Persecution Mania

Sodom's sophomore effort demonstrated massive improvements over the unquestionably raw and malicious debut, Obsessed by Cruelty. While that disc was admittedly spirited and enthusiastic, it is hardly Sodom's most memorable moment. It was clouded by terrible production, at times, immaturity, and let's be honest, primitive songwriting. While Sodom was never the most technical band, that record makes the follow up, Persecution Mania sound like you're listening to World Circus by Toxik, or Punishment for Decadence by Coroner. That might not be the case, Sodom really got their shit together on their second full-length and recorded what remained to be a thrash classic from the late 80s in the Teutonic scene.

The lineup change, namely the departure of good old Destructor, and the arrival of Frank Blackfire brought about massive improvements. Sodom's music became more thrash metal oriented, with more structured songs and improved instrumentals. Sodom still carried some of their early black metal influence, most notably Tom Angelripper's vocals, which are similarly dark on here as they were on the debut. But the music became a LOT more precise and well-written. There was still room for improvement (which Sodom would see in 1989 on their magnum opus Agent Orange), but the band managed to make up in raw, unfiltered aggression and darkness what they didn't have in technicality.

The opener "Nuclear Winter" is the single most memorable song on the album, which rightfully became a fan favorite. It is especially crushing right at about 2:40 when the song absolutely takes off after the ominous descending tremolo riff. One of the most brutal moments of Teutonic thrash, particularly with the combination of blistering pace and the echoing, eerie production. Another highly memorable highlight is the lengthy (6+ minutes!) Christ Passion, which is somewhat experimental for a band like Sodom. This song is pretty complicated compared to the rest of their material at the time and includes way more riffs and tempo changes than any of their other songs in 1987. While the fluctuation of pace sounds a little bit crude and unnatural at times, that's an excellent song and excellent proof of Sodom's musical maturing.

Sodom was already way outstanding in terms of the music itself on this record, and so were they outstanding at producing an album. But on one particular domain, they were way ahead of nearly anyone, and that's none other than the lyrical content. Most especially, among German bands, I've yet to find another band as refined and well-articulated as Sodom. They certainly had their seemingly idiotic (in my opinion, inspired and honest would be better words) moments with their sexually sickening lyrics over the 90s, but this record shows that the band is in fact very much serious. Just take a look at the following.

Luminaries become dull structures
Atmospheric cataclysm is the result
Epileptic doom of lacerated cannibals
Wrapped up the earth in a shroud
Eternal darkness artificial brightness
Exclusive possession of death
Defaced skulls of radiation
Mutilated past recognition

Persecution Mania remains one of the most memorable German thrash albums of the era, and it demonstrates Sodom's upward movement in every which way possible. This was a serious step forward in composition, production, lyrics, you name it. Sodom's ruthless aggression and dark visions made the record a thrash classic. This was the one album that carried both the old Sodom's characteristics to some degree but was already on the way to complete reanimation, which has been wholly completed on the following Agent Orange.

While far from the best album in Sodom's discography; this album offers a great look at how the band started. Not exactly thrash, not exactly black, instead an odd fusion of several subgenres. I imagine that this is not purposeful so much as it is a side effect of Sodom often being considered influential for later black and death bands; with Sodom being such an influential, long standing band it stands to reason that their early work would blend in with several distinct subgenres over 30 years after release.

The album itself establishes several standards and constants for the rest of Sodom's Discography. The most notable of which obviously being the anti-war sentiment present in almost all of their work; almost being a classifier of its own with how heavily the band relies on such themes. Frank Gosdzik's playing adds a very hard edge to the overall sound, which I would posit to be responsible for the association with later black metal styles. The mastering on the pressing I have is oddly inconsistent, with some songs sounding very "smooshed" and others sounding just fine. I would imagine such problems would not be present on a Vinyl release, however this odd sound quality somewhat adds to the atmosphere of the album, and I would not classify it as a detriment. Tom Such's (Tom Angelripper) vocal style is very similar to many death, grindcore, and black vocal styles.

For fans of the American "Big 4" (Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer) this album and the rest of Sodom's discography may not necessarily be for you; as Sodom has a much harder style, somewhat dissimilar to early or "classic" thrash. However if you like 90s death metal bands Persecution Mania is right up your alley. The best comparison (outside of other "Teutonic" thrash bands of course) for Persecution Mania is Death's early work, with a heavy reliance on hard riffing and minimal vocals. The only major distinction is the lack of guitar solos on Persecution Mania, with most playing being accompanied by a bass track.

As far as direct criticism goes, I do wish the audio quality was a bit better, as many sounds come out poorly defined; the guitar tracks are often annoyingly quiet. In addition I think the album could be a little less repetitive. Several tracks blend together, and while tracks 6, 8, 9, 12, and 13 do set themselves apart, I doubt the average listener would be able to tell the differences between the other tracks on a first or second listen.

In conclusion; I would recommend this album if you have already listened to some of Sodom's Discography (specifically M-16, Tapping the Vein, and In War and Pieces) or if you want to see how the band evolved chronologically, but if you aren't huge into later European thrash I would not recommend listening to this album before Sodom's more notable albums, as it can make a bad impression if you don't already have some conception of what Sodom is.

When I listened to this album by the very first time, I really could not understand why it was considered a great album.

I'll be honest, the album is well-worked in terms of instrumentation and production; the bass is audible, what gives much more strength to the music; the voice of Tom Angelripper is great and evokes an atmosphere of evilness, Frank Blackfire makes a good work as guitar player, executing in some cases good and memorable solos, and in general every single member of the band are consistent and good in their instruments, and the album production helps to create a dark, evil and morbid atmosphere.

The problem with the album is that it is too monotonous; at least 70% of the music is written in E minor, and the simplicity of the riffs (which most of them are just fast tremolo-picking stuff with few variations) makes more evident how poor the album is in terms of creativity, and as a consequence of this, songs like Electrocution, Enchanted Lands and Conjuration feels generic, flat and with no inspiration.

At the same time, the inclusion of a Mötorhead cover (with all the respect that Mötorhead deserves) was a BAD idea. Yes, the track is good, but regarding the atmosphere that the album constructs, Iron Fist breaks with it, as it has a happier sound than the rest of the tracks, so it feels out of place.

However, I do not consider that the whole album is a lost cause.

