It is a bit too early to say that Chris’ drumming was unnecessary for “Sodom”
My favorite drummer.
He is the former drummer of “Sodom” and was fired after the release of the album “Tapping The Vein”.
He was replaced by Atomic Steif, formerly of “Living Death”.
Certainly, with this change of drummer, the songs of “Sodom” became tighter in rhythm and more powerful and tyrannical.
The album “Get What You Deserve” released after the change is also aggressive and my favorite album.
However, it is a bit too early to say that Chris’ drumming was unnecessary for “Sodom”.
As I have written many times before, accurate drums do not equal good drums.
The reason why human drummers are superior to computerized drummers is that they inject a kind of soul into the music through subtle differences in timing and strength.
I can feel the thrashmetal soul from Chris’ drums.
The sense that he is strumming really hard exites the listener
In the past, the virtue of thrash metal was to run fast and furious.
Chris uses his body to the limit and hits fast.
Sometimes his body can’t keep up with the tempo, and he gets a bit slow.
But the deviation is not so great that the beat collapses, which in turn increases the speed of the music.
(Although the very early “In The Sign Of Evil” seems to have a beat collapse.)
Also, it really gives the impression that the player is tapping on the very edge of physical fatigue.
For example, when the feet are getting tired of stepping on the bass drum, a long tom roll or snare barrage comes in abruptly. (Meanwhile, the feet are resting.)
When the ticking of the hi-hat arm can no longer keep up due to fatigue, the hi-hat is changed to a pitter-pattering bass drum. (his arms get some rest).
The sense that he is strumming really hard exites the listener.
Drums like Dave Lombardo’s on “Slayer,” which have a fast tempo and a lot of hands but even a little bit of leeway, are also superhumanly cool.
But Chris has a different kind of charm.
I looked him up and found that he had passed away, but I wonder if that is true.
If so, it’s a shame.
July 28,2010 Freakz
(Postscript)
Chris Witchhunter passed away on September 8, 2008. The cause of death was multiple organ failure.
It seems that alcohol was the reason he was fired from the band, and he was already addicted to it in the 1980s.
It is said that on several occasions he drank too much beer before a performance.
His last album, “The Final Sign of Evil,” was released in 2007 under the name “Sodom”.
His slamming drums are still there, but it seems that his illness had already begun during the recording process.
Drinking is both a companion in life and a demon.
Alexi Laiho and Jeff Hanneman had alcohol problems, and it is a direct or indirect cause of death for many musicians.
Alcohol is very difficult!
May 16,2022 Freakz
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