Sacred Reich is an American

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...

band from

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

, 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. Their music often features mid-tempo song structures as well as musical and lyrical influences from

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

and

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...

, with their lyrics focusing on political and social topics. The band is credited (along with

Testament A testament is a document that the author has sworn to be true. In law it usually means last will and testament. Testament or The Testament can also refer to: Books * ''Testament'' (comic book), a 2005 comic book * ''Testament'', a thriller no ...

Destruction Destruction may refer to: Concepts * Destruktion, a term from the philosophy of Martin Heidegger * Destructive narcissism, a pathological form of narcissism * Self-destructive behaviour, a widely used phrase that ''conceptualises'' certain kin ...

Death Angel Death Angel is an American thrash metal band from Daly City, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. They have released nine studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and three live albums. The band has gone thr ...

, and Dark Angel) with leading the second wave of thrash metal in the late 1980s. Sacred Reich gathered initial success with the release of their debut album, ''

Ignorance Ignorance is a lack of knowledge or understanding. Deliberate ignorance is a culturally-induced phenomenon, the study of which is called agnotology. The word "ignorant" is an adjective that describes a person in the state of being unaware, or ...

'' (1987), but remained relatively underground. Upon the release of their first EP, '' Surf Nicaragua'' (1988), and second album ''

The American Way The American way of life or the American way is the U.S. nationalist ethos that adheres to the principle of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. At the center of the American way is the belief in an American Dream that is claimed to be ac ...

'' (1990), the band gained significant acclaim, with the latter reaching No. 153 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Their subsequent albums, ''

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

'' (1993) and '' Heal'' (1996), failed to attract attention, leading to Sacred Reich's disbanding in 2000. They reunited for a series of live shows in 2006, eventually reforming as a live act. In 2018, they began recording their first album after their reformation, '' Awakening'', which was released in August 2019.

History

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

Sacred Reich formed at Coronado High School in

Scottsdale, Arizona Scottsdale is a city in eastern Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Named Scottsdale in 1894 after its founder Winfield Scott (chaplain), Winfield Scott, a retired Chaplain Corps (United States ...

in 1985. The original lineup consisted of rhythm guitarist Jason Rainey, lead guitarist Jeff Martinek, bassist Mike Andre, vocalist Dan Kelly, and drummer Ray Nay. Soon after, Phil Rind replaced Andre as the bassist and Greg Hall replaced Nay on the drums, and Rind became the vocalist after Kelly became ill. After ''Draining You of Life'' release later that year, Martinek left Sacred Reich to join the military, and the band hired guitarist Wiley Arnett. With Arnett, they re-recorded the song "Sacred Reich" alongside a new song, "Ignorance". In 1987, recommended by

Flotsam and Jetsam In maritime law, flotsam'','' jetsam'','' lagan'','' and derelict are terms for various types of property lost or abandoned at sea. The words have specific nautical meanings, with legal consequences in the law of admiralty and marine salvage. A ...

bassist

Jason Newsted Jason Curtis Newsted (born March 4, 1963) is an American musician, best known as the bassist of heavy metal band Metallica from 1986 to 2001. He performed with thrash metal band Flotsam and Jetsam for the first five years of his career before ...

, "Ignorance" appeared on the

Metal Blade Records Metal Blade Records (often shortened to Metal Blade) is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982 based in the U.S. state of California. The label primarily focuses on heavy metal. History Metal Blade Records was ...

compilation '' Metal Massacre VIII''—bringing the band outside attention. Soon after, Metal Blade signed a

record deal A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording act (artist or group), where the act makes an audio recording (or series of recordings) for the label to sell and ...

with the band and released their debut album, ''

'', in October of that year. ''Ignorance'' was influenced by

and hardcore, and featured political and social commentary in their lyrics—using themes of war, racism, and political oppression among others. ''Ignorance'' was generally well received, with reviews citing its political themes and lyrics. On the album, ''

Hit Parader ''Hit Parader'' was an American music magazine that operated between 1942 and 2008. A monthly publication, it focused on rock and pop music in general until the 1970s, when its focus began turning to hard rock and heavy metal. By the early 198 ...

'' 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! ''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...

labeled the album the "best debut thrash LP this year." The band's members received several offers from other bands, including Flotsam and Jetsam offering positions to Rind and Arnett, Dark Angel offering Rind a vocalist slot, and

Slayer Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...

offering Greg Hall a drummer position during drummer

Dave Lombardo David Lombardo (born February 16, 1965) is a Cuban-American drummer, best known as a co-founding member of the thrash metal band Slayer. He currently plays drums with Fantômas, Dead Cross, Mr. Bungle, Empire State Bastard, and Misfits. Lo ...

