Sodom - Day Of Retribution

Huh. Didn't see this one coming.

Some of you may remember my 2015 summary, in which I berated Sodom for leaving the fans high and dry with nary a release in sight after a promising teaser in the "Sacred Warpath" EP. Welp, they've announced a new album - entitled "Decision Day" - and they've bestowed upon us yet another supplementary EP to tide us over until the album's eventual release.

So, first thing's first, the main attraction: 'In Retribution'. The first track from the upcoming album and possibly the biggest draw to this release. Is it any good? Well... yeah, kinda. It has that 'album opener' feel to it, with a gradual buildup until BLAM! Guitars and shit everywhere! The drums tend to keep the pace going for the most part, with Bernie and Tom letting their notes ring out for atmosphere during half the verse and most of the choruses, giving the track a more sinister vibe. This pretty much all but confirms what I theorised in my "Sacred Warpath" review; that Sodom are bringing back some more of that raw black metal-ish sound from their very earliest releases, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it feels like a rather pointless change to make. Not that it makes things sound bad - it's pretty hard for Sodom to release outright BAD music - but the emphasis on heaviness as opposed to ravenous precision leaves you feeling a little bewildered and on-the-fence. The solos are no longer quite as climactic as they were five years ago either, and at this point, I'm starting to think that Sodom will never better the absolute perfection that was 2010's "In War And Pieces", but having said that, 'In Retribution' is a pretty bloody good track.

The rest of the EP is filled with two live tracks (and honestly, who cares?) and four older studio cuts - all of which were bonus tracks on various editions of previous releases. 'Murder One' was a vinyl-only track from "In War And Pieces", 'Waterboarding' is taken from the digipak release of "Epitome Of Torture", and 'Kamikaze Terrorizer' was a Japan exclusive for their 2006 self-titled. Then there's a cover of 'Ace Of Spades', which I believe was a Japanese exclusive on "Epitome" - and how fitting, seeing as the new album's artwork is A. a giant tribute to Motörhead, and B. painted by reknowned Motörhead artist Joe Pentagno himself. 'Murder One' was always a solid slice of unashamed Motörhead worship (the title is even a reference to Lemmy's amp), 'Ace Of Spades' simply cannot be done badly, 'Waterboarding' was probably the best track on any version of "Epitome Of Torture", and 'Kamikaze Terrorizer'… well, it's trademark Sodom. Fast, heavy and vicious. Die-hard Sodom fans will have heard all of these tracks anyway, but for those who aren't quite as crazy as the rest of us, it's great to finally have these tracks available without having to hunt for certain pressings of their respective albums online.

"Days Of Retribution" is a neat stopgap release, but nothing more. If you're a collector, you really, really can't get enough Sodom, or if you've just never heard these previously-limited songs before, then pick it up without a second thought. The rest of you are probably better off waiting for a short while longer until "Decision Day" drops in August, and judging by the two new songs we've now heard, it's certainly going to be an interesting one.

  1. In Retribution
  2. Murder One
  3. Ace Of Spades (cover Motörhead)
  4. Kamikaze Terrorizer
  5. Waterboarding
  6. Wachturm (Live)
  7. The Saw Is The Law (Live)

Label: www.spv.de
Reviewer: Dave Ingram Jr.
Jul 6, 2016

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