Sodom Family Tree
Metal Family Tree
This is a project aimed at making it easy to see who inspired the bands you love or even hate. For this I try not to use any influences that the band don’t claim themselves. There will be a focus on predecessors but successors will be added as they site the band. These trees become more and more interactive as new bands are added, allowing you to click any band that has a tree and jump to it.
We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.
Sodom are one of the baggiest and most important of the German thrash scene. Their early stuff is considered an important part of the early rendition of black metal similar to bands like Venom and Hellhammer. The heart of the band has always been bassist/vocalist Tom Angelripper. Other members have been less consistent although many have contributed to writing while in the band. Members that have contributed to writing will be noted down below. Because many members have come and gone, Tom’s influences are the ones that shape the core of the band. There are several Sodom albums written entirely by Tom. Influences of other members would have only shaped a few albums at most.
Tom said when he started Sodom the goal was to be heavier than Venom.
Tom said that Uriah Heep were one of his favorite bands when he was a boy.
I am unsure of Witchhunter’s influences. He was the drummer from basically the beginning until 1992 and contributed to writing.
Blackfire was with the band for Pursicution Mania and Agent Orange. He has since returned to the band in 2018. He said with few exceptions when he was in the band he wrote the music and Tom wrote the lyrics. In a 2005 interview he named his role modals as Carlos Santana, Frank Zappa, John Mc Laughlin, and Jimi Hendrix. He says he also plays bass and drums… and digeridoo (lets hope he plays the latter on the new album.) When asked how he got in to metal he said “I started with Rock´n´Roll, then Hard Rock ala AC-DC, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Scorpions, then Judas Priest, Maiden, Anvil to Slayer. The first real Metal album I think was British Steel by Judas, before that AC-DC Highway to Hell”. Some of the early rock ‘n’ roll he listened to included Little Richard and Carl Perkins.
Michael Hoffmann of lesser known German thrash band Assassin played guitar and co-wrote on Better Off Dead. I’m unsure of his influences.
Andy Brings played guitar on Tapping the Vein and Get What You Deserve and wrote a few songs. I’m unsure of his influences.
Dirk Strahlmeier played guitar and co-wrote on Masquerade in Blood. I’m unsure of his influences.
Atomic Steif was the drummer on Get What You Deserve and played and co-wrote on Masquerade in Blood. I’m unsure of his influences.
Bobby Schottkowski was the drummer from 1997-2010 and co-wrote on Sodom and In War and Pieces. I’m unsure of his influences.
Bernd "Bernemann" Kost was guitarist from 1996-2018 and co-wrote on Sodom, In War and Pieces, and Decision Day. He said he grew up with glam rock with bands like Slade as a kid. He said Queen was also very important for him but now only listens to hard rock and metal. (I was only able to find a few influences he mentions by name.)
Markus "Makka" Freiwald played drums from 2010-2018 and co-wrote on Decision Day. I’m unsure of his influences.
Bands influenced by Sodom!
As this project advances, bands will be added here… there are many!
Sources:
https://distortedsoundmag.com/interview-tom-angelripper-sodom/
http://www.radiometal.com/article/tom-angelripper-sodom-soldier-of-the-peace,108563
https://www.metal-rules.com/interviews/sodom.htm
http://www.carnagedeathmetal.de/carnage/interviews/german/frankblackfire_2005.html
https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/former-kreator-sodom-guitarist-frank-blackfire-shredding-the-axe-new-video-posted-online/
https://darknessunseen.wordpress.com/2018/02/01/my-aim-is-to-stay-healthy-and-to-keep-my-whole-environment-positive-bernemann-ex-sodom/