Corners Of Sanctuary
For C.O.S. And Country
Track List Band Members 1- Victoria Stacey Lee- Vocals 2- The Raid (For God And Country) Mick Michaels- Guitar 3- Desert Angel Mad T- Drums 4- Sandstorm Salvation James Pera- Bass 5- Beware
Produced By: Band Website: Mick Michaels http://Cornersofsanctuary.com
The first thing about this record is the debut of the band’s new singer Stacey Lee (Orchestra In Black). I think you will be surprised about how well he fits in with the band. But before I get into that, I want you to take a minute and check out the album cover. I think that it’s done well and really represents the record. The artwork was a team effort between the band suggesting an idea and making it happen was the partnership Exquisite Noose Records and Vagabond Entertainment Group. Overall I think it hit the mark. Now on to the EP.
The first song is Victoria. You may be familiar with it because it is. It appeared on their “Declaration Of Metal” album. The band thought it was a good way to introduce Lee to the fans with something they know, a nice touch I think. Something with something new as they say, I enjoyed Lee’s vocals on this. All together its a solid effort by both the band and Lee.
The Raid (For God And Country) is the next song and the current single and because of that I’ll let you dive in on your own and discover it.
Desert Angel is the third track and probably my favorite on the album. I’m not sure if it’s Lee’s influence or the combination of the excitement he brought to the band. All I can say is that the new material on this album is different. The vibe and the tone is refreshing. This song really brought that home to me. The riff is catchy, and the Mad T’s drumming and James Pera bass playing truly stand out on this song. The way Pera follows the drums just resonated with me. You really need to pay attention from the middle to the end of the song to see what I mean. That’s pure gold right there. Dare I say this should be on the airwaves. Enough about this one on to the next.
Sandstorm Salvation is true to the core sound of the band but different. First thing I noticed was the backup vocals and harmonies are different. Usually Pera sings along with the lead but in this he sings separately as well as together. I have to say Lee really does a great job delivering on this one. Another thing that I enjoyed is how the song builds with Michaels riffs and Lee’s vocals, something that I didn’t expect from them. Something unique to this song is Lee’s singing which accented by the drums is just fantastic. There are a lot of exciting changes in this track, it’s a pleasure just to hear them all. Not to mention the magical guitar solo Michaels puts out. Melodic and shredding, you can’t get much better than that and then the song ends abruptly, another surprise. This track is the whole package, a joy to listen too.
FInally we come to Beware and instrumental. A nice way to end the EP. Like I do in all my reviews, I always let you check out some songs on your own, this would be the second one. In closing, I have to say this EP is refreshing. It’s like a phoenix for the band with Lee at the helm. The boys are true to who they are yet different. I really am at a loss to describe it. They did some unique things on this record that were firsts for me. It’s raw and polished as well energetic. This EP takes the band to another level, and I, for one, am very pleased with it. My understanding is the band will be releasing the new version of Victoria as well as Sandstorm Salvation singles from the record. The latter I hope takes off for them.
Songs to check out are Desert Angel and Sandstorm Salvation.
Check out the video for their first song The Raid (For God And Country) below.
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