Pure thrash metal, that's what 'Tapping the Vein', Sodom's fifth studio full length album is all about. That means it offers violence, punishing and no remorse. Not a fucking a length of your tiny dick. You will get sodomized!!! Remember the year 1992 in thrash metal circles? Metallica released their "The Black Album", Megadeth came up with rocking 'Countdown to Extinction', Kreator went experimental with 'Renewal' and a million and one other thrash metal bands had "matured" or quit.

'Body Parts' open this one with insane speed. And along with hellish firing, this is HEAVY. Produced by Harris Johns, mainly recorded and mixed at Dierks Studios, famous from the work with The Scorpions and Accept etc. In the middle, the opener enters into more headbangable pace, but the heaviness remains, believe me, maybe even increases. 'Skinned Alive' is totally balls-to-the-walls speed. 'One Step over the Line' is a mid-paced headbanger. Fuck, is this review going to be like this?! Well, just pointing out the main trends these eleven songs dwell in. 'Wachtturm' is more rocking, punkier take, reminding me of good ol' Motörhead. 'Reincarnation' closes the album in doomier, grandiose way. Not exactly doom metal, but a slow one with some eerie synthesizer melodies backing it up. In general, this album gets advantage from the variety. At times, the band got fucking close to death metal. The songs mentioned are just showing the different sides of the music, they probably aren't the ones to "try before you buy".

The performances are stellar. Raspy throat shout of Tom Angelripper gets near to grunting at times. But as the band are three-piece, he also plays the bass, which sounds scabby, farting and very loud. Guitars by Andy Brings are great. Sodom was his first bigger band, but you wouldn't notice that. Great riffing all the way, and check out the speed of some of it! Insane ripping solos, too. Chris Witchhunter, the man behind the drum kit does it all, basically. The guy's ride beats are great, as are his drumming patterns. I mean this guy must have slept his nights with his kit! The energy that the band submits is so mindblowing, that it's not every day, or rather even every year, you'll hear something like it.

Cover art is a bit cheesy, but thrashy anyway. It pretty much pictures the music inside. The lyrics are great change for typical topics. Of course there's songs about war and drugs, but also different sick topics such as sex vacations, Arnold Schwarzenegger film 'The Running Man' style violent reality show, illegal body parts trading, and commenting on Jehova's witnesses. Funny although respectable. All sung with German accent... Except for 'Wachtturm', which is obviously in the band's native language.

If you want your thrash metal intense, then 'Tapping the Vein' is a sure pick, if you still don't own it. Definitely the most violent Sodom album, it truly kicks you in the nuts!

Rating: 7½ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
07/24/2008 22:03