After several albums on Metal Blade Records, Sacred Reich signed to Hollywood Records for a short stint, but later returned to Metal Blade to continue their musical career. After breaking up in 2000, the band announced in November 2006 they would play several shows in the summer of 2007 in Europe, including Wacken Open Air.
Throughout its 37-year career (with the exception of a hiatus from 2000 to 2006), Sacred Reich has performed live globally, including playing at clubs, theaters, arenas and festivals. They have performed alongside numerous acts such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Slayer, Motörhead, Sepultura, Pantera, Exodus, Testament, Anthrax, Flotsam and Jetsam, Dark Angel, Accept, Napalm Death, Obituary, D.R.I, Vio-lence, Forbidden, Holy Moses, Forced Entry, Gwar, Suicidal Tendencies, Iron Reagan, Overkill, Kreator, Destruction, Corrosion of Conformity, Queensrÿche, King Diamond, Municipal Waste, the Cro-Mags, Sick of It All, Excel, Atrophy, Heathen, Armored Saint, Nuclear Assault, the Crumbsuckers, M.O.D., Agnostic Front, Death Angel, Onslaught, Xentrix, Coroner, Danzig, Crowbar, Viking, Evildead, Savatage, Trouble, Cathedral and Omen.
Former drummer Dave McClain went on to join Machine Head in 1995. Lead guitarist Wiley Arnett went on to form The Human Condition with St. Madness vocalist Prophet in July 2000.
The band also contributed the Black Sabbath cover "Sweet Leaf" to the Hempilation: Freedom Is NORML compilation album to benefit NORML, and the Subhumans cover "The Big Picture" appears as the B-side of the "Open Book" promotional single. A three disk boxed set with remastered versions of Ignorance and Surf Nicaragua with additional bonus material, including the "Draining You of Life" demo tape and a live DVD, was released in Europe only in the summer of 2007 by Metal Blade Records. In the spring of 2017, the band announced their first North American tour in 21 years.
In January 2018, Sacred Reich signed to Metal Blade Records and began working on their fifth studio album, Awakening, which was released on August 23, 2019. It is the band's first full-length studio album since 1996's Heal, and their first since drummer Dave McClain and guitarist Joey Radziwill replaced founding members Greg Hall and Jason Rainey respectively.
Founding member and former guitarist Jason Rainey died on March 16, 2020, at the age of 53 from an apparent heart attack.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Reich
Studio albums
Ignorance (1987)
The American Way (1990)
Independent (1993)
Heal (1996)
Awakening (2019)
The American Way
Sacred Reich Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Time has passed time for lies is here at last truth is false I'm so fed up
How did we come to be so fucked hate fear pain death all our country
Has got left
Talk to children hear them say daddy left again today brother steals and
Mommy lies future lost before their eyes the sun was lost behind the
Clouds they rapped it up and blacked it out acid rain fell today it came
This was once the land of dreams now these dreams have turned to
Greed in the midst of all this wealth the poor are left to help themselves
A capitalist's democracy no one said that freedom's free lady liberty rots
Away no truth, no justice the American way
Don't look past your t.v. all of us are what you see a looking glass into
Our lives what we watch is what we buy priorities are out of whack
Who is next to stab our back doesn't it make you mad to have lost all that
We've had
This was once the land of dreams now these dreams have turned to
Greed in the midst of all this wealth the poor are left to help themselves
A capitalist's democracy no one said that freedom's free lady liberty rots
Away no truth, no justice the American way
Doesn't it fill you with disgust that there's no one left to trust is this
Happening is this real my body numb I cannot feel are you happy are you
Sad are emotions a thing of the past I have no tears I cannot cry no one
Mourns for a world that's died
This was once the land of dreams now these dreams have turned to
Greed in the midst of all this wealth the poor are left to help themselves
A capitalist's democracy no one said that freedom's free lady liberty rots
Away no truth, no justice the American way
The lyrics of Sacred Reich’s song “The American Way” are a reflection on the disillusionment and disappointment in the democracy that the United States claims to uphold. The opening lines suggest that the values of truth, honor, and pride have been lost, and that honesty is now considered false. The song acknowledges that hate, fear, pain, and death have become the defining qualities of American society. The lyrics describe a tragic reality in which children grow up without proper guidance or support, and are forced to deal with the harsh realities of poverty, crime, and corruption.
