It's reissue time at Sodom, and for ‘Tapping The Vein’, the historic German band, aided by the record company, has done things big with various editions, the addition of live performances from the era, as well as a complete remastering of the original album.
Not one of the most celebrated albums and released at a difficult time for the genre, but time has been kind to it, so we took the opportunity not only to review the reissue, but also to ask a few questions to Andy Brings, who were particularly helpful.
Happy reading.

1) Hi Andy and thanks for your availability.
I wanted to start by asking why, among the various albums in Sodom boundless discography, this one was chosen for a reissue. Was it your choice or the record company's?
ANDY: TTV has never been re-released and prices for the original vinyl LP a going through the roof. Plus the fans have been asking for it for many years now. It was time!

2) As we know it was a very particular period for Thrash Metal in general (and not only), what memories do you have of that period in general?
ANDY: We did not pay attention to what was going on around us. This is who we were and what we wanted to to do. We didn´t care about trends or other influences. We just wanted to be as brutal as possible and in your face like a rabid pack of dogs!



3) “Tapping the Vein” was the first record you recorded with Sodom. Before delving into its characteristics and peculiarities, would you like to tell us how you got into the band? At that time, with no internet and more communication difficulties... Michael Hoffmann only lasted as long as a record like ‘Better Off Dead’ and lineup stability was not one of Sodom's strong points…
ANDY: Chris Witchhunter and me had a mutual friend and he recommended me. I was really the only guitarist who auditioned. They wanted an unknown guy and I was a total nobody, so it was a perfect fit. And yeah, the story of SODOM´s lineups is a very colorful one. Sodom is not only a band, it also works pretty well as a soap opera, haha.

4) ‘Tapping the Vein’, which 32 years later remains one of my favourites from the entire discography, marks a clear thickening of the sound, at times even veering towards near death metal influences. Was this something introduced also thanks to you, since you had joined the band, or was it a process already triggered? Why this choice of stylistic change?
ANDY: We didn´t care about Death Metal. I brought to the table what I was, which was a Thrash Metal kid with a strong love for songs from all genres. You don´t need 1000 riffs in one song, but the basic idea of the song must be strong. The rest is just sculpturing it to the best of your abilities. We just wanted to make a fast, brutal and ingtense album with great songs.

5) As I mentioned before, ‘Tapping the Vein’ is one of my three favourite Sodom albums, yet I remember very well that when it came out (I was a teenager) the reviews, at least here in Italy, were not very flattering. Luckily I didn't listen to them and bought the record anyway, otherwise at the time without Youtube, social networks and streaming platforms I would have been without that record for many years. You who stayed until the next ‘Get What You Deserve’, what reception do you remember from critics and audiences?
ANDY: Sodom was never loved by the critics, but adored by the fans. So, what´s more important? The critics usually come around if you manage to pull through, and all of a sudden they call you a veteran, a hero or a survivor. We never cared about the critics, and that was a very valuable lesson for me.



6) The record was recorded in the renowned Dierks Studio in Berlin, with a producer who is nothing short of phenomenal and important to the metal scene, Harris Johns, who in addition to you has worked with legendary bands such as Helloween, Grave Digger, Kreator, Pestilence and Immolation. What memories do you have of that experience? Was it a stressful or enjoyable process and how long did you spend in the studio? Why did you move to T&T in Gelsenkirchen for the next record?
ANDY: It was both pleasant and stressful. The drum recordings were like pulling teeth, but Harris was a great help. I didn´t have much studio experience, but I was very confident.TTV was very expensive to make, that´s why we chose to save some money on GWYD.

7) As mentioned earlier, lineup stability was not Sodom's strong point, unfortunately. Just the time for another record and you left the band too, a real shame considering that one of the best tracks (as well as my favourite) is ‘Reincarnation’ which if I'm not mistaken is by your own signature. What were the reasons for the split?
ANDY: I wrote the lyrics for “Reincarnation” and most of the music for the whole album. The guitarplayer usually does. Tom wanted me out of the band. It´s as simple as that.

8) After a few years you were back on track with Powergod, a good band with five albums, all very good but of a completely different genre, a classic power/speed metal. How did that experience go and what memories do you have of those days?
ANDY: POWERGOD was just a fun project I made under an alias. Very cool that you know I was behind it. At the time “True Metal” was back in style, and I really did not like it, I really felt this was more of a parody, so we created this band with the most stupid metal lyrics, but somehow nobody caught the joke and we made five albums. It was strange and funny, and I´m proud of that.

9) At the moment, as far as we know, you do not have a band and you are not releasing records. Are you still in the music business? What have you been doing these past few years?
ANDY: I was never out of the business. I had THE TRACEELORDS with three albums, still have DOUBLE CRUSH SYNDROME with two albums, and my solo band of course. I was on tour constantly and still put out music all the time. It´s funny that you know Powergod but don´t know this.

10) There are many editions for this reissue for all tastes and pockets: how was the rich material chosen and selected?
With the resurgence of vinyl, there has been a rise in prices in recent years: as established musicians, how do you see this phenomenon?
ANDY: I think the prices for old vinyl are beyond absurd. Even the most obscure and bad 80s Metal gets fantasy prices. But whatever makes you happy. We looked into our archives and made the obvious choices, for what to put in the box. We focused on the music and not some stupid gimmicks to make it extra expensive.



11) Given the release of this reissue, are you planning any special concerts with a setlist dedicated to ‘Tapping The Vein’?
ANDY: No plans.

12) Thanking you for your availability, as a final question I wanted to ask if our readers would like to highlight any records released in the last few years that have particularly impressed you or any particularly good young talent in your opinion.
ANDY: I think REZET are a good band, young thrashers from Germany.

13) Thank you very much Andy for your time, congratulations again all these years later on ‘Tapping the Vein’ (and more) and good luck for everything!
ANDY: All the best to you, thanx!

Band photo provided by Noise/BMG Records for free promotional use.