In the early 90s, there was a metal band named Sacred Asylum. I was the drummer for the said band, in which I played one of those huge fortresses of a drum kit. I was skinny, and I had hair. That’s me on the left.
We had one original, which was the self-titled masterpiece, “Sacred Asylum”, which was amended from its original version entitled simply, “Sacred”. I had the honor of writing the lyrics for the song.
The song itself is a great example of early 90s metal. If I had to compare it to any bands, I’d say it could be the love-child of Whitesnake and Ratt. The foundation is a tasty guitar riff, supported by solid drums and bass. The strings in the background hold it all together and add a bit of mystical flair. There is an interlude in the middle with lower dynamics, featuring clean arpeggiated rhythm guitar, with a stellar lead sitting on top, which then evolved into a double lead, and then soars back into the chorus, before the majestic ending. I may be biased in my evaluation of the song, but you’ll just have to put up with that.
My goal…my first REAL project in my home studio…is to take that song and record it properly. There is only one recording of the song in existence that I know of, and it’s a low-quality VHS recording. Here is that actual video, recorded in 1993.
Sacred Asylum performing Sacred Asylum in 1993.
Back in 2013, I endeavored to begin recording the song. I learned the guitar part and laid down very basic drums with, if I recall correctly, FruityLoops and some free samples I found online somewhere. The guitar was recorded with my super awesome Peavey Vortex 2, and the bass is a cheap P-Bass clone I got for Christmas when I was in high school. Strings are my Yamaha MM6 keyboard. It’s very robotic and kinda weak but gives a better representation of the song. Here is that demo.
Because I wasn’t totally happy with the product I was able to produce at the time, I archived this project. Now, five years later, I have more knowledge, and better equipment and software. I figure it’s time to go ahead and record this song as it should be. Big, majestic, powerful metal that will make your head bang whether you want it to or not!
Being primarily a drummer, my hands can’t always play the guitar parts the way my brain wants them to. So, I’ve enlisted the help of a friend and fellow musician/vocalist to help with the parts I can’t pull off. We are currently in the preparation process, and as I have updates, I will post them here and on the YouTube channel, if I have media. To whet your appetites, here’s the main riff I recorded this month, playing the guitar parts myself.
Yeah, I know it just repeats over, and over, and over, but I promise there will be more to come! Stats for this recording: Same Peavey Vortex 2 guitar through Line 6 XT Live. Fender Geddy Lee signature Jazz Bass, Superior Drummer 3.
Here we go! Thanks for reading.
Darkewood Music 