The chorus of the song laments the loss of the American Dream, replaced by a culture of greed and indifference to the plight of the poor. The song points out the hypocrisy of the American political system, where corporations are allowed to act with impunity while the “land of the free” is quickly becoming a distant memory. The final lines express a complete lack of faith in the future of America, where emotions are a thing of the past and no one mourns for a dying world.
Overall, “The American Way” is a poignant and controversial commentary on the state of democracy in the United States. The song suggests that the land of the free is rapidly becoming a land of injustice, inequality, and disillusionment.
Line by Line Meaning
Truth and honor faith and pride all convictions surely died honesties
The values of truth, honor, faith, and pride have disappeared, and honesty is no longer a conviction that people hold onto.
Time has passed time for lies is here at last truth is false I'm so fed up
As time has gone by, lying has become the norm, and even the concept of truth has been distorted, leading the singer to feel frustrated and disillusioned.
How did we come to be so fucked hate fear pain death all our country
The country is plagued with hate, fear, pain, and death, and the singer wonders how things have gotten so bad.
Has got left
This line does not convey a standalone meaning and needs to be attached to the previous line for context.
Talk to children hear them say daddy left again today brother steals and
The younger generation is growing up in an environment where fathers are absent, siblings are resorting to theft, and mothers are untruthful.
Mommy lies future lost before their eyes the sun was lost behind the
Children's futures are being compromised, and the hope they once had is fading away, just like the sun that is hidden by dark clouds.
Clouds they rapped it up and blacked it out acid rain fell today it came
The cloud cover is so thick that it seems like they are wrapping up the sun and creating a gloomy environment where acid rain falls, further damaging the environment.
And washed our hopes away
The acid rain metaphorically represents the destruction of hope to show how environmental issues are just one of the many factors contributing to the country's downfall.
This was once the land of dreams now these dreams have turned to
The country was once a place where people's dreams could come true, but now those dreams have become corrupted or unattainable.
Greed in the midst of all this wealth the poor are left to help themselves
While there is an abundance of wealth in the country, it is concentrated in the hands of a few greedy individuals, and the poor are left to fend for themselves.
A capitalist's democracy no one said that freedom's free lady liberty rots
The country's democracy is based on capitalism, which often leads to inequality, and the lack of justice and liberty is causing even the statue of liberty to deteriorate.
Away no truth, no justice the American way
This line refers back to the previous one, highlighting how the American way has gone astray, and there is no longer any truth or justice.
Don't look past your t.v. all of us are what you see a looking glass into
The singer is warning the listener not to be fooled by what they see on TV, as it is a reflection of our society and affects our values and priorities.
Our lives what we watch is what we buy priorities are out of whack
The media we consume has a direct impact on our lives, leading us to spend money on unnecessary things while our priorities are misplaced.
Who is next to stab our back doesn't it make you mad to have lost all that
The singer is questioning who will be the next person or entity to betray us because of the breakdown in trust and expressing how frustrating it is to see what we have lost as a society.
We've had
This line does not convey a standalone meaning and needs to be attached to the previous line for context.
Doesn't it fill you with disgust that there's no one left to trust is this
The lack of trust that exists in society is causing the artist to feel disgusted and disillusioned.
Happening is this real my body numb I cannot feel are you happy are you
The singer is questioning whether the current state of affairs is real, as it seems unreal and is causing them emotional numbness. They are also wondering if others are similarly affected.
Sad are emotions a thing of the past I have no tears I cannot cry no one
The constant exposure to negativity has led to an emotional shutdown, making it difficult to express emotions or even mourn our society's decline.
Mourns for a world that's died
The artist is portraying the world around them as one that has already died and is now just a shadow of its former self, as if mourning something that is already gone.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Phil Rind, Wiley Arnett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind