''Persecution Mania'' is the second studio album by German

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...

band Sodom, released on 1 December 1987 by Steamhammer/SPV. The album marked the beginning of the change in sound from having elements of

speed metal Speed metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) roots.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' (Berg Publishers, 2007), , p. 31. It is desc ...

and

black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...

to mostly being

. As well as defining Sodom's sound, it exemplified the thrash metal genre at a time when it arguably peaked in popularity. The album also bore similarity to the music of other German bands such as

Destruction Destruction may refer to: Concepts * Destruktion, a term from the philosophy of Martin Heidegger * Destructive narcissism, a pathological form of narcissism * Self-destructive behaviour, a widely used phrase that ''conceptualises'' certain kin ...

and

Kreator Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current line-up consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mille Petrozza, Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen Reil, Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli- ...

, and the term "Teutonic" thrash was coined from this. Despite what the cover may imply, the lyrical themes of the album are centred more around politics and war than religion. This is largely due to guitarist Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik joining the band. He brought new songwriting aspects to the band that gave it a much more organized and clearer sound, as well as helping Sodom to carve a lyrical niche that it still practices to this day. The outro guitar lead in track 9, "Bombenhagel", is the German national anthem, "

Das Lied der Deutschen The "", officially titled "", is a Germany, German poem written by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben . A popular song which was made for the cause of creating a unified German state, it was adopted in its entirety in 1922 by the Weima ...

". ''Persecution Mania'' was re-released in 2000 as part of a double pack with the '' Obsessed by Cruelty''/'' In the Sign of Evil'' split. Both CD releases include the '' Expurse of Sodomy'' EP.

Track listing

The European CD release has a rerecording of "Outbreak of Evil" and the ''Expurse of Sodomy'' EP as bonus tracks. The cassette has only the re-recorded "Outbreak of Evil" as a bonus track.

Personnel

;Sodom *

Tom Angelripper Thomas Such (born 19 February 1963), known professionally as Tom Angelripper, is a German musician. He is the lead vocalist, bassist, main songwriter and only original remaining member of the thrash metal band Sodom (band), Sodom and also a me ...

- vocals, bass * Frank Blackfire - guitars * Chris Witchhunter- drums ;Additional musician * Harris Johns - guitar solo on "Bombenhagel" ;Production *Johannes Beck - cover painting *Harris Johns - engineering, producer

References

{{Authority control Sodom (band) albums 1987 albums SPV/Steamhammer albums Albums produced by Harris Johns