Right before the onslaught that became grunge in the early 90’s, there was a regional Seattle powerhouse by the name of Sanctuary, which is best known as the original band of Warrel Dane, Jeff Loomis and Jim Sheppard of Nevermore and Alice in Chains fame. However, unlike the modern metal sound of Nevermore, Sanctuary and their 1988 album Refuge Denied was the quintessential example of U.S. power metal. In fact, Sanctuary was such a hot ticket during their debut era, that they managed to get a deal with Epic and have their record produced by none other than Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine. However, after the release of Refuge Denied and their eventual follow up Into the Mirror Black, Sanctuary was put under pressure to succumb to the power of their major label overseers to transform their image and sound into the rising popularity of grunge in the Northwest. Naturally, Warrel and the rest of the band issued a big “fuck you” to their label, which eventually lead to the band’s eventual break up and reformation as Nevermore soon after. However, in their prime Sanctuary was a fantastic band with a side of Warrel’s voice that was much more of a shriek and dramatic than the melancholy his style would turn itself into in later years. Refuge Denied is truly an album that people need to at least check out, as this album and the entire Sanctuary legacy are an unsung, yet critical junction in the history of Northwestern metal.

CODY