Tracks like Persecution Mania, Christ Passion and Nuclear Winter are the ones that break with this monotony that surround the album, as these tracks have some other good and more original riffs, tempo changes that make the songs more dynamic, and these tracks gives the most memorable moments of the album, like the 1st tempo change of Nuclear Winter, the intro of Persecution Mania and Frank's solos, to state some examples.

The album is not a total disaster, but it is overrated in terms of music and songwriting. Of course, the sound, production and Tom's voice were a good inspiration for future bands (especially for black and death metal bands), but in general terms, it is dispensable, flat and with not too much to offer.

1987 was one of the most important years in the career of Sodom. Their formerly dubious reputation evaporated into thin air as soon as "Expurse of Sodomy" hit the market and "Persecution Mania" confirmed the new maturity of the trio. The album's sound was less sharp than that of the glorious EP, but this did not play a big role. Due to a more than solid, coarse and heavy mix, the technicians in the studio had proven their skills. Okay, the guitars did not achieve a high grade of piercing preciseness or transparency, but the overall result had enough pressure to remind us of the fact that extreme metal was simply the best music one could enjoy. (Even 30 years later I am still convinced of this finding.)

The insane unpredictability which had been an important trait of their first EP and "Obsessed by Cruelty" had already been lost at the time of the release of "Expurse of Sodomy". Nevertheless, the more experienced band and the more conventional song patterns had its good sides as well. A better structured approach was not be equated with formulaic compositions. And the slightly modified functioning was not crucial for the fact that Sodom did not offer a new mega-killer such as "Sodomy and Lust". However, who cared about this in view of a coherent album with a great number of exciting thrash tunes. No doubt, almost each and every track has stood the test of time and it is still a pleasure to listen to this classic - yes, this word can be used without hesitation - from time to time.

Without boring the audience with a superfluous intro, the album comes straight to the point. "Nuclear Winter" kicks the listener in the teeth in a powerful manner. Sodom present their combative side. The fast-paced opener combines directness, aggression and a small quantum of catchiness. Moreover, its slightly nightmarish atmosphere becomes a kind of overriding theme of "Persecution Mania". Many further songs spread similar vibrations, for example "Onward to Golgatha", "Enchanted Land" and the title track. The latter shines with an explosive chorus and its high velocity marks another characteristic of the song. "Onward to Golgotha", the prelude of the "Christ Passion", enriches the album with a morbid, slow-moving sequence. It seems to be the soundtrack of a solemn yet dismal funeral. Yet this doomy intermezzo remains an exception. From today's perspective, the album is not overly harsh, but its average speed leaves no desires unfulfilled.

The band members seemed to be great fans of Motörhead. It is therefore only logical that they saw no reason to offer a significantly modified version of "Iron Fist". Thus, the song delivers a less dark feeling than the other tracks. Apart from this, it seems as if the occupation with this generic anthem taught Sodom how to create a catchy song. Or does anybody know a better reason for the smooth riff of "Bombenhagel"? The closer does not only refer to the German national anthem. The easily structured song scores mainly with its perfect open-air-festival design. Frankly speaking, I don't think that it belongs to the best songs of the band, yet it was number that promoted their career in a sustainable manner. Yet I guess I have already mentioned that 1987 was a very important year in the career of Sodom.

Having named your band Sodom, you had better be prepared to sound as painful and tight as humanly possible in order to match the implications of that name. Persecution Mania is certainly the first album by the Germans that could be called anything like tight, but painful has been the remit of these guys since day one. Switching track from an extreme metal soup on Obsessed by Cruelty, Sodom practically nailed the thrash thing at their first attempt, making a nasty, gritty album that provides atmosphere, excitement, and some great musical chops too.

When totalling just 35 minutes, everything should have its place on the album and there's not much that wastes time here. Most of the songs rip into high gear right from the off and only slow down for monstrous mid-paced chugging riffs or that moment of eerie desolation in 'Nuclear Winter' that epitomizes its title. The only hints of excess might be the intro of 'Procession to Golgotha' (fantastically moody) and the lengthier 'Christ Passion', while the ending of 'Bombenhagel' might be considered either goofy or genious, depending how much you like that melodic send off that's actually the German national anthem.

What you should be looking for here is lots of riffs, that dark almost death metal atmosphere (listen to the title track for the best example), and some super-heavy bass work. Shit, Tom Angelripper likes Lemmy doesn't he! I mean, not only is there a conspicuous cover of 'Iron Fist' wedged into the first half of the album, but right from the first note you can hear the grim buzz and twang of the bass glugging away at the riffs and crafting that sinister undercurrent that makes early Sodom just a bit special. Honestly, if you aren't that impressed by Frank Blackfire's riffs, it's still worth visiting this album just for the bass work. However, Blackfire chucks in about five or six riffs per song, frequently changing up the fast thrashy ones with mid-paced bulldozing, although the production renders some weaker than would be perfect. The solos are fairly standard fare for this sort of sound, quite well done but not proving the highlight. Not to be totally overshadowed by the string players, Chris Witchhunter has a nice workout with the sticks, pounding away with excellent precision and adding plenty of flavour to the less intense moments.

It's well-acknowledged that 'Nuclear Winter' is a fucking classic song and while I wouldn't disagree for a moment, I must say that 'Electrocution' is my preference for best listen here, what with its wicked shift to slower pace after about a minute and one of the sickest sets of lyrics from a pretty sick genre. The darkness of 'Persecution Mania' is also a highlight and 'Christ Passion' works well coming off its long intro, including the best lead work of the album. 'Bombenhagel' is distinctive in a different way, using simpler riffs in a punk style and Angelripper's almost cheeky bass motif to worm its way inside your head. On the other hand, there is a bit of a problem with similar sounding songs, because Sodom's formula was so well-designed that they didn't feel the need to change it: several songs storm into a riff, bash through a verse and chorus, drop the pace, fling in a solo, then stick in a few more riffs. It thus becomes slightly hard to differentiate between 'Conjuration', 'Enchanted Land', and 'Christ Passion' not only because of the structuring but also due to the grubbiness of the sound, which robs some of the faster riffs of their distinction. However, for those songs mentioned earlier in the paragraph, true quality shines through and they remain absolutely memorable from top to tail.

