UMUR "The Year the Sun Died" is the 3rd full-length studio album by US, Seattle based power/thrash metal act Sanctuary. The album was released through Century Media Records in October 2014. It´s the band´s first album in 25 years, as Sanctuary disbanded after the tour supporting their 2nd full-length studio album "Into the Mirror Black (1989)". Lead vocalist Warrel Dane, bassist Jim Sheppard, and guitarist Jeff Loomis (who was only a member of Sanctuary for 2 months before the split-up), went on to form the successful Nevermore, and it was initially the plan that the two bands would co-exist when Sanctuary reunited in 2010. When Nevermore folded in 2011, Sanctuary became the priority of Warrel Dane and Jim Sheppard again. They are joined here by original members Lenny Rutledge (guitars/main composer) and Dave Budbill (drums). The only original member not included in the lineup is guitarist Sean Blosl, who is replaced here by Brad Hull (Forced Entry).

The music on the album is unmistakably the sound of Sanctuary, even though it´s been quite a few years since their last release. In those years production standards have also changed significantly and "The Year the Sun Died" features an up to date, powerful, clear, and massive sound production, which suits the heavy music well. The musicianship are on a high level on all posts, and Warrel Dane´s distinct sounding and powerful voice is still the defining element of Sanctuary´s sound. He both sings and screams like he used to, but his singing approach is quite a bit more varied these days. The rest of the band are very well playing too. Solid rhythm work, heavy riffs, and melodic solos. The tempo is mostly kept mid-paced, and at times a bit more heavy and slow, but there are a few faster paced tracks on the album too. The band play both aggressive and heavy, but also master the epic and melodic.

It´s probably not completely fair, but it´s impossible not to make comparisons to Nevermore, and while there are quite a few similarities (especially in the vocal department), there are many differences too. The music style of both Nevermore and Sanctuary is US power/thrash metal, but there is a big difference between the two acts when it comes to the sophistication of the songwriting and to some degree the musicianship. Lenny Rutledge is both a skilled guitarist and composer, but he does not reach the incredible heights of Jeff Loomis. So while the material on "The Year the Sun Died" is generally of a high quality, catchy and memorable, it lacks the mindblowing riffs and solos, that grace most Nevermore releases. Lenny Rutledge´s riffs and solos on "The Year the Sun Died" are simply more "standard" for the genre. And that´s not to be misunderstood as if they are not enjoyable and powerful, but there is a difference between the absolute premier league of guitarists/composers (where Jeff Loomis belongs), and those belonging in the league under those, which in my book is where Lenny Rutledge belongs.

And it does have an impact on the overall listening experience, because there is generally a lack of really killer riffs that stand out on the album, so while the tracks as such are a great listen with strong vocal melodies, and clever arrangements, I miss those furious, raw, and "impossible to play" riffs from the best Nevermore releases. When that is said, the material is still of a high enough quality for "The Year the Sun Died" to be called a strong release. In fact it´s in many ways a high quality release and a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating isn´t all wrong.