I never thought to myself that I would be getting another "Agent Orange". It is true that the return of Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik to the SODOM fold raised a few wonderings, yet those were diminished pretty fast once last year's EP, the routine signs of life so to speak, "Out of the Frontline Trench" was released. Therefore, it was more or less a dancing in the minefield situation with what would be the turnout of the brand new "Genesis XIX", released via SPV / Steamhammer Records.

SODOM in overall remained what they have always been, a melting pot of Thrash, early wave of Black Metal, and chaotic sort of Punk. On the other hand, it is so easy to tread in different, not necessarily unknown, fields. The recruiting of Toni Merkel to the SODOM camp, as more than an ample replacement for ASPHYX's Husky, contributed to the borders that SODOM were able to cross on the new record, delivering drum rolls of second wave Black and Death Metal, as if those were second nature. Furthermore, the joint force between the axes, Blackfire and Yorck Segatz, two generations blended into a beast of riffs and manifestations of diverse soloing, made it happen for "Genesis XIX" to become more than the usual SODOM album.

The songwriting on "Genesis XIX" has shared elements with previous SODOM albums, and not the previous "Decision Day" or the classic "Agent Orange" in particular, yet it felt a lot more memorable than the previous record for certain. Don't get me wrong, it is not as if Angelripper and Co. went wild in order to complex things up, however, the amount of experience in this lineup was able to create a somewhat different formula for the band for laying down material in a manner that it would generate curiosity within current and newcomer listeners.

Taking into account such ferocious Thrash Metal attacks as "Friendly Fire", "Sodom & Gomorrah" and "Occult Perpetrator", along with the ultra-sonic Punkster Thrasher, "Indoctrination", and the chaotic mixed tempo epic "Genesis XIX" those tracks were what I was waiting for from SODOM after four years. Add to that the sound production element that seemed more natural than the larger part of the plastic over produced stuff that has been going nowadays, every single instrument can be felt in a proper mix.

SODOM, with a measure of taking their old school precision forward into yet another decade of their existence, through "Genesis XIX" created an appetite that cannot overcome another four years and the only way is up of course. I just hope that this lineup would remain intact for the next couple of albums, perhaps even until the day Tom Angelripper would decide that enough is enough.