SACRED REICH — Surf Nicaragua (review)

SACRED REICH — Surf Nicaragua album cover EP · 1988 · Thrash Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Surf Nicaragua" is an EP release by US US, Phoenix, Arizona based thrash metal act Sacred Reich. The EP was released through Metal Blade Records in October 1988 and bridges the gap (along with the "Alive at the Dynamo (1989)" live EP) between the band´s first two studio albums "Ignorance (1987)" and "The American Way (1990)". The original vinyl version of the EP featured four tracks and a 17:28 minutes playing time, while the 1995 CD re-issue features two extra tracks and a full playing time of 26:03 minutes.

The four tracks on the original version are all studio recordings, while the two bonus tracks on the re-issue are live versions of "Ignorance" and "Death Squad". Two tracks that in their original studio versions appear on "Ignorance (1987)". The EP title track is what you can safely call a thrash metal classic. It´s a track that shows great progression from the more serious Slayer influenced sound of the debut album, as it takes the band´s sound into a more humourous direction (which is also underlined by the cartoonish cover artwork). The band haven´t lost their political edge though which is fully on display in the next track "One Nation". A track that is almost equally as strong as the title track. The next track is a cover version of "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath. It´s alright but covers of Black Sabbath songs never made my blood boil. I much prefer the originals. The last studio track is a re-recorded version of the title track from the "Draining You of Life (1986)" demo. It´s decent but nothing too exciting. The two live tracks from the 1995 CD re-issue on the other hand are really great. I´d go as far as to say they are better than the studio originals.

The sound production is professional, powerful and suiting the music perfectly. And that goes for both the studio and the live tracks.

"Surf Nicaragua" is a classic thrash metal EP from the eighties. One of those releases you need to hear to understand the development of the genre. The quality is a bit up and down but especially "Surf Nicaragua" and "One Nation" are really positive experiences and if you include the two live bonus tracks to the overall rating I´d say a 3.5 star (70%) rating is fully deserved.
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