Review by Ben for Sodom - Better Off Dead (1990)

Better Off Dead has generally been hidden in the shadows of Sodom's previous two albums. Both Persecution Mania and Agent Orange are considered by many to be classic releases and really put these German metalheads close to the top of thrash metal in general. It was always going to be somewhat difficult to follow them up while still creating something new and fresh. While this is still obviously Sodom from start to finish, the band at least tried to add some experimentation and variety to their formula. It doesn't always work, but it's always interesting, and at times just plain great.

The more traditional thrash metal tracks on Better Off Dead are the best parts of the album. An Eye for an Eye, Shellfire Defense, Bloodtrails, Better Off Dead and Stalinorgel are all damn entertaining, typical Sodom tracks. They could easily have just created 12 tracks in this style and then the album would probably be remembered as much as the above-mentioned classics. But where would the fun be in that! Insteadm they crafted some slower, heavy tracks like The Saw is the Law and Resurrection and managed to squeeze 2 cover songs into the first half of the album, with Turn Your Head Around and Cold Sweat. It's here that Sodom's love of Motorhead and plain old heavy metal comes to the fore. While I must admit that I don't love these less-shredding sections as much, I think they make this album an interesting listen. The shifts in speed and mood make the true Sodom moments more potent. This is a neglected Sodom album and I for one think it's just a bit underrated.