SACRED REICH's PHIL RIND: Guitarist JOEY RADZIWILL 'Wrote 10 Out Of The 11 Songs' On Upcoming Album 'Into The Abyss'

In a new interview with Metal & Rock Zone, bassist/vocalist Phil Rind of Arizona thrash metal veterans SACRED REICH spoke about the band's upcoming album, "Into The Abyss", which will be released via Metal Blade Records. The follow-up to 2019's "Awakening" was recorded at The Focusrite Room in Mesa, Arizona, with John Aquilino and SACRED REICH at the production helm, and was mixed by legendary producer Bill Metoyer. Aquilino also engineered the effort, which will mark SACRED REICH's first LP since the addition of new drummer Eduardo Baldo, who replaced SACRED REICH's longtime drummer Dave McClain last fall.

Asked when "Into The Abyss" will see the light of day, Rind said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Next year sometime. We still don't have a date. We were hoping it would be August, September. That didn't work out. So, yeah, next year."

Phil went on to confirm that SACRED REICH guitarist Joey Radziwill, who joined the band in 2019, was responsible for most of the songwriting on "Into The Abyss".

"Joey wrote 10 out of the 11 songs," Rind said. "We were talking earlier, you can't go back to how it was. When older bands like us try to say, 'We're gonna try to capture the early-record stuff,' you just can't. You're not that person anymore. Well, Joey's still in his 20s. So Joey fucking captured it and crushed it. And I think fans of SACRED REICH are gonna be, like, 'What?' Yeah, fast, heavy... I was, like, 'Wow, man. Wow. Fucking impressive.' And Dave, that was his last record with us. He played his ass off. And when we heard those songs, we were, like, 'We need to step up,' 'cause Joey wrote some serious shit."

Phil added: "It's gonna be great. I think people will like it."

Earlier this month, Phil told Dionysis Metallourgos of Metalourgio about the lyrical themes covered on "Into The Abyss": "A lot has happened since 2019 when 'Awakening' came out. We all went through some dark times. I personally had a lot of challenges. The title 'Into the Abyss' reflects that. It is about going into the unknown. I think we all can relate to this. It's much darker musically and lyrically. There are a few optimistic songs which is important so we remember that this too shall pass."

Rind also touched upon McClain's departure from SACRED REICH, saying simply: "It was time for a change. Our new drummer Eduardo Baldo is a beast! Can't wait for you to see him."

Baldo, the Brazilian drummer who most recently played with the Los Angeles-based band RED DEVIL VORTEX, initially sat behind the drum kit for SACRED REICH's European shows in November 2025 with HATEBREED.

When SACRED REICH announced Baldo's official addition to the band last December, SACRED REICH said in a statement: "Baldo played the recent shows in Europe with us and crushed it! He's a great dude and fit right in with us. We are excited to move forward with Baldo behind the kit bringing his own style, enthusiasm and power. Welcome to SACRED REICH!"

In late October 2025, McClain commented on his latest exit from the band, explaining in a social media post that he "decided to move on" and adding that he would "still [be] 100% doing my thing, whether it's touring, recording, teaching or just playing in my home studio."

When SACRED REICH announced McClain's departure on October 20, 2025, the band wrote in a statement: "Dave McClain is no longer a member of SACRED REICH. We wish him the best.

"We are excited for this new chapter in SACRED REICH history."

McClain was originally a member of SACRED REICH from 1991 to 1995. He played on the "A Question" EP (1991) and the "Independent" (1993) and "Heal" (1996) albums before leaving to join MACHINE HEAD.

McClain rejoined SACRED REICH in December 2018 and recorded the band's first album in 23 years, "Awakening", which was released in 2019 via Metal Blade Records. The LP was produced by Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, POWER TRIP and CODE ORANGE, among others.

"Awakening" was described in a press release as "a timeless collection comprised of blistering thrash, crushing grooves, killer solos and socially conscious lyrics that demonstrate a true understanding of everything that matters most in the world today."

"Awakening" was engineered by John Aquilino and was mastered by Maor Appelbaum.