Former Sodom drummer Atomic Steif (Guido Richter) has died at the age of 57, with Metal Archives reporting his passing on August 31, 2025. No further details have been revealed at this time. Steif’s passing was confirmed on Saturday (6) by Sodom bassist/vocalist Thomas “Angelripper,” who shared the below statement via the band’s social media:
“Dear Sodomaniacs. As I was informed today, our former drummer “Atomic Steif” passed away at the end of last week. The circumstances of his death are currently unknown. R.I.P., pal…”
Former guitarist Andy Brings also paid tribute on Instagram (translated from German), expressing:
“I last saw Steif on stage in 2007 when we played a few songs together at Wacken Open Air in the 1993/94 Sodom lineup. Never again after that.
Curiously, I’ve spent almost nine months intensively with him since February of this year (and still do), working on the remixes of “Get What You Deserve” and “Aber bitte mit Sahne,” as well as working on various videos.
I’m deeply immersed in this phase of our shared life and work, which lasted no longer than 1.5 years in total, but produced no fewer than four releases. The 1993 “Christmas Metal Meetings” tour with MOTÖRHEAD, KREATOR, and ENTOMBED is particularly unforgettable for me.
Steif was indirectly responsible for my first time in a recording studio in 1987, with my very first band, BANSHEE. On the cover of VIOLENT FORCE’s “Dead City” demo, I read that it was recorded in a studio that was 250 meters as the crow flies from my home in Mülheim an der Ruhr. I wanted to record there, too. That’s how it all started.
When we were looking for a new drummer after splitting up with Chris Witchhunter in early 1993, amid much fanfare, Steif simply called our management and said he would do it. That was enough for us; we didn’t try out any other drummer. He was in a class of his own, an incredible drummer!
Our joint works still blow everyone away today, and we’ll soon prove it again with a re-release.
We were never really friends; I think he always thought I was stupid, but we were able to work and play together sensationally well.
And so I will keep our intersection of lives in my heart and mind for what it was:
A perfect storm, in the name of Thrash Metal!
RIP Atomic Steif! “
Steif was a member of Sodom from 1993 to 1995, playing on the albums Get What You Deserve, Masquerade In Blood, and the Aber Bitte Mit Sahne EP. Beyond Sodom, he also performed with Living Death, Assassin, Holy Moses, and Violent Force. Steif had joined Sodom as the replacement for founding drummer Christian “Witchhunter” Dudek, who passed away in 2008 from liver failure at 42. Our thoughts go out to Steif’s family and friends during this difficult time.
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