The American Way is the second studio album by American thrash metal band Sacred Reich, released on May 15, 1990, via Metal Blade Records. The video for "The American Way" was used in the 1992 film Encino Man. The album debuted at No. 153 on September 1, 1990, on the Billboard 200 charts, lasting for nine weeks. An enhanced remastered version released in 2009 contains pre-production demo recordings and a free patch. A second remastered version released that year contains the same songs plus "The American Way" promo video CD-ROM. The American Way is also Sacred Reich's final full-length studio album with drummer Greg Hall, who left the band in 1991.

Overview

Although the band had maintained a record of at least one release per year since their debut, Ignorance, this was their first full-length album for three years and also the first to show a musical progression from the rougher sounding thrash metal in their earlier material. Phil Rind, in the liner notes, explains the band's change in musical direction thus: "'Musically, we've tried to expand our horizons without forgetting our roots. Some people will appreciate the changes. Others, let's just say, they'd be satisfied with 'Ignorance II'.'" The band would work with producer Bill Metoyer, who previously worked with Flotsam and Jetsam, DRI, and Slayer. The closing track, "31 Flavors", is a funk rock song.

Track listing

Credits

Charts