By the time Phoenix
thrash
band
Sacred Reich
released
Heal
in 1996, the excitement that surrounded their particular brand of hard-edged
metal
had indeed dissipated, as bands like
Korn
and
Deftones
began moving mainstream
in a new direction. After spending over a decade churning out some of the
underground's most furious music, the group wasn't about to change their style or concede anything to the new-
'90s, however, and
became their last great studio tribute to an important (if almost forgotten) era of aggressive music. Highlight tracks include fast-paced numbers like
"Don't"
"Break Through."
Vocalist
Phil Rind
, guitarists
Wiley Arnett
Jason Rainey
, drummer
Dave McClain
, and bassist
also display a knack for all-out
rock
while they churn through the strong choruses on songs like
"Seen Through My Eyes"
"Ask Ed."
Ferocious and unrelenting,
is the finest
offering of the '90s, if not their entire career. ~ Vincent Jeffries