Probably not Sodom's greatest album, Persecution Mania remains a great listen for fans of a certain kind of thrash - a darker and less predictable kind than that coming from the Bay Area. There are lots of great ideas here and a sense of creativity that stands out in a narrow genre. The good songs alone make this a necessary listen - get persecuted!

Something strange happened to Sodom. Their sound followed the black metal direction, and their guitar and drumming work was merciless, not to mention the lyrics which were focused on Satan worshiping, blaspheme and other satanic issues. Then, from one day to the other the band decided to fire Grave Violator who was the mastermind behind their black metal stuff, and they hired Frank Blackfire in order to modify the sound and even the image of the band.

After leaving behind the Venom worshiping, they introduced a new speed/thrash sound inspired by Motörhead (as much as their "Iron Fist" cover), thus instead of playing the raw sound of their earlier stuff, they took Motorhead's sound and made something thrashier. Furthermore, the lyrics' topics are more focused on war and its consequences rather than singing satanic lyrics. Also, as part of their Motörhead worshiping, they saved some space for the bass, which is much more audible than in the earlier stuff.

Notwithstading the above, they just kept a little bit of their thrashy rhythm in order to provide an aggressive sound to the album; however, the songs were slightly slowed-down so that they become just as thrashy as needed. On the other hand, the album has a very stressing atmosphere like if the songs were written during the war, and is hard to figure out how hard this may result when mixing the atmosphere with the lyrics describing the moment in which a nuclear bomb exploded, like in "Nuclear Winter". Also, guitar riffs played a role on this atmosphere since they are harsh enough to inspire some stress for the listener.

Furthermore, the songs are more elaborated and the album provides some room for instrumental passages which go very well with the songs, even though they are not too complex, nor so technical, and they work as speed breakers like in many thrash metal songs of other bands. It is clear that they left behind any possibility of using again the primitive and brutal sound of their EP album, except for Angelripper's vocals, which remained as harsh as in such EP.

This album demonstrates that there are many ways to play thrash metal. It is possible to play something more speed metal oriented like Megadeth's debut, but there are also much more bands releasing violent stuff. Of course, this album was made for people who does not agree with the mediocre and overproduced sound of the modern thrash metal releases as they can understand how the thrash metal should sound like.

The second album from German thrashers Sodom, “Persecution Mania,” is really the focal point of their whole career as it manages to incorporate so many of the traditional elements found within their sound into a package for the first time, and as such stands tall as one of their more timeless classics.

At first, the one point that sticks out about their music is the fact that this is a streamlined form of their previous material, which isn’t too far off the mark at all. Still packing their rather furious blend of riffing that contains an aggressive streak courtesy of punk with a technicality afforded by its’ thrash leanings, especially in the latter half of the material, two important differences are found that seem to define the bands’ sound to come get first placement here. The major improvement is the near-elimination of the chaotic vibe and energy that was found on the first record in exchange for a tight, controlled burst of aggression that permeates these songs. No longer flailing about in wild, frantic patterns but instead keeping the songs tight and lean, allowing the drums to drive the tempo along rather than the riff-work produces a simply devastating result that gives the songs impeccable speed with a devastation not afforded to in their previous works. This is a style that continues on from their point forward and is found here, as well as another rather impressive feat that was carried on from this record. Since the songs’ riffing is so tight and controlled, this forces them to release their energy in the form of lengthy, instrumental pieces within the song itself that simply relies on repeating their devastating riff-work in a continuous manner, producing an intense thrashing section that’s enormously infectious and works quite well to distinguish the band from its peers quite easily.

These two marks aside, the album is pretty typical of what one would find in a Sodom record. Along with the aggressive and intense guitar-riffing brought over from the first album, another strong element at play for the band is the explosive drumming which seems to alternate between a blasting form of thrash complete with the appropriate double-bass fills that simply propel the songs forward quite heavily to a sort of pedal-less hyper-speed blast that feels more like the drumming style found in black metal where it sounds like all that’s going on is trying to see how many times they can get hit in a minute without the use of the double-bass. While this generates an extra intensity to the music, it feels out-of-place in many songs as the timing of the rhythms seems to indicate more of a traditional drumming approach rather than this new style, but in any event they’re loud, up-front and steal the show on many songs as they’re mixed so high they come through with clarity and devastation. Also found here is some fine bass-work that mixes quite well with the drums in creating a dark atmosphere that was prevalent on the first record, and with those dirty vocals that tend to recall early black metal at times with that type of screech and cavernous effect they’re recorded with, this makes a completely devastating record.

Between the two halves, there’s hardly any real stylistic difference. The first half does seem a little more concerned with the intense thrashing and blasting that was being introduced into their sound, almost as if it were trying to gauge interest right away with the lengthier compositions right away than wait until the second half to try and experiment. There’s nothing but a savage onslaught of tight riffing, pounding devastating drumming and ferocious bass-work that has come to define the band as a whole. If anything, the second half is a bit experimental in the sense of trying to incorporate more of a punk-like influence from the first record, mostly in the drum-patterns but the occasional riff here and there does give off a punk vibe as well, and tries to meld this with the more traditional thrash elements found within their sound that comes off either hit or miss at times, hitting more often than not. This is also where they utilize some more down-tempo material that isn’t as full-on intense or to incorporate doom-like dirges where it’s atmospheric rather than thrashing away, all of which is quite fine and definitely adds a few twists and turns into an otherwise straightforward effort.

There’s plenty to like with the songs on here as there’s some fine material on display. Opener ‘Nuclear Winter’ features a war-drum like opening with a thrashing pace, furious riffing, dirty vocals and atmospheric bass touches as it rolls along with different tempo shifts and lengthy rhythm interludes, instilling itself as the direction the band is to follow for the albums to come as well as being an all-time classic in its own right. ‘Electrocution’ works well with its thrashing intro with intense riffing and pounding drums that segues into a rocking mid-section break before going back to thrashing intensity for another outstanding effort. The cover of the Motörhead classic ‘Iron Fist’ is actually above-average with its rocking and infectious punk-like energy found within, as the riffing completely fits within their sound but the bass-work doesn’t give it the evil quality of their originals. The title track gets back to business with pounding drum-work filled with thrashing riff-work, and is mostly noteworthy among the album where it drops the traditional thrash approach in favor of a blasting drumming approach that reins in the energy and intensity, making for a stellar start to the album as it’s filled with classic tracks throughout.

