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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. Their music often features mid-tempo song structures and musical and lyrical influences from punk rock and hardcore, with their lyrics focusing on political and social topics.
Sacred Reich gathered initial success with the release of their debut album, Ignorance (1987), but remained relatively underground. Upon the release of their first EP Surf Nicaragua (1988) and second album The American Way (1990), the band gained significant acclaim, with the latter reaching No. 153 on the Billboard 200 chart. Their subsequent albums, Independent (1993) and Heal (1996), failed to attract attention, leading to Sacred Reich's 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
1985–1989: Formation, early years, Ignorance, and Surf Nicaragua
Sacred Reich formed at Coronado High School in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1985,[1][2] with the original lineup consisting of rhythm guitarist Jason Rainey, lead guitarist Jeff Martinek, bassist Mike Andre, vocalist Dan Kelly, and drummer Ray Nay.[3] Shortly after the band's formation, Phil Rind replaced Andre as the bassist shortly after, followed by Greg Hall replacing Nay on the drums.[1][3] Dan Kelly—who had an apartment at the time—refused to help pay for their first demo, Draining You of Life, citing having to pay their apartment bills, and was removed from the band, with Jason Rainey making Rind the band's vocalist.[3] After the demo's release, Martinek left the band and was replaced by Wiley Arnett in 1986.[1][2][4] With Arnett, they re-recorded "Sacred Reich" alongside a new song, "Ignorance",[1][2] which was added to the Draining You of Life demo.[2] In 1987—with recommendation from Flotsam and Jetsam bassist Jason Newsted[1][2]—"Ignorance" appeared on the Metal Blade Records compilation Metal Massacre VIII, which brought them significant attention.[1][4] Metal Blade released the band's debut studio album, Ignorance, in October of that year, and they began an extensive tour soon after.[1][4]Ignorance was generally 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."[5]
In 1988, Sacred Reich released the EP Surf Nicaragua.[6] In a 2019 interview, Rind recalled that the EP outsold Ignorance within two weeks.[7] Surf Nicaragua showed a change in the band's style, with better production and less influence from hardcore punk.[7] 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.[8] The band also appeared at Dynamo Open Air in 1989, which was recorded and released as their first live album, Alive at the Dynamo.[4][8][9]
1990–2000: The American Way, Independent, Heal, and disbanding
In 1990, Sacred Reich released their sophomore album, The American Way.[4][10] The album was significantly well received,[4][11] with the album peaking at No. 153 on the Billboard 200 chart on September 1, 1990,[12] staying on the chart for nine weeks.[13] 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.[14] They also co-headlined a tour with Venom in Europe[8] and supported Sepultura on their Arise tour in Europe and North America.[15] In 1991, the band released an EP titled A Question.[8] Later that year, Greg Hall parted ways with Sacred Reich and was replaced by former S.A. Slayer member[8]Dave McClain.[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.[8][4] Upon release, the album received little recognition, in part because of the drop in popularity of thrash metal[16] and the gap between album releases.[8][16] 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 Powerand Thrall-Demonsweatlive[citation needed] and performing in Australia for the first time while supporting Sepultura on their Chaos A.D. tour.[15][17] In 1995, they contributed a cover of the Black Sabbath song "Sweet Leaf" to the Hempilation: Freedom Is NORML compilation album to benefit NORML. Dave McClain departed Sacred Reich to join Machine Head after receiving several offers from them earlier that year.[9][18] 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.[19] Later that year, Greg Hall rejoined the band; however, drummer Chuck Fitzgerald took over drumming duties for the world tour.[8][20] The band released a live album, Still Ignorant, in 1997,[9] but remained relatively inactive outside of touring until officially disbanding in 2000.[21]
2006–present: Reformation, Awakening, and upcoming sixth studio album
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,[21] before reforming as a live act that year.[20][7][22] 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.[23] They performed at Wacken Open Air again in 2009, which was recorded and later released as a live album, Live at Wacken, in 2012.[22][24] 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.[25]
