*** 8.5 ***

Well, if an award was in the offering for best comeback album of the year, SODOM would almost certainly take full honors. Its been awhile since SODOM has released anything that could be described as extraordinary. In fact the last SODOM album that made a serious impression on me was released in 1992 - Tapping The Vein. The band seemed to lose direction for awhile there and I know I wasn't alone in thinking that the band had seen there best days come and go. But! Just what did the scene need but a huge surprise right? SODOM's latest release is a serious wake-up call to those of us who had begun to question the ability of the band. Code Red is arguably SODOM's finest work to date. I'm not sure I'm prepared to agree entirely with that assessment but I will say its the best SODOM album in 10 years and definately ranks among the top two. So what's in store? How about 13 pulverizing tracks, the likes of which we haven't heard since the glory days of Agent Orange and the aforementioned 1992 release. This disc grabs you by the balls from the opening razor sharp chords and from there on its a wild frenzy of nihilistic Thrash like only these German maniacs can deliver. The album seems to speed so quickly through that you don't seem to notice that at least three tracks have passed you by. This doesn't mean the tracks aren't memorable - they are - it means that this is ferocious music that gives little quarter or time to catch your breath. Highlighted by a killer production, this slab of raging musical fury should convince you that SODOM's music, while not the most technically diverse in the world, is timeless. One thing I can say without hesitation is that this is the heaviest album to date by SODOM and about as energetic and punishing as anything they've ever done.

While I could write on and on about individual songs and continue to relate the unrelenting fury of the album to the reader, its best left to you to go out and hear it for yourself. Once you've done that you too can welcome the return of one of the underground's oldest and most committed bands. Hats off.

Available at: Amazon.com