Even if the second half of the album is where it gets experimental by the standards found throughout, it’s still not nearly enough to deter the fine amount of stellar work here. The blazing ‘Enchanted Land’ carries on the tradition of tight riff-work with plenty of aggressive riffing, lengthy mid-tempo sections of restrained riffing with a return to intense thrashing at the end, making for another highlight. The first minor experimentation comes from the blazing instrumental ‘Procession to Golgatha,’ with its atmospheric intro and dirge-like riffing with down-tuned tempo it creates a massive, near-doom-like feeling for an appropriate break in the midst of all the thrashing around it. Picking back up again is ‘Christ Passion’ with an interesting guitar-based build-up that leads into mid-tempo chug with blasting drumming that sinks and rises in mix as the music blasts away, creating one more stellar highlight track. A return to the experimental side coincides with ‘Conjuration,’ which mixes a punk-like drumming intro that gives way to groovy bass-lead riffing that generates more speed and intensity during the solo breaks as bass-work takes lead with atmospheric twangs during blast parts with the most black-metal like vocals on the whole album, creating one of the more interesting and enjoyable tracks on the album. It all ends with the classic ‘Bombenhagel,’ with another truly pounding intro with mid-tempo riff-work that shifts back and forth between mid-range and up-tempo blasting with tight drumming and fine mid-range breaks and occasional punk-tinges, finally ending the beating in fine fashion.

As one of the more important records in the bands’ discography that features some truly impressive work for one of the most important bands in the genre. At the forefront of their honing and refining of the trademark sound they will employ from this record on, it’s a remarkable achievement the band was able to do this one only album number two, as they must’ve rightly observed how punishing and pummeling the sound was and decided to employ that in the future for it seems to combine nearly all the influences from the past with the mere tightening and refining of the work into a blasting, coherent whole that remains one of the genre’s defining records, but thrash as well. Highly recommended to thrash enthusiasts of all kinds as well as aficionados of the German thrash scene as well.

Persecution Mania is Sodom's transitional album from their early black metal material to their later thrash metal output (even though it certainly is more thrash metal-oriented, it still emanates a dark and macabre aura). This record shows a drastic change in Sodom's sound due to Frank Blackfire's influence on Tom Angelripper's conception of music. Blackfire had already shown us his musical abilities on Sodom's previous EP with intense and memorable tracks such as 'Sodomy And Lust', 'My Atonement', and 'The Conqueror', and it was clear that these sodomaniacs were serious about composing great thrash metal. Enough background, let's start with the album review.

An example of what I previously mentioned is the first track, 'Nuclear Winter', a song of relative technical complexity (definitely harder to execute than anything Metallica have ever done), in which Angelripper and Witchhunter demonstrate their musical improvement in order to keep up with Blackfire's guitar work. The considerable quantity of catchy, yet powerful, riffs, the brilliant solo at the middle of the song, the deep and elaborate lyrics, and the tight drumming are some of the reasons why this song deserves to be considered a classic. The rest of the songs also contain lots of great riffs, such as the main riffs in 'Persecution Mania', 'Christ Passion', or 'Enchanted Land', however they also show an increase in speed and intensity (the kinds of songs that make you want to thrash the fuck out of everything). Another highlight of the album are the vocal effects used in some segments of songs like 'Electrocution', which make the line "pathological satisfaction" sound really twisted and sinister (hence the album's thrash/black essence).

Throughout the whole album, Tom Angelripper delights us with his raspy, German-accented vocals and his ever-present thick bass tone. In my opinion, those two elements are the backbone of Sodom's style (try to imagine Sodom with Tom Araya as the vocalist/bassist; it just wouldn't work). Another feature present on this album which would become a trademark in their following records is the typical cover made by Sodom, in this case a Motörhead cover. 'Iron Fist', even though it doesn't really fit the album's atmosphere, is nicely covered by this competent German trio because they manage to give it a thrash metal tone and still make you want to sing the chorus (I wish I could say the same about Kreator's failed attempt at covering 'The Number Of The Beast').

It also contains some odd, yet good tracks. For example, 'Bombenhagel' is a punk-ish track, that includes a part of the German national anthem and somehow it really works! 'Procession To Golgotha' is a slow and intense instrumental in which Blackfire is the center of attention (his soloing is amazing). 'Conjuration' first debuted under the name of 'Satan's Conjuration', and sadly I must say it is not that great. Unlike the rest of the songs, it doesn't really have any interesting riffs (it worked for Sodom's second demo, but I think it's out of place on Persecution Mania). Despite this "negative" element present in the album, it's one of my personal favorites (actually, it's the album that got me into Sodom) and I highly recommend listening to it at least once.

In conclusion, if you are into thrash metal and the FWOBM, get this album immediately.

Sodom did not have us waiting for long after the excellent Expurse of Sodomy EP, just two months would pass and it was time for Persecution Mania. And whereas "Sodomy and Lust" was like the debutante arriving at the ball and throwing her shoes in the face of the vanity parade, this was like having a squadron of dependable, well trained soldiers arrive to gas and grenade everyone else in attendance. The band's gas mask toting gunner mascot had arrived, and their obsession with warfare (only hinted at on prior releases) was in full swing, a motif they'd carry through many albums. The riot patrol that was career prime Sodom was now in session, and living prisoners were unlikely.

Obviously, the centerpiece here is "Nuclear Winter", one of the band's all time classics, which follows a similar course to "Sodomy and Lust" with rip shit, hyper muted guitars and Tom's disgusting, reverberating vocal splatter that placed him in league with the other greats (Schmier, Petrozza, Sabina, Daxx, etc.) Sure, the chorus is predictable, but the riffs that it flows over are like incendiary kisses to the buttocks, and the breakdown was undeniably mosh worthy, despite its lazy gait. "Electrocution" is very similar, aggressive and fast paced with some great vox and an even greater, death metal riffing bridge between the verses. After this, the band include a quality cover of Motörhead's "Iron Fist", which strangely fits into the original content, but also establishes a minor problem I have with Persecution Mania (more on this later).

Speaking of which, the title track represents a slightly more subdued, but still excellent spin on the formula thus far on the disc; "Enchanted Land" might have an offsetting title, but I assure you it's fucking barbaric; and the slow, drudging instrumental "Procession to Golgotha" drifts into another blaze of ballistic frustration, the "Christ Passion", which is merely a variation on "Nuclear Winter" or "Electrocution". "Conjuration" seeks to further the band's punk influence, and it's largely composed of aggressive rock riffing with Lemmy-like bass presence, saved only by Tom's gritty and repulsive vocals. Unfortunately, I don't feel as strongly for "Bombenhagel", which is basically a thrash/punk piece with some bland notation.

