Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Corners of Sanctuary (COS) formed in early 2011 after a few of us were involved in a reunion project for a band we play with back in the 80s called Seeker. Our goal was to create music that, at the time, we weren’t hearing and that we wanted to hear and play...the kind of Metal we grew up listening to. Our music is a blending of our roots...that’s why we call it the “New Wave of Traditional American Heavy Metal.” We feel we have taken the best of what those early days of Metal were offering and we put a modern twist to it. It’s our way of paying homage to the players and the music that inspired us. 
2021 marks COS’s 10 year anniversary...it really doesn’t seem that long; time has flown by. We’ve gone through a couple of line up changes over the years but currently the band includes:
Mad T on drums, James Pera on bass and backing vocals, Frankie Cross on lead vocals and me (Mick Michaels) on guitar and keyboards.

How would you describe your style? Which bands influenced your music? 
Our music is a blending of our roots...that’s why we call it the “New Wave of Traditional American Heavy Metal.” We feel we have taken the best of what those early days of Metal were offering and we put a modern twist to it. It’s our way of paying homage to the players and the music that inspired us. 
For us, bands like Judas Priest, Accept, Savatage, AC/DC and so many others have been a strong influence on what it is we do. But it really doesn’t stop there...that list can go on and on and on and over the years we have found influence and inspiration from a multitude of places including the fans we’ve met with, places we’ve visited and experiences we have had. To some degree there is a story in every song we’ve written...like a musical history book.

Why should a metalhead buy your demos/albums?
Why should people listen to Corners of Sanctuary? Well, if you dig that old school, Classic Heavy Metal sound then this is something to check out. It has a throwback feel to it but with a completely modern edge...like trip through time without the hassle of traveling...Corners of Sanctuary...the modern sound of Classic Heavy Metal! 
We have a new EP titled “Blood and Steel: volume one” people can check out...it’s now available on RFL Records at Spotify, Deezer and Amazon. Additional volumes of “Blood and Steel” will be releasing later this year.

What have you released so far and how were your releases received by the public/media? 
We have released seven full-length albums, our latest which released last year, “Heroes Never Die,” a number of EPs and singles and even a Holiday album over the last 10 years. Plus we have been involved in a few multi-artist collaboration projects including Hear ‘n Now: an artist initiative.
Overall we feel the response and reception has been great. We’ve been very fortunate and are extremely grateful for all the support we have received. It’s an amazing thing to be able to share our music with so many people.

Do you play live as well? How's your live activity so far?
We absolutely do play live...well, not much at the moment ‘cause there’s thing COVID thing going on and all... but playing live is the cornerstone of this band; it always has been and will continue to be once things go back to some level of normalcy.
We have worked with a number of great bands including Stryper, UDO, Saxon, Grim Reaper, Butcher Babies...the list goes on. It has been such a time and as i mentioned before, we have been unbelievably fortunate to have had these opportunities.
We have toured across the United States as well as having had the opportunity to tour in Europe and the UK.  Music is like a magic carpet ride, you never know where it will take you.

What should labels/zines/promoters know about your band? Why should they be interested in it?
Again, if you are into that old school, early 80s Classic Heavy Metal sound then take a listen to Corners of Sanctuary. It has the best of what you remember from those early years of Metal.... Corners of Sanctuary...the modern sound of Classic Heavy Metal!
We are music fans first. Everything we do is about the music we make. Without the music, we have nothing.

What plans do you have for the near future as a band?
We plan to follow up our “Blood and Steel: volume one” EP with two more editions this year; one in the Summer and another in the Fall.  This project is part of our 10 year anniversary celebration among other things
We’ve also begun work on our next full-length album titled “Vengeance of the Fallen.”  We look to have it release sometime in 2022.
In addition to a number of online streaming events, like the Metal May I Fest in May, we are starting to book a few one off live shows as things are beginning to open up here and there.  Our first is in late April as we are part of the Metal for Autism Fest in Philadelphia. We plan to take it slow, but once all is back to well, we hope to get back out on the road ad make up for lost time.

Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
You can check Corners of Sanctuary out at our official website at www.cornersofsanctuary.com.  From there you can link to all our social media platforms, as well as sign up for our newsletter “COS Nation,” and see some videos. Plus you can check out some merch and our full music catalog.  There are even some free downloads available. More links are available below.  
You can also go to RFL Records at www.rflrecords.com as well as Spotify, iTunes, Google Music, Amazon and anywhere else music is purchased online to find Corners of Sanctuary.
Thanks so much for talking with me today.  It has been a pleasure. Stay strong, be safe and COSnROLL\m/\m/
Corners of Sanctuary
Official: www.cornersofsanctuary.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CornersofSanctuary
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cosnationmetal
Twitter: www.twitter.com/COSnROLL
 
Answers by Mick Michaels

March 2021