The American Way

If I had £1 for every time a great rock or metal band has followed up a cracking first album with an underwhelming sophomore effort, I would have..... well, a lot of pounds! But there are notable exceptions, and this brilliant 1990 release by Arizona's Sacred Reich is a prime example.'The American Way' is another collection of intense and viciously catchy thrash metal songs (albeit with more slow, melodic passages) that arguably surpasses the band's killer debut 'Ignorance'. The title track, 'Crimes Against Humanity', 'State Of Emergency' and 'I Don't Know' are among the highlights on a genre classic that can hold it's own against leading albums by contemporaries like Exodus and Testament. Even the utterly random jazz rock closer '31 Flavors' is great! This reissue by Metal Blade Records comes in a jewel case with the classic artwork faithfully reproduced. There is no mention of the album being remastered, but it matters not as the CD sounds fantastic.Sacred Reich remain a massively underrated band, but 'The American Way' is undeniably a superb album that is (along with 'Ignorance' and the 'Surf Nicaragua' EP) an absolutely essential purchase for all fans of quality, old-school metal. Highly recommended.

Sacred Reich are a brilliant thrash metal band from Phoenix, Arizona. They play groove centered breakdowns mixed with chunky speed metal segments and have an awesome singer called Phil Rind, who belongs more to the Phil Anselmo School of singing than to the Death Metal or Iron Maiden styles that were common among many non-Bay Area Thrash bands.This album, 'The American Way,' is a bona fide metal classic, containing many of the bands greatest songs, for example 'Who's to Blame,' and the famous Title Track (which you may remember from the early 90's Brendan Frasier Cave man Movie 'California Man.')The American Way is possibly Sacred Reich's greatest album, capitalizing on the success of their signature tune 'Surf Nicaragua,' the band further mix Hardcore Punk, Groove Metal with their classic thrash sound to create the ultimate Sacred Reich album, still classic thrash, but with enough variety to make every song distinct, memorable and catchy.This album contains everything you want from a metal album, complex drumming, speedy riffs, groovy breakdowns, flashy guitar solos and interesting lyrics.The lyrics are Socially conscious like many of their peers at the time, but less ham fisted than some of the worse thrash lyricists of the time. Topics include backwards messages, politics and metal elitism.The production is punchy and chunky, with a clarity between the instruments and is generally one of the better produced albums of the era.This remastered edition comes in a beautiful digipak, and contains raw demos of 6 of the album's songs along with the music video for 'The American Way.'This is a highly recommended album to any fan of thrash metal. If you like Nuclear Assault or Anthrax in particular you're going to love 'The American Way.

Best album by sacred Reich imo , I've owned them all over the years growing up, and bought this when it came out on vinyl as a young lad, and saw them play the same year, great memories. If you want great bass as well as riffs buy this

Massive Respect goes out to to Sacred Reich!.This has got to be one of the best metal albums ever made!. Every track is amazing!. I have this album on tape and have owned it since 1990!. I still listen to it today!. 19 years on and it sounds Brilliant!. It really is going to be hard to beat hard to beat this one an all time classic!.

Great album for a follow up to there finest and debut album "ignorance"

Great album