What is a band debut doing on Roadrunner? These days, the label seems to trade only blue chips, solely acquiring seasoned veterans with established fan bases. Thus, Roadrunner A&R VP Monte Conner must have seen long-term potential in Asheville, NC's Sanctity. If so, his instincts are correct. After only a handful of demos, Sanctity already rival the rest of Roadrunner's roster.
Road to Bloodshed fairly screams "Roadrunner." It has melodic hooks, memorable choruses, and pristine, compressed production from Jason Suecof, who is shaping up to be the American Andy Sneap. Somewhere in there, though, lies the spirit of old-school metal. This is Sanctity's strongest suit. Ironically, the band's future depends on its invocation of metal's past.
Sanctity's influences are varied: old-school thrash, '80s power metal, Swedish melodeath, and a whole lotta later Testament (Jared MacEachern's beefy, melodic vocals often recall Low-era Chuck Billy). While the band hasn't yet shaped these influences into a unique whole, its holistic approach to them is unique. This band doesn't feel like a bunch of new jacks who came up through MySpace. Their songwriting is confident, fluid, and fat-free, and could easily be the work of veterans.
Sure, bands everywhere are jumping on the old-school thrash bandwagon. Even metalcore bands with little connection to thrash are suddenly citing it as an influence. However, Sanctity understand there's more to old-school thrash than a few polka beats. Likewise, they understand that Swedish melodeath came from the power metal of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Thus, these guitar harmonies feel older, more grounded, more trend-proof. "The Shape of Things" is a banging exercise in traditional power metal; "Once Again" is a modern update of King Diamond.
In short, this is the record that Trivium's The Crusade should have been. That band was onto something with its melding of many of the same influences Sanctity have. But Heafy and co. derailed into Hetfield worship, and ended up with populist pap that rang false. While Sanctity occasionally feel slick, their roots go deep. Half a point off for the horrible lyric "And now you're stuck, you stupid fuck" – but otherwise, this branch of the metal tree should grow far.
8/10
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