Sacred Reich

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Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist 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. Their music often features mid-tempo song structures as well as musical and lyrical influences from punk rock and hardcore punk, with their lyrics focusing on political and social topics. The band is credited (along with Testament, Destruction, Death Angel, 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 (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. 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 in 1985.<ref name=":0222">Template:Cite book</ref> 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,<ref name=":1523">Template:Cite webTemplate:Webarchive</ref> and Rind became the vocalist after Kelly became ill.<ref name=":0222" /> After Draining You of LifeTemplate:'s release later that year,Template:Efn Martinek left to join the military and the group hired guitarist Wiley Arnett as a replacement. With Arnett, they re-recorded the song "Sacred Reich" alongside a new song titled "Ignorance".<ref name=":0222" />

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With strong support from Flotsam and Jetsam bassist Jason Newsted, "Ignorance" was included on the Metal Blade Records compilation Metal Massacre VIII, which brought the band outside attention.<ref name=":0222" /> Metal Blade soon signed a record deal with them and released their debut album, Ignorance, in October of that year.<ref name=":0222" /><ref name=":6">Template:Cite book</ref> Ignorance was influenced by punk rock and hardcore punk,<ref name=":32" /> and featured political and social commentary in their lyrics<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>—using themes of war, racism, and political oppression among others.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ignorance was generally well received, with reviews citing its political themes and lyrics.<ref name=":6" /> Hit Parader said "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."<ref name=":162">Template:Cite web</ref> The band members received several offers from other bands, including Flotsam and Jetsam, Dark Angel, and Slayer.<ref name=":6" />

In 1988, Sacred Reich released the EP Surf Nicaragua. The album was more crossover-oriented than previous releases<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> and featured better production, and slower tempos while the group continued to grow as musicians.<ref name=":17">Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive</ref> The album's success pushed Sacred Reich into the world market and the band began a world tour.<ref name=":0222" /> The touring included an appearance at Dynamo Open Air in 1989 which was recorded and released as their first live album, Alive at the Dynamo.<ref name=":6" />

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

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In 1990, Sacred Reich released their second album, The American Way.<ref name=":6" /><ref>Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive</ref> The album saw Sacred Reich progress further from their debut Ignorance, featuring less use of double bass pedals and shredding<ref name=":0" /> and favoring slower tracks for more diverse tempos and tone.<ref name=":32" /> The album peaked at No. 153 on the Billboard 200 chart on September 1, 1990,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> staying on the chart for nine weeks.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazineTemplate:Dead link</ref> Sacred Reich toured for nearly two years in support of The American Way, including co-headlining with Sepultura and Napalm Death on the New Titans on the Bloc tour in 1991.<ref name="metallipromo">Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive</ref> In 1991, the band released an EP titled A Question.<ref name=":0222" /> Later that year, Greg Hall parted ways with Sacred Reich and was replaced by former S.A. Slayer member Dave McClain.<ref name=":0222" />

Sacred Reich signed with major record label Hollywood Records and released their third album, Independent, in 1993.<ref name="Part 126">Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive</ref><ref name=":6" /> On the album, they continued experimenting with groove metal.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite webTemplate:Webarchive</ref> The album received little recognition upon release stemming from the drop in popularity of thrash metal<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive</ref> and the gap between album releases.<ref name=":0222" /><ref name=":4" /> Dave McClain departed Sacred Reich to join Machine Head after receiving several offers from them earlier that year.<ref name=":9">Template:Cite book</ref> Their fourth album, Heal (1996), received little to no recognition for similar reasons to their previous album Independent.<ref>Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive</ref> Later that year, Greg Hall rejoined the band, but drummer Chuck Fitzgerald took over drumming duties for the world tour.<ref name=":0222" /><ref name=":3">Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive</ref> The band released a live album, Still Ignorant, in 1997,<ref name=":1" /> but remained relatively inactive outside of touring. The band disbanded between 1999 and 2000.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":1" />

