"Sacred Warpath" carries the slight melodic component of "Epitome of Torture" or the self-titled, not a huge deal in terms of direction. Surely the seeds of Sodom's thrash metal influence mandate the direction of the track, which stuffs its six minutes full of mid-tempo sections and thrash-inspired guitar work. "Sacred Warpath" is more complex compositionally than much of Sodom's contemporary material; it runs through riffs and sections that are linked by its burning chorus and Angelripper snarling like a rabid dog. If we're discussing how well it works, I'd say the song surpasses the bulk of "Epitome of Torture." Not to trash that nice record, but "Sacred Warpath" is the opposite of shabby, and another solid track in the arsenal of Sodom's ironclad anthems.
Usually live staples nailed to the end of a release with a bigger purpose are inadequate, but the three numbers here are excellent. They have a clear, unfiltered sound quality that captures Sodom's live precision and energy; the band is tight and clear-cut, nailing these tunes in the head. "Stigmatized" and "City of God" are on fire, but the live rendition of "The Saw is the Law," though on par with the other two slices, is a must-hear for Sodom listeners. Sodom, rather than simply performing the tune, starts off by playing a live rendition of "Surfin' Bird"; the whole sequence is a blast and a half. I can't help but smile every time I hear Angelripper growling, "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow! Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow!"
"Sacred Warpath" says the saw is the law, bird is the word, and war is fun. Nice EP for Sodom aficionados.
Sodom - Sacred Warpath
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