When it comes to U.S. Thrash Metal of the 1980s and early '90s, Sacred Reich stands as one of the genre's
most defining names—especially known for their honest, politically charged messages.
We caught up with the band’s founding member and vocalist Phil Rind, and we thank him for
answering our questions for Morbidzine.
MORBIDZINE: Hello Phil, thank you so much for accepting this interview and taking the time to speak with us. Your return in recent years was very exciting! What’s the current situation for Sacred Reich in Arizona and across the U.S.? What have you been doing since the reunion?
PHIL RIND: Not too much. We are just living our daily lives. We have not been doing a lot band things.
MORBIDZINE: After the reunion, you played at Wacken Open Air. How was the audience’s reaction?
PHIL RIND: The Wacken show was great! The reaction was great as well. All of the shows we did—London, Vosselar, Eindhoven and Wacken—were awesome. It was fun to play and nice that someone remembered us!
MORBIDZINE: Why did you take such a long break?
PHIL RIND: The band was over. We had moved on to other things. We just felt that it would be fun to do some shows last summer.
MORBIDZINE: You’re considered one of the leaders of the U.S. Thrash/Speed Metal scene. After Ignorance and Surf Nicaragua, how do you reflect on the band’s journey?
PHIL RIND: We were fortunate to be at the right place at the right time when there was an opportunity and a community of people who supported this style of music.
MORBIDZINE: Sacred Reich has always featured political and socio-political lyrics. Did you face any criticism for this back in the day?
PHIL RIND: No, not really.
MORBIDZINE: Will we see the same lyrical stance if a new Sacred Reich album is released?
PHIL RIND: I don’t think there will be any new Sacred Reich records unfortunately.
MORBIDZINE: Personally, I think Ignorance and The American Way are masterpieces. While all your albums are important, would you say those two are particularly special in the band’s discography?
PHIL RIND: Thank you. Ignorance is definitely our fastest record. The American Way defined our sound and style.
MORBIDZINE: When creating Surf Nicaragua, were you influenced by the Crossover, Hardcore or Punk scenes?
PHIL RIND: Since before Ignorance came out. I always looked to that scene for lyrical inspiration and no bullshit attitude.
MORBIDZINE: On 1989’s The American Way, songs like “Crimes Against Humanity” and “State of Emergency” tackled themes such as environmental destruction and racism in Southern Africa. How did you develop these lyrical ideas?
PHIL RIND: The ideas were out there, and they are hard to miss if you are paying attention.
MORBIDZINE: What’s your view on U.S. and German Thrash? Which bands do you listen to most? And what differences do you see between American and German Thrash styles?
PHIL RIND: Destruction were a very early influence for us. People have said that we share similarities with Kreator. I appreciate those bands and what they’ve done. I think German Thrash is more technical in general.
MORBIDZINE: Can you name a live show that stands out as particularly special in Sacred Reich’s career?
PHIL RIND: The first Dynamo Open Air was VERY memorable! It was our first time in front of a large crowd and they were very energetic and loud in response!
MORBIDZINE: Let’s talk about the early days. What led you to choose the name “Sacred Reich”? And which bands were your biggest influences back then?
PHIL RIND: The name was brought up by a friend of the band. Our main influences were Slayer and Metallica, with a bit of D.R.I. and C.O.C.
MORBIDZINE: We see many legendary Thrash bands from the ’80s reuniting, just like Sacred Reich. Can we call this a second wave of Thrash? What are your thoughts on Thrash Metal’s evolution—past, present, and future?
PHIL RIND: What was old is new again! It seems we run in 20-year cycles so perhaps it is like 1988! We will see what happens. Thrash is an underground genre and it may get more popular before it goes underground once again.
MORBIDZINE: If you don’t mind, let’s ask one political question :) What are your thoughts about the future of the world and the recent U.S. presidential election?
PHIL RIND: I am hopeful that things will get better. I am looking forward to a change in the Presidency of the United States. It has been a long and disastrous 8 years.
MORBIDZINE: Phil, thank you again for this interview with Morbidzine. We’ll continue to follow Sacred Reich with enthusiasm. Do you have any final message for your fans?
PHIL RIND: We would like to thank the fans for their support. We have been able to make records, tour around the world, and experience what we dreamed of when we were kids. It was only possible because of the fans, and for this we are grateful and say thank you!