{"id":5184,"date":"2011-01-28T07:00:35","date_gmt":"2011-01-28T11:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southeastofheaven.com\/?p=5184"},"modified":"2011-03-28T20:21:09","modified_gmt":"2011-03-29T00:21:09","slug":"blowin-wind-with-tom-angelripper-of-sodom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/?p=5184","title":{"rendered":"Blowin’ Wind with Tom Angelripper of Sodom"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Happy 2011 Fartheads.\u00a0 I’m so psyched to have the first Blowin’ Wind of ’11 (the loudest year evah!” and this one is a great one.\u00a0 German thrash metal legends Sodom have a career that spans 30 years and 14 albums.\u00a0 Their latest album “In War and Pieces” is already a mainstay in my player and is destined to be a thrash classic so it was a real treat to talk with founding member and songwriter Tom Angelripper.\u00a0 We talked about the new album, the influence of working in the coal mines on his music and his fascination with postcards.\u00a0 This was a really great interview with a really awesome person and amazing talent.\u00a0 Enjoy this one y’all!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

How would you describe Sodom’s music to someone that has never heard you before?<\/strong><\/p>\n

People tend to call it Teutonic thrash metal. \u00a0Thrash metal to me means do what you want. \u00a0When we started we were influenced by Venom and old Motorhead stuff and I tried to to create something new. \u00a0It\u2019s not something special. \u00a0It\u2019s just heavy metal music.<\/p>\n

**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n

I never heard of Sodom until I heard “In War and Pieces” and now I’m a huge fan! \u00a0With a 30 year career and so many albums, what albums do you feel best represent Sodom?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I can\u2019t tell you. \u00a0[laughs] \u00a0I know that \u201cAgent Orange\u201d is the most famous and most successful album in my career but it\u2019s not the best selling album. \u00a0I think \u201cAgent Orange\u201d was a good album for it\u2019s time. \u00a0I like more aggressive albums like \u201cGet What You Deserve\u201d, \u201cMasquerade in Blood\u201d or \u201cCode Red.\u201d \u00a0Even the new one \u201cIn War and Pieces.\u201d \u00a0I think that it\u2019s always easy to say that the latest release is the best one. \u00a0I think the most representative is the new one because we tried to combine modern arrangements with old school spirit. \u00a0It\u2019s hard to compare one album to another because each album is an important part of the history.<\/p>\n

**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n

When did you first decide that music was your life calling?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back in 1982 when the first Venom record \u201cWelcome To Hell\u201d came out. \u00a0We were so inspired from this that we got the idea to make our own band. \u00a0When we got our record contract in \u201884 that\u2019s when we became professional musicians. \u00a0The first record was very successful and in 1989 when \u201cAgent Orange\u201d came out (3rd album) it was very successful and I could make my living in the music. \u00a0I didn\u2019t have to go to the coal mines to work anymore.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n

So you were a coal miner?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I worked there for about 10 years and in 1989 I quit my job because I was able to make my living from the music. \u00a0Now the coal mines are gone because nobody needs coal from Germany anymore. \u00a0All the coal miners are now unemployed. \u00a0It\u2019s a very bad situation in my district where I live.<\/p>\n

**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n

Did working in coal mines inspire any of your early writings?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think so yeah. \u00a0The job was very hard. \u00a0My father and my grandfather worked in the coalmine and we didn\u2019t have much money. \u00a0I had to work for a couple of months to get enough money to buy my first bass guitar. \u00a0I think that bands like Kreator and Sodom come from the same area and all our parents and grandfathers were coal miners. \u00a0Even Venom came from a working class and it\u2019s very heavy music. \u00a0I can\u2019t explain it but I think this coal mining area is a very special country and very special district here and the music is very hard just like the job is very hard. \u00a0The most poseur metal bands come from South Germany [laughs]. \u00a0Their parents are very rich and they are going to buy a guitar for their son and whatnot. \u00a0You cannot compare it to this area.<\/p>\n

