Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Corners of Sanctuary formed in 2011 after James (Pera), Sean (Nelligan) and I (Mick Michaels) got together for an anniversary reunion with the band, Seeker, in 2010. During the brief reunion, Sean and I began talking about starting a new project that would capture the spirit of the Heavy Metal we grew up with but with a modern feel. So we started working with a handful of songs I had already been writing. Soon after, we had about a dozen or more songs completed and ready for studio. At that time we brought James in to play bass. Sean was handling drums and vocals and I on guitar and keyboards. After about two years Sean decided to step down as singer and focus entirely on drums. So in late 2013 we brought Frankie (Cross) in to fill the position.
How would you describe your style? Which bands influenced your music?
We feel we play Heavy Metal. However, Heavy Metal is a much broader term nowadays and style classification is a big thing with the listeners. Often we find that when we say Heavy Metal or just Metal, it doesn't mean the same thing anymore. So when pressed, we say we are traditional Heavy Metal.
We have been heavily influenced by Judas Priest, Accept, Dio, Sabbath – a lot of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands. Huge impact not only as musicians but as fans too.
Why should a metalhead buy your demos/albums?
If you like old school traditional Heavy Metal, then Corners of Sanctuary would be a great addition to your collection.
What have you released so far and how were your releases received by the public/media?
We have released a handful of EPs, including a Christmas download, as well as three full length albums. Overall, the response has been stellar. And that’s an awesome feeling – someone else digs what you’re doing. But, you are always gonna have your dislikes, even haters, and that's cool too...you can't please everyone and really that isn't the goal. If you try you are just setting yourself up to fail in a big way. And in the end you wind up disappointing yourself. We go with what feels good and what’s right for the music making it the best we can. We stand by that.
Everyone has an opinion, everyone has particular tastes. And that's what makes the world great.
Do you play live as well? How's your live activity so far?
Yes we play live. It is such a vital part of the music experience for us and the fans. It’s a magic all its own and we find it as an inspiration to keep going and to creating. We stay busy with live shows. In 2014 we more than doubled our show schedule and we look to increase it even moreso in 2015.
What should labels/zines/promoters know about your band? Why should they be interested in it?
We love what we do and it's all about the music.
What plans do you have for the near future as a band?
We are working on a new album titled Metal Machine and plan to release it sometime this year.
We are also gearing up for a bunch of shows for 2015 with the first show kicking off in New York City.
Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
Visit our official website www.cornersofsanctuary.com
You can get everything there from music downloads, show dates, order CDs, buy merch and link to our social media outlets.
February 2015