Thrash Metal
  Uk
Released 15th of May, 2026

Where does one begin..?
I think we need to give this some context before diving into the latest album from the least likely of heroes from Harrogate.

Let’s be honest. I’m going to fanboy and squeal like a girl anyway, spoiler alert…

ACID REIGN are one of those bands on the lips of every thrash fan. Yet, through their initial 1985-1991 phase, every door was opened, each opportunity given and the most promising responses from fans and press was garnered. Unfortunately, hurdles were thrown and bastard bad luck was always a step ahead.
ACID REIGN became just another victim of record labels over saturating thrash metal signings and the extinction level kaiju that was grunge.

However, like those strange beasts that decimated the thrash horizon, ACID REIGN slept. Kept in a comatose state by singer HOWARD “H” SMITH, who monitored, and plotted a most devilish return. This came (with the blessing of the other original members) in the guise of a AR 2.0, with the very capable singles Plan Of The Damned in 2015, and The Man Who Became Himself in 2017.

These went down extremely well within the underground thrash community, and a heroic return came in the form of the astonishing 2019 album, THE AGE OF ENTITLEMENT. An album that, to this day, is still referred to at the MIG&S farm as “the greatest album Anthrax wished they could write.”

Of course, this being ACID REIGN we’re talking about, Mr Shit-out-of-luck had to stick his oar in and promptly plop a big old pandemic across the planet. The choice was stark and bleak for the band. Either weather it out or find another band/career. To be honest, nobody would blame anyone for choosing the latter, if food stayed on the table and a roof stood over it.
H stood firm in his belief, and bassist PETE DEE concurred and, when everything calmed down, AR 3.0 was assigned to lay waste to a ravenous nation starved of gigs and, boy did they make up the downtime. They have been hitting stages and busting ears ever since.

Which brings us to the now and ACID REIGN are back with a new album to rain down upon us. H and PETE DEE remain, as well as guitarist MATT SMITH, who has been a mainstay since 2022.
This time, for AR3.5, the numbers are bolstered by second guitarist DARREN MCGILLIVRAY and drummer JONATHAN GRIMLEY for this, their forth full album titled DAZE OF THE WEEK.

This is an album that has been gestating since 2022 at least. I know this because MATT played me and my mate some rough demo work of some pretty brutal thrash from his iphone after the London gig in 2024 (with H’s blessing). If you want a glimpse at where ACID REIGN wanted to go this time around, MATT was worried that the demos would be too heavy, and was told by H that they were, in fact, not heavy enough.

DAZE OF THE WEEK is, essentially, their second bite at bringing this resurgence back to the masses. Not that anyone needed much convincing.
New ACID REIGN is always a boon.
Beginning with THE WHO OF YOU to set the mood, we are set upon with a full frontal assault at high speed. The standard here is as high as you’d expect. Pristine production means every channel can be heard with clarity.
It’s with this clarity that the title track (renamed DAZE OF THE WEAK), NO TRUTH and CONNIPTION KING offer a refined tone to the classic AR sound. They hint at those old songs Humanoia, Life In Forms, etc…

This isn’t a reflection of one original member maintaining control, this is a band with a love for the old band and maintaining its unique corner of the thrash world. with enough fresh ideas coming in and given warm welcome and breathing space to expand the band’s toolkit.
Case in point being ALONELY, which proves that H was not lying when he went all Kylo Ren “More!” on MATT about songwriting. It gives Mr Grimley a real trial by fire, much like BLIND LIES with plenty of pedal punishment on the kicks.

A refreshing shift of norms comes in the form of placing the singles in the albums listing. Leaving them for the second half of the album gave me lots to dig into before being reminded of the pre release excitement. The first of which being the second single in the marketing push, SORROWSWORN. A proper metal call to arms against the worlds bullshit mongering with every box neatly and aggressively ticked… with a machete.

OLD YOUNG MAN is like showing me a black mirror. I find myself biting my lip sometimes about recounting the “old days” when I would be a pit rat. But, I’m happy being the grizzled barfly, proudly seeing the kids up front giving all hell at gigs. I’m also happy I don’t directly identify with the elderly gatekeeping this song portrays.

FANTASTIC PASSION (the first single released) offers up a hyperspeed collision of thrash anger before we get to the epic closing introspection of CENTRE OF EVERYTHING. Of course, this being ACID REIGN, epic usually means bloody heavy, and this song (in the chorus) is the closest to being a homage to Anthrax you’ll find from AR in a very, very long time.

Anyone who knows the story of Anvil are all too aware of what it takes to keep a band and make an album when you once enjoyed bigger stages and more countries to play them. It takes more than most can muster and respect to those that juggle bills and family with bands and gigs.
Respect also is given to young musicians coming into bands older than themselves with a vision that keeps the original idea alive.

Is DAZE OF THE WEEK another case of “the best album Anthrax never wrote?” No, not at all. Let’s bury that analogy right now.
DAZE OF THE WEEK is possibly the greatest, most complete album ACID REIGN have written. It is also one of the most essential thrash albums of the year and one, I hope, of many more to come.

DAZE OF THE WEEK is out now via Back On Black records and available to stream from major services.

Also available digitally on the Back on Black Bandcamp HERE.

Physical copies available from all good record shops.