Sodom is a German thrash metal band from Gelsenkirchen, formed in 1981. They have gone through many lineup changes, with bassist/vocalist Tom Angelripper the only constant member. The band is currently composed of Angelripper, guitarists Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik and Yorck Segatz, and drummer Toni Merkel. Sodom has been referred to as one of the "Big Four" of Teutonic thrash metal, along with Kreator, Destruction and Tankard. Sodom heavily influenced the German black metal scene, and is regarded as a pioneer of death metal. Mike McPadden wrote that the most Venom-blackened of German "Three Kings", Sodom further merged thrash and death metal into a "wicked and decadent sound".
Sodom performing in 2022
Tom Angelripper live 2016
Sodom performing at Hole in the Sky 2009
Sodom in Bangkok, Thailand (2007)
Thrash metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo. The songs usually use fast percussive beats and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead guitar work.
Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield of Metallica (pictured in 2008). Metallica's early work is regarded as essential to the development of the genre in the 1980s.
New York band Anthrax was among the earliest and most successful thrash acts.
Venom's early work is considered a major influence on thrash metal.
Slayer (pictured in 2007) released Reign in Blood in 1986, considered a landmark achievement in the genre's history.