In January 2018, Sacred Reich signed to Metal Blade Records and began working on their fifth album, Awakening.[26] 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.[27] In September, Machine Head announced that Dave McClain was leaving their band, officially rejoining Sacred Reich in December.[28] In February 2019, Jason Rainey parted ways with the band citing health reasons, being replaced by Tim Radziwill's son, Joey Radziwill.[29][30] In April, Sacred Reich released the split single "Don't Do it Donnie" alongside Iron Reagan,[20][31] later co-headlining a monthlong tour with them in May.[32]Awakening was released on August 23, 2019, being the band's first full-length studio album since 1996's Heal[26][33][34] and their first studio album in 23 years.[35]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.[36] The album was featured at No. 9 on Decibel's 40 Best Metal Albums of 2019.[37] In support of the album, Sacred Reich toured in Europe, alongside Night Demon,[38][39] and supported Gwar on their Use Your Collusion tour that year.[40] Jason Rainey later died on March 16, 2020, at the age of 53 from a heart attack.[41]
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.[42] Sacred Reich also made numerous appearances at festivals in 2022, including Hellfest in June,[43] and the Rock Hard Festival in August.[44] In 2023, the band co-headlined a tour alongside Carcass and Municipal Waste,[45] and another tour with Death Angel and Angelus Apatrida.[46]
At the beginning of 2024, Sacred Reich announced they were recording their upcoming sixth studio album, which was expected to be released at the end of the year.[47] However, it appeared this plan had changed, with Rind announcing in a post on New Year's Eve of 2024 that the band would soon be entering the studio to record their new album for a late August 2025 release.[48]
Sacred Reich is known for their political and social lyrics, often focusing on topics such as war, anti-bigotry,[6]ignorance, censorship,[49] and positivity among other themes.[39] The band's style, generally considered thrash metal,[8][9][29] often uses mid-tempo song structures[11][50] and frequently takes influences from other genres, such as punk rock[11][50][51] and hardcore punk,[7][51] notably on their debut album Ignorance.[7][11] They have also used elements of groove metal on their later releases,[9] and are sometimes considered a progenitor of the genre,[52] although the band has stated they were "unaware of the assessment."[49]
Sacred Reich's earlier works, primarily their debut Ignorance, are significantly influenced by punk rock and hardcore.[7] 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][7]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.[11] They also experimented with other genres, with the closing track "31 Flavors" being a funk rock track.[4][11] As with previous releases, the album focused heavily on sociopolitical topics,[4][11] 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."[53] On Independent, the band began experimenting with groove metal sound,[9] with Encyclopedia of Popular Music writer Colin Larkin claiming: "[the album] saw them stretch their musical abilities beyond straight thrash boundaries";[4] continuing 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,[35] with Rind commenting: "We just thought people need some positivity and some encouragement. That's what we wanted to do."[51]
Name
According to Wiley Arnett, the name "Sacred Reich" originated from a road trip taken by Dan Kelly and Paul Stottler[54]—a friend of and artist for the band[2]—to Hollywood, where they spotted graffiti labeled "SR-13", in the form of "[an] equal sign with the SR, and then a jagged 13 below it." They took the idea of the "SR" and brainstormed what the "SR" "could be the acronym of", eventually picking the name "Sacred Reich".[54] The band reportedly chose the name because "no one would ever think it was country",[49] with Arnett telling the Phoenix New Times: "Sacred Reich came up, and one of the first comments (...) was, ‘well, look at this one—I’ll tell you what, when someone reads that, they’re gonna know it’s not a fuckin’ country band.’ We started embracing it right then."[54] Arnett then explained that the name is "a sarcastic over-exaggeration of what can happen when people become apathetic and let people like Hitler rise to power."[54]
Mascot
"Our Dude" on a poster at Hellfest 2016
The band's mascot, named "Our Dude" (or simply "OD"), appears on the cover art of several of Sacred Reich's releases as well as merchandise.[55] The mascot was originally sketched by Paul Stottler during class at Coronado High School[55] in either 1986 or 1987,[56] and was later drawn in pen and ink and then colorized for merchandise.[56] In a Facebook post, the band described Our Dude as a "post-apocalyptic mutant warrior", with its "story" being "Road Warrior meets Planet of the Apes meets Kung Fu."[56]
Legacy
The band's discography, most notably Ignorance, Surf Nicaragua, and The American Way,[39] 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.[57]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",[20] with the album later appearing on their 25 Essential Thrash Albums list.[58]Metal Hammer dubbed the band "among the few socially conscious thrashers in the 80s".[59] 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.[9][35]
Members
Current members
Phil Rind – bass, vocals (1985–2000, 2006–present)
Wiley Arnett – lead guitar (1986–2000, 2006–present)
^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."
