It’s common to think that Metal genres had a deep crush during the Grunge/Alternative Rock age in the 90s. The fact: the attention of the Metalheads turned, indeed, and acts as NIRVANA, PEARL JAM, ALICE IN CHAINS, SOUNDGARDEN, SCREAMING TREES and others are now in the charts in the places where POISON, MÖTLEY CRÜE, DANGER DANGER and others were. And as a consequence, other bands had to try something different from the usual. METALLICA simplified its music on “Black Album” and earned a great commercial success, and were followed by almost all Thrash Metal acts on those days. Almost, because PANTERA was becoming heavier and aggressive as they set Groove Metal foundations, PRONG was setting things on more experimental Groove/Thrash Metal/Crossover ways. But those that were experiencing a commercial praise felt the impact in a heavier way, as happened with the Phoenix-based quartet SACRED REICH. After the years spewing for a mix between Thrash Metal and Hardcore on “Ignorance” and “Surf Nicaragua” on their beginning, they reached some commercial success with “The American Way” and “Independent” (both released on Hollywood Records, a label owned by Disney Music Group), but not as they deserved; so they got back to their former label and released “Heal”, here in a reissued version.

The band on “Heal” is trying something different: along with the same ways on Thrash Metal used on “The American Way” and “Independent”, there are influences from Groove Metal in many parts, and even from Industrial Metal and Alternative Rock, what brought a dark and dense feeling to the album in some moments (especially on the slow songs as “Heal” and “Low”). But’s if one can really think in a deeper sense, the songs here are presenting the quartet on its most mature way to that moment, a band that learns as it’s working and releasing albums. And their version for New Wave band OINGO BOINGO’s “Who Do You Want to Be?” can be a trace of its maturity: they embrace their musical background, not trying to throw it out of their music (what’s an impossible thing to be done). It’s obvious that many fans had problems to deal with “Heal” back then, but maybe it’s due the lack of a more ample vision of music (and you’re invited to it again).

The band once more brought Bill Metoyer to work with them as he did since “Ignorance” (and his works with acts as ARMORED SAINT, CATTLE DECAPITATION, BITCH, ABATTOIR, CITIES, AGENT STEEL, CIRITH UNGOL, D.R.I., CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, CRYPTIC SLAUGHTER, FATES WARNING, OMEN, RUTHLESS and many other legends into USA Metal bands earned him fame into Metal scene), and he signs the production, the sound engineering and mixing, and the mastering is a work of Eddy Schreyer (a mastering engineer known for his works with DIO, ANTHRAX, ALICE IN CHAINS, DOKKEN, CANNIBAL CORPSE, KING DIAMOND, GWAR, MERCYFUL FATE, NAILBOMB, MACHINE HEAD, MOTÖRHEAD, QUEENSRŸCHE and many more). The sonority is intense, aggressive and nasty, but clean and defined for the sake of the fans’ understanding (every arrangement or note can be heard), with the right instrumental tunes. It means that things on the sonority are perfect, simple this way. And the cover is the very same, but now with the original logo of the band, even being recreated by Scott Waters (of No Life ‘Til Metal Graphics).

Musically, “Heal” (as said above) depicts influences of Groove Metal and the maturity of a band that knows what’s doing. But pay attention: to deal with “Blue Suit, Brown Shirt”, “Heal” (an amazing song with slow tempos into a ‘sabbathic’ way, with nasty riffs cutting the air and an excellent singing from the vocals), “Break Through” (where the same ways of “Independent” and “The American Way”, a frantic and acid song filled with an amazing energy and remarkable chorus), “Low” (here new influences inherited both from PANTERA and ALICE IN CHAINS are clean under this melancholic appeal of the deeper moments, and on the melodies as well, and the way bass guitar is heard is amazing), “Don’t” (a short and funny Thrash Metal/Crossover with amazing energy), “Jason’s Idea” (a simple intro), “Ask Ed” (an uncompromised and funny song with clear traces of Rock ‘n’ Roll and Southern Rock elements with a massive weight), “Who Do You Want to Be?” (that gained a Hardcore/Crossover insight), “Seen Through My Eyes”, “I Don’t Care” (another Thrashcore moment filled with energy and fine rhythms), and “The Power of the Written Word” can hard for those that thinks that the quartet should be always relying on the comfortable zone created on “Ignorance” and “The American Way”. And as a bonus for this new version of the album, here is a cover for the Hardcore/Punk Rock masters of FEAR on “Beef Bologna” (but you find a surprise after 46 seconds: a piece of BLUE ÖYSTER CULT’s “Godzilla”, so to track Hard Rock and Rock ‘n’ Roll traces on the music of SACRED REICH isn’t a sin).

After all these words, one could think I called immature those fans that don’t like “Heal”. No, I just said that it brings SACRED REICH in a different way than the usual, but keeping its nature work, it’s just a matter of dealing with things. And this reissue pays tribute to Jason, who passed away on 2020.