SANCTUARY — Into The Mirror Black (review)

SANCTUARY — Into The Mirror Black album cover

Album · 1989 · US Power Metal

4.5/5 · 2015-07-10
adg211288

Into the Mirror Black (1989) is the second full-length album by US power metal act Sanctuary. Sanctuary would break up in 1992 making Into the Mirror Black their last record until getting back together in 2010 and then later releasing their comeback album The Year the Sun Died (2014), a twenty-five year gap. While the band was inactive members Warrel Dane (vocals) and Jim Sheppard (bass) made more of a name for themselves with Nevermore.

While Into the Mirror Black mixes the same sort of blend of styles, US power metal, traditional metal and thrash metal, it's actually quite a different sounding album compared to the band's debut Refuge Denied (1987). The reason for this is Warrel Dane, whose vocals sound a lot more restrained on Into the Mirror Black compared to Refuge Denied. He still hits some high notes but doesn't dominant the album with them. Although I quite like the high register singing on the debut I can imagine it's an acquired taste which would make Into the Mirror Black a more accessible release from Sanctuary.

The song-writing remains pretty strong on the album. Future Tense is especially a really great way the kick the album off. I rarely pay attention to lyrical themes, but I have to take note of the lyrics of the song this one time as although partially dated with lines like 'what will the nineties hold?' the 1989 song still otherwise holds a lot of relevance even now, twenty-six years later, in 2015. Maybe more so, even. I mean the first lines are 'What do you see on the news when you watch T.V. War in the name of God, or a playground killing spree'. Sounds pretty damn familiar doesn't it? I hope I'm wrong, but I honestly don't think the song will have lost any meaning in another twenty-six years.

Back to the music now. as I said, Future Tense is a great song, my favourite from the album and one of my favourites from Sanctuary in general too. I don't find that every song on Into the Mirror Black stays with me in the same way as those from Refuge Denied do, but this is a high quality record on all fronts too. Another highlight for me is One More Murder. Like Future Tense it has a pretty catchy chorus that sticks with me long after the album has ended. 4.5 stars.

more than 2 years ago
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powermetal2000 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Ended up quite liking this band, especially their debut. Turns out I actually knew their song Battle Angels without realising it. Think it might have been used in Brutal Legend.

powermetal2000 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I guess I'll have to check them out.

adg211288 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Yeah I'd say so. The first two records from the 80's are USPM, but their comeback album from 2014 is a bit more in the genre hopping style that I associate with Nevermore, though I'd say it's more traditional based than anything.

powermetal2000 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

So Sanctuary is pretty different to Nevermore?

powermetal2000 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Oh. Well that's OK then.

666sharon666 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Good review by the way. Personally I prefer this one to Refuge Denied but each to their own.

666sharon666 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Ninja'd by Unitron. ;)

666sharon666 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

You should do better research powermetal2000, Nevermore haven't been placed in power metal on MMA for three weeks now. They were moved to thrash metal.

Unitron wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Nevermore has actually been moved to thrash recently.

powermetal2000 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I've never thought very highly of Nevermore so have never given this band a go. They sound as if they might be more to my liking though if they're more power metal based (I don't agree with Nevermore more being placed under power metal here on MMA, but meh, no one listened the last time I tried to point out an incorrect genre placement).

adg211288 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Yeah I don't listen to new stuff whenever I'm on a binge of a certain artist. It's Iron Maiden for me right now.

Unitron wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Great review, I still need to listen to this one but those lyrics sound really strong. I also need to catch up on those recommendations, been too much on an Ozric Tentacles kick as of late.