^ abcHenderson, 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.
^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.
^"Top Pop Albums"(PDF). Billboard. September 1, 1990. Archived(PDF) from the original on December 15, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024 – via WorldRadioHistory.com.
^"Top Pop Albums"(PDF). Billboard. September 22, 1990. Archived(PDF) from the original on December 15, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024 – via WorldRadioHistory.com.
^Mudrian, Albert (July 21, 2009). Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces (2nd ed.). Cambridge, MA: Hachette Books. p. 105. ISBN9780786749621. OCLC606550356. OL36782096M. ... after you finished recording Cause of Death, you went on the first Slowly We Rot tour with Sacred Reich and Forced Entry.
^ abRivadavia, 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.
^"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.
^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.
"SACRED REICH Parts Ways With Drummer GREG HALL". Blabbermouth.net. January 16, 2018. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2024. He [Greg Hall] wrote: "So... I want you all to hear this directly from me. I am no longer the drummer for SACRED REICH. I was (rather abruptly and by phone, I might add) fired.
^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."
^"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.]
Michels, Alexandra. "Sacred Reich: Neues Album für Ende 2024 geplant - RockHard". Rock Hard Magazine (in German). Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2024. (a) Wie SACRED REICH-Gitarrist Wiley Arnett im Gespräch mit "The Meista - Brews & Tunes" verrät, wollen die Thrasher Ende 2024 ein neues Album auf den Markt bringen." (b) Unser Ziel ist es, hoffentlich Anfang 2024 ins Studio zu gehen, mit der Veröffentlichung gegen Ende des Jahres. [(a) As SACRED REICH guitarist Wiley Arnett reveals in an interview with "The Meista - Brews & Tunes", the thrashers want to release a new album at the end of 2024." (b) "Wiley comments: ... Our goal is to hopefully go into the studio in early 2024, with the release towards the end of the year.]
^ abcUstunol, Serhan; Thompson, Christina (June 9, 2017). ""SACRED REICH" INTERVIEW". Metalheads Forever Magazine. Archived from the original on January 5, 2025. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
^ abHalbe, David (October 22, 2019). "SACRED REICH's Joey Radziwill Talks Awakening, New Videos and 'Our Dude'". The Metal Channel. Archived from the original on January 4, 2025. Retrieved January 4, 2025. (a) I know your mascot "OD" was created at Coronado High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. Was it important to have "Our Dude" on the new record's cover?" (b) "Of course, you know Paul Stottler one of Phil's best friends designed it, so it's been on a lot of cool album covers like Surf Nicaragua and The American Way. (...) And he (Paul Stottler) designed OD when he was still in high school, which is really cool.
"Sacred Reich - OD (Our Dude). Created in 1986 while still..."Facebook. June 26, 2023. Archived from the original on January 4, 2025. Retrieved January 4, 2025. OD (Our Dude). Created in 1986 while still at Coronado High School. Originally drawn in black and white by our friend and longtime artist Paul Stottler.
"Sacred Reich - OD, Our Dude. Paul Stottler drew a sketch..."Facebook. Archived from the original on January 4, 2025. Retrieved January 4, 2025. (a) OD, Our Dude. Paul Stottler drew a sketch of OD in 1987 during one of my classes at Coronado High School. He then drew the pen and ink version (...) and it got colorized for our first t-shirts we printed in Phoenix." (b) "We describe OD as a post-apocalyptic mutant warrior. His story is Road Warrior meets Planet of the Apes meets Kung Fu.
^"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.]
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