BraveWords is streaming the blistering lead-off track from reunited Seattle metallers Sanctuary's anxiously-awaited third album, The Year The Sun Died. Check out "Arise And Purify" below. When asked to describe the album, singer Warrel Dane (Nevermore) told BraveWords recently that people are saying it sounds like mix between Sanctuary's last album, 1989's Into The Mirror Black and Nevermore's classic Dreaming Neon Black (1999).

The Year The Sun Died will be released on October 6th in Europe and October 14th in North America and will feature 11 tracks. There will be a deluxe media book, available exclusively at CM Distro in the United States, which features expanded packaging and the bonus track, “Waiting For The Sun”, originally recorded by The Doors. The vinyl version will come with a CD featuring this bonus track as well.

The Year The Sun Died album artwork was created by Travis Smith (Opeth, Nevermore).

 

 

 The 11 songs on the CD and LP are as follows:

"Arise And Purify"
"Let The Serpent Follow Me"
"Exitium (Anthem Of The Living)"
"Question Existence Fading"
"I Am Low"
"Frozen"
"One Final Day (Sworn To Believe)"
"The World Is Wired "
"The Dying Age"
"Ad Vitam Aeternam"
"The Year The Sun Died"

Sanctuary was formed in Seattle in 1985, they released two studio albums on Epic Records, Refuge Denied (produced by Megadeth's Dave Mustaine) in 1987 and Into The Mirror Black in 1989. Worldwide touring with the likes of Megadeth, Warlock, Fates Warning and Death Angel, just to name a few, followed each album. Singer Warrel Dane’s sky high vocals combined with guitarist Lenny Rutledge’s more mature take on classic thrash riffs separated Sanctuary from the throes of metal bands struggling to get noticed as at the time. Simply put, Sanctuary offered something fresh sounding in the muddled world of ‘80s thrash.

 

 

Sanctuary lineup 2014:

Warrel Dane – vocals

Lenny Rutledge – guitars

Jim Sheppard – bass

Dave Budbill – drums

Brad Hull - guitars

(Photo - Patrick Häberli)