's first departure. In 1988, Sacred Reich released the EP Surf Nicaragua. ''Surf Nicaragua'' was more

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Music Albums * ''Cross Over'' (album), a 1987 album by Dan Peek, or the title song * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'', an album by Intrigue * ''Crossover'', an album by ...

-oriented than previous releases and featured better production, and slower tempos while the band continued to grow as musicians. The album marked Sacred Reich's entry into the world market, leading to the band to begin a world tour. The touring included an appearance at

Dynamo Open Air Dynamo Open Air is a festival in the Netherlands that was held (almost) every year between 1986 and 2005. It was reborn in 2008 as Dynamo Outdoor and in 2015 as Dynamo Metal Fest. History Originally held to celebrate the fifth anniversary of th ...

in 1989 which was recorded and released as their first live album, ''Alive at the Dynamo''.

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

In 1990, Sacred Reich released their second album, ''

''. The album saw Sacred Reich progress further from their debut ''Ignorance'', featuring less use of double bass pedals and shredding'''' and favoring slower tracks for more diverse tempos and tone. As with previous releases, the album focused heavily on sociopolitical topics, but moved towards a more personal direction. Rind stated: "Although there are some political songs/overtones, we've tried to deal more with people than political systems." The album peaked at No. 153 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart on September 1, 1990, staying on the chart for nine weeks. Sacred Reich toured for nearly two years in support of ''The American Way'', including co-headlining with

Sepultura Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band formed in Belo Horizonte in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera.Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. They were a major force in the groove metal, thrash met ...

and

Napalm Death Napalm Death are an English grindcore band formed in Meriden, West Midlands, in 1981. None of the band's original members have been in the group since 1986, but since ''Utopia Banished'' (1992), the lineup of bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mi ...

on the ''New Titans on the Bloc'' tour in 1991. In 1991, the band released an EP titled ''A Question''. Later that year, Greg Hall parted ways with Sacred Reich and was replaced by former S.A. Slayer member Dave McClain. Sacred Reich signed with major record label

Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by the Disney Music Group which focuses on pop, rock, alternative, hip hop and country genres, also specializing in recordings for a more mature audience not suitable for the flagship Wal ...

and released their third album, ''

'', in 1993. On the album, they continued experimenting with groove metal. The album received little recognition upon release stemming from the drop in popularity of thrash metal and the gap between album releases. Dave McClain departed Sacred Reich to join

Machine Head A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses, and others, and ...

after receiving several offers from them earlier that year. Their fourth album, '' Heal'' (1996), received little to no recognition for similar reasons to their previous album ''Independent''. Later that year, Greg Hall rejoined the band, but drummer Chuck Fitzgerald took over drumming duties for the world tour. The band released a live album, ''

Still Ignorant ''Still Ignorant'' is a live album by American thrash metal band Sacred Reich. It was released on November 11, 1997, via Metal Blade Records and follows the band's fourth studio album, '' Heal'', the previous year. The album sees the return of ...

'', in 1997, but remained relatively inactive outside of touring. The band disbanded between 1999 and 2000.

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

In November 2006, Sacred Reich announced they would play several shows in Europe in the summer of 2007 including

Wacken Open Air Wacken Open Air (, abbreviated as W:O:A) is a Heavy metal music, heavy metal music festival, held annually since 1990 on the first weekend of August in the village of Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Almost all ...

, before reforming as a live act that year. They performed at Wacken Open Air again in 2009, which was recorded and later released as a live album, ''Live at Wacken'', in 2012. 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''. In January 2018, Sacred Reich signed to Metal Blade Records and began working on their fifth album, '' Awakening.'' Later in January, Greg Hall was fired from the band and temporarily replaced by Tim Radziwill for the demos and touring. In September, Machine Head announced that Dave McClain was leaving their band, officially rejoining Sacred Reich in December. In February 2019, Rainey left the band for health reasons and was replaced by Tim Radziwill's son, Joey. In April, Sacred Reich released the split single "Don't Do it Donnie" alongside

Iron Reagan Iron Reagan was an American crossover thrash supergroup (music), supergroup from Richmond, Virginia, consisting of Municipal Waste (band), Municipal Waste vocalist Tony Foresta, Cannabis Corpse and Municipal Waste bassist Phil "LandPhil" Hall, f ...

, later co-headlining a monthlong tour with them in May. ''Awakening'' was released on August 23, 2019, being the band's first full-length studio album since 1996's ''Heal'' and their first studio album in 23 years. ''Awakening'' was well received by critics. At

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, 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. In support of the album, Sacred Reich toured in Europe alongside Night Demon, and supported

Gwar Gwar, often stylized as GWAR, is an American heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, in 1984, composed of and operated by a frequently rotating line-up of musicians, artists, and filmmakers collectively known as Slave Pit Inc. Since ...

on their ''Use Your Collusion'' tour that year. Rainey later died on March 16, 2020, at the age of 53 from a heart attack. 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. Rind announced in a post on New Year's Eve of 2024 that the band would soon enter the studio to record their new album for a late August 2025 release.

