In Search of Sanity
In Search of Sanity is the third studio album by English thrash metal band Onslaught, released in 1989. This album was originally recorded with Sy Keeler, but London Records were not impressed with the final product from a commercial point of view and enforced a re-mix and a complete re-recording of the vocals by Grim Reaper frontman Steve Grimmett, being the only album featuring him. It features their longest song to date "Welcome to Dying".
| In Search of Sanity | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 22 August 1989 | |||
| Recorded | July–December 1988 | |||
| Studio | Westside, Eden and Smokehouse Studios (London) Atlantic Studios (New York City) | |||
| Genre | Thrash metal | |||
| Length | 57:17 | |||
| Label | London | |||
| Producer | Stephan Galfas | |||
| Onslaught chronology | ||||
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| Singles from In Search of Sanity | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Martin Popoff | [2] |
While the album was mostly in the same thrash/speed metal vein as The Force, it contains a more polished sound than Onslaught's previous albums, acquiring a more progressive and melodic edge.[3][4] Despite meeting mixed reviews by their fans, In Search of Sanity was moderately successful, peaking at number 46 on the UK charts while the single "Let There Be Rock" peaked at number 50 in that country.[5] It was also Onslaught's last album before disbanding in 1991, only to reform in 2004 and the release of their fourth album Killing Peace in 2007.
The album was remastered and re-released by Blackend Records on 30 October 2006, after being out of print for some years.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Asylum" (Instrumental) | Stephan Galfas | 5:16 |
| 2. | "In Search of Sanity" | Nige Rockett, Rob Trottman, James Hinder | 7:32 |
| 3. | "Shellshock" | Rockett, Trottman, Hinder | 6:54 |
| 4. | "Lightning War" | Rockett | 7:03 |
| 5. | "Let There Be Rock" (AC/DC cover) | Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott | 4:06 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Blood Upon the Ice" | Rockett | 8:31 |
| 7. | "Welcome to Dying" | Rockett, Trottman, Hinder | 12:45 |
| 8. | "Power Play" | Rockett, Trottman, Hinder | 6:30 |
| Total length: | 57:17 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Confused" (Angel Witch cover) | Kevin Heybourne | 1:58 |
| Total length: | 59:15 | ||
Note
In 2016, the album was packaged by Dissonance Productions containing a second disc of a recorded live concert in 1989 at the Bristol Hippodrome. The track listing is as follows:
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "In Search of Sanity" | |
| 2. | "Shellshock" | |
| 3. | "Fight with the Beast" | |
| 4. | "Blood upon the Ice" | |
| 5. | "Metal Forces" | |
| 6. | "Lightning War" | |
| 7. | "Welcome to Dying" | |
| 8. | "Let There Be Rock" |
Personnel
- Onslaught
- Steve Grimmett - vocals
- Nige Rockett - guitar
- Rob Trottman - guitar
- James Hinder - bass, backing vocals
- Steve Grice - drums, backing vocals
- Additional musicians
- Jody Gray, Dave Taggart, Phil Caffrey, Masaki Yamada, Stephan Galfas - backing vocals
- Steve Laws-Clifford - keyboards
- Production
- Stephan Galfas - producer, engineer, mixing
- Paul Mortimor, Richard Barraclough, Jean Baptiste Liere - engineers
- Noah "T.T." Baron - mixing
References
- Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Onslaught - In Search of Sanity review". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
- Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. ISBN 978-1-894959-31-5.
- "Onslaught – In Search Of Sanity (2CD via Dissonance)". withguitars.com. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- "No Life 'til Metal - CD Gallery - Onslaught". nolifetilmetal.com. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 407. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.