ACID REIGN - True Kings of British Thrash.

In the late 80s, in my care-free youth I was an extreme metal head, as were all of my friends. Thrash metal was the music that was most popular amongst us and probably almost every other rocker in the UK at the time. The "Big Four" were the coolest of the bands - Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer. But being "against the norm" (as rockers were back then, not like today as I might add) we looked for more bands, the more underground the better.

With American thrash being super-cool it wasn't long before the UK started to spawn a bunch of thrash bands too. Toranaga, Sabbat, Onslaught, Slammer, Xentrix (who gave themselves the kiss of death by getting famous for a novelty cover song) and more. Around 1988 we discovered a band that make a huge impact on our lives (that still stays with some of us today).

The band was ACID REIGN and the 12" slab of vinyl was called "Moshkinstein".

Suddenly we had a British band that embodied everything we loved about all the good stuff with the American thrash bands that we liked - but with a really British feel and a sense of humour to boot. Great chuggy thrash metal with a punk twist of epic proportions. The UxKxAxC thing was awesome and a great thing to draw all over our school books. One of my favourite details of the back cover is vocalist "H" is wearing Descendents t-shirt (and this is in 1988).

Favourites on the slab was the opener "Goddess" and the epic "Motherly Love" - the EP was in fact a demo that was put out after AR were snapped up by Under One Flag (Music For Nations).

So, Acid Reign became one of favourite bands because they were as cool as all the big guys but had a lot of home-grown kudos.

The year after and Acid Reign were off touring with another of our favourite bands Nuclear Assault and released their debut "real" album THE FEAR.


Now, the band were getting quite a fair bit of attention in the music press, they were flying the flag for the British Thrash genre. Although they were nearly always pigeon holed as a joke band. They did a very good sense of humour, the Bermuda shorts and dress-up, a few jokey songs but mainly only as they were a great live party band. On record they were anything but. In fact although the record had a pretty punk production the songs were extremely mature and complex with some very relevant lyric subjects.

This album gave us the single "Humanioa" - there is even a video, here is it! The album even reached number 10 in the UK indie charts.



Remember this was 1989, and pretty advanced for the time. When you listen to it now you can hear a lot of the punk influences that the other thrash bands of the time just didn't get. And you can hear where bands like Municipal Waste etc get it from.

Come 1990 and the bands best release OBNOXIOUS.


This was a milestone for the band and UK thrash. A line up change had brought yet another level of complexity into the songs, and the lyrics became deeper and even darker, bordering on biographically honest. The tunes were intertwined with multiple layers, many changes, awesome solos and never outstayed their welcome. Sadly most reviewers of the time didn't get much father than the colour of the cover. Hello? It's called "Obnoxious"!

The logo was on the back of my leather jacket for years...probably still is if I knew where it was.

The album apexed and went out with a funky ditty just as if to say "you can't do better".

Many, many years after this album still stands the test of time. Acid Reign have influenced pretty much everything I have done musically since 1990, which was about when I started, so pretty much always.


I have since been lucky enough to have been in contact with some of the ex-members, mostly via a fan site I set up for the band back in 1990-something when the internet was in it's youth. I have even managed to work together with guitarist Kev when I roadied for Bullet For My Valentine.

Kev also played in the very jokey UK thrash band Lawnmower Deth who reformed for a few gigs recently. H, Acid Reign's vocalist made a few appearances at the show, mostly as his alter-ego "Keith Platt".

H now concentrates on his stand-up as Keith Platt while Kev is off round the world with various bands as a roadie. Some of the other members of AR hooked up with ex-Napalm Death growler Lee Dorian to form Cathedral.

Despite the growing interest in the old thrash scene and many bands getting back together, Acid Reign stand quite firm on not doing it...yet. Although there are some re-issues in the pipeline which will be a nice treat after so long.

ACID REIGN - never the worst of, always the best!