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SANCTUARY
OK, I'll admit it. My first encounter with Sanctuary's debut was brief, lasting only the first song and a half before it was taken back to the place of purchase. In those days (1988) I had yet to realize the concept of music having to "sink in". To put it simply, what this Seattle based outfit had assembled was way over my head. But something made me actually buy the tape a second time, and upon further review it became quite clear. "Refuge Denied," produced by Megadeth's Dave Mustaine, is one of the greatest heavy metal masterpieces ever. PERIOD. How do I describe the Sanctuary style? Musically, take early Queensryche and mix in an equal amount of Metal Church. Vocally, forget it, Warrel Dane is nothing short of a vocal acrobat. From the lowest of lows to highs that make King Diamond cower in fear. Lyrically, tales of passage to the afterworld, the quest for eternal knowledge, and the supernatural.

Enough can't be said about this classic. Just crank up the opening track "Battle Angels" and prepare to be amazed. Equally as brilliant is the sophomore effort, "Into The Mirror Black". Unfortunately, Sanctuary fell victim to internal conflict and the ever changing music scene, thus denying the world what would have been a third masterpiece from this legendary band. Fortunately, Warrel Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard formed the almost as impressive Nevermore. "Almost" simply because Warrel has toned down the vocal range that defined Sanctuary. Not to distance Nevermore from Sanctuary, but at a certain producer's request. Distancing the bands will be almost impossible anyway. To this day, 14 years after the release of "Refuge Denied" and five Nevermore CD's, you can still hear the overwhelming chants for "Battle Angels" at any Nevermore show. The slaughter is on.... 
DISCOGRAPHY:
REFUGE DENIED (1988) Epic
INTO THE MIRROR BLACK (1990) Epic
by Shane.