Sanktuary - Winter’s Doom

Three years ago I reviewed this Canadian band’s debut album "Something Fierce", now we have "Winter’s Doom" which continues the power thrash route, the difference is it sounds much more mature. The songs are nailed harder and more precise and the vocals especially sound a lot stronger.

There are elements of the classic thrash era, Exodus, Death Angel and the melodic riffing comes across as a influence of Annihilator. The power element of the sound takes me to Germany’s Rage, particularly the use of vocal melody and in some cases, the rhythmic charge associated with tracks such as ‘Vermin Lord’ with its stark solo is an interesting experience.

For those who crave heads down thrashers, head to ‘Open Your Eyes’, whilst a song like the title tracks ‘Winter’s Doom’ is filled with riffs that form a cool melodic guitar master class of dexterity and impact. The overall impression is of more thrash on this compared to their previous offering, it’s pretty cool, especially the different vocal style to what you normally associate this sub-genre with.

All in all, time has been very king to this band, they have really mastered their song writing skills and come up with songs that sound free flowing and give you that excitement associated with the meatier thrash numbers that you may have encountered over the last thirty-plus years of the styles existence. Sanktuary may have cut their teeth more recently than most, but have quickly caught up to the leading pack and are a force to be reckoned with. Seriously worth checking out, it will make perfect sense.