**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n

The latest album “In War and Pieces” was just released and it sounds so fresh and full of life. \u00a0After 30 years of doing this, how do you keep it from getting old or dated?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think we always have so many ideas for new songs and we love what we do. \u00a0We love what we do. \u00a0That is the secret. \u00a0\u00a0I think the fans really push the band to keep on going. \u00a0Sodom is a band that never stops and we will never stop and never change our music or style. \u00a0We love to do the music because we are metal fans.<\/p>\n

**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n

You seem to have a really strong connection with your fans.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s very important that we always be in contact with the fans. \u00a0When we do a show we always try and drink some beers, talk about music and talk about everything. \u00a0That\u2019s what we do. \u00a0We are not rock stars. \u00a0A lot of bands go to the hotel or they go to the bus after the show and leave the fans behind. \u00a0We always stay. \u00a0That\u2019s why I\u2019m looking forward to the metal cruise (70,000 Tons of Metal). \u00a0On the boat we have one or two shows and then I have four or five days to connect with the fans and drink some beers. \u00a0That is fantastic. \u00a0[laughs]<\/p>\n

**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n

The production on this album is absolutely amazing. \u00a0It just sounds so killer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We just try to write better songs and on this album we tried to get a better production. \u00a0I don\u2019t want to spend all the money for the high tech studio where you\u2019re going to pay 800 or 1000 euros a day. \u00a0This time we spent the money on a producer. \u00a0I like bigger drum sounds and I want to see the drummer sitting on the drums sweaty and playing the drums. \u00a0[laughs] \u00a0We recorded the whole album in a rehearsal room and that was fantastic. \u00a0We always do the music in a rehearsal room and don\u2019t do like other bands do with MP3 trading. \u00a0We just always have a jam session and start writing songs. \u00a0It\u2019s a digital recording but it sounds like an analog production like \u201cAgent Orange\u201d or something. \u00a0It was fantastic.<\/p>\n

**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sodom has seen many musicians come and go over the years. \u00a0Have the lineup changes made it hard to maintain a creative focus?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s always hard because you have to restart and start from the beginning. \u00a0Our drummer just left the band a couple of weeks ago. \u00a0We found a new drummer and had to go through the set list and it\u2019s always hard. \u00a0When Chris “Witchhunter” Dudek left the band he was an alcoholic so we couldn\u2019t work with him anymore. \u00a0The latest drummer Bobby Schottkowski left the band because of private problems. \u00a0I always try to keep the line up and keep band members but there are so many problems. \u00a0I have to rule the decision to kick somebody out of the band whenever and it\u2019s always hard for the hard project because we have to start rehearsing the set list and writing new songs. \u00a0I need band members who are going to support the band who are going to help me out and represent the whole band.<\/p>\n

**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n

Your lyrics seem to contain a lot of social and political commentary. \u00a0Where do you get your inspiration from?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think that life is big inspiration. \u00a0On TV news or in the newspapers there are so many bad things in the world all the time. \u00a0It\u2019s very sad. \u00a0My dream is to live in a peaceful world without war and crime and all this stuff. \u00a0For me it\u2019s a very big inspiration in writing lyrics. \u00a0I cannot change anything. \u00a0I\u2019m not a political activist and I can\u2019t change anything but I can be a singer in a metal band which gives me the chance to scream it out. \u00a0In the early years I had done a lot of lyrics about occultism. \u00a0I was influenced by Alister Crowley books and all the such and then I started writing lyrics about life and the bad situation of our world. \u00a0I want to tell the people something and I want to scream it out. \u00a0I see the TV news all the time that soldiers have to die in Afghanistan or the conflict between North Korea and South Korea now. \u00a0This is a bad situation but I think it\u2019s a big inspiration for writing songs and lyrics.<\/p>\n

