In the Sign of Evil/Obsessed by Cruelty

Sodom

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 30, 2005)
• Original Release Date: June 30, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Spv U.S.
• ASIN: B000ALZHUC
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #159,803 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Extraordinary two-for-one package at a budget price that combines Sodom’s first ever output, In The Sign Of Evil and their legendary debut album, Obsessed By Cruelty. True classics of early German Death /Thrash metal!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Intense German Thrash, March 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: In the Sign of Evil/Obsessed by Cruelty (Audio CD)

This CD combines the first 2 releases by the pride of the Ruhr, Sodom.Their debut mini-album, In The Sign Of Evil, is extremely fast and heavy, although it may have benefitted from guitarist Grave Violator (love that name!) using some decent pedals! The lyrics are definitely from the Venom school of Irreverence, containing such treasures as `My life begins at midnight twelve, masturbate to kill myself' (from `Blasphemer'), and such clever rhyming schemes as `Witch, bitch, no sleep in Sodom' (from `Witching Metal'), all barked out in a very disturbing guttural grunt. Unfortunately,as the new packaging does not have the lyric sheets that accompanied the original vinyl releases, deciphering the lyrics will prove an uphill struggle for the uninitiated.Also unfortunate regarding the packaging is the absence of the band pictures, especially those on `Ìn The Sign..',which include an Angelripper with a serious bowl haircut and an inverted crucifix practically embedded into his throat! Nevertheless,`In The Sign...' is a brilliant piece of intense Black Metal, and its power and speed make it one of the best releases of its type - certainly more intense than Kreator's debut (Endless Pain), fine and all a release as that was. However, what drags down the quality of this disc to a 3* rating is the inclusion of `Obsessed by Cruelty'. It proved to be a big disappointment for fans of their inspired debut.It's songs tend to sound poor and indistinct, and overall, almost tedious. It may be of interest to those who have the original European vinyl release from 1986 that what is contained on this disc is in fact the version that was released in the US at the time.Both contain the same songs, but with an obviously different sound. Thankfully, `In The Sign..' appears in its' brilliant original state. Sodom released many subsequent albums, of varying quality. However, if you love the likes of Venom, Possessed, Dark Angel, Bathory, Kreator, etc., make sure and get your hands on this, and their brilliant 3rd release, `Persecution Mania', the CD of which contains the great `Sodomy and Lust' ep,as well as a reworked `Outbreak of Evil' (from `In The Sign...'), and a very impressive rendition of Motorhead's `Iron Fist'. Finally, their `Agent Orange' Cd is also worth investigating, and contains a good cover of Tank's `Don't Walk Away'. Enjoy this legendary German band, and Witchhunter's outstanding drumming! Check out their web site for more info

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Black Market Material, September 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: In the Sign of Evil/Obsessed by Cruelty (Audio CD)

A copy of this album got to El Salvador in 1987 and it became so popular as it was the only copy available in town. The price went up 10 times as the record was so good everyone wanted to have it. This album is a pioneer in the speed metal realm where Kreator and Slayer had also succeed.

4.0 out of 5 stars Raw, fast, intense early thrash metal, May 14, 2009

By	Metal Jim (Northern New Jersey) - See all my reviews

Sodom was never the most technically proficient band in the world, but their enthusiasm, attitude, and knack for writing catchy (if unmelodic) thrash tunes more than made up for their amateurish musicianship. This early material finds the band at their rawest and most untamed. For the more nostalgic metalheads out there, this will definitely bring you back to the early days of thrash metal. For the younger people who never got to appreciate this stuff the first time around, listen to this record and hear how much it influenced all the "tr00 elite black metal" bands out there. Regardless of what other bands you listen to, this stuff is fun with a capital FUN. The songs, particularly "Witching Metal" and "Deathlike Silence", never fail to put a big, sloppy grin on my face every time I hear them.

One warning though: the track listing on the album is incorrect. "Witchhammer" is actually the last song, and "Volcanic Slut" is tenth.