Review by Ben for Sacred Reich - The American Way (1990)

Sacred Reich were one of the few bands that tackled serious political lyrics in the thrash metal scene back in the late 80s, early 90s. While I have to say it sounds a bit contrived and naive now, I found it to be extremely fresh when I was a youngster and connected with it. But this is certainly not the only thing of note about these guys. They created tight groove based (think Pantera) thrash metal that was a joy to listen to.

The American Way is where everything came together for them. While the debut was crippled by both production and a lack of identity, this album stood out from the crowd as something different. Phil Rind is a great vocalist with a low gruff style that suits the content perfectly. The drumming is tight and crushing, if not amazing. But it's the riffs that get me moshing every time. Some of these tracks are long and the band knew exactly when to change things up to stop boredom setting in.

Things do get a little preachy at times and 31 Flavors, while a decent attempt to teach metalheads that there are more musical styles to explore out there, stands out like a sore thumb. But The American Way still makes me smile nearly 20 years on and goes down as a solid, enjoyable album that I recommend to all in search of something thrashing yet thoughtful.