Sodom would do a lot of this in their career, which is understandable since they obviously have a huge influence through classic dirty rock and punk, but sadly it's just nowhere near as interesting as their more metallic compositions, and this holds true on future full-lengths. The solo is decent, but the guitars are otherwise really dull, and it does put a slight stamp of regret on the album. If you've got one of the CD releases of Persecution Mania, then you're probably also treated to the Expurse of Sodomy EP, with is an excellent value, and the band also include a re-recording of "Outbreak of Evil", which sounds audibly superior to the original, but it's also got that punkish fuel to it. Still, I'd take it any day over "Bombenhagel", which is just the one song I don't like that holds the whole package back.

Regardless, Persecution Mania is the 'best' Sodom full-length album, followed closely by Agent Orange. Some will cite the sloppier, earlier recordings as their favorite, but as charming as they were, they are no replacement for the structure and potential on exhibit here. With this lineup (Angelripper, Blackfire and Witchhunter), the band did a great job of tightening their reins on composition without sacrificing the 'loose ends' of their shoddy, sadistic past. The lyrics are also quite good. It doesn't give me the same missile erection as a Terrible Certainty, Finished With the Dogs, Sentence of Death or The Morning After, but it's quite damn good, and easily belongs among the classics of the 80s in this genre. I've caught hell in the past for holding the band below the others of the 'Big Three' in quality, but that's simply the reality of what I'm hearing. Write it off to the apples and oranges, but what is not in question is that this is sure footed, militaristic, and brutal: an onslaught worth anyone's investment.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Sodom’s full-length debut, Obsessed by Cruelty, was a bit of a disappointment to both fans of today and yesterday. Although the songwriting was (mostly) solid, the production was a quite horrid, muddied sound, and the listening experience was relegated from the “Grand Assripping Supremator of Unholy Black Metal” status of their previous release, the five song EP In the Sign of Evil, to the unfortunate realm of “Personal Favorite.” The departure of Sodom’s previous guitarist, one Mr. “Destructor,” signaled the arrival of what may be the second most important man to Sodom’s musical legacy and classic sound: Frank ‘Blackfire’ Gosdzik. The addition of Blackfire as the lone guitarist solidified all remaining patches in the band’s songwriting, and their second studio LP, Persecution Mania, is the exact point in which this band became the thrash monsterbeast they are known as today. This album is archetypical of the German method of playing thrash metal, and is rightfully considered a slightly overlooked classic of European heavy metal.

Persecution Mania breaks little new ground for metal in general, but it is a big step from the dirty black metal Sodom was previously known for playing. Here, Sodom begins to write pure, unadulterated thrash metal, with stellar results. Each song moves along at a fast tempo, usually utilizing tremolo-based riffs interchanging with those of a more stuttering, jagged nature. The riffs are heavily accented by the album’s sharp, vicious guitar tone; the general production is a massive improvement from both two previous LPs. Not only does the guitar have much more power over the listener, but Tom Angelripper’s bass comes out clear, heavy and glassy, all at the same time, while his vocals are placed perfectly in the production’s sonic figure: clear and audible, but not overpowering any of the instruments. Chris Witchhunter’s pulls out his most solid drum performance yet, managing to sound neither sloppy nor untrained (as he did on all previous releases). Witness the drum intro to the simple and catchy track “Conjuration” as a perfect demonstration of his newly honed skills. Combined with the awesome and unique tone of his drums, one can see why Witchhunter’s death in 2008 was rightfully mourned.

But the true apex of Persecution Mania is the newest additions to the songwriting process: Blackfire’s stellar guitar solos and thrash breaks. Few bands have mastered the art of slowing to half-time in the midst of speed metal madness to the level Sodom has. Songs like “Electrocution,” “Bombenhagel” and the crippling opener “Nuclear Winter” feature monster midpaced riffs that accentuate the “ready, set, MOSH” structure of thrash metal to the status of fine art. Just listen to the thrash break at 1:35 of “Nuclear Winter,” and hear how the riff introduces the perfect headbanging tempo, then gaining a bit of speed as the riff subtly progresses into a slightly different one, and then the song regains its original faster-than-Satan speed. After another set of slower, crunchy moments that follow, we are introduced to Blackfire’s first true guitar solo of the album, and by God this man is a 100% classic heavy metal facemelter. Gone are the days of rather worthless, warbled, Slayer-esque cat-in-a-blender guitar solos, and in are lightning fast, yet magically precise neck-scaling acrobatics of Frankie. Each solo manages to be exciting and excessive in the way loud and proud metal should be, yet somehow restrained and controlled enough to avoid irritating the listener. Blackfire would remain for the following Sodom album, the rightfully acclaimed Agent Orange, before a brief stint with fellow German thrash metal compatriots Kreator, on their melodic yet overwhelmingly powerful album Coma of Souls. As the 90’s went on, the man more or less disappeared from the music scene, so his excellent accomplishments on these three albums are not taken lightly.

Songwise, Persecution Mania doesn’t really differentiate from track to track, although with repeated listens, each song can be easily recognized from the next. The description of “Nuclear Winter” can apply to the majority of songs on here: fast tremolo riffs, fast verses with fast, ferocious vocals, very overt thrash break, fast solos, perhaps another thrash break, more fast solos, more fast verses, and then the songs ends. Yet this album is not dragged down due to unoriginality or “over-consistency,” because the simple formula works so well in the first place. It doesn’t matter if they more or less wrote the same song some odd five or six times, because that one song fucking rules. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But then again, there are some more notable and unique moments on the album. “Enchanted Land” has a particularly morbid and evil sounding break at 1:08, which is used to full effect until Blackfire adds a gallop to the riff, cementing it as one of the most memorable parts of the album. “Conjuration” and “Iron Fist” are short and simple speed metal songs, which is to be expected, considering the latter is a (rather excellent) Motorhead cover. “Procession to Golgatha” is a short, doomy two-minute interlude with loads of atmosphere due to some sparse keyboard work and Blackfire’s shrill, tense leads. The following “Christ Passion” is one of my personal favorite picks of the album, because it opens with slow, simple, yet intense riffage, shortly followed by, you guessed it, fast verses and a thrash break that could stop the world from turning.

