Nevermore is a band that pretty much every fan of Metal knows about. This band has grown into such a strong entity in the Metal world that it's name has become more of a household occurance in the Metal community then that of the writings of Poe. But what many fans of this band don't know, and even of this style of music in general, is that there existed a band before. Nevermore had actually formed out of the ashes of the mid-eightiest Power Metal group, Sanctuary, a little known band who has been greatly shadowed by the success of the band it's material gave the blueprint to.
Back in 1985, Sanctuary had formed with Jim Shepphard on Bass and Warrel Dane as the group's vocalist. Aside them, there was also the drummer, Dave Budbill, and guitarist, Lenny Rutledge. Of course, this was of the time the album disbanded, as the group had other members including Sean Blost and Jeff Loomis eventually replaced him. The latter two of this band are not listed as contributing members to any other bands, however Jim and Warrel eventually moved on to form Nevermore. Over the course of Sanctuary's lifespan, the band recorded a demo in 1986, but that was only issued as a promotional tool for the band to get signed to a label. To this day the demo was never officially released. The two songs on the demo eventually led to a record contract with Epic Records, and Refuge Denied was issued in 1987.
The only problem here was that Refuge Denied did not do much for the Power Metal field, and eventually it seemed to get lost in the mix of the many other Power Metal bands from that time. The release boasted a good number of catchy tracks, as well as haunting releases. There was never a music video made, which surely did not help the cause for this album, but the band did go out on tour with Megadeth, who's main musician Dave Mustaine had produced this full-length offering for them.
Two years after the release of Refuge Denied, Sanctuary entered the studo once more, and come up with the album that would eventually become the blue print for the start of Nevermore. Of course, this is the final studio recorded offering, Into the Mirror Black. The more Progressive musical approach and modern production values set the band apart from the fading traditional eighties Heavy and Power Metal bands, as well as the growing Death Metal base entirely. However with the surge of Grunge bands taking over, this too became an album lost in the sea of music, though this time a music video was shot for the song "Future Tense", and pushed hard through media outlets. It was around this time, however, that Sean Blosl parted ways with Sanctuary, and Jeff Loomis filled in.
In 1991, the group had called it a day, supposedly due to pressure from Epic Records for the band to fit the Grunge style, which caused the band to split between the direction the group would go in. While there is an EP of live recorded material, it was meant to promote a live recording that never surfaced. What would have been a nice farewell for the band was never released, and instead, this disbanding forged the start of the powerhouse group we've come to know now as Nevermore.
But, the story does not end here. In fact, this is has a bit of a happy ending, as the band has apparently reactivated back in 2010, and there are supposed plans to issue a brand new full-length recording with the initial members of the band except for Sean Blosl, who is busy with other projects. Sanctuary, at the time of this feature, was last seen ont he first 70,000 Tons of Steel metal festival cruise, and will supposedly play at ProgPower USA when it happens this year. But, for now, it's worth getting accustomed to this earlier material of the band since a new release may be on it's way. It also doesn't hurt to become more aware of this band if you're a fan of Nevermore, and just want to know where it all started...
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Refuge Denied |
The debut full-length recording from Sanctuary, and definitely a rocky one. While it's not the most horrendous mid-eighties Power Metal offering, it feels rather cliche with only a couple songs that are really exciting. The rest of the material is still enjoyable, and often solid, though geared more towards a haunting sound with some rather Progressive ideas that are not executed too well. While it's best to walk in without expecting the world from it, Refuge Denied is still a solid offering, though nothing too major that you have to run out and go buy right away. It has some good songs that should be heard, and some you can live without hearing once, let alone again, but even they are still a little engaging to warrent a decent score and some replay.
-> Read the review here.
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Into the Mirror Black |
For fans of Nevermore, this is perhaps where it all genuinely started. While Refuge Denied lays out some ground work for the future Nevermore foundation, it's this album that really drives it home. Much of the stereotypical ideas that cluttered Refuge Denied are dropped, the vocals are restrained from constant shakey falsettos, and it just makes for a very interesting album all together. The Progressive elements here are worked into the music nicely, and it really sets this release apart from the others of the time, being an unrecognized Metal gem thanks to the warring music styles of it's time. It's not the most amazing effort, but it's still a solid offering from start to finish, though some songs don't quite have the most appealing impact. Either way, if you're a Nevermore fan, this is an effort that you simply need to sit down with and experience to get a better understanding, and even a better appreciation of the evolution that occurs right from the start of Nevermore's career.
-> Read the review here.
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