From The Vault - NEVERMORE and SANCTUARY

Late 80s/early 90s melodic thrash metal band Sanctuary reformed after the demise of Nevermore in 2011, and they are coming to Station 4 in St. Paul this Saturday. The current version of Sanctuary features all original members except guitarist Jeff Loomis (who played Station 4 recently with Soilwork), including Nevermore singer Warrel Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard. Their new album, The Year The Sun Died, is slated for release later this year. Here's a variety of pictures and promotional items from Sanctuary and Nevermore that I unearthed from the archives.

Sanctuary only released two major label albums, and this flyer is from a show in support of the second, Into The Mirror Black. The date of this show is September 3, 1990 at Partytown in Des Moines, Iowa; Minneapolis band Intensity was one of the openers. This was a show that, unfortunately, I could not attend.

I first saw Nevermore on October 28, 1997 at Roadhouse Ruby's in North Kansas City while they were promoting their second album, The Politics Of Ecstasy. They were opening for Flotsam & Jetsam, and put on an excellent show where they even played one Sanctuary song, "Sanctuary". You can read my account of the show in more detail and download the complete audio of the concert here.

Nevermore's third album, Dreaming Neon Black, is their finest. The first promotional picture below is from 1998 on the eve of the album's release. In September or October 1999 I was fortunate enough to catch Nevermore on this tour opening for Mercyful Fate in San Diego at Cane's. The growth and confidence of the band on stage had increased exponentially, no doubt Nevermore was sensing the band's rising status.

Nevermore promotional picture from 1998.

Nevermore in 2000.

Dead Heart In A Dead World took Nevermore into darker, more complex musical territory and was a worthy successor to Dreaming Neon Black. I also saw them once on this tour at Brick By Brick in San Diego as direct support to In Flames with Shadows Fall and Burn It Down. Most of the material from the first two albums had largely vanished from their show at this point, this particular concert primarily focused on Dead Heart In A Dead World.

2000 show poster signed by all members of In Flames.

Click on any of the pictures to see more live photos from Nevermore on December 11, 2000 (13).

Nevermore was essentially an outgrowth of Sanctuary, so if you're a Nevermore fan you will be want to catch Sanctuary when they are here.

Sanctuary performs tomorrow, Saturday, April 27 at Station 4 in St. Paul with support from Hollowstone, Avian, and Redshift.