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Sacred Reich

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Sacred Reich
Sacred Reich performing at the Wacken Open Air musical festival
Sacred Reich at Wacken Open Air 2012
Background information
OriginPhoenix, Arizona, United States
Genres
Years active
  • 1985–2000
  • 2006–present
Labels
Members
Past members
  • Jason Rainey
  • Greg Hall
  • Jeff Martinek
  • Dan Kelly
  • Ray Nay
  • Mike Andre

Sacred Reich is an American thrash metal band from Phoenix, Arizona, formed in 1985. Since 2019, the band's lineup has consisted of vocalist-bassist Phil Rind, lead guitarist Wiley Arnett, rhythm guitarist Joey Radziwill, and drummer Dave McClain. Former members include rhythm guitarist Jason Rainey and drummer Greg Hall. The band has been credited (along with Testament, Destruction, Death Angel, and Dark Angel) with leading the second wave of thrash metal in the late 1980s.

The band gathered initial success with the release of their debut album, Ignorance, but remained relatively underground. Upon the releases of Surf Nicaragua and The American Way, the band gained significant acclaim, with the latter reaching No. 153 on the Billboard 200 chart. The band's subsequent albums, Independent and Heal, failed to attract attention, leading to their disbanding in 2000. The band reunited for a series of live shows in 2006, eventually reforming as a live act. In 2018, the band began recording their first album after their reformation, Awakening, released in August 2019.

History

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1985–1989: Formation, early years, Ignorance, and Surf Nicaragua

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Sacred Reich formed at Coronado High School in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1985,[1] with the original lineup consisting of rhythm guitarist Jason Rainey, lead guitarist Jeff Martinek, bassist Mike Andre, vocalist Dan Kelly, and drummer Ray Nay. However, Phil Rind replaced Andre as the bassist shortly after, followed by Greg Hall replacing Nay on the drums.[2] Dan Kelly quit the band after refusing to help pay for the recording of their first demo, Draining You of Life, with Jason Rainey making Rind the band's vocalist.[2] Shortly after the demo's release, Martinek left the band and was replaced by Wiley Arnett in 1986.[3][4] After Arnett joined, Flotsam and Jetsam bassist Jason Newsted, who was close with the band, recommended Sacred Reich to Metal Blade Records founder Brian Slagel.[5] After hearing the band's demo, Slagel wanted to feature the song "Sacred Reich" on their compilation album Metal Massacre VII.[6] The band re-recorded "Sacred Reich" alongside a new song, "Ignorance", which was the song that appeared on the album.[6] The song was received positively, leading to Metal Blade offering the band a record deal;[6] they released their debut studio album, Ignorance, in October 1987—and the band began an extensive tour soon after.[1] Ignorance was well-received, with reviews citing its political themes and lyrics,[4] On the album, Hit Parader proclaimed: "Intelligence and metal are two things not normally associated with each other, but in the case of Sacred Reich, they blend to form a powerful musical message." Kerrang! labeled the album the "best debut thrash LP this year".[7]

In 1988, Sacred Reich released the EP Surf Nicaragua.[8] In a 2019 interview, Rind recalled that the EP outsold Ignorance within two weeks.[6] Surf Nicaragua showed a change in the band's style, with better production and less influence from hardcore punk.[6] After Surf Nicaragua's release, the band began an extensive world tour;[4] they toured alongside bands such as Atrophy and Forbidden in the United States, touring alongside Motörhead in Europe.[1] The band also appeared at Dynamo Open Air in 1989, which was recorded and released as their first live album, Alive at the Dynamo.[1][3][4]

1990–2000: The American Way, Independent, Heal, and disbanding

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In 1990, Sacred Reich released their sophomore album, The American Way.[4][9] The album was significantly well received,[4][10] with the album peaking at No. 153 on the Billboard 200 chart on September 1, 1990,[11] staying on the chart for nine weeks.[12] Sacred Reich toured for nearly two years in support of The American Way, co-headlining with Sepultura and Napalm Death on the "New Titans on the Bloc" tour and with Obituary and Forced Entry on the former's Slowly We Rot tour.[13] The band also co-headlined a tour with Venom in Europe[1] and supported Sepultura on their Arise tour in Europe and North America.[14] In 1991, the band released an EP titled A Question.[1] Later that year, former S.A. Slayer member[1] Dave McClain replaced Greg Hall, who found their extensive touring difficult.[4]