Musical style and lyrics

Sacred Reich is known for their political and social lyrics, which often focus on topics such as war, racism, and ecology.{{Cite book , last=Aznar , first=Thierry , title=Camion Blanc: Hard Rock & Heavy Metal 40 années de purgatoire , date=May 15, 2014 , publisher=Camion Blanc , isbn=978-2-35779-540-2 , volume=2 , at=Sacred Reich - The American Way , language=fr , oclc=882242500 The band's style, generally considered

,{{Cite web , last=Masley , first=Ed , title='This is magical': Beloved Phoenix metal band returns with their first album in 23 years , url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/08/22/sacred-reich-return-their-first-album-23-years-interview/2079429001/ , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401204614/https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/08/22/sacred-reich-return-their-first-album-23-years-interview/2079429001/ , archive-date=1 April 2023 , access-date=2024-12-13 , website=

The Arizona Republic ''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. History Early years The newspap ...

, language=en-US frequently uses mid-tempo song structures{{Cite magazine , last=Atkinson , first=Peter , date=12 August 1990 , title=Off The Record , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yS5IAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA34 , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250111070607/https://books.google.com/books?id=yS5IAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA34#v=onepage&q&f=false , archive-date=11 January 2025 , access-date=15 November 2024 , magazine=

Record-Journal The ''Record-Journal'' is an American daily newspaper based in Meriden, Connecticut, that dates back to the years immediately following the American Civil War. It was owned by the Record-Journal Publishing Company, a family-owned business enti ...

, publisher=

Hearst Communications Hearst Corporation, Hearst Holdings Inc. and Hearst Communications Inc. comprise an American multinational mass media and business information conglomerate owned by the Hearst family and based in Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan in New York ...

, location=Meriden, Connecticut , page=34 , language=en , issn=1091-6946 , oclc=1333824778 , quote={{Cite web , last=Trey , first=Willie , date=24 August 2019 , title=Review: Sacred Reich - Awakening , url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/80088/Sacred-Reich-Awakening/ , url-status=live , archive-url=https://archive.today/20230426160141/https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/80088/Sacred-Reich-Awakening/ , archive-date=26 April 2023 , access-date=29 December 2024 , website=

Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic (abbreviated as Sputnik) is a music website that publishes music reviews and news entries. The site hosts both professional and amateur content, covering metal, punk, indie, rock, hip-hop, pop and other styles. Its reviews are us ...

and takes influences from other genres such as

and

, as well as elements of

groove metal Groove metal, sometimes also called neo-thrash or post-thrash, is a subgenre of heavy metal music that began in the early 1990s. The genre is primarily derived from thrash metal, but played in slower tempos, and making use of rhythmic guitar pa ...

on their later releases. The band's songs are generally short and based on simple guitar riffs; author Thierry Anzar said the songs develop a "communicative energy" reliant on strong choruses and lyrics.

Influence and legacy

{{Needs expansion, date=February 2025 ''

Revolver A revolver is a repeating handgun with at least one barrel and a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, ...

'' 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", with the album later appearing on their 25 Essential Thrash Albums list. ''

Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions published by different companies available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' featu ...

'' dubbed the band "among the few socially conscious thrashers in the 80s". The band is commonly attributed to helping lead the second wave of thrash metal during the late 1980s alongside bands such as

, Dark Angel, and Forbidden.{{Cite web , date=2019-08-24 , title=Album Review: Sacred Reich – Awakening , url=https://www.kerrang.com/album-review-sacred-reich-awakening , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222153616/https://www.kerrang.com/album-review-sacred-reich-awakening , archive-date=22 Feb 2024 , access-date=2024-12-12 , website=

, language=en {{Webarchive, format=addlarchives, url=https://archive.today/20250113070645/https://www.kerrang.com/album-review-sacred-reich-awakening, title=archive.today, url2=https://megalodon.jp/2025-0113-1607-41/https://www.kerrang.com:443/album-review-sacred-reich-awakening, title2=Megaladon.jp, url3=https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kerrang.com%2Falbum-review-sacred-reich-awakening#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url, title3=WikiWix Sacred Reich has been credited with being a progenitor of groove metal,{{Cite web , last=O'Neill , first=Brian , date=20 August 2019 , title=Album Review: Sacred Reich – Awakening , url=https://newnoisemagazine.com/review-sacred-reich-awakening/ , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105123505/https://newnoisemagazine.com/review-sacred-reich-awakening/ , archive-date=5 November 2021 , access-date=6 January 2025 , website=New Noise Magazine with their 1990 album ''The American Way'' being credited as being one of the first groove metal albums—releasing a few months before Pantera's ''

Cowboys From Hell ''Cowboys from Hell'' is the fifth studio album and major label debut by American heavy metal band Pantera, released on July 24, 1990, by Atco Records. It marked the first of many collaborations with producer Terry Date. This was also the alb ...

