Sodom’s Frank Blackfire On The New “Genesis XIX” Album, Early Influences On Him As A Guitarist, Future Band Plans & More

Altenessen, Germany — a northern borough of the city of Essen and a social melting-pot deep in the heart of the Ruhr Area — has long supplied Europe’s industrialization with the required raw materials. Altenessen is also the musical domicile of Tom Angelripper, who for years has met his band members in a ratty rehearsal room in that part of Essen to produce tough-as-nails thrash music. With guitarists Frank Blackfire and Yorck Segatz and drummer Toni Merkel, Sodom has been a big deal for a long time in the metal world; the group was founded in the early 1980s and has released 16 studio albums — starting with 1986’s Obsessed By Cruelty — in the years since, beyond live albums and compilations.

Genesis XIX is the latest full-length album from Sodom, as released in November. Released via Entertainment One in North America and Steamhammer/SPV in Europe, it was recorded by Siggi Bemm and mastered by Patrick W. Engel. The title, “Occult Perpetrator” and “Waldo & Pigpen” all make for great start points for those who have not already gotten on-board with Genesis XIX.

On February 3, 2021, I had the pleasure of speaking with the earlier-mentioned guitarist Frank Blackfire via Skype, as embedded below. We not only spoke about Genesis XIX but also the past, present and future of both him and Sodom. More on Blackfire and Sodom can be found online via www.sodomized.info, www.facebook.com/sodomized and www.twitter.com/sodomized.

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Tags: Brazil, eone, Frank Black, Frank Blackfire, Germany, Sodom, Steamhammer

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."