After several albums on Metal Blade Records, Sacred Reich signed with major record label Hollywood Records and released their third album, Independent, in 1993.[1][4] Upon release, the album received little recognition, in part because of the drop in popularity of thrash metal[15] and the gap between album releases.[1][15] However, the band toured for almost two years in support of Independent, which included opening for Pantera and Danzig on their respective tours for Vulgar Display of Power and Thrall-Demonsweatlive[citation needed] and performing in Australia for the first time while supporting Sepultura on their Chaos A.D. tour.[14][16] Dave McClain departed Sacred Reich to join Machine Head after receiving several offers from them earlier that year.[3][17] On their fourth album, Heal (1996), Sacred Reich returned to Metal Blade Records to produce the album. Upon release, the album received little to no recognition, for similar reasons to their previous album, Independent.[18] Later that year, Greg Hall rejoined the band; however, drummer Chuck Fitzgerald took over drumming duties for the world tour.[1][5] The band released a live album, Still Ignorant, in 1997,[3] but remained relatively inactive outside of touring until officially disbanding in 2000.[19]

2006–present: Reformation, Awakening, and upcoming sixth studio album

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Phil Rind performing with Sacred Reich at the Gelsenkirchen Rock Hard Festival
Phil Rind performing with Sacred Reich at the Rock Hard Festival in 2014

In November 2006, Sacred Reich announced they would play several shows in Europe in the summer of 2007, including Wacken Open Air,[19] before reforming as a live act that year.[5][6][20] In June 2007, Metal Blade Records released a three-disc box set of remastered versions of Ignorance and Surf Nicaragua, bonus material including the "Draining You of Life" demo tape, and a live DVD.[21] They performed at Wacken Open Air again in 2009, which was recorded and later released as a live album, Live at Wacken, in 2012.[20][22] In the spring of 2017, they announced their first North American tour in 21 years, titled "30 Years of Ignorance" after the 30th anniversary of their debut album, Ignorance; they toured alongside Byzantine for the tour, which ended on October 7 that year.[23]

In January 2018, Sacred Reich signed to Metal Blade Records and began working on their fifth album, Awakening.[24] However, the band experienced major lineup changes during the album's production. Later in January, Greg Hall was fired from the band and temporarily replaced by Tim Radziwill for the demos and touring.[25] In September, Machine Head announced that Dave McClain was leaving their band, officially rejoining Sacred Reich in December.[26] In February 2019, Jason Rainey parted ways with the band citing health reasons, being replaced by Tim Radziwill's son, Joey Radziwill.[2][7] In April, Sacred Reich released the split single "Don't Do it Donnie" alongside Iron Reagan,[5][27] later co-headlining a monthlong tour with them in May.[28] Awakening was released on August 23, 2019, being the band's first full-length studio album since 1996's Heal[24][29][30] and their first studio album in 23 years.[31] Awakening was met with positive reception, with Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, giving the album a 76 out of 100 rating based on 4 reviews.[32] The album was featured at No. 9 on Decibel's 40 Best Metal Albums of 2019.[33] In support of the album, Sacred Reich toured in Europe, alongside Night Demon,[34][35] and supported Gwar on their Use Your Collusion tour that year.[36] Jason Rainey later died on March 16, 2020, at the age of 53 from a heart attack.[37]

In 2021, Sacred Reich was scheduled to support Sepultura on their Quadra tour in North America and Europe; however, it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour was postponed to the fall of 2022 and was completed later that year.[38] Sacred Reich also made numerous appearances at festivals in 2022, including Hellfest in June,[39] and the Rock Hard Festival in August.[40] In 2023, the band co-headlined a tour alongside Carcass and Municipal Waste,[41] and another tour with Death Angel and Angelus Apatrida.[42]

At the beginning of 2024, Sacred Reich announced they were recording their upcoming sixth studio album, which is expected to be released at the end of the year.[43]

