Corners Of Sanctuary
I believe this is a first for the band to do a tribute EP to one band or artist. In this case it’s Def Leppard. Hence the EP title “Defying. A Tribute E”’. You can get a copy here. Corners Of Sanctuary chose three songs, which are;
1: Rock Of Ages 2: Bringin’ On The Heartbreak 3: Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes)
The first thing you will notice when you play Rock Of Ages is that they add in a broadcast from the BBC (England’s all in one News provider). I thought that was an interesting way to open the song. I feel their version is slightly more uptempo than the original. Mad T’s drumming is a refreshing interpretation versus what you know of the beat. I found that to be the highlight throughout the song. He is also complemented by James Pera’s bass playing. These two together are a lethal rhythm section. They do change up the lyrics a little changing Rock several times that fits in nicely. The boys kept somewhat to the original but made it their own. I’m sure this would go over well live if they add it into their set.
Bringin’ On The Heartbreak is my favorite of the three they covered. Frankie Cross sings this one in a way I haven’t heard him do before and he also brings in a lot of emotion to it as well. The band isn’t really known for doing ballad like numbers, so this just gives you another side of the band. Mick Michals brings in a piano on their version and it works. I wasn’t expecting that and i think it just shows how the band can diversify if they need to. They also added some sound effects within the song, like a baby crying. All together I like what they did with this and it is a nice tribute to the version we all know.
Finally, we have Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes). The song opens with the band going down the radio dial as it tells you about Def Leppard’s original lead guitarist Steve Clark’s death. Oncross does a great job vocally here and especially with the harmonies he does with Pera. Maybe the radio intro about Clark’s death was the band foreshadowing the masterful and shredworthy guitar solo that Michaels does in this song. Trust me, you won’t find this in the original. This solo is worth the price of the record. It’s one of the best I have heard him play. Eargasmic doesn’t seem to be enough of a word to describe it. It’s definitely a great homage to Clark. I think it’s better than the original by far.
Overall, this is a revitalizing approach to these legendary Def Leppard tracks. The band does a nice job of putting their stamp on them. You definitely feel their DNA all over them. Since the EP is three songs, I suggest you give them all a listen. Check out Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes) below.
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