With their second studio album, Tom Angelripper and pals released a magnificent example of how thrash metal should be played: with riffs, solos, more riffs, attitude, and goddamnit, more riffs. Every song on Persecution Mania is enjoyable in some way, from the catchy and effective title track to the epic yet concise album closer “Bombenhagel,” which wins Blackfire even more brownie points for playing the German national anthem “Das Deutschlandlies” as the last guitar solo of the album. Most rereleases of the album feature a rerecorded version of the early Sodom classic “Outbreak of Evil,” as well as all three tracks from the excellent EP Expurse of Sodomy. These extra four songs, all recorded in the same fashion and with the same production as Persecution Mania, only add the charm of the original release, and add even more incentive to own the album. Oh, and rather arbitrarily, the album artwork totally rules as well; a shirt featuring that cover would sell like hotcakes!

"Make us die slowy, Nuclear winter, Clouds of dust will hide the sun forever, celebrate Nuclear winter". How can you not be hooked when first listening to "Nuclear winter"? From the ever-recognizable bass intro to the furious verse riff, the catchy as radiations chorus, the two solos or the crushing mid-paced moments, Sodom don't wait long to show off their stellar songwriting in their newly refined thrash sound. Imagine experiencing your very first Sodom (and thrash) song with "Nuclear winter", because it was really a particular experience hearing this killer classic as an appetizer, it was nothing else than love at first sight; I was sold to Sodom and even more when I got my hands on "Persecution Mania" - hell, only the cover and back cover gave me shivers.

It's the first appearance of Knarrenheinz on a Sodom cover. I'm not sure if the cross behind him has some significance, but at the back there are what seem to be buildings with dense smoke all around, I think it was inspired by "Nuclear Winter". Still, it's a badass cover and represents pretty well the overall atmosphere of the album; it's dark and tense.

Let's get this straight, Persecution Mania is a thrash classic and one that if any avowed thrash fan doesn't already own should run to the nearest nuclear shelter. It's that good, as mentionned earlier the songwriting is elaborate, not your typical one-dimensional, A to B thrash album; if there's no real evolution like in "Nuclear Winter" or those memorable breakdowns like in "Enchanted Land" and "Christ Passion", the songs are extremely well crafted and have THESE solos courtesy of shredder Frank Blackfire.

Speaking of members, besides Blackfire's headbang inducing and moody riffs, and memorable solos, commander Tom Angelripper and skinsmen Chris Withhunter (RIP) are as worthy of mention. Angelripper's menacing snarl is recognizable from viet jungles and with his big german accent, besides being more badass, fits appropriately the war and religion theme expressed throughout the album. You notice his bass from the get go in the opener's intro and realize he's not giving an ordinary performance where the bassist is playing the same riff as the rhythm guitar and being drowned by the latter. Witchhunter's performance isn't the best or tightest in thrash but has this particular style and attitude that constitute a solid backbone for the cause. They all contribute to make that thick, tense and unsettling atmosphere that again compliments really well the lyrics.

"Persecution Mania" is a varied and elaboratted piece of art which contains no filler and has a good progression from the beginning to the end. Starting with the thrash anthem "Nucleat Winter", it breaks into the short and fast "Electrocution". I really got to love this song after a couple of listens as it was a little too much straightforward and chaotic at first but soon became an important part of the album to me. Then comes the oddity "Iron Fist", a Motörhead cover as the third track. This one too took me some time to appreciate as it's a cover and is placed at the beginning of the record. I tought it broke the flow though I understood its relevance as Motörhead is one of their main influences. The performance is great, they managed to appropriate themselves the song to be an integral part of the album. Follows the title track - this is what I meant by unsettling. It has its share of tremolo riffs which really helps building the atmosphere to the very end, as the lyrics about the Vietnam War. And with Tom's voice more menacing than ever; "Something fierce, Something evil, Circles in the air".

"Enchanted Land" is repetitive for the most part but when it slows down and the mid-paced section starts, you know it's one of Persecution Mania's highlight moments. And the follower, "Procession to Golgatha" really compliments it, it's a slow, moody and atmospheric instrumental. It's only building for the past 6 minutes mark "Christ Passion", another high point of the album - as if there was any low point - which again showcase Tom's excellent use of his bass guitar. "Conjuration" is a reworked version of "Satan's Conjuration" from the Victims of Death demo in which their Venom/Motörhead influence is more prominent, it's more rockish. And then the mighty closer, "Bombenhagel", the first of 3 punkish Sodom classic and finishes with the German anthem played with guitars.


Persecution Mania is Sodom first album of full-fledged thrash, and so without any half measures. It's not anything groundbreaking but they have their own style and play it masterfully. Here they really found their sound with their lyrical theme around war. To me this album constitute the first part of their, I dare to say, "classic trilogy", the other two being Agent Orange and Better Off Dead. They all talk about war, have a more or less similar sound, have a punkish standout (Bombenhagel, Ausbeboumbt and Stalinhorgel) and of course the first three albums to feature Knarrenheinz on the cover, So after this one comes their milestone Agent Orange which continues in the same vein but is less moody and talks about war in a more direct way.

This is the album where Sodom REALLY got their shit together. What we have here is just about all-out thrash mania! From the opening riff of the mighty "Nuclear Winter" to the ending of "Bombenhagel," this album is full-blown thrash and leaves little room for you to catch up.

Right, Persecution Mania features the 'classic' line-up of Angelripper, Blackfire and Witchhunter. Blackfire, who would later join Kreator, has some very fine leads here and his riffing is damn near impeccable. I mean just listen to "Nuclear Winter!" That, my friends, is pure German thrash! But wait, there's more! "Nuclear Winter" also has an absolutely monstrous thrash break that you can't listen to without banging your head to it. Blackfire's solo in this one is absolutely delicious, plus one of the licks in the solo is used again on "Agent Orange." A+ Angelripper and pals, A bloody +!

The production here is also much better than Obsessed by Cruelty (MUCH better if you have the CD edition.) The guitar tone is much better than the one in Obsessed by Cruelty. The drums are mixed just right and the snare doesn't have that annoying echo anymore. Best part? You can listen to Angelripper's BASS! Yessirs, and he can actually PLAY bass although he's not the best bassist in the world, he gets points for trying.