Artistry

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Musical style and lyrics

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Sacred Reich is known for their political and social lyrics, often focusing on topics such as war, anti-bigotry,[8] pollution, suicide,[4][10] and positivity among other themes.[35] The band's style, generally considered thrash metal,[1][2][3] often uses mid-tempo song structures[10][44] and frequently takes influences from other genres, such as punk rock[10][44] and hardcore punk[6] (most notably on their debut album Ignorance)[6][10] and groove metal on their later releases.[3]

Sacred Reich's earlier works, primarily their debut Ignorance, are significantly influenced by punk rock and hardcore.[6] Their next release, Surf Nicaragua, showed a change in the band's sound, with better production, less hardcore influences, and slower tempos, often described as "more mature".[6][8] The American Way saw Sacred Reich shift in musical style further from their debut Ignorance, featuring slower tracks for a more diverse tempo and tone.[10] The band also experimented with other genres, with the closing track "31 Flavors" being a funk rock track.[4][10] As with previous releases, the album focused heavily on sociopolitical topics,[4][10] but moved towards a more personal direction, with Rind stating: "Although there are some political songs/overtones, we've tried to deal more with people than political systems."[45] On Independent, the band began experimenting with groove metal sound,[3] with Encyclopedia of Popular Music writer Colin Larkin claiming: "[the album] saw them stretch their musical abilities beyond straight thrash boundaries";[4] the band continued with the style on their fourth effort, Heal before disbanding. On Awakening, as a result of Rind's Buddhist practices and worldview, the lyrical themes became more positive.[31]

Legacy

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The band's discography, most notably Ignorance, Surf Nicaragua, and The American Way,[35] have often been cited as influential on the thrash metal scene. Rock Hard cited The American Way as "one of the best thrash albums of all time" in their album review.[46] Revolver named Sacred Reich as "one of the most important thrash bands of the eighties and nineties," dubbing their debut album, Ignorance, as "a milestone in the thrash movement",[5] with the album later appearing on their 25 Essential Thrash Albums list.[47] Metal Hammer dubbed the band "among the few socially conscious thrashers in the 80s".[48] The band is commonly attributed to helping lead the second wave of thrash metal during the late 1980s alongside bands such as Testament, Death Angel, Dark Angel, and Forbidden.[3][31]

Social and political views

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Frontman Phil Rind has made several statements regarding Donald Trump and his supporters. In an interview with Revolver, Rind stated that his feelings regarding Trump were conflicted and expressed his empathy for Trump's situation, saying: "I know he's probably suffering a great deal. I mean, have you ever worked at a job where you really were in over your head and had no idea what you were doing? ... That's his life every day." However, Rind also said he thought Trump was an "awful human being", saying: "He's an example of how your life becomes when you're a narcissist and all that matters is your ego, ... and [what] you can get out of everything."[5] The band's split single with Iron Reagan, "Don't Do it Donnie", focuses on Donald Trump;[49] Rind described the song as "imploring [Donald Trump] not to fuck everything up beyond recognition—you know, 'Don't do it, man.'"[5] The band's Twitter account has made numerous comments regarding Trump. After the January 6 U.S. Capitol attacks, the band stated: "the dumb, racist assholes who invaded the Capitol did it to support the dumb, racist lying President", telling followers who supported Trump to unfollow them.[50][51]

In 1999,[5] Phil Rind began practicing Tibetan Buddhism.[5] Rind stated that "before that [Buddhism] I was a raging ego, selfish piece of shit, crappy human",[5] with Rind expressing it was it was "the biggest positive thing in my life" in several interviews.[5][35] When asked about when he discovered Buddhism, Rind recalled:

I split with my wife, my stripper girlfriend just cheated on me with my best friend, it was Christmas and my kids were away from me, and I was just like, ‘What the fuck happened, man?’ I didn’t want to be there. I did it all to myself. Karma. Every action you’ve done led to this place, so you better try changing your path. That’s when I came across Buddhism.[35]

On several occasions, the band has expressed their opinion on the legalization of marijuana,[52] including contributing the Black Sabbath song "Sweet Leaf" to the Hempilation: Freedom Is NORML compilation album to benefit NORML.[1]

Members

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Timeline

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Discography

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Studio albums

EPs

  • Draining You of Life (demo) (1986)
  • Surf Nicaragua (1988)
  • A Question (1991)

