Reunited SANCTUARY Begins Writing New Material

Reunited '80s cult metal outfit SANCTUARY, which features in its ranks current NEVERMORE frontman Warrel Dane, has begun writing material for a new studio album. Dane tells MetalSucks, "Wait 'till you hear some of the new stuff! I've got a song that I've been working on the last few days. It's pretty frickin' cool. . . It sounds like 'Into The Mirror Black' stuff [SANCTUARY's second and most recent album, which came out in 1990], which obviously is the evolution of our sound."

Regarding SANCTUARY's decision to reunite after almost two decades of inactivity, Dane says, "I know I said years ago that I wouldn't do this. That was probably because most of [ the members of SANCTUARY] weren't really friends. We didn't talk to each other."

He adds, "The ending of that band was weird. It got kind of ugly at the end. Eventually, we grew up a little and started talking to each other again. Now, we're in a place where we're good friends again. Which is cool, 'cause we're all different people now.

"I had always thought that Len [Rutledge, SANCTUARY guitarist] … He tried a couple bands after SANCTUARY broke up, but then he kind of quit doing music. One day, it occurred to me that he's too talented to not be doing something. I thought, maybe we should work on something together and see what happens."

According to Dane, his signature high-pitched vocal delivery, which has been largely absent from some of NEVERMORE's most recent recordings, will make its return on the forthcoming SANCTUARY CD. Dane says, "I am going to go back and take more voice lessons before I even think about recording another SANCTUARY record. I have to! I haven't been using that aspect of my voice for years because in NEVERMORE, I don't think it's really appropriate. When you're singing that way, you have to be consistent. And since you're never too old to learn anything, why not go back and take lessons?"

Read the entire interview from MetalSucks.

As previously reported, SANCTUARY will perform at the September 19 "Thrash Domination 2010" event at Club Citta in Kawasaki, Japan. Also scheduled to appear are EXODUS, OVERKILL, OUTRAGE and AGENT STEEL.

Regarding how the SANCTUARY reunion will affect NEVERMORE, which released a new studio album ("The Obsidian Conspiracy") last month, Dane said, "NEVEMORE is never going away, so don't start any more rumors!"

On March 8, Ironbird via Cherry Red Records reissued SANCTUARY's first two albums — 1987's "Refuge Denied", produced by Dave Mustaine of MEGADETH; and 1990's "Into The Mirror Black", produced by Howard Benson — on a single CD.

"Refuge Denied" contains a great version of JEFFERSON AIRPLANE's "White Rabbit". "Into The Mirror Black", SANCTUARY's second and final album, is an overlooked masterpiece, blurring the lines between technical, Bay Area-style thrash, traditional heavy metal and European power metal.