SODOM — Agent Orange (review)

SODOM — Agent Orange album cover Album · 1989 · Thrash Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
UMUR
"Agent Orange" is the 3rd full-length studio album by German thrash metal act Sodom. The album was released through Steamhammer Records in June 1989. It´s the successor to "Persecution Mania" from 1987 and features the same trio lineup who recorded the predecessor.

Although the songwriting and technical level of playing are a bit more sophisticated on "Agent Orange" than was the case on "Persecution Mania (1987)", the two albums are very much what I´d label sibling releases. Sodom show enough progression in both areas to seperate the two releases, but on the other hand the overall music style is very similar on the two albums. It´s raw, aggressive, and sometimes even brutal German thrash metal. Sodom understand the importance of variation though, and while part of the tracks are furiously fast-paced and aggressive thrash metal with lead vocalist/bassist Tom Angelripper delivering raw and raspy vocals on top, most tracks also feature heavy mid-paced parts, and even parts where Angelripper uses other and less aggressive vocal styles. The best example of that is the ultra heavy "Remember the Fallen", but the original CD bonus track "Don't Walk Away", which is a cover by Tank, also shows that Angelripper is capable of performing other types of vocals. He doesn´t stray far from his starting point, but enough to add a little diversity to the vocal part of the album.

Some tracks and riff structures/rhythms may seem a little formulaic, but again Sodom manage to avoid losing the listener´s attention by throwing the occasional curveball. "Magic Dragon" for example starts out really heavy, and then suddenly explodes and continues in a furiously fast-paced and aggressive fashion, only to end in a mid-paced galloping type riff/rhythm. That´s exactly the type of unconventional songwriting structures which make "Agent Orange" a little more interesting than it would have been if every track on the album was just your regular vers/chorus structured composition. "Ausgebombt" deserves a mention too as one of the different sounding tracks of the album, as it´s basically a hardcore punk meets Motörhead type track, with Angelripper´s bass sounding almost like an ode to Lemmy´s distorted bass tone and playing style.

"Agent Orange" features a powerful, raw, and detailed sounding production job, which suits the material perfectly and upon conclusion this is mandatory listening for those interested in the teutonic thrash metal style. This one hits the balance right between unhinged aggression and brutality, and the occasionally more sophisticated songwriting moment. Not completely unlike a contemporary German thrash metal release like "Extreme Aggression (1989)" by Kreator. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.
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