The actual songs are great, only one absolutely useless track here ("Procession to Golgotha".) Sodom also covered Motorhead's "Iron Fist," and it's a very good cover at that. The highlights on this album are the aforementioned "Nuclear Winter," "Persecution Mania" and "BOMBENHAGEL!!!" The last one has Sodom unleashing their inner patriot with that "Das Lied der Deutschen" end solo. "Electrocution" and "Christ Passion" are quite good, though not spectacular. "Conjuration" and "Enchanted Land" may be the low points of the album but they're passable.

The CD version comes with the re-recorded "Outbreak of Evil" from their In the Sign of Evil debut EP as well as the full Expurse of Sodomy EP for good measure.

Should you get it? Yep, this marks the true start of perhaps the most rewarding German thrash band.

With this new album, finally Sodom find their definitive dimension that is all about thrash metal. The black/death influences now are far less present and rooted in their always primordial and violent sound. Everything now sounds really German in style and attitude, contributing in spreading this kind of thrash metal around the world. The production is easily the best Sodom ever had in all those years because it’s pounding and massive, more or less like the one on the following Agent Orange.

Persecution Mania marks the definitive maturity of a band that made the sheer frontal assault the best weapon to conquer the throne as one of the most famous thrash metal band worldwide. Tom’s vocals remain the most extreme thing here I believe, because they’re always so brutal and nasty with that smoker-whisky addicted tonality. The guitars patterns are more or less like the ones we found in the previous EP Expurse Of Sodom, but far better recorded with a crunchy and quite heavy sound.

The first track is huge in impact and violence and it’s called “Nuclear Winter”. The up tempo are perfectly mixed with the new technique that the group possesses in thrash metal, filling it with slow parts and fast restarts. The bass sound is terribly raspy and pounding. The following “Electrocution” is fucking fast while the Motorhead cover “Iron Fist” is so good and similar to the original…even the solos are perfect! This is one of the best homage to the roots that I’ve ever heard by a band. The title track is famous for the pure destruction feeling it has in the vicious riffage made of open chords and tremolo picking supported by always fast drums.

If you really want to experience the guitars tone power on this CD listen to the massive “Enchanted Land” where you can find a perfect mix of fast palm muting riffs or Godzilla style mid tempos. The main important thing anyway, are the fucking guitars. After a short intro, “Christ Passion” is another great song, that features galloping guitars riffs and a compact structure without being excessively fast during the first part, to continue on up tempo. “Conjuration” is punkish but nothing if compared to the last, awesome “Bombenhagel”. This song is pure thrash/punk hellish madness! The band is incredibly fast.

All in all, another confirm by a band that’s living the best period in their career. Now they had the maturity and the songwriting is a bit more complex, structured and accurate. Recommended to German thrash metal fans.

There are various reasons why I consider this to be – by far – the best Sodom album ever. First of all because it musically hovers between their earlier ‘evil’ style of thrash and their later well produced modern thrash. Still fast, still filthy but already with mature thrash metal compositions.

Opening track ‘Nuclear Winter’ simply is the best Sodom song ever written. This composition comes close to perfection. The threatening into riff emphasised by the supporting distorted bass guitar, followed by an up tempo verse and chorus and a eerie mid paced middle section. The dynamics presented here are mind blowing and the song never loses its tension.

Another thrashing highlight is ‘Christ Passion’ on which Angelripper sounds best with his raspy voice. Definitely a second place song. Also ‘Electrocution’, ‘Conjuration’ and ‘Persecution Mania’ are three thrashers worthy of mentioning individually. Strong, fast, catchy and filled with great riffs, breaks and lyrics. The Motorhead cover ‘Iron Fist’ isn’t bad actually and doesn’t feel odd when surrounded by all these thrashers.

Lastly, Persecution Mania introduced this new kind of punky-Motorheadish thrash song, the very simplistic but enjoyable ‘Bombenhagel’. They would later write similar songs on the next albums (Ausgebombt, Stalinorgel)

No, I like a lot of material Sodom wrote after this album but I never enjoyed any of their albums from start to finish as much as I did Persecution Mania.

Tom Angelripper may have worked in a coal mine but he struck gold with band Sodom!

After 3 crushing excursions in metal; In The Sign of Evil, Obsessed by Cruelty and Expurse of Sodomy (just prior to EoS guitarist Frank Blackfire would join the band and have a huge impact on their sound) the children of the 80’s were exposed to Sodom’s grandest work, a blackened thrash metal masterpiece called Persecution Mania. Riffs that methodically worked their way into a thrashing frenzy - each song accompanied with chugging, fist banging interludes guaranteed to drive the crowd wild plus chaotic guitar solos that retained their melody and structure.

While blasphemy was no longer the main agenda, a dark, meancing atmosphere still pervaded the overall feeling of PM and received full license to roam on the classic Procession to Golgotha – full of doom and despair, carving a black path into the track Christ Passion. I don’t intend on going into full details about each particular song; each contains something that will keep you coming back for more. Thus PM is the center-piece of perfection for Sodom; tight, relentless, manic thrash yet full of catchy breaks, thunderous drums and spiteful vocal deliveries. Enchanted Lands is a great example of the infectious nature of Sodom when Angelripper snarls in his gruff German accent “when the few who remain will battle to the last for the enchanted lands” you’re completely swept up in the moment of uncontrollable headbanging mania and beer is getting spilt! Sporting such gems as Nuclear Winter, Electrocution and the insane thrasher Bombenhagel it’s worth every cent. Included also is the brilliant Expurse of Sodomy (maxi), along with the track Outbreak of Evil. If you don’t own this already and love to bang your head, you better hunt it down now. Persecution Mania will possess your soul…

You can't get much krieger than Sodom. For fuck's sake, they sing about krieg (war) the whole time, how could they not be krieg. OK, enough of my silly little word games. This is the second album of German thrash legends, Sodom. They are sometimes labeled as black/thrash, but this is really straightforward thrash. It sounds a bit underdeveloped next to Agent Orange, but there's really not anything wrong with this one. The riff fest is here, the jawdropping breaks are here, Tom barks away with his awesome accent and the great lyrics are still here.

