Sodom’s cult 1992 album, Tapping The Vein, may have been the bands heaviest offering yet but as the band remembers, the album really offered something new, there were more punk influences in it and the track "Wachturm" wears that influence on its shoulder.
Tom Angelripper recalls how the song came together: “Andy (Brings - guitarist) is a big Ramones fan, which Chris (Witchhunter – drums) and I also liked. Chris was the metal advocate in the band, whereas I was more into punk and Motörhead. It was the combination that made it work.”
Andy adds: “Chris wasn't averse to punk either, he was a big fan of Die Toten Hosen for example. At that time we actually considered covering their song 'Liebesspieler' for Tapping The Vein but in the end we composed our own punk song, 'Wachturm'. Even though the German lyrics of the song sound humorous, they have a serious background. They are based on some very bad experiences Chris had with the Jehovah's Witnesses. His girlfriend at the time joined the sect and left him because of it.”
Watch a video for the remastered version of "Wachturm":
32 years is a long time in anyone's book. Way too long according to Sodom fans worldwide. But if you ask Tom Angelripper and Andy Brings, those 32 years since the original release of Sodom's sixth album, Tapping The Vein, went by in the blink of an eye. With prices for the original vinyl LP skyrocketing in the collectors world and heated online fan discussions whether the re-release will ever see the light of day, the time has finally come to breathe new life into what appears to be everybody's favorite album by Sodom, alongside Agent Orange and Persecution Mania.
“At the time it was just another album for us,“ says only original band member Tom Angelripper, but the Sodomaniacs all over the world made it a cult classic. It's just sad that Chris Witchhunter is not here anymore to celebrate with us.” Guitar player Andy Brings, who was 20 years old and still in school when he joined the band in 1991, who wrote and recorded his first ever album with Sodom adds: “Bands don't determine what becomes a cult, the fans do. It just happened, and we are very proud of it. 18-year-olds come up to me these days and tell me how much they love that album.”
Not only was Tapping The Vein the last album with original drummer Chris Witchhunter hitting the skins more fiercely than ever before, but it was also a brutal statement from one of the originators of thrash metal, in a time when many bands strayed from their original paths, became too sanitized or caved in to newer trends. Sodom went in the opposite direction and put out what many fans call ‘Sodom's death metal album’, although no one in the band actually listened to death metal at the time. Angelripper: “We just did what we did, not paying attention to what was happening around us. Andy joined the band and we just hammered out these killer songs in no time. It all happened very fast. There were no distractions, just the music.“ Brings: “Tapping The Vein is the result of pure inspiration. I was young, hungry and full of energy and had ideas and that resonated perfectly with Tom and Chris, wanting to show everybody who's really in charge of thrash metal, in an era where not many bands stayed true to their original vision.”
So here it is. Sodom's ‘blue album’ revisited (like any true classic, it can be referred to by only mentioning the color of the artwork, just ask Metallica, Weezer and The Beatles), and the package could not be more complete. With the original album remastered, it also features a complete remixed version done by Andy Brings with some additional alternative takes of three album tracks, plus three live concerts: Tokyo 1992, Düsseldorf 1992 and Cologne 1992 (Chris Witchhunter´s last show with Sodom) in the super deluxe edition. Andy: “We fought and worked very hard for this re-release, I can only hope that it was worth the wait, but I'm pretty sure it will fill every Sodomaniac´s heart with joy.” Tom: “The fans mean everything to us, and this is really just for them. Working on Tapping The Vein again brought back so many memories, both good and bad, but this is who we were 32 years ago. An amazing trip.”
Tapping The Vein is the story of youth, life, death, friendship and loyalty. It's also testament to a time in your life, when everything was new and exciting, and bands and their music was all you had. When metal was pure, raw and wild. You thought that time would never come back. Until now……
Sodom’s deluxe, expanded reissue of Tapping The Vein will be available via Noise / BMG on November 15th, 2024 in these formats:
- Super deluxe ‘blood filled vinyl’ edition. Triple LP, double CD deluxe 24 page bookpack (limited to 100 copies via the Noise Records store only)
- Deluxe triple LP red & black swirl vinyl and double CD deluxe 24 page bookpack
- Double, gatefold transparent red vinyl.
