Those were the best days of my life. Most people only dream of doing what we did, and don't forget we were only kids. We saw the world and met some great people. Playing pool with Stuart Copeland while I was recording the drums for Sanity was a great memory for me. Chatting with Keith Richards, at 4am at the studio in New York while mixing the record, is another one. Standing at the bar in the Cat Club in New York drinking with The Ramones, on tour for 3 weeks with Motörhead, drinking through the night with Philthy Phil Taylor... I could go on and on but I did these things, mate, and I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to do so.
- Steve Grice / The Sanity Days interview, 2014
ONSLAUGHT released the In Search of Sanity album - their third and final, until reforming in 2006 - on this day in 1989 through London Records.
I understand why our hardcore fans don't particularly like that album. It's a little bit too polished, it took all the aggression away that we had. If you listen to the demos they sound a bit more like "The Force" [1986], I think our American producer did come out a bit too slick. That is not to say that there aren't some great songs on there, it's actually our best selling album by a long, long way. We have tried to play some songs from it live but they really don't seem to fit in. In a way we are kind of proud of that album but at the same time it was a difficult one because it was a difficult time for the band with Sy Keeler leaving and Steve Grimmet coming in, who wasn't a popular choice among the fans. The fans have always seen Sy as the ONSLAUGHT singer and we tend to avoid that album nowadays.
- Nige Rockett / Onslaught interview, Critical Mass, 2011
In Search of Sanity was the first and only album to feature Steve Grimmett, best known as GRIM REAPER vocalist from their first LP See You in Hell until their last, Rock You to Hell in 1987.
...from what I can remember. London records signed us with Sy as the singer and, despite all previous rumors, they went through hell and high water to keep Sy as the front man. They laid out thousands of pounds to send Sy to not only singing lessons but to a health farm to trim him down, at one point. It was somebody's sudden intention that "we" now had to divert our sound from the typical Thrash vibe that everybody was familiar with and now sound more mainstream (hence bringing in Stephan Galfas, who produced Stryper and Meat Loaf, to try and guide us from the traditional sound that people were used to). At the end of the day, the decision came down to the band, a fact that we have always steered away from in previous interviews to guard our morals. Why the need to cover up something that I felt was always blatantly bloody obvious? Trying to fabricate the past to protect your own reputation is crazy and is something I was very uncomfortable about.
- Steve Grice / The Sanity Days interview, 2014
After a couple of low-profile singles in 2006, ONSLAUGHT returned with the well-received Killing Peace in 2007 and a line-up including Sy Keeler back on vocals, Nige Rockett and Steve Grice.
...the reason we came back is that we have a point to prove. We split on a bad situation and wanted to come back and make an album that was what "In Search of Sanity" maybe should have been. We spent a lot of time making sure that "Killing Peace" was right because we knew that people were going to ask that question; "what are ONSLAUGHT back for?" It was very important to make a strong thrash album. I think that's exactly what we did and that people know that we are back for some serious business and not just for fun.
- Nige Rockett / Onslaught interview, Critical Mass, 2011