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
Reincarnation
Sodom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In peace you live in peace you will go
Behind the scenes of salvation
Nobody knows lust and temptation
The mass begins the spirit appears
The man in black nothing he fears
A fatal disguise is what you call holy
In the name of the father the son
The holy spirit the show has begun
Thy kingdom come thy will be done
Hallowed be thy name
Reincarnation
False celebration
Reincarnation
Mental subordination
Go down on your knees
And pray for peace
Join the club of total devotion
Religious faith and social failure
Once you've been trapped
Death is your saviour
In the name of the father the son
The holy spirit the show has begun
Thy kingdom come thy will be done
Hallowed be thy name
Reincarnation
False celebration
Reincarnation
Mental subordination
In the name of the father the son
The holy spirit the show has begun
Thy kingdom come thy will be done
Hallowed be thy name
Reincarnation
False celebration
Reincarnation
Mental subordination
The lyrics of Sodom's song Reincarnation explore themes of the hypocrisy and ultimate emptiness of organized religion. The first stanza begins by questioning the purpose and meaning of life on earth, offering the idea that one lives in peace and dies in peace. However, the next two lines reveal the corruption and falseness behind the supposed "salvation" promised by religious institutions. Lust and temptation are hinted to be part of the hidden reality behind the facade of piety.
The chorus emphasizes the idea of "reincarnation," which in this case appears to represent a cycle of false celebration and mental subordination perpetuated by religion. The verses suggest that individuals are compelled to "go down on your knees and pray for peace" in order to join the "club of total devotion" that is supposed to offer a way out of suffering. Ironically, however, the song implies that this religious faith often leads to "social failure," and the only real solution is death, which is portrayed as a final escape from the emptiness of life on earth.
Overall, Reincarnation seems to be a critical commentary on the nature of organized religion, questioning its motives and ultimately declaring it to be an empty and manipulative social construct.
Line by Line Meaning
Life on earth for you to know
Humans have the privilege of experiencing life on earth.
In peace you live in peace you will go
If you live peacefully, you'll die peacefully too.
Behind the scenes of salvation
Salvation happens without anyone noticing.
Nobody knows lust and temptation
Lust and temptation are personal experiences that remain unknown to others.
The mass begins the spirit appears
Religious ceremonies often create a sense of spirituality.
The man in black nothing he fears
Religious figures like priests often appear fearless.
A fatal disguise is what you call holy
The concept of holiness can lead to dangerous actions.
Where is god? I want you to show me.
It's difficult to believe in something you can't see.
Reincarnation
The belief that souls are reborn in new bodies.
False celebration
The idea of reincarnation can lead to celebrations that are based on false beliefs.
Mental subordination
Belief in reincarnation can mentally enslave people.
Go down on your knees
A common posture for praying.
And pray for peace
To ask for peace.
Join the club of total devotion
To be part of a community that is completely devoted to their beliefs.
Religious faith and social failure
Religious beliefs can sometimes lead to societal failures.
Once you've been trapped
Once you believe in something, it can be difficult to change your mind.
Death is your saviour
Death is seen as a way to break free from the mortal world.
The holy spirit the show has begun
The presence of the Holy Spirit signals the beginning of religious ceremonies.
Thy kingdom come thy will be done
A prayer for God's will to be done on earth.
Hallowed be thy name
A reference to God's name being holy.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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