Sanctuary
Wiki entry
Sanctuary is a heavy metal band founded in Seattle, Washington in 1985. The band consisted of Warrel Dane (vocals), Lenny Rutledge (guitar), Sean Blosl (guitar), Jim Sheppard (bass), Dave Budbill (drums), and in the end Jeff Loomis.
Contents
History
They released a demo in 1986, which was well received, and that lead them to sign with Epic Records in 1987. They released their debut album, Refuge Denied, in the same year. It was produced by Dave Mustaine, frontman of thrash metal band Megadeth. Thus followed a tour alongside Megadeth and the German band Warlock.
After the tour, they entered the studio to record their second and final studio album, Into The Mirror Black, in 1990. A video clip for the song Future Tense was made and it received some air play on MTV's Headbanger's Ball. During the tour (with the bands Forbidden and Death Angel), the guitarist Sean Blosl left the band and was replaced by Jeff Loomis.
Shortly after, pressure from Epic Records to fit in with the flourishing Seattle grunge scene caused disagreements between band members (regarding the band's musical direction). So it followed that in 1991, Sanctuary officially disbanded.
Epic Records was to release a full length live recording from this final tour but only a limited number of copies of a promotional live EP ever saw the light of day. It was named Into the Mirror Live.
Refuge Denied and Into The Mirror Black were re-released as a double CD set by IronBird Records on February 22, 2010.
Post-breakup
Warrel Dane announced in May, 2010, that Sanctuary will reunite to record a new album. Warrel confirmed on Nevermore's official forum that he can still hit the high notes he did in Sanctuary's early days. However, he did not say whether or not he'd be implementing them into the new album. Sean Blosl is currently working on a film called "Into The Heart Of Shiva" and won't be taking part in the reunion.
Recently announced that their only US appearance in 2011 will be at ProgPower USA held annually in Atlanta. They will be headlining on Friday night.
Personal Take:
The seemingly obvious comparison for Sanctuary is Nevermore. However, I would argue comparing the two is akin to comparing apples and oranges. The only true link between the bands is bassist Jim Sheppard. What about Warrel Dane you ask? Warrel is a common component in name only. I doubt there's a person alive who could listen to Refuge Denied and Dreaming Neon Black and guess those two discs were recorded by the same vocalist.
What Sanctuary brought to the table was a unique sound that married a dark flavor of Power Metal with elements of Thrash, further characterized by a vocalist whose falsetto could make King Diamond sit up and take notice.
For some reason, I always think of Sanctuary and Warrior Soul as two peas in a pod. As Metal began its decline, due to an endless stream of Pop Metal bands who desperately wanted to be the next Motley Crue, Sanctuary and Warrior Soul stood out as two unique voices, swimming against an overwhelming tide of unoriginality that would eventually sweep Metal out of the public consciousness.
Discography at a Glance:
Refuge Denied: released in 1987, this disc is best known for four things; Warrel's aforementioned falsetto, Dave Mustaine's role as producer, the Metal classic "Battle Angels" and the twisted re-imagining of the Jefferson Airplane classic, "White Rabbit". Musically, it's a solid release that established Sanctuary as a band with a unique sound that ran counter to the upbeat Metal popular at the time.
Into the Mirror Black: released in 1990, Into the Mirror Black is by far the superior of Sanctuary's two studio releases. Musically, vocally and lyrically there's a drastic leap forward in terms of maturity. Warrel's boiling falsetto finds a comfortable simmer, Lenny Rutledge and Sean Blosl hit their stride as a guitar tandem, and the band as a unit just seems more comfortable in their own skin. While Refuge Denied often feels like a band searching for themselves, Into the Mirror Black demonstrates a cohesion and confidence missing from the debut. Had Metal not already begun its decline, Sanctuary might have captured a much wider audience; Into the Mirror Black might have become a Metal classic, rather than a hidden gem.
Quick Song Hitlist:
Such a list is necessary when a band has a massive catalog. As Sanctuary sports a mere two releases, I'd simply recommend checking out "Battle Angels", "White Rabbit" and the entire second disc.
YouTube Links:
Wiki entry
Sanctuary is a heavy metal band founded in Seattle, Washington in 1985. The band consisted of Warrel Dane (vocals), Lenny Rutledge (guitar), Sean Blosl (guitar), Jim Sheppard (bass), Dave Budbill (drums), and in the end Jeff Loomis.
