Acid Reign – Daze Of The Week
Acid Reign – Daze Of The Week
Back On Black Records
Release Date: 15/05/2026
Review by Victor Augusto
9.5/10
I believe there is a kind of magic among great Thrash Metal bands from the late eighties or early nineties that stopped their activities too soon and then returned years later. The most famous that you can think of, maybe, are bands such as Onslaught or Death Angel, but also there are a couple of important names like the Canadians of Infrared, and the great Acid Reign from the UK. These last two ones, I was lucky to discover in my work as a reviewer, and I can affirm that all of them carry a kind of good energy over their music that I can’t even explain. Maybe it’s something coming from their desire not to stop again that unconsciously makes them sound so amazing. I don’t know exactly.
I had the chance to listen to Acid Reign in 2019 when they released their first album after their return, and it’s hard not to become a fan of them on first listening if you are addicted to Thrash Metal as I am, but there is a very classy sonority coming from these guys. I remember mentioning Classic Metal or Punk Rock as small influences over their music in their previous album, “The Age Of Entitlement”, but this time they are more aggressive. Many times, they indeed remind me of bands that I mentioned having a similar history, such as Death Angel, but also Exodus’s way of exploding riffs into your face, and drum lines that never let you down.
Nevertheless, they still have a classy British way of being acid or sarcastic in their criticism in their lyrics, and for me, it is the “charming” side of being brutal in this music. One example is the game of words of the album title “Daze Of The Week” that made me think it is a reference to the days of the week. At least for me, who lives days of torment almost every day, all week long, it can easily daze your brain. There is another puzzle game with words when they change it to ‘Daze of the Weak’ on the second track, which is about someone who is losing his identity, and it can be the result of dazing weeks or days, like losing his strength. At least it is what I think the band tried to say.
The old Classic Metal influences mentioned in my last review are still there, making all that charming impression (or bla bla bla from my side) even more pleasant, and I can mention the melodies and solos alongside the entire album, as you hear in the fast ‘Sorrowsworn’. Also, the more cadenced ‘Conniption King’ can show it, with good harmonies. Of course, the good vocals of H, mixing clean and aggressive parts, may increase this feeling, and he has his highlight on the closing song ‘Centre Of Everything’, but don’t fool yourself if you think it can sound light for them. It’s quite the opposite, and they are “thrashier” than ever.
Musically, I felt the band was tighter than before, and it’s funny because there is a new line-up called Acid Reign 3.0, and I loved this package upgrade. Not only have the compositions reached another level, but the audio quality of this recording is equally amazing. To my surprise, the band mentions that there is nothing digital in this album and everything was analogue recorded, which made me even more impressed by it.
The second album after their return is a mind-blowing one, and for a band with so many decades, it just shows that all fury and anger was still there, just waiting for the proper riffs, beats, grooves, and screams to be put out of the chest. For sure, this album will be on my top 10 list of the best albums of 2026. The brutal and sharp Thrash metal here is something dazing, without any pun for the album title.
TRACKLISTING:
- The Who of You
- Daze Of The Weak
- No Truth
- Conniption King
- Alonely
- Blind Lies
- Sorrowsworn
- Old Young Man
- Fantastic Passion
- Centre Of Everything
LINE-UP:
Howard Smith – vocals
Matt Smith – guitars
Darren Mcgillivary – Rhythm Guitar
Pete Dee – bass
Johnny Grimley – drums
LINKS:
