Damn, I lost my count, but who didn’t? Since the band came out in 1984 with “In The Sign Of Evil” it was always on top of the four big teutonic thrash metalbands.
This is the first Sodom album to feature Makka on drums, who replaces Bobby Schottkowski, and he does a fine job at complimenting Tom Angelripper’s ferocious bass, and with Bernd ‘Bernemann’ Kost completing the line-up, this is Sodom at their most accomplished. Epitome Of Torture contains some 12 rip-roaring tracks (two of these are bonus cuts on the limited-edition digipak version) that are some of the best thrash-fests I’ve heard for a long time. The record is diverse as we have their heaviest track since “Tapping the Vein”. Angelripper has such a dynamic voice that it is to the betterment of the record that he utilizes all aspects.
On the other side, we have the instrumental “Cannibal” is slightly confusing, as it doesn’t really go anywhere. There are some great grooves throughout the song and drummer Freiwald shines. There are some cool moments but not enough to fill up a song over the four-minutes
“Epitome Of Torture” is another solid release to add to an already legendary catalog. Hardcore Sodom- fans will love this album for sure. Keep on going guys!