Contents
History
They released a demo in 1986, which was well received, and that lead them to sign with Epic Records in 1987. They released their debut album, Refuge Denied, in the same year. It was produced by Dave Mustaine, frontman of thrash metal band Megadeth. Thus followed a tour alongside Megadeth and the German band Warlock.
After the tour, they entered the studio to record their second and final studio album, Into The Mirror Black, in 1990. A video clip for the song Future Tense was made and it received some air play on MTV's Headbanger's Ball. During the tour (with the bands Forbidden and Death Angel), the guitarist Sean Blosl left the band and was replaced by Jeff Loomis.
Shortly after, pressure from Epic Records to fit in with the flourishing Seattle grunge scene caused disagreements between band members (regarding the band's musical direction). So it followed that in 1991, Sanctuary officially disbanded.
Epic Records was to release a full length live recording from this final tour but only a limited number of copies of a promotional live EP ever saw the light of day. It was named Into the Mirror Live.
Refuge Denied and Into The Mirror Black were re-released as a double CD set by IronBird Records on February 22, 2010.
Post-breakup
- After disbanding, Warrel Dane, Jim Sheppard and Jeff Loomis formed the band Nevermore in 1991.
- Dave Budbill lives in Florida, and is currently the drummer for Alive Inside.
- Sean Blosl is creating music and film independently through Golden Flower Media.
- Lenny Rutledge became a musical producer, and has his own studio. Additionally, he helped Nevermore on the demo sessions of their 1999 album, Dreaming Neon Black.
Warrel Dane announced in May, 2010, that Sanctuary will reunite to record a new album. Warrel confirmed on Nevermore's official forum that he can still hit the high notes he did in Sanctuary's early days. However, he did not say whether or not he'd be implementing them into the new album. Sean Blosl is currently working on a film called "Into The Heart Of Shiva" and won't be taking part in the reunion.
Recently announced that their only US appearance in 2011 will be at ProgPower USA held annually in Atlanta. They will be headlining on Friday night.
Personal Take:
The seemingly obvious comparison for Sanctuary is Nevermore. However, I would argue comparing the two is akin to comparing apples and oranges. The only true link between the bands is bassist Jim Sheppard. What about Warrel Dane you ask? Warrel is a common component in name only. I doubt there's a person alive who could listen to Refuge Denied and Dreaming Neon Black and guess those two discs were recorded by the same vocalist.
What Sanctuary brought to the table was a unique sound that married a dark flavor of Power Metal with elements of Thrash, further characterized by a vocalist whose falsetto could make King Diamond sit up and take notice.
For some reason, I always think of Sanctuary and Warrior Soul as two peas in a pod. As Metal began its decline, due to an endless stream of Pop Metal bands who desperately wanted to be the next Motley Crue, Sanctuary and Warrior Soul stood out as two unique voices, swimming against an overwhelming tide of unoriginality that would eventually sweep Metal out of the public consciousness.
Discography at a Glance:
Refuge Denied: released in 1987, this disc is best known for four things; Warrel's aforementioned falsetto, Dave Mustaine's role as producer, the Metal classic "Battle Angels" and the twisted re-imagining of the Jefferson Airplane classic, "White Rabbit". Musically, it's a solid release that established Sanctuary as a band with a unique sound that ran counter to the upbeat Metal popular at the time.
Into the Mirror Black: released in 1990, Into the Mirror Black is by far the superior of Sanctuary's two studio releases. Musically, vocally and lyrically there's a drastic leap forward in terms of maturity. Warrel's boiling falsetto finds a comfortable simmer, Lenny Rutledge and Sean Blosl hit their stride as a guitar tandem, and the band as a unit just seems more comfortable in their own skin. While Refuge Denied often feels like a band searching for themselves, Into the Mirror Black demonstrates a cohesion and confidence missing from the debut. Had Metal not already begun its decline, Sanctuary might have captured a much wider audience; Into the Mirror Black might have become a Metal classic, rather than a hidden gem.
Quick Song Hitlist:
Such a list is necessary when a band has a massive catalog. As Sanctuary sports a mere two releases, I'd simply recommend checking out "Battle Angels", "White Rabbit" and the entire second disc.
YouTube Links:
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