More than four years after the band's self-titled album, Sodom are back – it's about time! The previous album got a mixed reception and it's very likely that it will be the case for this one also, since it doesn't sound all that different. I was one of those who liked Sodom, though I wouldn't count it as a favourite of mine in the band's discography. It was decent and fun to listen to, but at the same time it didn't have any "kick-ass" moment like some of their earlier albums – M-16 is the last one that floored me.
In War and Pieces shows Angelripper's vocals still harsh and in top form, sometimes using effects that remind me of a little bit of post-reunion Destruction. Nothing to bitch about here. The guys are still thrashing pretty hard here, but just like on Sodom, this is rather clean, well-produced and precisely played. Think of it as a mix of 80s German Thrash and the cleaner, often more technical Bay Area sound. There isn't much here that will throw you off your chair, but just like its predecessor the album does have a number of catchy riffs and vocal melodies, and there's nothing "horrible" about it – it's just not the album you'll be thinking of when you think of Sodom, which is pretty much the usual for long-running bands. It has survived a good number of listens without even coming close to boring me so far, so I'd say this is a safe buy if you like the self-titled album.