Live albums

  • Alive at the Dynamo (1989)
  • Still Ignorant (1997)
  • Live at Wacken (2012)

Compilations

  • Ignorance/Surf Nicaragua (2007)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Sharpe-Young, Garry (2007). Metal: The Definitive Guide : Heavy, NWOBH, Progressive, Thrash, Death, Black, Gothic, Doom, Nu. Jawbone Press. p. 138. ISBN 978-1-906002-01-5. OCLC 123366186. OL 8776949M.
  2. ^ a b c d Masley, Ed. "'This is magical': Beloved Phoenix metal band returns with their first album in 23 years". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Monger, James Christopher. "Sacred Reich Biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Enfield: Guinness Publishing. p. 307. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4. OCLC 70062973. OL 7392952M.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Pessaro, Fred (June 18, 2019). "Sacred Reich: Thrash Icons on Trump, Buddhism, First Album in 20 Years 'Awakening'". Revolver. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Fons. "Sacred Reich Interview". Lords of Metal. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Masley, Ed (October 30, 2020). "100 essential Arizona records: The 1980s and 1990s". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. Retrieved December 14, 2024. When "Ignorance" was first released, Kerrang! said it "stands as the best debut thrash LP this year," while Hit Parader raved, "Intelligence and metal are two things not normally associated with each other, but in the case of Sacred Reich, they blend to form a powerful musical message."
  8. ^ a b c Henderson, Alex. "Surf Nicaragua - Sacred Reich". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 19, 2024. Sacred Reich continued to progress with Surf Nicaragua, which boasts better production than Ignorance, as well as stronger and more confident singing from Phil Rind. The band used speed more judiciously this time, and its members continued to grow as musicians.
  9. ^ Henderson, Alex. "The American Way - Sacred Reich". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2024. As they evolved, Sacred Reich not only became one of the more accessible thrash metal units, but also one of the most lyrically compelling. ... The American Way makes us glad that lead singer/bassist Phil Rind had become fairly easy to understand.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h Atkinson, Peter (August 12, 1990). "Record-Journal". Record-Journal. p. 34. ISSN 1091-6946. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  11. ^ "Top Pop Albums" (PDF). Billboard. September 1, 1990. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 15, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024 – via WorldRadioHistory.com.
  12. ^ "Top Pop Albums" (PDF). Billboard. September 22, 1990. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 15, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024 – via WorldRadioHistory.com.
  13. ^ Mudrian, Albert. Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces (2nd ed.). Cambridge, MA: Hachette Books. p. 105. ISBN 9780786749621. OCLC 606550356. OL 36782096M. ... after you finished recording Cause of Death, you went on the first Slowly We Rot tour with Sacred Reich and Forced Entry.
  14. ^ a b Pratt, Greg (January 25, 2018). "That Tour Was Awesome: New Titans on the Bloc (1991)". Decibel. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Independent - Sacred Reich". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2024. But almost three years would go by before anything was heard from them again, and by the time they finally returned with 1993's Independent, their momentum was lost and thrash metal in general was pretty much yesterday's news.
  16. ^ "Popular Uprisings" (PDF). Billboard. March 27, 1993. p. 21. Archived from the original on November 18, 2024. Retrieved November 18, 2024 – via WorldRadioHistory.com. Sacred Reich is opening for Pantera during a monthlong tour that started at the beginning of March.
  17. ^ McIver, Joel (October 15, 2012). Machine Head: Inside the Machine. London: Omnibus Press. ASIN B0D2TVGRKW. ISBN 9780857127983. OCLC 992804675. OL 57292242M.
  18. ^ Anderson, Jason. "Heal - Sacred Reich". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2024. By the time Phoenix thrash band Sacred Reich released Heal in 1996, the excitement that surrounded their particular brand of hard-edged metal had indeed dissipated, as bands like Korn and Deftones began moving mainstream metal in a new direction.
  19. ^ a b Phillips, William; Cogan, Brian (March 20, 2009). Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal Music. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 204. doi:10.5040/9798400662614. ISBN 9780313348013. LCCN 2008034199. OCLC 475534546. OL 37091855M. (a) ... before calling it quits in 1999." (b) "The band reunited for several shows in 2007, but it is unclear if the tour will continue or will lead to any new music.
