The band was formed by Tom Angelripper and Aggressor in 1981 in the Western German industrial town of Gelsenkirchen. Initially, they were mostly influenced by bands like Motörhead, Tank, Raven, and Venom. Sodom's own music style would greatly influence many late-1980s and early-1990s thrash and black metal bands, among others.
They soon found a drummer called Bloody Monster who was, however, quickly replaced by Chris Witchhunter, with whom they released two demos, "Witching Metal" and "Victims of Death" in 1982 and 1984, before signing a deal with SPV GmbH. After a gig in Frankfurt in 1984 (with Destruction and Tankard) Manfred Schütz of SPV GmbH came to the band and spoke the legendary sentence "You guys are so bad, you will sell a lot of records!". This led to the recording of their debut EP "In the Sign of Evil". Missing was Aggressor, who had meanwhile left the band. He was replaced by Grave Violator (recommended to the band by Kreator's Mille Petrozza), who also wouldn't stay very long. In his place, Michael Wulf joined, just to leave the band shortly after the recordings of their first full-length album "Obsessed by Cruelty" in 1986 to join Kreator (where he would last only one show). Michael Wulf died in a motorcycle accident in 1993.
After "Obsessed by Cruelty" was released, the band abolished their satanic image and replaced it with the (pacifistic motivated) war theme that can be found on most of Sodom's records. With their new guitarist Frank Blackfire, the most legendary Sodom line-up recorded two albums (plus a live album, "Mortal Way of Live", the first of various Sodom releases which had a censored cover in Germany): "Persecution Mania" (wich was the first Sodom album produced by the band's long-time producer Harris Johns, and also had the first cover that featured the band's mascot "Knarrenheinz") and "Agent Orange" (including the single "Ausgebombt"). This album made Sodom the first German Thrash band to ever enter the charts (it reached number 36 on the German Media Control charts).
Blackfire left in 1989 (like Destructor before he joined Kreator) and was replaced by ex-Assassin guitarist Michael "Micha" Hoffmann.
In 1992 Tom fired Chris Witchhunter, who had alcohol problems. Atomic Steif, who would stay in the band until 1996 (and is, like many former Sodom members, still embittered that Tom fired him) became the new drummer.
From 1997 to 2010, Sodom had a consistent lineup consisting of Tom Angelripper, Konrad "Bobby" Schottkowski (Crows) and Bernemann. In 2001 Tom, who meanwhile also released various solo albums as Onkel Tom Angelripper, has been awarded double platinum for more than 1.000.000 sold Sodom albums.
Sodom collaborated with famous German schlager singer/actor Roberto Blanco in 2011, making a commercial intended to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease. He also joined them on stage at various gigs (including Wacken 2011) for a metal rendition of his song 'Ein bisschen Spaß muss sein'.
Current members:
* Tom Angelripper (Thomas Such, Onkel Tom) - Vocals/Bass (Desperados)
* Frank Blackfire (Frank Gosdzik) - Guitars (later Mystic) and Kreator) (1987-1989, special appearance in the December 28, 2006 concert in Bochum, 2018–present)
* Yorck Segatz – guitars (2018–present)
* Toni Merkel – drums (2020–present)
Former members:
* Aggressor (Frank Testegen) - Guitars (1983-1984)
* Grave Violator (Pepi Dominic) - Guitars (1984-1985)
* Destructor (Michael Wulf) - Guitars (later Kreator) (1985-1986) R.I.P. in 1993.
* Assator (Uwe Christophers) - Guitars (ex-Darkness) (on tour in 1986)
* Uwe Baltrusch - Guitars (on tour in 1989/1990) (also in Mekong Delta, later House of Spirits)
* Michael Hoffman - Guitars (ex-Assassin) (1990)
* Andy Brings - Guitars (later Powergod) (1991-1995)
* Strahli (Dirk Strahlimeier) - Guitars (1995-1996)
* Chris Witchhunter (Christian Dudek) - Drums (1983-1992) (see also Destruction and Bathory)
* Atomic Steif (Guido Richter) - Drums (later Stahlträger and Assassin), ex-Sacred Chao, ex-Holy Moses, ex-Living Death, ex-Brotós) (1992-1996)
* Bobby Schottkowski - Drums (ex-Crows, ex-Onkel Tom Angelripper) (1997-2010)
* Bernemann (Bernd Kost) - Guitars (ex-Crows) (1996–2018)
* Markus "Makka" Freiwald – drums (2010–2018)
* Stefan "Husky" Hüskens – drums (2018–2020)
Official website:
www.sodomized.info
2) SODOM were an early-mid 80's Japanese punk group, who played mid-speed hardcore punk. Their style takes cues from The SS, Discharge, Typhus, as well as American hardcore. They have one tape (Sodom & Requiem) and were featured with 7 songs on the ADK Omnibus Vol.1 compilation.
