Formed in 1985 in the city most associated with grunge, Seattle, was Sanctuary. They released two killer albums before breaking up in 1991 due to the changing music scene and growing divisions within the band. They reunited in 2010, with their much vaunted comeback album The Year The Sun Died (Century Media) coming out in 2014.

This month sees the release of Inception (Century Media), which guitarist Lenny Rutledge describes in the album booklet as a prequel to their 1988 début Refuge Denied (Epic). Lenny found the demo tapes in a wet and mouldy box his barn/recording studio and over the course of a year Chris ‘Zeuss’ Harris (who, Sanctuary aside, has worked with Hatebreed, Municipal Waste, Rob Zombie and Queensryche) restored, remixed and remastered these rotting tapes to the album you see and hear today.

Recorded in 1986, Inception is comprised of 7 original versions of Refuge Denied tracks and 2 brand new songs; ‘Dream of the Incubus’ and ‘I Am Insane’. The former is the album opener and is a trademark slice of 80s Thrash, shredding guitars set to a galloping rhythm with Warrel Dane’s soaringly high vocals akin to Rob Halford. The charms of ‘I Am Insane’ are instantaneous, it is a short, sharp and concise blast of hooks that was inexplicably left off Refuge Denied.

The rest of the songs are similar to their 1988 siblings but varying in length and with a rawer, more organic sound. ‘Death Rider/Third War’ (‘Third War’ on Refuge), is still frenetically brutal and marauding metal but it is a tad longer. The same goes for the iconic ‘Soldiers of Steel’, the menacing tone and NWOBHM influences remain but lacking is the titanic drum sound and the Dave Mustaine production sheen of Refuge... Also on this record is their Jefferson Airplane cover ‘White Rabbit’, it is a brasher and vastly louder affair, recalling the punky Megadeth covers ‘I Ain’t Superstitious’ and ‘These Boots’.

Inception is a raw and intense album which has worth and is not just rehashing old material as is sometimes expected with these releases, this is in no small part due to the accompanying booklet. It offers an excellent insight into the band as it details the band’s beginnings, the local music scene, how they enlisted Dave Mustaine’s help, how they got signed to Epic, their first world tours, and their eventual break-up.

8.0/10

THOMAS THROWER