Thereafter, their breakthrough album Persecution Mania was released with yet another guitarist, Frank Blackfire. A live album Mortal Way of Live followed. The next album made Sodom famous: Agent Orange, released in 1989. This album managed to sell 100,000 copies in Germany alone. Since then, Sodom is one of the three big names of German Thrash metal. The others are Kreator and Destruction. Again, a new guitarist was to be found as Blackfire also left the band to join Kreator. The replacement was found in Michael Hoffman.
In this line-up the Better Off Dead album was released in 1990. During the South American tour however, Hoffman decided to stay in Brazil and therefore was forced to quit. His replacement was found in Andy Brings and a new album was recorded, titled Tapping the Vein, which was more death metal influenced than before. This proved to be the last album with the drummer Witchhunter who was kicked from the band. Atomic Steif found his way behind the drumkit.
This line-up now, recorded the next album, Get What You Deserve. Out were the death metal influence, in came the hardcore influences. Despite an unpopular album cover, Get What You Deserve was a major step forward for the band artistically although many fans were disappointed with the new direction. Also, this marked the beginning of less international visibility for Sodom as thrash lost its commercial viability for the remainder of the 1990's. At this time Angelripper also started a solo career doing metal impressions of drinking songs, German schlagers and even Xmassy Carols. Another live album was recorded of the tour in support of this album called Marooned - Live.
In the same vein as the previous album, Masquerade in Blood was released in 1995. Again another guitarist was to be found. The new axeman was Sthrahli, but he did not stay very long with the band either; he was fired due to drug problems. Also Atomic Steif left and again Angelripper needed to search for new members. These were found in the person of Bernemann on guitars and Bobby Schottkowski on drums.
The album 'Til Death Do Us Unite featured a controversial album cover, depicting the belly a pregnant woman and a beer gut of a man pressing a human skull together. Apparently this line-up has stabilised the band significantly and is still current. In 1999 Code Red was released and formed a return to the sound of the 1980s thrash metal. A limited edition featured a bonus CD containing a tribute to Sodom album called Homage to the Gods. In the same vein, M-16 was released displaying Sodoms interest in the Vietnam War. The title of course refers to the automatic rifle M16. A tour followed with the other two big German thrash metal bands Kreator and Destruction.
In 2003, a double live album was recorded in Bangkok, Thailand, titled One Night in Bangkok. A new album simply titled Sodom was released in 2006, in the same vein as its predecessors Code Red and M-16. The title was chosen as Angelripper explained because every band needs a self-titled album. The album was however delayed because the DVD Lords of Depravity took more time to compose that initially thought.
DISCOGRAPHY
-
Witching Metal (Demo)
1983
Victims of Death
(Demo) 1984
In the Sign of Evil
(EP) 1984
Obsessed by Cruelty
1986
Expurse of Sodomy
(EP) 1987
Persecution Mania
1987
Mortal Way of Live
(live album) 1988
Agent Orange 1989
Ausgebombt (EP) 1989
Better off Dead 1990
The Saw Is the Law
(EP) 1991
Tapping the Vein 1992
Aber Bitte mit Sahne
(EP) 1993
Get What You Deserve
1994
Marooned Live (live
album) 1994
Masquerade in Blood
1995
Ten Black Years - Best Of
1996
'Til Death Do Us Unite
1997
Code Red 1999
M-16 2001
One Night in Bangkok
(live album) 2003
Lords of Depravity Part I
(double DVD, 2005)
Sodom - 2006