Sacred Blade
were formed in 1979 by main visionary/singer/song writer/guitarist Jeff
Ulmer and co-founder guitarist Will Rascan. After several demos in 1984
the band began recording for the opus Of the Sun + Moon under contract
with Roadrunner Records but due to label problems and only one record
label being willing to release the record in a deluxe gatefold LP sleeve
(An almost unheard-of thing for any band’s debut release at the time)
the record was delayed another two years released in 1986 on French
“Black Dragon” label. Even for 1986, Of the Sun + Moon was a pretty
unusual and progressive album; a lot of the riffs are pretty much USPM,
but it combines elements of prog rock and frequent acoustic passages
with a very "cosmic" tinge to them, as should be evident from the album
name.This album flows exceptionally well and although the individual
songs are quite noticeable if you analyse the album it is constructed in
such a way that songs connect in an effortless almost conceptional
fashion. Songs like Salem and Master of the Sun make for great high
octane headbangers while Of the Sun and Moon and The Pressing offer a
more dream like cruise experience through alien landscapes. Musically
Sacred Blade paints a picture akin to Roger Dean’s other-worldly
paintings, A very beautiful surreal experience. Sacred Blade were a very
unique and incredibly ahead-of-their-time band, when you think about
it. Line-up / Musicians Jeff Ulmer/vocals,guitar,bass,keyboards Will Rascan/guitar Paul Davis/drums James Channing/bass Discography Of the Sun + Moon 1986
1.The Shortest Song 2.Ayltuthus I 3.Of the Sun + Moon 4.Fieldz the Sunshrine 5.Salem 6.The Reign of Night Rainz 7.Legacy 8.To Lunar Windz 9.The Enlightenment/Masters of the Sun 10.The Pressing 11.In the Light of the Moon 12.Moon
