Reverend was started by the late David Wayne in 1989 after he parted ways with Metal Church. The band was quick to get to work and released this debut album in 1990. Wayne was definitely an influential thrash vocalist in his day, though this album sees him approaching some of the calmer aspects of metal. There are a couple ballads and also several other songs that incorporate more melodic riffs at slower tempos. However, this record does have a number of faster, thrashier songs as well, and some of these are really great.

The first song, Remission, begins with a lot of energy, reminding me of Halford's solo work. Even so it stays pretty basic with fast riffs and double bass drumming. The vocals can sound a little muddy in the production; perhaps they are too low and getting lost in the music. The guitars are probably the strongest part of the sound, shredding through everything with thrash oriented riffs. Other than the minor production issue, I like the vocals laid down by David Wayne, who sounds like a cross between Judas Priest's Rob Halford and Bobby Ellsworth of Overkill fame. However the lyrics are a bit mediocre at times – "demons grab your balls"? What the hell ever. Another Form Of Greed uses the same formula but slows it down a little bit, throwing in some nice guitar solo work as well. The vocals are a bit weak on the kind-of-a-ballad Scattered Wits. The chorus is definitely the weakest part of the song, but overall it's just not very creative. Leader Of Fools is a decent calmer track. It reminds me a bit of the serene atmospheres Judas Priest used to create during the 70s. The title track definitely succeeds in bringing the energy level back up, with fast guitars and a catchy chorus. There is also some great guitar solo work, which hasn't been heard much up until this point. Rude Awakening just does not keep the energy going though and slows things down too much in my opinion. Killing Time steps it up again with in-your-face energy and soon became one of my favorite songs on the album. It's quite catchy and easy to get into with jackhammer drums and quick riffs. I could definitely see this song tearing it up at a live show. Wayne also shows just how much of a range he has with that powerful voice. 11th Hour ends the album on a slower, but still heavy, note.

If you want some decent thrashy heavy metal to listen to and haven't heard this before, I suggest trying to find it. The music is quite good and should keep you entertained for at least a few listens, but after that don't expect much. The albums that have true replay value are still those from legendary bands like Overkill and Megadeth, but this is a decent attempt by Wayne at metal that also includes some melody. However the best parts are when the energy is high and everything is going at breakneck speed, and unfortunately that is not a very consistent part of this album.