Customer Reviews

In the Sign of Evil / Obsessed By Cruelty

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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.

Between Sodom, Destruction, and Kreator germany has a hell of alot to offer in the metal department. This album is excellent and you actually get the bonus Obsessed By Cruelty songs. The music here is amazing and some of the best thrash metal you will ever hear. Make way for SODOM! \m/\m/

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.

Thrash masters Sodom began their career with these two releases, and you can really hear the beginnings of the the death and black metal scenes in both of them. Much like the first two Kreator albums, these releases are very close to death or even black metal, with evil imagery, lyrics and music not found in typical thrash bands from the 80's. All fans of dark extreme metal (be it black, death, or whatever) should check out this EP/LP combo release to hear the roots of the heaviest forms of music in existence.

Alright so I bought this CD from a local purveyor of metal albums, mostly because they didn't have anything really interesting at the time.

So I bought this.

I've heard of Sodom, both in name and the odd song once in a while. And no, it never really moved me the way the first time I pleasured myself did, I figured buying this album would be enough impulsiveness to get it out of my system before I cursed out the nearest toddler solely for the rush it would bring.

Anyway, after giving this album a good listen and a few days to soak into my brains, I can only say, with an air of frozen pizza in my breath: "It's ok. Not amazing. Not awesome. Not Earth-shakingly, towel-snappingly wicked cool. Not terrible. Not a chop in the pills. Just ok."

The riffs aren't particularly catchy or inspired. Distorted, fast, and aggressive. Although that all means pretty much nothing when there isn't much of a musical motif around. The solos aren't much to hear (WOW! He hit higher notes during them!). They aren't bad solos, but neither are they good. I guess they exist in a realm that knows not any emotional response. The bass is.... well it's a metal band, you're lucky if you hear it for more then four consecutive seconds. Drums are just drums, they keep time. And the songs as a whole are about as motivating as giving an old man a sponge bath with your bottom quarters. I didn't really feel anything. The songs didn't make me bop my head to the beat or shake my fist in rage at the man for always trying to bring me down. Nor did I burst into a hoedown or wave my hands in the air like I just don't care. Any kind of reaction would be sufficient.

Okay, I am not easily impressed. Not at all. Not even by a magician doing card tricks with his anus. Whether that makes me more "metal" or less I really don't give a blanking blank. Yes, Sodom is a metal band. Yes, I like metal music. No, I am not going to worship every single metal band in existence because I have to or face trampling from the massive, ignorant hordes of sheep who all feel the need to prove something. This is an OKAY album. But it's nothing special. You could look up about a million billion underground black metal bands and find the same thing in a only slightly different package. Like swapping Coke for Coke Zero: same pisswater, different can but without all the stuff in it!

So Sodom is just that: It's the middle child. It's the band that is good enough to warrant a listen and then move on to anything else. If it were any worse, people would flock to in the same amazement people flock to a man thinly spread across the street after a horrifying automobile accident like butter on toast. And if it were any better people would swarm the way they do to hearing "FREE POPSICLES" on the street when it's a hundred and four out. So in a way, this album just shows that if you are good enough, but not great, you too can receive the same indifference I feel for this album.

Maybe their other stuff is better, I will have to hear it.

''IN THE SIGN OF EVIL'' is one of the first TRUE BLACK METAL album's(well an EP)..it may very well be THE FIRST!! because venom even sound a tad corney in comparison to this stuff!!

You wanna hear who DARKTHRONE and 5 million other 90's black metal band's took cue's from..LOOK NO FURTHER!!!

''IN THE SIGN OF EVIL'' is only a EP..but it is one of my fave thing's to listen to..GERNE starting album's are alway's the best!! ONE OF THE BEST!!!!!

''OBSESSED BY CRUELTY'' while not as good is still killer..some of the most INFLUENTIAL druming is on this album!! SODOM sure was ahead of the pack in term's of EXTREMENESS!!

Some of these song's(on obsessed) sound a little to similar to me..but it's not really bothersome!! I like the INTRO to this album the best..VERY ERIE!!!

You get these both for real cheap..so you have no exscuse not to buy!!!!

BUY OR DIE A POSER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TRUE GERMAN BLACK METAL!!!!!!

''IN THE SIGN OF..IN THE SIGN OF....EVVVVVVIIIILLL'''

good cd and cme in the mail on time. this is a good cd for people who like thrah metal.

Bleaauurrghhh....TRASH!!!! thiz iz HELL!!!

sodom are representing pure evilness...the handpainted cover iz awesome...the muzic iz well..aahhh..mhhh....aaaaarrgghhhhbbllleeaauuurrgg....just sodom...i can't control my feelings..i will alwayz love sodom...i'm gonna baptise my children SODOM all of them...im am so happy now...i want to go for a walk in a flowergarden and sing with the birdz blasphemer..and i want to kall my mum to say that i love her...and SOOOOODDOOOOOMM...& seious now, in the sign of evil is great early black-trash, raw & grimm, great drinking metal, support sodom...& start your collection now, chronologically...

one love - SODOM!!