History Music / Sodom

* CoolGuns: Knarrenheinz brandishes an M16 assault rifle on the album cover of ''Persecution Mania''
** He carries a Dissipator variant of an M16 with an underslung grenade launcher on the cover of ''Agent Orange''

* TheRemake: ''The Final Sign of Evil'', though not in the usual "re-recording of classics" that were popular among classic thrash metal bands at the time. It is specifically designed to be Tom's proper vision for ''In The Sign of Evil'', featuring several songs that were written for the album but unused, and even bringing together the original ''Sign of Evil'' lineup to record it.

** ''Tapping the Vein'' was very DeathMetal-influenced (namely with the downtuned guiars and Tom using even lower, growlier vocals), Sodom probably being the only massive influence to death metal that later actually tried out the genre they helped create.

Sodom are a German ThrashMetal band formed in 1981 by bassist and lead vocalist [[AwesomeMcCoolname Tom Angelripper]] who, along with Music/{{Kreator}}, Music/{{Destruction}}, and Music/{{Tankard}}, would become the TropeMakers of the so-called "Teutonic thrash metal" sound and scene.

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Tom Angelripper.

** ''Better Off Dead'' added some elements of traditional metal and hard rock while still retaining the black and thrash foundation..

[[quoteright:281:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sodom_7.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:281: Brandishing the Sceptre since 1981.]]

Sodom are a German ThrashMetal band that, along with Music/{{Kreator}}, Music/{{Destruction}}, and Music/{{Tankard}}, are seen as the [[TropeCodifier Trope Codifiers]] of the scene. Sodom's music style would greatly influence many late-1980s and early-1990s black and death metal bands, among others.

Tom originally formed the band along with Bloody Monster, Arius "Blasphemer", and Aggressor as a way to get out of working in the coal mines. Their music was influenced by Music/{{Motorhead}}, Music/{{Venom}}, Tank, Music/{{Accept}}, Music/{{Rainbow}} and Music/{{ACDC}}.

Though they were originally panned for being "a second-rate Venom clone with semi-inventive lyrics", Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik came to the rescue, convincing Tom that thrash metal was moving beyond horror/occult/satanic themes to embrace political, societal, and war themes. Tom was already interested in various wars yet remained a peacenik. New inspiration culminated into Frank's full-length debut with the band, Persecution Mania.

* DeathMetal: Not themselves: but their older music would be a huge influence to such. They did, however, give the genre a shot for one album, ''Tapping The Vein'', which displays prominent deathrash elements.

* HorribleHistoryMetal: Somewhat of a given considering their lyrics.
* IAmTheBand: Tom Angelripper is the main songwriter and only constant member, and only founding member since ''1984''.
* ILoveTheSmellOfXInTheMorning: The song ''Napalm in the Morning'' begins with Colonel Kilgore of Film/ApocalypseNow fame saying that famous quote.

** ''Expurse of Sodomy'' was their first ThrashMetal release (as opposed to Venom-like BlackMetal).
** ''Better Off Dead'' got rid of the little black metal that their sound still contained by this point and leaned towards traditional metal and hard rock alongside thrash.
** ''Tapping the Vein'' was more aggressive and DeathMetal-influenced (namely with Tom using even dirtier, growly vocals), Sodom probably being the only massive influence to death metal that later actually tried out the genre they helped create.
** ''Get What You Deserve'' had much shorter song lengths and frequently bordered on crossover thrash.
** ''Masquerade in Blood'' is when they more or less turned into Music/{{Motorhead}}.

* {{Satan}}: A common lyrical theme in their early days.
** WarIsHell: Though this became their main lyrical subject later.
* ThrashMetal: One of the "Three Teutonic Kings" of the genre along with Music/{{Kreator}} and Destruction, though Sodom is arguably the heaviest of the three.

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!Sodom displays these tropes:

* AwesomeMcCoolname: ''Tom Angelripper''

* IAmTheBand: Tom Angelripper basically defines the band.

* LeadBassist: Tom is a type A, B, and a C, being a highly skilled bassist as well as the vocalist and songwriter.
* {{Mascot}}: [[http://tavernadorock.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/download.jpg?w=600 Knarrenheinz]], a soldier wearing [[GasMaskMooks a gas mask]].

* NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly: ThrashMetal, BlackMetal, and SpeedMetal all into one.

** ''Tapping the Vein'' was more aggressive and DeathMetal-influenced, Sodom probably being the only massive influence to death metal that later actually tried out the genre they helped create.

** ''Masquerade in Blood'' sounds more like Music/{{Motorhead}} than anything else they had done before.

Sodom are a German ThrashMetal band that, along with Music/{{Kreator}}, [[Music/{{Destruction}}, and Music/{{Tankard}}, are seen as the [[TropeCodifier Trope Codifiers]] of the scene. Sodom's music style would greatly influence many late-1980s and early-1990s black and death metal bands, among others.

Sodom are a German ThrashMetal band that, along with Music/{{Kreator}}, Destruction, and Music/{{Tankard}}, are seen as the [[TropeCodifier Trope Codifiers]] of the scene. Sodom's music style would greatly influence many late-1980s and early-1990s black and death metal bands, among others.

* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness: Generally around 9. Sometimes goes down to 8 (even bordering on 7 for their absolute lightest, most Music/{{Motorhead}} and PunkRock-influenced songs), and their absolute heaviest songs are a soft 10.

* Stefan "Husky" Hüskens - drums (2018–present)

* Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik - guitars (1986–1989, 2018–present)
* Yorck Segatz - guitars (2018–present)

* ''Expurse of Sodomy'' (EP) (1987): Debut of Frank Blackfire on guitar, marked Sodom's transition to Teutonic thrash. The three songs from this (as well as a re-recorded "Outbreak of Evil") can now be found as bonus tracks on CD issues of ''Persecution Mania''.

* Tom Angelripper - vocals, bass (1981–present)
* Bernd "Bernemann" Kost - guitar (1996–present)
* Markus "Makka" Freiwald - drums (2010–present)

** "Reincarnation" almost hits the 8 minute mark.

* DeathMetal: Not themselves: but their older music would be a huge influence to such.
** ''Tapping The Vein'' does display some deathrash elements though.

* ILoveTheSmellOfXInTheMorning: The song ''Napalm in the Morning'' begins with Colonel Kilgore of ApocalypseNow fame saying that famous quote.

* ConceptAlbum: ''Agent Orange'' and ''M-16'' are both concept albums about the VietnamWar

Sodom are a German ThrashMetal band that, along with Music/{{Kreator}}, Destruction, and Music/{{Tankard}}, are seen as the [[TropeCodifier Trope Codifiers]] of the scene. Sodom's music style would greatly influence many late-1980s and early-1990s black metal bands, among others.

* IAmTheBand: Tom Angelripper

* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness: Standard 8 to a soft 10, as par for Teutonic Thrash.

* RevolvingDoorBand: Angelripper remains the only member left.