A fierce reminder of the good ol’ thrash metal days.

Seventeen albums deep and still burning, Sodom returns with The Arsonist, a fierce, no-frills thrash assault that embodies everything the German veterans have stood for since the early ‘80s. The album feels like a statement of purpose—a firebomb hurled into the present from the trenches of the past.

Opening with the eerie, minute-long instrumental title track, “The Arsonist” sets the mood with ominous ambiance before launching into “Battle of Harvest Moon.” From the jump, it’s clear that Sodom is operating on instinct here: tight, relentless riffing, pounding drums and Tom Angelripper’s unmistakable bark rip through the mix with manic energy. 

“Trigger Discipline” and “The Spirits That I Called” continue the barrage ruthlessly. These tracks are fast, gritty and built on the palm-muted, chug-heavy guitar work that defines the best German thrash. The production is deliberately unpolished, giving the album a livewire feel without sacrificing clarity. Every cymbal hit and guitar scrape is delivered with grit and intention.

One of the album’s most impactful moments comes with “Witchhunter,” a nod to their early days and original drummer Chris “Witchhunter” Dudek. It’s a furious tribute, rich in old-school energy but sharpened by the band’s modern lineup. Angelripper’s vocals here are especially unrelenting, spat with venom and conviction. The guitar work throughout the album—courtesy of Yorck Segatz and returning contributor Frank Gosdzik—is consistently sharp, toggling between breakneck speed and mid-tempo heaviness without ever losing momentum.

“Scavenger” and “Gun Without Groom” shift gears just slightly, pulling in some groove-laden rhythms and giving the listener breathing room, though the intensity never lets up. These mid-paced crushers balance the album’s faster moments, adding depth and a sense of pacing that prevents the record from becoming one-note. Meanwhile, “Taphephobia” delivers a slightly eerie twist, with the title referencing the fear of being buried alive. It carries a horror-tinged atmosphere that stands out among the more straightforward thrashers.

In the final stretch, “Sane Insanity” and “A.W.T.F” maintain the album’s furious tone, bursting with memorable riffs and headbang-worthy breaks. “Twilight Void” pushes into slightly darker, more atmospheric territory before “Obliteration of the Aeons” brings the chaos back to a full boil. The closing track, “Return to God in Parts,” is one of the album’s most dynamic—slow-burning in its intro, but swelling into one last round of churning riffs and machine-gun drumming.

At 13 tracks and roughly 48 minutes, The Arsonist doesn’t waste a second. It’s tightly constructed and sequenced for maximum impact, never drifting into filler or overindulgence. What stands out most is the album’s focus and sense of purpose. This band knows exactly who they are and what they bring to the table, and they deliver it with passion, precision and plenty of fire.

The Arsonist isn’t interested in redefining the genre—it’s here to remind you why this music hit so hard in the first place. This album is a must for fans of classic thrash, punk-rooted aggression and scorched-earth riffing. Sodom continues to burn bright in a world that needs its edges singed.