Obsessed by Cruelty

Obsessed by Cruelty
Studio album by Sodom
Released	May 1986
Genre	Thrash metal First-wave black metal
Length	37:48 (US version) 40:27 (EU version)
Label	Steamhammer/SPV Metal Blade
Sodom chronology
In the Sign of Evil (1984) Obsessed by Cruelty (1986) Expurse of Sodomy (1987)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Obsessed by Cruelty is the 1986 debut album by the German thrash metal band Sodom. It was re-released together with In the Sign of Evil in 1988, and as picture vinyl in 2005 by Vinyl Maniacs/EMRmusic.

Two different versions of this album exist. The band had to record the album twice because their record company was not satisfied with the original result. The first version was recorded in Berlin and the second version in Nuremberg. According to Tom Angelripper, the second recording includes a bonus track called "After the Deluge" and is "completely different" because they had a different guitar player.^[2][3]

The album had a major influence on the then-developing black metal genre. Mayhem's founder and guitarist Euronymous described it as an underrated "masterpiece of black stinking metal". He also named his record label, Deathlike Silence Productions, after the album's opening track. It also had an influence on the death metal genre, due to its very fast tempo and occult-themed lyrics.

Track listing

US version:

1. "Intro" – 1:53
2. "Deathlike Silence" – 5:06
3. "Brandish the Sceptre" – 2:56
4. "Proselytism Real" – 3:31
5. "Equinox" – 3:32
6. "Volcanic Slut" – 3:21
7. "Obsessed by Cruelty" – 5:47
8. "Fall of Majesty Town" – 4:01
9. "Nuctemeron" – 3:00
10. "Pretenders to the Throne" – 2:39
11. "Witchhammer" – 2:02

EU version (Steamhammer pressing):

1. "Intro (The Rebirth...)" – 0:56
2. "Deathlike Silence" – 5:18
3. "Brandish the Sceptre" – 2:56
4. "Proselytism Real" – 3:25
5. "Equinox" – 3:36
6. "After the Deluge" – 4:54
7. "Obsessed by Cruelty" – 5:05
8. "Fall of Majesty Town" – 4:04
9. "Nuctemeron" – 3:02
10. "Pretenders to the Throne" – 2:37
11. "Witchhammer" – 1:36
12. "Volcanic Slut" – 2:58

Credits

• Tom Angelripper - Vocals/Bass
• Michael Wulf (Destructor) - Guitar
• Uwe Christophers (Assator) - Guitar
• Chris Witchhunter - Drums

References

1. ^ Allmusic review
2. ^ Metal Rules: Interview with Tom Angelripper of SODOM. "We recorded this album twice actually, I mean, OBSESSED BY CRUELTY. The first version was recorded in Berlin and the record company said that: «No, it is awful - …so bad and shit…». We had to record it twice and the second recording we did nearby in Nurberg, Germany. This recording has one bonus track because we had another guitar player called 'Saitrool' (I gotta admit that I am not that sure about the spelling of these names - AL). It was a completely different recording and as for that trash press made in Berlin, it was just for the US import. And it was a mistake of the company as they changed the tapes, so there was a complete new recording of OBSESSED BY CRUELTY."
3. ^ Encyclopaedia Metallum - Sodom - Obsessed by Cruelty. "We recorded this album twice. The first version was recorded in Berlin and the record company said that: «No, it is awful - …so bad and shit…». We had to record it twice and the second recording we did nearby in Nürnberg, Germany. This recording has one bonus track because we had another guitar player. It was a completely different recording and as for that trash press made in Berlin, it was just for the US import. And it was a mistake of the company as they changed the tapes, so there was a complete new recording of «Obsessed by Cruelty»."