the bulls-eye. While they all had great sporadic moments, there seemed to be an inconsistency in terms of memorability. That being said, The Arsonist also has its fair share of clunker moments. I do feel that a handful of tracks could've been left off, as they do feel more like fillers. Particularly "A.W.T.F.", "Obliteration Of The Aeons" and "Return To God In Parts". The strongest tracks were placed at the front of the album, while the second half starts to lose the momentum starting at "Gun Without Groom". The total amount of 13 songs also plays a factor.
Many bands this late into their career go into an album with the goal of just creating an album with another batch of songs for the fans to enjoy, and for the band to also still use their creative juices that are still flowing. I'm sure that was Sodom's intention all along and not to try to top any previous album, and that's definitely a respectable intention. However, after all that's been said, The Arsonist feels like just another Sodom album with its share of standout moments and clunkers, just like the previous two albums. This is an album that I'll only come back to for certain tracks and that's it.
FINAL RATING
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