Fansite:
www.sodom.hu
Equinox
Sodom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hidden in a sacred ark
I am the unspoken name
And unbegotten spark
I am that ever goeth
Being myself the way
Supreme for creating words
Emplorer of aeon
Plectren of primal paen
In the sea my father lies
Wept my waters lost forever
Where the waste of moe replieth
Naught nowhere and never
I will shine as he shone
Must go how he has gone
EQUINOX
Fotrh from you and darksome cell
From deep abyss of hell
Coming to view the earth again
See if you can ease distempered brain
Fear and care doth pierce the soul
Hark, how angry furies howl
EQUINOX
For the father and his son
Holy spirits are norm
Male femate quintessential one
Man being veiled in woman form
Glory and worship in the highest
Thou dove mankind that defiest
These my witness and woman
Shall dare the dark agian
Find no sacred ark to swim in
Nemorseless realm of rain
My body wear of empty clasp
Strong as a lion, sharp as an asp
Coat of the flock, I am gold and god
Flesh to thy bone, flow to thy rod
With hoofs of steel I race on the rocks
Through solstice stubborn to
EQUINOX
EQUINOX
The song Equinox by Sodom is a representation of various mythological, mystical and religious concepts. It begins with the singer declaring himself to be the flame that is hidden in a sacred ark, the unspoken name and the unbegotten spark. He is the very path that leads towards the ultimate truth. He claims to be the creator of words that are incomprehensible to anyone else but himself. He is the explorer of the aeon and the plectren (a type of musical instrument) of primal paen (a type of hymn). He further asserts his divine origin by stating that his father lies in the sea, and he will shine as bright as his father has shone.
The chorus of the song is a call to the goddess Equinox, who represents the changing seasons and the cycle of life and death. The singer asks her to come out of her darksome cell and view the earth again, hoping that she could ease the pain and suffering of humanity, which is filled with fear and anxiety. The furies, who symbolize uncontrollable anger and wrath, are howling in the background, adding to the tension and unease of the situation. The second stanza brings in the concepts of the holy trinity, the quintessential one and the male and female energy. The singer further emphasizes that all humans, men and women alike, are worthy of glory and worship in the highest realm. However, they will have to face the dark again and find no sacred ark to swim in the relentless realm of rain.
Line by Line Meaning
I am that I am the flame
I am the divine essence present everywhere, like a flame.
Hidden in a sacred ark
I am concealed within a holy place.
I am the unspoken name
I am the name that cannot be uttered, the ineffable divine essence.
And unbegotten spark
I am the uncreated spark of divinity.
I am that ever goeth
I am the eternal and unchanging force that constantly moves forward.
Being myself the way
For I am the way, the truth, and the life.
Supreme for creating words
I am supreme because I create all words and language.
None but I have ever heard
No one else has ever heard these words before.
Emplorer of aeon
I am an explorer of the ages, unaffected by time and space.
Plectren of primal paen
I am the master of the first hymn, the original song of creation.
In the sea my father lies
My father, the divine creator, lies within the depths of the ocean.
Wept my waters lost forever
My tears mingle with the vastness of the sea, lost forever.
Where the waste of moe replieth
In this wretched place, nothingness echoes back as a reply.
Naught nowhere and never
Absolutely nothing exists here – not now, not anywhere, and not ever.
I will shine as he shone
I will shine and radiate like my father, the divine light.
Must go how he has gone
Just as he has gone before, I too must follow his footsteps.
For the father and his son
The divine father and his son, the savior, are one.
Holy spirits are norm
The Holy Spirit is the standard for all divinity.
Male female quintessential one
The quintessence of divinity is both male and female, existing as one entity.
Man being veiled in woman form
Mankind, being created in God's image, contains both masculine and feminine qualities.
Glory and worship in the highest
All glory and worship belong to the highest divine power.
Thou dove mankind that defiest
You, mankind, who defies the divine power, are like a dove.
These my witness and woman
These people are witnesses to my divine power, including women.
Shall dare the dark agian
They will fearlessly confront darkness again.
Find no sacred ark to swim in
They will have no Holy place to anchor themselves within.
Nemorseless realm of rain
They will be mercilessly exposed to a realm of pain.
My body wear of empty clasp
My body of flesh is a mere shell, empty of divine essence.
Strong as a lion, sharp as an asp
I am as strong as a lion, and as sharp and venomous as an asp.
Coat of the flock, I am gold and god
I am like a precious gold coat that adorns the flock, and I am divine like God.
Flesh to thy bone, flow to thy rod
I am the blood that flows through your veins, and the spirit that guides your way.
With hoofs of steel I race on the rocks
With unwavering strength and power, I run swiftly over obstacles.
Through solstice stubborn to
I am persistent and unyielding, even through the darkest days of winter.
EQUINOX
Referring to the two points in time each year when day and night are of equal length, symbolizing balance and harmony.
Coming to view the earth again
I, the divine being, am appearing again on earth.
See if you can ease distempered brain
I implore you to try and calm your troubled mind.
Fear and care doth pierce the soul
Fear and worry can cause pain and anguish.
Hark, how angry furies howl
Listen to the howling of the destructive forces unleashed by negative emotions.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CHRISTIAN DUDEK, MICHAEL WULF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nacho Rodríguez
It's kinda difficult to follow the rythm in this song, but it's still awesome!!
Andrea Clemente
Old school black metal. I have the original vinyl !👍👍👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️❤️🇨🇭🇨🇭🇨🇭🎸🎸🎸
Joan Perez Gimenez
EQUINOOOOOOOOOOOOOX!! Amazing Black/Thrash Metal!!
Juan Cornejo Marin
ESTE TEMA "CHACALEITOR "LO CONOCÍ POR UN GRAN AMIGO METALERO JAIME THRASHER....HACE MUUUCHOSSS AÑOS ATRAASS.....\,,/\,,/
Alex
Melhor álbum do Sodom.
NuGuardian
Gosto dessa música por causa do tema dela, mas ainda não sei decidir qual álbum do sodom é melhor
Jojo Machado
Gosto mais do Persecution Mania
el terreneitor mendivil
Sodom en sus mejores tiempos
l lucatony mosh
Y la rompieron hasta el.dia de hoy
palangano
cuando dejo de estar en sus mejores tiempos?