2006–present: Reformation, Awakening, and Into the Abyss

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,<ref name=":5" /> before reforming as a live act that year.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":14">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":10">Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive</ref> They performed at Wacken Open Air again in 2009, which was recorded and later released as a live album, Live at Wacken, in 2012.<ref name=":10" /><ref>Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive</ref> 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.<ref name=":11">Template:Multiref2</ref>

In January 2018, Sacred Reich signed to Metal Blade Records and began working on their fifth album, Awakening.<ref name=":12">Template:Multiref2</ref> Later in January, Greg Hall was fired from the band and temporarily replaced by Tim Radziwill for the demos and touring.<ref>Template:Multiref2</ref> In September, Machine Head announced that Dave McClain was leaving their band, officially rejoining Sacred Reich in December.<ref>Template:Multiref2</ref> In February 2019, Rainey left the band for health reasons and was replaced by Tim Radziwill's son, Joey.<ref name=":1523" /> In April, Sacred Reich released the split single "Don't Do it Donnie" alongside Iron Reagan,<ref name=":3" /><ref>Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive</ref> later co-headlining a monthlong tour with them in May.<ref>Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive</ref> Awakening was released on August 23, 2019, being the band's first full-length studio album since 1996's Heal<ref name=":12" /><ref>Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive</ref> and their first studio album in 23 years.<ref name=":18" /> Awakening was well received by critics. At 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.<ref>Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive</ref> In support of the album, Sacred Reich toured in Europe alongside Night Demon,<ref>Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive</ref><ref name=":19">Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive</ref> and supported Gwar on their Use Your Collusion tour that year.<ref>Template:Multiref2</ref> Rainey later died on March 16, 2020, at the age of 53 from a heart attack.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Multiref2</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On October 20, 2025, it was announced that Sacred Reich had parted ways with McClain and would temporarily be filled in by Eduardo Baldo for their live activities, and also announced that their sixth studio album Into the Abys will be released in the spring of 2026.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Musical style and lyrics

Sacred Reich is known for their political and social lyrics,<ref name=":1" /> which often focus on topics such as war, racism, and ecology.<ref name=":13">Template:Cite book</ref> The band's style, generally considered thrash metal,<ref name=":0222" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":15">Template:Cite web</ref> frequently uses mid-tempo song structures<ref name=":32">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name=":20">Template:Cite web</ref> and takes influences from other genres such as punk rock and hardcore punk,<ref name=":13" /> as well as elements of groove metal on their later releases.<ref name=":1" /> 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.<ref name=":13" />

Influence and legacy

Template:Needs expansion Revolver named Sacred Reich as "one of the most important thrash bands of the eighties and nineties". They dubbed their debut album Ignorance as "a milestone in the thrash movement",<ref name=":3" /> and the album later appeared on their 25 Essential Thrash Albums list.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Metal Hammer labeled the band as "among the few socially conscious thrashers in the 80s".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":18">Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive</ref> Sacred Reich is credited with being a progenitor of groove metal,<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> and their 1990 album The American Way is credited as being one of the first groove metal albums—releasing a few months before Pantera's Cowboys from Hell<ref name=":13" /> and before Sepultura's Chaos A.D.<ref name=":2" />

Members

Template:Col-float-begin Current members

  • Phil Rind – bass, vocals (1985–2000, 2006–present)
  • Wiley Arnett – lead guitar (1986–2000, 2006–present)
  • Joey Radziwill – rhythm guitar (2019–present)

Touring musicians

  • Chuck Fitzgerald – drums (1996)
  • Tim Radziwill – drums (2018)
  • Eduardo Baldo – drums (2025–present)

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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)
  • Dave McClain – drums (1991–1996, 2018–2025)

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Timeline

<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:20/10/2025  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

</timeline>

Discography

Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 Studio albums


EPs

  • Draining You of Life (1985) – demo
  • Surf Nicaragua (1988), Metal Blade
  • A Question (1991), Metal Blade

Template:Col-2 Live albums

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


Compilations

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Footnotes

Explanatory

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Citations

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