Sodom

A mix of biography and live onslaught, Lords of Depravity documents Sodom's career from 1982 to 1995. Disc one offers three hours of interviews and background info (in German, with sometimes hard to read English subtitles) situating the band and its music as a working class eruption from an industrial landscape bucking against the dominant new wave soundtrack of the early '80s. The second disc captures Sodom live, moving through numerous songs and several shows, punctuating the rapid-cut performances with backstage footage. Lords of Depravity is a rich journey into Sodom's story and metal history, but its demands on attention and time could scare away all but the most serious fans. (Steamhammer/SPV/Fusion III)