Agent Orange is the third studio album by German thrash metal band Sodom, released on 1 June 1989 by SPV/Steamhammer. It was their last album with guitarist Frank Blackfire (who would later join Kreator) until his return to the band in 2018. The lyrical content delves deeply into Tom Angelripper's fascination with the Vietnam War, with a song dedicated to the ground assault aircraft AC-47 as well as the Agent Orange defoliant-inspired title-track. It was their first album to enter the German album charts where it reached number 36. Agent Orange sold 100,000 copies in Germany alone[1] and marked the commercial break through for the band. The song "Ausgebombt" was released on the EP Ausgebombt with German lyrics.
| Agent Orange | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1 June 1989 | |||
| Recorded | March–April 1989 | |||
| Studio | Musiclab Studios, West Berlin | |||
| Genre | Thrash metal | |||
| Length | 40:14 | |||
| Label | SPV/Steamhammer | |||
| Producer | Harris Johns | |||
| Sodom chronology | ||||
| ||||
The album's liner notes carry the message: "This album is dedicated to all people – soldiers and civilians – who died by senseless aggressions of wars all over the world."
In March 2010, Agent Orange was re-released in a digipak with bonus tracks and liner notes containing lyrics and rare photos.[2][3]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Rock Hard | 9/10[5] |
In 2005, Agent Orange was ranked number 299 in Rock Hard magazine's book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.[6] In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked Agent Orange as 63rd on their list of 'The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time'.[7]
Track listing
editAll music is composed by Chris Witchhunter, Frank Blackfire and Tom Angelripper, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Agent Orange" | 6:04 |
| 2. | "Tired and Red" | 5:25 |
| 3. | "Incest" | 4:38 |
| 4. | "Remember the Fallen" | 4:20 |
| 5. | "Magic Dragon" | 5:59 |
| 6. | "Exhibition Bout" | 3:35 |
| 7. | "Ausgebombt" | 3:04 |
| 8. | "Baptism of Fire" | 4:03 |
| 9. | "Don't Walk Away" (Tank cover) | 2:56 |
| Total length: | 40:14 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Incest" (live) | 4:18 |
| 2. | "Agent Orange" (live) | 5:26 |
| 3. | "Tired and Red" (live) | 5:01 |
| 4. | "Remember the Fallen" (live) | 4:05 |
| 5. | "Ausgebombt" (live) | 3:47 |
| 6. | "Ausgebombt" (German version) | 3:06 |
Track 9 is a bonus track for initial CD pressings.
Personnel
editSodom
- Tom Angelripper – vocals, bass
- Frank Blackfire – guitars
- Chris Witchhunter – drums
Production
- Harris Johns – production, engineering, mixing
- Andreas Marschall – cover art
- Manfred Eisenblätter – photography
Ausgebombt EP
editThe band released two songs from Agent Orange on its third EP, Ausgebombt.
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ausgebombt" (German Version) | 3:07 |
| 2. | "Don't Walk Away" (Tank cover) | 3:00 |
| 3. | "Incest" (Live) | 4:28 |
| Total length: | 10:35 | |
Charts
edit| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Album Charts | 36[8] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "METALLIAN - Sodom".
- ^ BLABBERMOUTH - SODOM: 'Agent Orange' Re-Release Delayed Archived 8 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine. 2 February 2010.
- ^ SODOM Re-Release Of Agent Orange Postponed Until March Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine. 2 February 2010. Metal Express Radio.
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ Rock Hard review[dead link]
- ^ Best of Rock & Metal - Die 500 stärksten Scheiben aller Zeiten (in German). Rock Hard. 2005. p. 93. ISBN 3-89880-517-4.
- ^ "Rolling Stone Share Their Choices for 'The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time'". 21 June 2017.
- ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts".