Sacred Reich

Heal (Metal Blade)
by Scott Hefflon

Rightly or wrongly, I’ve always grouped Sacred Reich, M.O.D., and a few others into a spoof metal category. Yeah, they’re heavy as a tank and roar like demons having a really bad day, but they have a sense of humor. Big, ugly, hairy metal motherfuckers usually take themselves so fucking seriously, that’s what’s frightening – not the possibility that these misunderstood misfits who just need haircuts and hugs are going to eat your kittens.

On Heal, Sacred Reich performs as expected: Slow, heavy chugging guitars offset by bursts of triplets on the kick drum and searing guitar solos strewn lavishly about. Song eight, “Ask Ed,” does that dope-smoking shuffle that seems to be the new thing since Down cashed in on it. The rest stick to the typical rebel stance “I Don’t Care” (song 10) motif and how much this uncaring world can fuck off. The first and last song make the album worth it. “Blue Suit, Brown Shirt” and “The Power of the Written Word” are so pissed, I must congratulate them for finding and tapping into that strand of pure anger that lies deep within us all. A warning: If a shaggy driver blasting either of these songs cuts you off in traffic, let it go.