- Triple CD digisleeve with 24 page booklet
Pre-orders of the deluxe bookpack edition will come with a limited edition reproduction 1992 gig poster signed by Tom Angelripper and Andy Brings from the Sodom and Noise Records stores, while stocks last!
Deluxe Triple LP & Double CD Bookpack Edition Tracklisting:
Tapping The Vein (2024 Remaster) (Disc 1)
"Body Parts"
"Skinned Alive"
"One Step Over The Line"
"Deadline"
"Bullet In The Head"
"The Crippler"
"Wachturm"
"Tapping The Vein"
"Back To War"
"Hunting Season"
"Reincarnation"
Tapping The Vein (2024 Redux) (Disc 2) Previously Unreleased
"Body Parts"
"Skinned Alive"
"One Step Over The Line"
"Deadline"
"Bullet In The Head"
"The Crippler"
"Wachturm"
"Tapping The Vein"
"Back To War"
"Hunting Season"
"Reincarnation"
Live In Toyko 1992 (Disc 3) Previously Unreleased
"Sodomy & Lust"
"An Eye For An Eye"
"One Step Over The Line"
"Deadline"
"Agent Orange"
"Skinned Alive"
"Shellfire Defense"
"The Crippler"
"Bullet In The Head"
"Wachturm"
"Body Parts"
"The Kids Wanna Rock"
"Body Parts" (Alt. Remix Version)
"Wachturm" (Alt. Remix Version)
"Reincarnation" (Alt. Remix Version)
Live In Düsseldorf 1992 (Disc 4) Previously Unreleased
"Sodomy & Lust"
"An Eye For An Eye"
"Skinned Alive"
"One Step Over The Line"
"Exhibition Bout"
"Ausgebombt"
"Remember The Fallen"
"The Saw Is The Law"
"Wachturm"
"Bombenhagel"
Live In Cologne 1992 The Final Witchhunt (Disc 5) Previously Unreleased
"Sodomy & Lust"
"An Eye For An Eye"
"Agent Orange"
"Skinned Alive"
"Better Off Dead"
"Ausgebombt"
"One Step Over The Line"
"The Crippler"
"Bullet In The Head"
"Wachturm"
"Bombenhagel"
Triple CD Edition Tracklisting:
Tapping The Vein (2024 Remaster) (Disc 1)
"Body Parts"
"Skinned Alive"
"One Step Over The Line"
"Deadline"
"Bullet In The Head"
"The Crippler"
"Wachturm"
"Tapping The Vein"
"Back To War"
"Hunting Season"
"Reincarnation"
Tapping The Vein (2024 Redux) (Disc 2) Previously Unreleased
"Body Parts"
"Skinned Alive"
"One Step Over The Line"
"Deadline"
"Bullet In The Head"
"The Crippler"
"Wachturm"
"Tapping The Vein"
"Back To War"
"Hunting Season"
"Reincarnation"
"Body Parts" (Alt. Remix Version)
"Wachturm" (Alt. Remix Version)
"Reincarnation" (Alt. Remix Version)
Live In Toyko 1992 (Disc 3) Previously Unreleased
"Sodomy & Lust"
"An Eye For An Eye"
"One Step Over The Line"
"Deadline"
"Agent Orange"
"Skinned Alive"
"Shellfire Defense"
"The Crippler"
"Bullet In The Head"
"Wachturm"
"Body Parts"
"The Kids Wanna Rock"
Double Red Vinyl Edition Tracklisting:
Tapping The Vein (2024 Remaster) (Disc 1)
"Body Parts"
"Skinned Alive"
"One Step Over The Line"
"Deadline"
"Bullet In The Head"
"The Crippler"
"Wachturm"
"Tapping The Vein"
"Back To War"
"Hunting Season"
"Reincarnation"
Tapping The Vein (2024 Redux) (Disc 2) Previously Unreleased
"Body Parts"
"Skinned Alive"
"One Step Over The Line"
"Deadline"
"Bullet In The Head"
"The Crippler"
"Wachturm"
"Tapping The Vein"
"Back To War"
"Hunting Season"
"Reincarnation"
Watch a previously unseen video of the Redux Version of "Bullet In The Head":
