Album of the Week: Sodom - In the Sign of Evil (1984)

Before Mayhem, Darkthrone and Burzum created Black Metal as we know it today, such bands as Bathory and Venom pioneered the sound. Equally influential upon the Norwegian scene was German Thrash Metal outfit Sodom. The first studio effort by Tom Angelripper and company was 1984's In the Sign of Evil, a five-song EP that is highly regarded in extreme Metal circles.

In the Sign of Evil is composed primarily of furious Thrash Metal with a notable infusion of Death Metal and elements of what would eventually become Black Metal--essentially, a mixture of Hellhammer/Celtic Frost riffs and the speedier tempos of Bathory or early Slayer. The result, while certainly not a thing of beauty, is nevertheless a real treat. Sodom's modus operandi on In the Sign of Evil is speed. Save for song intros and the occasional breakdown, Sodom cranks out five tracks of breakneck, undiluted Thrash.

Like any album, however, In the Sign of Evil is not without its drawbacks. For one thing, the drums aren't always as precise as you might want them, and though Tom Angelripper's vocals are suitably evil, the English-as-a-second-language nature of the lyrics have the unfortunate effect of making them seem a little silly. Take the first verse of "Blasphemer," for example:

Black metal is the game I play
'cause no one show me the right way
I am a bloody Antichrist, only believe in bad
Spit at the church, Evil I get

Of course, looking for profound lyrics in Thrash Metal is like looking for an apartment in New York that's both spacious and affordable--you probably aren't going to find what you're looking for. One last problem with In the Sign of Evil is its brevity--the album is a scant 18 minutes long (it is an EP, after all). This problem, however, was remedied on the 1988 re-release, which included Obsessed by Cruelty (Sodom's inaugural full-length album) in its entirety.

Despite its drawbacks, however, In the Sign of Evil is still one of the most significant releases in the developmental history of extreme Metal. It is a worthy purchase for collectors of Metal history, or indeed anyone looking for quality Thrash Metal. Just don't confuse it with 2007's The Final Sign of Evil, which is a modern re-recording of the 1984 original (and with which, naturally, many fans were not pleased).

Album of the Week: Hellhammer - Apocalyptic Raids (1984)

Though perhaps obscure, Switzerland's Hellhammer is nevertheless among the most influential bands in the history of Metal. Their influence on the development of Black and Death Metal is crucial, to say the least. Yet despite their influence, Hellhammer produced precious little recorded material. Aside from a releasing a handful of demos (recently compiled and re-released as the Demon Entrails compilation) and contributing two tracks to the now-infamous Death Metal split LP, 1984's Apocalyptic Raids stands as Hellhammer's only proper studio release.

Containing only four tracks and clocking in at less than twenty minutes, Apocalyptic Raids is anything but a protracted affair. The music is pregnant with underground sensibilities--the production is mediocre at best (though easily listenable), and the musicianship has a distinctly amateurish feel. To put it another way, Apocalyptic Raids sounds like the product of four young (though talented) guys forming an impromptu band and jamming in their garage over the course of a beer-and-whiskey-fueled weekend. In fact, that's probably not too far from the album's actual recording process.

Yet it is precisely this amateurish feel that makes the album so engrossing. Apocalyptic Raids may be raw and primitive, but it is simultaneously organic--there is a soulfulness and an honesty here that I have often found wanting in more polished and better-produced popular music, even if it is "angry" and "violent".

Not long after the release of Apocalyptic Raids, the members of Hellhammer went their separate ways. Tom G. Warrior and Martin Ain formed Celtic Frost from the ashes of Hellhammer, which would be equally as influential as their previous project. Apocalyptic Raids was re-released some years later in 1990, with new artwork and two additional tracks (taken from the aforementioned Death Metal split LP). This edition, entitled Apocalyptic Raids 1990 A.D., is a bit easier to find than the 1984 original, having been reissued as recently as 1999.