Diversified overview - A review of Sodom's "Days of Retribution''

Sodom's ''Days of Retribution'' was released with an issue of the German Legacy magazine in order to promote the band's upcoming album ''Decision Day''. In addition to one brand new track, this EP includes three rare bonus tracks from the last three studio records, a Motörhead cover and two live cuts which are probably both taken from the Chris Witchhunter Memorial Concert recorded seven years ago.

The new tune ''In Retribution'' is easily the best track on this compilation. The song goes back to the band's early roots and features a bleaker atmosphere than usual and black metal inspired vocals even though this is still stylistically a fast thrash metal track. The song builds up an epic vibe over far more than six minutes which is rather unusual for this band. This track sounds much more intriguing than anything else this band has been doing recently.

The rare bonus tracks are of an average quality. ''Murder One'' is completely forgettable musically but includes a fiery vocal performance and a simplistic fist-pumping chorus you won't get out of your head. ''Kamikaze Terrorizer'' is much more interesting as it mixes faster parts with slower passages and remains intriguing from start to finish. ''Waterboarding'' has also an intriguingly heavier and slower pace and some haunted vocals that blend in very well in the chorus.

The cover of Motörhead's ''Ace of Spades'' is rather useless. The metal market is already flooded with tributes to that particular band. The chosen song is a lazy choice because it's extremely famous and even known to people who aren't familiar with the band and its genre since this tune is even played during ice hockey games among others. Nobody will discover anything new or interesting with this cover that even sounds way too similar to the original. At least, it's better than the cover of Motörhead's ''Iron Fist'' that Sodom recorded some years ago and that suffered from a bad vocal performance.

The two live tracks are rather good because they include some speeches from band leader Tom Angelripper, feature an audible audience and are performed with power. The lyrics of the crushing ''Wachturm'' are still quite relevant and criticize the propaganda strategies of one of the world's most brainwashing sects. ''The Saw is the Law'' is a fan favorite and particularly well welcomed by the crowd.

To keep it short, this EP is a nice gimmick for thrash metal fans in general and Sodom fans in particular. Occasional fans have a collection of different songs that represent the band quite well. Personally, I like this satisfactory EP and don't feel like purchasing any other older record from this band. The new song is extremely promising regarding the upcoming studio album ''Decision Day'' though, so I might at least check if the rest of the album is as good as this.

Final Rating: 73%