Vewy Good

Nation: Germany

Album Genre: Thrash Metal

Agent Orange begins with one of the best thrash intros ever, quantifying itself with the catchy as hell riff section and it never becomes mundane through the entire song. From beginning to end, even when it takes a breather here and there, it is guaranteed to start up with a fresh speedy lick that is guaranteed to at least get any banger's head bobbin. This introductory self titled track definitely sets the pace for the remainder of the album, and boy what a pace that is.

The 2:42 mark, after a small acoustic interlude on Tired and Red gets my head thrashing everytime. It is just a perfect transition from a tranquil acoustic number, to a simple yet effective thrash riff. Unpredictability is key for me in thrash, and Agent Orange is full of surprising riff changes and beat maneuvering that it gives me goosebumps and immediately makes my head start pumping.

As a reviewer, this is one of those albums that you hate to have to write about because it is so good, it is hard to find enough variation to come up with stuff that is interesting to write about. For me, Agent Orange embodies the spirit of the German thrash movement. Yes, there are great and legendary artists of the same genre like Kreator , Tankard , and Destruction , but Sodom 's Agent Orange is such a special album of the genre which deserves its place high up on the altar of thrash-tastic metal.

Songs like the self titled beauty from to end to end, as well as the many breakdowns throughout Tired and Red along with every other song on the album, is really excellent and a really treat for any and all thrash fans around the world. A real special example of why Agent Orange is really great, is its ability to cross geographical tastes. Fans of the Bay Area style are just as likely to enjoy this record as hardcore German thrash fans are. Being able to cross that boundary between two camps containing die hard fanbases just shows how special this album is to not only thrash metal, but heavy metal in general.

The fact that Sodom is still going strong 16 years after this album was released is truly a testament to how much influence and drive these thrash masters have to produce some quality material year after year. As with their other German thrash bretheren, I hope to see a new release from the beasts of burden soon. Hail Sodom !

(Originally written for www.metalreviews.com)