Sodom - Tapping the Vein (1992)^{Release ID: 1572}

Tapping the Vein is the most intense sounding album from German thrashers Sodom. When I put my MP3 player on random and one of these tracks comes on, the first thing I'm trying to figure out is which death metal band I'm listening to. While it soon becomes apparent that it's in fact Sodom, mostly once Angelripper's distinct vocals kick in, the drumming and riffs are all much more brutal than their previous solely thrash metal releases. Yet other than this slight change in style and production, Tapping the Vein is more of the same, and doesn't offer as much as I would have hoped. There are some good tracks throughout the album, but at least half of it is forgettable, making this one of the lesser respected Sodom records.

Some of the faster, more intense tracks are the album's highlights with Body Parts, Skinned Alive, The Crippler and Hunting Season all thrashing madly with good riffs and vocals. I also enjoy closing epic Reincarnation, which is an 8 minute slower paced track that even brings some symphonic elements into their sound. But tracks like Back to War and Bullet in the Head are just so stock standard. I don't generally expect Sodom to venture all that far from their thrashing roots, but at times they seem to be on automatic pilot, with no real inspiration or passion. Tapping the Vein is not one of Sodom's best albums, but nor is it completely worthless. Just make sure you check out Persecution Mania and Agent Orange first.