Songs are memorable, but mostly for verses and choruses - the riffs tend to be a bit simmilar to each other. The song structure is basically standard Sodom: fast intro riff, super fast verse part, then slow down to midtempo break, then chorus, a super fast solo and then the verse and chorus part again. And yeah, this record is a fucking pile of awesome thrash breaks. It's like: NUCLEAR WINTER!!! STOP! BREAK! BANG!
Since Sodom are kind of a evil thrash twin of Motörhead, and they are a three piece band, bass plays an important role here. It's like a second guitar, Tom even has that cool bass break on Bombenhagel. The guitars are satisfying, riffage is very good. Solos are fast and not really technical, but they do their job. God, I love Õnkel Tom's voice. Especially the accent. You can't have a German thrash band without the accent. Vocals themselves are also good, I wouldn't say that they're growly but they do sometimes slighty wander into that direction. Drumming is nicely executed, but there is really nothing new here.

The best songs on here are probably Nuclear Winter and Bombenhagel. Former starts off really fast and has a massive thrash break at around 1:30. The chorus is really memorable (well, even the biggest dumbass would remember to shout NUCLEAR WINTER by two listenings - not that that's a bad thing). Oh yeah, there's ANOTHER BREAK at around 3:15. Two breaks, ladies and gents. 2. Not to mention the one at 4:20, which isn't really a thrash break in the true meaning of the word.
Bombenhagel starts with a bass riff, simmilar to the one on Ausgebomt. The same riff also serves for a bass break at 1:30, 2:50 and somewhere around 4:00, I think. That was a great idea, Tom. The solo is somewhat fammiliar, but I can't remember why. I think it's the German anthem. Well, it doesn't really fit it, but it's funny.

Iron Fist, the Motörhead cover is nicely executed, but it has a simmilar effect that Ausgebomt on Agent Orange, it's a bit to ''happy'' for the mood of the album. Don't get me wrong, Ausgebomt is my favourite Sodom song and Iron Fist is great, but they don't fit in the mood. On the other hand, it's alway good to have some contrasts on the record. Other songs are all good, with Electrocution being ''the best of the rest'' and Procession To Golgatha being a filler.

Recommended!

However, I haven’t heard a lot of things that really stand out from this band. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I’m not a hardcore thrash fan, but so far this is the only Sodom album I’ve been able to tolerate. My favorite track is probably “Nuclear Winter,” from everything I’ve heard on this album. Nuclear Winter is a nice solid track to start off a fairly solid album. I find that this is probably the best Sodom album I’ve heard so far (after hearing “Till Death Do Us Unite,” this is music to my ears).

The guitar riffs get very repetitive and annoying over time, almost so much that it gets overly consistent. On this album I do like the guitar tone (sounds a little like Sepultura) and the more consistent riff changes than on some of their other albums. Sodom also manages to have good intro guitar riffs on this album, much better and more interesting than I’ve previously heard. The speedy riffs are kind of catchy at times, but in some songs (Conjuration) they run kind of flat and become boring. The bass especially gets repetitive and offers little variation.

I think the germen accent is great and gives them a bit of diversity among other thrash bands, but not that much of a diversity advantage. The guitar intro to Christ Passion is my favorite one. It’s smooth, and flows into the song nice and easy, instead of just going crazy and shredding from the start. The drum intro in Conjuration interests me, followed by the guitars, but then the song just drags on and on with little riff change. Conjuration could have been a good song, but it was way too short and became dull after the first few minutes.

Persecution Mania isn’t a bad song either for most part. The variety on bass is a relief but again, the song is too short. Around the 1:30 mark the guitar riffs sound pretty cool with melody and tone variety, but it’s only bitter sweet...it doesn’t last long enough. Enchanted Land is nothing special; it sounds like the rest of the more repetitive songs on the album. I think the best part of Sodom are the solos; they have some of the best solos I‘ve heard recently.

The solos are fast, long, more original sounding than their main riffs and are excellent, but it doesn’t really save the songs that happen to go nowhere. They sound kind of like a Sepultura/Slayer combo, except to a lesser extent. So far, my opinion is that they’re a good band, they write good music, but they need something more that stands out about them and separates them from other thrash bands. They have the ability to be original, they just need to mobilize themselves to sound that way.

My second favorite Sodom album of all time. Persecution Mania is a piece of art. I guarantee you will headbang through the whole album. This album is probably the fastest metal album ever. Starting off with Nuclear Winter and ending with My Atonement, the album blazes.

The guitars on this album are superior to any thrash album. This is definitely speed/ thrash metal at its best. A lot of the songs sound the same, but one can easily pick apart different riffs in the songs. Sodom does a nice job of throwing around there song types. Like in Nuclear Winter and Elctrocution the songs have fast drumming and fast guitar riffs. Then Iron Fist is a rather slow song, at least compared to the first two. Then it picks up with the fast thrash songs; this process continues on through out the whole album.

The production is totally better than on Obsessed By Cruelty, so if you were turned off by Sodom's first album then you have to get this one. Vocals on this album rule, the switching style that Sodom usually has is present on this album. On the real fast songs the vocals are very growled like and almost death metalish. On the semi-fast songs the vocals are sung in a normal shouting voice. Great way to throw things up and change the pace from time to time.

Some songs that are awesome on this album are Nuclear Winter, Persecution Mania, Outbreak of Evil, etc. This whole album isn't really bad, there are no fillers, each song has its own greatness in one form or another. I recommend for all metal heads. Great way to get into Sodom too.

This is probably Sodom's second-best album - at times, it's very, very good, and at other times a bit more flat. Nonetheless, these guys are pretty much the masters of the monster thrash break, and they demonstrate that very nicely in a lot of songs.

The good: "Nuclear Winter". This song absolutely shreds. It's got about 28 riffs in it, and 5 major time changes. Nice and developed, and the break to half-speed in the middle is very nicely done. Also, "Bombenhagel" has a great break in it, as does "Electrocution", and "Persecution Mania" is very nice and "Iron Fist" is a cool Motorhead cover - not outdoing the original (you can't outdo Motorhead, by definition), but coming fucken damn close. YOU KNOW ME!

"Christ Passion" also has some great riffage in it, though it's a bit too repetitive at times. That is what plagues this album occasionally - it's just a bit too self-similar and repetitive. For example, "Enchanted Land" (except for the middle part) and "Conjuration" really do nothing for me.

Oh yes, the guitar tone is great, and the German accent just fucking owns. Recommended.