  20. ^ a b "Sacred Reich | Metal Blade Records". Metal Blade Records. Archived from the original on November 9, 2024. Retrieved November 24, 2024. They would go on to reform in 2006 but strictly as a live act, dropping the Live At Wacken DVD in 2012 ...
  21. ^ "Ignorance/Surf Nicaragua - Sacred Reich | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  22. ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Live at Wacken - Sacred Reich". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  23. ^
  24. ^ a b
  25. ^
  26. ^
  27. ^ "SACRED REICH Extends 'Cheeky Middle Finger' To Today's Politics In New Song 'Don't Do It Donnie'". Blabbermouth.net. March 27, 2019. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  28. ^ "IRON REAGAN And SACRED REICH Announce North American Tour Dates With LEEWAY, ENFORCED". Blabbermouth.net. February 5, 2019. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  29. ^ "Awakening - Sacred Reich | Album". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  30. ^ Munro, Scott (June 19, 2019). "Sacred Reich Detail New Album Awakening". Metal Hammer. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  31. ^ a b c "Album Review: Sacred Reich – Awakening". Kerrang!. August 24, 2019. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  32. ^ "Awakening by Sacred Reich". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 24, 2024. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  33. ^ Reeder (November 16, 2019). "These Are The Best 40 Metal Albums Of 2019, According To Decibel". Metal Addicts. Archived from the original on June 15, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  34. ^ "Sacred Reich announces highly anticipated new album, 'Awakening' | Metal Blade Records". Metal Blade Records. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  35. ^ a b c d e Krovatin, Chris (July 9, 2019). "Sacred Reich's Phil Rind Is Thrash Metal's Most Positive Buddhist". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on December 8, 2024. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
  36. ^
  37. ^
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  39. ^ "METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES, SCORPIONS And NINE INCH NAILS Among 350 Artists Who Will Perform At 2022 Edition Of France's HELLFEST". Blabbermouth.net. June 17, 2021. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  40. ^ "Kompletter Auftritt auf dem Rock Hard Festival ist online - RockHard". Rock Hard (in German). Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024. SACRED REICH standen am 3. Juni bei der diesjährigen Ausgabe unseres ROCK HARD FESTIVALS auf der Bühne. [SACRED REICH were on stage at this year's edition of our ROCK HARD FESTIVAL on June 3rd.]
  41. ^
  42. ^
  43. ^
  44. ^ a b Trey, Willie (August 24, 2019). "Review: Sacred Reich - Awakening". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  45. ^ Rind, Phil (1990). The American Way (Media notes). Metal Blade Records.
  46. ^ "The American Way - RockHard". Rock Hard (in German). Archived from the original on December 12, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024. Dass die Kassette SACRED REICHs „"The American Way"", eins der besten Thrash-Alben aller Zeiten, enthält, stimmt allerdings nur uns froh, so dass es bereits bei der ersten Hinfahrt beinahe zu der einen oder anderen Auseinandersetzung gekommen wäre. [However, the fact that the cassette contains SACRED REICH's "The American Way", one of the best thrash albums of all time, only makes us happy, so that it almost came to one or the other confrontation on the first outward journey.]
  47. ^ "25 Essential Thrash Albums". Revolver. August 4, 2022. Archived from the original on May 27, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  48. ^ published, Metal Hammer (July 9, 2019). "30 Essential thrash metal bands that aren't the big four". Metal Hammer. Archived from the original on November 12, 2024. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  49. ^ "Sacred Reich's New Thrash Anthem Begs Trump Not To Kill Us All". Kerrang!. April 1, 2019. Archived from the original on December 8, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  50. ^ Kennelty, Greg (January 12, 2021). "SACRED REICH's Phil Rind Puts "Trump Cult" On Blast". Metal Injection. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  51. ^ "SACRED REICH's PHIL RIND: 'The Dumb, Racist A**holes Who Invaded The Capitol Did It To Support The Dumb, Racist, Lying President'". Blabbermouth.net. January 11, 2021. Archived from the original on July 19, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  52. ^ "Marijuana Factor Doesn't Bell Buzz on Acts" (PDF). Billboard. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 14, 2024. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
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