**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do you feel that modern technology such as Internet sites like Facebook and MySpace have helped gain exposure for Sodom?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah. \u00a0We have a Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and all the stuff. \u00a0Whenever we get new tour news or anything we put it on the Facebook account so people can get the information. \u00a0I like Facebook because all of the information gets out very quick to the world. \u00a0I never do it but I let a good friend of mine to do it but it\u2019s very cool. \u00a0I\u2019m an old man you know but I try to learn more about it [laughs]. \u00a0I realize these things can help to promote an album and a tour or whatever. \u00a0We always put new photos and videos up and the fans really like it. \u00a0I think it\u2019s a great way to promote your band.<\/p>\n

**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n

Besides metal bands, are there any other types of music I \u00a0would be surprised to hear that you were a fan of?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. \u00a0[laughs] \u00a0I\u2019m an old school metal fan. \u00a0I know that my daughter is 18 years old and she listens to different pop bands. \u00a0My kid likes music like Lady GaGa. \u00a0I\u2019m a metal fan. \u00a0When I listen to music I just like my old school metal like Motorhead and Venom. \u00a0That\u2019s my music but I respect every other kind of music. \u00a0It is very important to respect each other.<\/p>\n

**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’m really into collecting music memorabilia. \u00a0Are you into collecting things and if so what?<\/strong>
\nYes, I collect postcards. \u00a0I collect them from my hometown and I started collecting about 10 years ago. \u00a0I have some from my hometown that are over 100 years old. \u00a0They are so interesting and once I got started I couldn\u2019t stop. \u00a0Now I have about 1,000. \u00a0Ebay and other Internet auctions help me to get new ones. \u00a0That\u2019s what I like to collect.<\/p>\n

**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n

Metal seems to be thriving and huge in Europe where as here in the States it goes pretty much overlooked. \u00a0What is it about heavy metal that the Europeans understand that us American’s don’t?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have about 10 very big festivals in Germany including Wacken which is one of the biggest in the world and people come from everywhere to see it. \u00a0There are 100\u2019s of new bands coming up all the time but it is starting to get way too commercial here. \u00a0You can\u2019t even compare it to the 80\u2019s when the metal scene was much more compact and like a family. \u00a0The metal scene is very big here but it\u2019s very commercial and that\u2019s not always good. \u00a0It\u2019s my dream to come to US America though.<\/p>\n

**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tom, what does 2011 have in store for Sodom?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We are doing this European tour. \u00a0We have a new drummer named Markus “Makka” Freiwald and I hope we can do a good job with him. \u00a0He\u2019s the best drummer in Germany I think. \u00a0We are going to try to do a US tour at the end of the year. \u00a0We haven\u2019t toured in the US in so long and the time. \u00a0The time is right and we need to go now! \u00a0Maybe we can try and do 20 or 30 shows. \u00a0\u00a0will keep you informed. \u00a0We really hope to find a good promoter and tour the US America. \u00a0In 2012 we have a 30 year anniversary and I\u2019d like to do something special like a big show with all the ex members coming up on stage.<\/p>\n

**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tom, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me and best of luck to you and Sodom in 2011!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you so much Don we will stay in contact! \u00a0Thank you very much!<\/p>\n

To learn more about Sodom go to:<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\n http:\/\/www.sodomized.info<\/a>
\n http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sodomized<\/a>
\n www.myspace.com\/sodom<\/a>
\nwww.twitter.com\/sodomized<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Happy 2011 Fartheads.\u00a0 I’m so psyched to have the first Blowin’ Wind of ’11 (the loudest year evah!” and this one is a great one.\u00a0 German thrash metal legends Sodom have a career that spans 30 years and 14 albums.\u00a0 Their latest album “In War and Pieces” is already a mainstay in my player and is destined to be a thrash classic so it was a real treat to talk with founding member and songwriter Tom Angelripper.\u00a0 We talked about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[194],"tags":[551,553],"class_list":["post-5184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interviews","tag-sodom","tag-tom-angelripper"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5184\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}