'' and before Sepultura's '' Chaos A.D.''

Members

{{col-begin {{col-2 Current members * Phil Rind – bass, vocals (1985–2000, 2006–present) * Wiley Arnett – lead guitar (1986–2000, 2006–present) * Dave McClain – drums (1991–1996, 2018–present) * Joey Radziwill – rhythm guitar (2019–present) Touring musicians * Chuck Fitzgerald – drums (1996) * Tim Radziwill – drums (2018) {{col-2 Former members * Jason Rainey – rhythm guitar (1985–2000, 2006–2019, died 2020) * Greg Hall – drums (1985–1991, 1996–2000, 2006–2018) * Dan Kelly – vocals (1985–1986) * Jeff Martinek – lead guitar (1985–1986, died 2018) * Ray Nay – drums (1985) * Mike Andre – bass (1985) {{col-end

Timeline

{{#tag:timeline, ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:16 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:80 top:10 right:20 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1985 till:{{#time: d/m/Y TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:3 start:1985 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1985 Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:lead value:teal legend:Lead_guitar id:guitar value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:studio value:black legend:Studio_Album id:ep value:gray(0.73) legend:EP LineData = layer:back color:studio at:13/10/1987 at:15/05/1990 at:23/02/1993 at:27/02/1996 at:23/08/2019 color:ep at:01/06/1986 at:10/01/1988 at:01/01/1991 BarData = bar:DK text:"Dan Kelly" bar:JM text:"Jeff Martinek" bar:WA text:"Wiley Arnett" bar:JR text:"Jason Rainey" bar:JW text:"Joey Radziwill" bar:MA text:"Mike Andre" bar:PR text:"Phil Rind" bar:RN text:"Ray Nay" bar:GH text:"Greg Hall" bar:DM text:"Dave McClain" PlotData= width:11 bar:DK from:start till:01/03/1986 color:vocals bar:JM from:start till:01/10/1986 color:lead bar:WA from:01/10/1986 till:01/08/2000 color:lead bar:WA from:01/08/2006 till:end color:lead bar:JR from:start till:01/08/2000 color:guitar bar:JR from:01/08/2006 till:25/02/2019 color:guitar bar:JW from:25/02/2019 till:end color:guitar bar:MA from:start till:01/09/1985 color:bass bar:PR from:01/09/1985 till:01/03/1986 color:bass bar:PR from:01/03/1986 till:01/08/2000 color:bass bar:PR from:01/03/1986 till:01/08/2000 color:vocals width:3 bar:PR from:01/08/2006 till:end color:bass bar:PR from:01/08/2006 till:end color:vocals width:3 bar:RN from:start till:01/09/1985 color:drums bar:GH from:01/09/1985 till:01/02/1991 color:drums bar:DM from:01/02/1991 till:31/12/1996 color:drums bar:DM from:01/02/2018 till:end color:drums bar:GH from:01/01/1997 till:01/08/2000 color:drums bar:GH from:01/08/2006 till:01/02/2018 color:drums

Discography

{{col-begin {{Col-2 Studio albums * ''

'' (1987), Metal Blade * ''

'' (1990), Metal Blade * ''

'' (1993), Hollywood * '' Heal'' (1996), Metal Blade * '' Awakening'' (2019), Metal Blade EPs * ''Draining You of Life'' (1985) – demo * '' Surf Nicaragua'' (1988), Metal Blade * ''A Question'' (1991), Metal Blade {{Col-2 Live albums * ''Alive at the Dynamo'' (1989) * ''

'' (1997) * ''Live at Wacken'' (2012) Compilations * ''Ignorance/Surf Nicaragua'' (2007){{Cite web , title=Ignorance/Surf Nicaragua - Sacred Reich , url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/ignorance-surf-nicaragua-mw0000578581 , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507231931/https://www.allmusic.com/album/ignorance-surf-nicaragua-mw0000578581 , archive-date=7 May 2021 , access-date=22 November 2024 , website=

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

{{Webarchive, format=addlarchives, url=https://archive.today/20250113050344/https://www.allmusic.com/album/ignorance-surf-nicaragua-mw0000578581, title=archive.today {{col-end

Footnotes

Explanatory

{{Notelist

Citations

{{Reflist

External links

{{commons category
Sacred Reich
on

' official website {{Sacred Reich , state=expanded {{Authority control 1985 establishments in Arizona American musical quartets American thrash metal musical groups Heavy metal musical groups from Arizona Musical groups from Phoenix, Arizona Musical groups established in 1986 Musical groups disestablished in 2000 Musical groups reestablished in 2006 American political music groups Metal Blade Records artists