Label: Steamhammer

Date: November 27th, 2020

Ah, the times when Teutonic thrash was young. An infant just. Loud, messy but absolutely exhilarating! 35 (or something like that) years ago. When Germany was still split in half by the iron axe. Yet, through all the shit of the world, it is still nice to see the wrinkled faces of Schmier, Angelripper, Mille and Gere, with the help from the guys they helped mold into musicians they are, still push their agenda onto the ever new generations. Heads old and young still bang to the sounds of their new records. Same with “Genesis XIX”.

One does not expect Sodom to experiment, right? You know what to expect from these Teutonic dinosaurs. Not another “Obsessed by Cruelty” or “Persecution Mania”, but another album that will make you blood boil, for sure.

The recipe remains the same, throughout the years. Loud and nasty head bangers in combination with a couple of crushing slowdowns. A record that skips out on the old school only by the production work. If you ask me, I prefer it this way. The toughness that was added by the modern means of sound management only upgrades this type of music. Hence, “Genesis XIX” feels like a heavy metal album must. It is rough, hard hitting, unrelenting, overly fast and simply catchy.

Now, speaking of some future classics of the genre, there are probably none. Sodom created more than enough of them in their career anyway. However, there are a couple of tracks here that might make it onto a regular live set. “Sodom & Gomorrah” above all else. The title track bears some potential as well. There are few more that would certainly induce the needed reaction from the crowd. However, putting those aside, the album as a whole is still a very valuable piece of musical devastation.

The one thing Sodom could have made differently is to shorten the album. It would probably even add to its value. Further compressing the play time might have added an extra punch. This way it seems as if “Genesis XIX” is a bit watered down and stretched unnecessarily.

Still, the record retains its deserved place among the rest of Sodom discography. However aware we might be that the time of Teutonic classics has long passed, the fact that Sodom is still capable of creating a strong album has to put a smile on our aging faces. “Genesis XIX” is as heavy as metal should be. It is as fast as thrash must be. It is a head banging experience your doctors warned you not to have anymore.

Sodom is not destroyed. Sodom cannot be destroyed. And here’s the proof.