Band's List Thrash Metal Sodom (GER-1) Better Off Dead

Cover mania! I've never cared for a single Sodom cover, to be honest. I'm sorry metal gods. Please forgiveth me.

Agent Orange was going to be hard to top. And the departure of Frank Blackfire sure didn't help the long road this record was going to have to travel in order to live up to that magnificent slab of thrash madness. (Other than that wretched fucking cover) With that said, does the forth offering from the soldiers of Teutonic might fire empty rounds? Not in the slightest.

"THE SAW, IS THE LAW!"

Solid rhythms grind your teeth, with blistering solos firing missiles from your speakers, accompanied by drums that sound like a grenade belt detonating.

I'm not sure if its the presence of the covers, but I feel there was a lot more heavy metal in some of the compositions. 'Never Healing Wound' I think is a good example of this, with very 'Motorhead-esque' vibe. And 'Resurrection' feels like a heavier version of Accept. Of course, the obligatory cross-over song not absent in the album closer Stalinorgel.

In conclusion, 'Better Off Dead' is a solid Sodom album. It just seems slightly more laid back to me than Agent Orange. But it still rips your face off!


Album highlights: Shellfire Defense, The Saw Is the Law, Capture the Flag, *Tarred and Feathered (CD bonus, but it's a killer song)