![3D""=20](3D"http://www.whatsupyukon.com/images/stories/mini_masts/discourse.pn=)
It=20
has been many years since the music I worshipped was at the =
altar of=20
black and silver. In those days, I had really big hair and a =
large=20
collection of black T-shirts.
Today, while another day =
older and,=20
like a hard cheese, aging to a desired ripeness, I still =
have an ear=20
for loud guitars and drums in a rockin' good =
combo.
Whitehorse=E2=80=99s=20
own Sanktuary has released a five-song, self-titled CD, and =
within=20
its tiny, laser-etched grooves are hints and haunts of my=20
monochromatic youth.
The general tone of the CD is =
classic metal=20
music; that is to say crunchy, high-toned guitar with=20
ballistic-edged drumming bordering on mechanical blitzkrieg. =
With=20
the guitar tone, I have personal issues. This tone comes =
from the=20
1980s, an unfortunate decade in which the guitar, in my =
humble=20
opinion, lost its way.
With this nasty decade well past, =
I can=20
now look back with amusement and forward with some interest =
at the=20
CD at hand: Sanktuary by Sanktuary.
All my noted biases =
aside, I=20
still found the CD an interesting listen.![3D""](3D""=20)
The songs are more progressive than I =
expected. By=20
this, I mean the songs themselves are not just three-chord=20
knock-offs, but have some rhythmic and thematic movement =
within=20
them.
Take, for instance, the last song on the CD, =
Paradise Lost.=20
For one thing, it's long; it clocks in at 10:20, a =
length that=20
could challenge any band to maintain focus or hold the =
interest of=20
the listener. A Herculean effort overcome with interesting =
time=20
changes, a synth intro and a bridge that features bassist =
Cole=20
Hume.
Metal solos are notorious for being a showcase of =
shredded=20
notes.
I was impressed to hear some solo work by =
guitarists Alan=20
Binger and Glen Emond, on Death Dealer and Into the Inferno, =
who=20
found a home and groove for countermelody and generally =
allowed the=20
guitar to sing.
Holding his own, and holding down the =
beat, is=20
drummer Anders Grasholm. At times you have to wonder if he =
has a=20
hidden arm or a couple of extra legs. In metal, a mutant =
drummer=20
would be an asset.
All kidding aside, Grasholm is a =
powerhouse=20
that is up to the job and knows a thing or two about =
smacking the=20
skins.
As to the titles, Into the Inferno and Paradise =
Lost, I=20
would ask the question, Does this suggest a deeper =
Dante-Milton=20
connection or a simple Renaissance fetish? You be the =
judge.
For=20
a first CD, this certainly displays the band's ability to =
play in=20
this genre and, although all songs are original, it seems to =
have an=20
uncannily familiar Whitehorse metal sound.
Who knows ... =
perhaps=20
the metal scene in this town has spread its dark fruit wide. =
Could=20
this portend a Whitehorse metal compilation CD in the =
future? That=20
is one CD I would bang my head again =
for.
Sanktuary=E2=80=99s CD can be=20
found by contacting the band at =
www.myspace.com/sanktuaryslays,=20
trucking down to Triple J's Music or by checking out the =
local bands=20
section of your favourite CD shop.
Bill Polonsky is a radio =
geek at=20
CJUC 92.5 fm in Whitehorse and occasionally lurks on =
Facebook. He=20
can be contacted at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You =
need=20
JavaScript enabled to view it
.
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