THOMAS 'ANGELRIPPER' SUCH: SODOM Is 'The Only Metal Band' Which Would Never Charge Fans For Signing Sessions and Photos

In a recent interview with RapidMetalFire, bassist/vocalist Thomas "Angelripper" Such of German thrash metal veterans SODOM was asked for his opinion on expensive VIP concert packages which offer fans such perks as great seats, autographs, face time with the band, exclusive access to a private pre-show soundcheck and a backstage tour. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I hate it. I don't want it. We had it when we played with KREATOR at the 'Klash Of The Ruhrpott' festival [at Amphitheater Gelsenkirchen in Gelsenkirchen, Germany in July 2024], with DESTRUCTION and TANKARD. They did it. If they're gonna do a signing session, [fans] have to pay for it.

"In my opinion, it's not my way," he continued. "When I do a signing session, I do it for free. I don't want money from it. Or I stay in a hotel, whatever. But I never came up with the idea of taking money for a signing session or taking money for a stage walk. You know what is a stage walk? People pay money to get on the stage. I'd say, 'Okay, here's a drum kit. Here's the guitar amp. Here's a backline.'

"I hate it. This has nothing to do with metal. Some bands sell backstage tickets, so [fans] get the chance to say hello to the musician or get a plaque or whatever, and pay 500 euros, whatever. With KISS, they're gonna do it. And if you get one one photo with KISS, you pay $2,000, and [they] to go the next [fan]. This has nothing to do with heavy metal. This is not what I have learned in the metal scene."

Angelripper went on to say that he always signs autographs for fans and takes photos with them. "And we're gonna stay till the last one [gets what he or she wants]," he said. "Sometimes we just have a half an hour, an hour [to sign stuff and take pictures]… [Sometimes] there [are] hundreds of people coming for signing sessions, for autographs, make a picture, and we say, 'Okay, make a picture, go,' because we wanna get everyone get this autograph in the end, but I never take money for it. That's stupid.

"The people, they're gonna buy the tickets, they're gonna buy the new album, they pay the price, and they don't need to pay [me] when I sign [something] or make a handy picture [with them]. We wanna give something back. That is very important.

"SODOM is the only metal band who would never make money with signing sessions or photo sessions," Angelripper added.

In November 2023, SODOM released a new EP, "1982", via SPV/Steamhammer.

SODOM's 40th-anniversary album, "40 Years At War - The Greatest Hell Of Sodom", arrived in October 2022 through Steamhammer/SPV. The LP included one song from each of the previous studio albums receiving a re-recorded treatment from SODOM's current lineup. The CD and vinyl double LP with their martial cover artwork penned by Eliran Kantor (KREATOR, TESTAMENT, GWAR, among others) contain 17 tracks, all newly recorded by Such, Frank Blackfire (guitar),Yorck Segatz (guitar) and Toni Merkel (drums).

SODOM's latest studio album, "Genesis XIX", came out in November 2020 via Entertainment One (eOne) in North America and Steamhammer/SPV in Europe. The disc was recorded by Siggi Bemm and mastered by Patrick W. Engel and comes shrouded in the cover art of Joe Petagno of MOTÖRHEAD fame.

Angelripper previously described "Genesis XIX" as "one of the toughest and most diverse studio recordings that SODOM have ever released."