Sacred Reich
The American Way

THE REVIEW

SACRED REICH from Scottsdale (Arizona) are part of that group of Thrash bands that have always worked behind the big names of the genre, but this doesn’t make them inferior; in fact, many times they've surpassed the big stars in attitude and faithfulness to the genre.

Among these bands, I can recall: Xentrix, Forbidden, Death Angel, Defiance, Vio-lence, Flotsam and Jetsam, Heathen, and indeed Sacred Reich, whom I consider the "fathers" of Pantera.

Born discographically in 1987 with the album "IGNORANCE," they see PHIL RIND as the main composer, bassist, and singer of the group, WILEY ARNETT and JASON RAINEY on guitars, and GREG HALL on drums, later replaced by DAVE McCLAIN now with MACHINE HEAD.

"The American Way" is the third studio effort after the aforementioned debut and the 1988 EP which contained the splendid "SURF NICARAGUA" and "ONE NATION" later covered by Max Cavalera’s Soulfly in their "3" (2002). What distinguished Sacred Reich from the rest of the thrash bands were the themes of their lyrics, strongly socially conscious (against racism and political oppression) and anti-militaristic (always against Hitler's Nazism, hence their sarcastic name), yet they were developed with ironic and irreverent lyrics much like their wonderful comic book-style covers.

In terms of sound, we are faced with Thrash metal rich in tempo changes, stop-and-go with some forays into hardcore like "I DON'T KNOW" and crossover between these genres like "WHO'S TO BLAME, LOVE… HATE and THE WAY IT IS". The guitar riffs are very downtuned and reminiscent of what would later make Pantera, of DIMEBAG DARRELL (R.I.P.), famous. On these riffs heavier mid-tempos are built like "THE AMERICAN WAY" and "CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY" accompanied by Sabbath-inspired slowdowns. Closing the album "31 FLAVORS" a fun parody in text and music of a rap-funk-metal song complete with horns that seems to almost mock the early Faith No More.

After this album, there will still be time for two more studio albums "INDEPENDENT" (1992) and "HEAL" (1996) and a live album in 1997 which will put an end to a band that has not yet succumbed to the allure of reunions, though personally, I miss them a bit.