Sacred Oath - Biography
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2005-
1984-2005
Biography
Sacred Oath was conjured into reality by two kids working as dishwashers in a hamburger joint in suburban Connecticut in 1985. Rob Thorne and Pete Altieri were best friends, co-workers, and both students at Bethel High School when they decided to form a band dedicated to developing the new sound they had found in bands like Fates Warning, Metallica, and Mercyful Fate.
Within a few months, Rob and Pete recorded and released "Sacred Oath" - a 3 song cassette demo - with drummer Greg Kallas. The three-piece performed frequently in the Danbury area and began gathering a strong fan base. By 1986, they added a second guitar player (Wayne Christiano), replaced drummer Greg Kallas with Kenny Evans, and released a second demo "Shadow Out of Time." This recording secured them a contract with the Mercenary/Celluloid label based in New York City.
Wayne left the band and was replaced by Glen Cruciani in the autumn of 1986, just as Sacred Oath was getting label interest. At this time they began playing with well-known local acts like Fates Warning and Liege Lord, both of whom were signed to Metal Blade Records. Exposure to those audiences in larger halls really fueled the fire under Sacred Oath's upward trajectory, and their fans - the "Oathbangers" - continued to turn out in greater and greater numbers for the band's theatrical performances.
In the spring of 1987, Rob, Pete, Kenny and Glen entered Presence Studio in East Haven CT and recorded their debut LP "A Crystal Vision." It was released early in 1988 by an optimistic, but financially troubled Mercenary Records. The label went bankrupt shortly after, and the band broke apart in the meantime. None of the foursome ever knew that their debut had gained a foothold in Europe and was gathering a cult following.
In 1998, Rob, Pete, and Kenny reunited to record bonus tracks for a reissue of "A Crystal Vision" put together by Sentinel Steel Records. Joined by guitarist Todd Rose, they ultimately recorded two bonus tracks plus the entire song list from "A Crystal Vision" and released it as "A Crystal Revision," but it wasn't until 2007 that they would reunite with Glen Cruciani and complete an album of new material called "Darkness Visible." The long-awaited sophomore effort was met with critical acclaim and rewarded with invitations for the band's first European tour. The very first show they played was at the Keep It True Festival and was captured in the live album "Till Death Do Us Part" which was chosen as one of iTunes top 8 metal albums of the 2008.
By 2009, Sacred Oath had gone through a couple lineup changes and now guitarist Bill Smith and bassist Scott Waite had joined Rob and Kenny to record "Sacred Oath," which included the band's most successful single "Counting Zeros." The video for this song and an interview with Sacred Oath aired on MTV's Headbanger's Ball program, thrusting them into the national spotlight and helping to further develop their fanbase in America.
Sacred Oath quickly entered the studio in the spring of 2010 and recorded "World On Fire" in an effort to assure the fans that they had no intention of letting years go by between albums. Critics and fans alike recognized "World On Fire" as the band's strongest album to that point and Sacred Oath played several tour dates in the US. Another MTV video premier with the single "Meet Your Maker" helped to keep the band's efforts visible on an international scale.
A 'best of' compilation "Spells and Incantations" was released in 2012 while the band recovered from a difficult recording schedule and disappointing tour that left Kenny Evans in physical rehab with a severely injured lower back. In their free time, plans were made to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Oath's debut album, including a vinyl reissue of "A Crystal Vision" and a brand new recording with the four members that recorded that album.
The resulting album "Fallen" was originally conceived as an EP side project but quickly became a full length LP once Rob, Pete, Kenny and Glen began the process of writing the new material and producing recordings. It was obvious to Rob right away that there was some magic happening in the reunion and a push was made to expand to 10 songs, with separate editions mastered for CD, vinyl, and iTunes. The album will be released worldwide on May 28th 2013 and the band may or may not tour following its release.
Souse: http://sacredoath.net/biopage/
Within a few months, Rob and Pete recorded and released "Sacred Oath" - a 3 song cassette demo - with drummer Greg Kallas. The three-piece performed frequently in the Danbury area and began gathering a strong fan base. By 1986, they added a second guitar player (Wayne Christiano), replaced drummer Greg Kallas with Kenny Evans, and released a second demo "Shadow Out of Time." This recording secured them a contract with the Mercenary/Celluloid label based in New York City.
Wayne left the band and was replaced by Glen Cruciani in the autumn of 1986, just as Sacred Oath was getting label interest. At this time they began playing with well-known local acts like Fates Warning and Liege Lord, both of whom were signed to Metal Blade Records. Exposure to those audiences in larger halls really fueled the fire under Sacred Oath's upward trajectory, and their fans - the "Oathbangers" - continued to turn out in greater and greater numbers for the band's theatrical performances.
In the spring of 1987, Rob, Pete, Kenny and Glen entered Presence Studio in East Haven CT and recorded their debut LP "A Crystal Vision." It was released early in 1988 by an optimistic, but financially troubled Mercenary Records. The label went bankrupt shortly after, and the band broke apart in the meantime. None of the foursome ever knew that their debut had gained a foothold in Europe and was gathering a cult following.
In 1998, Rob, Pete, and Kenny reunited to record bonus tracks for a reissue of "A Crystal Vision" put together by Sentinel Steel Records. Joined by guitarist Todd Rose, they ultimately recorded two bonus tracks plus the entire song list from "A Crystal Vision" and released it as "A Crystal Revision," but it wasn't until 2007 that they would reunite with Glen Cruciani and complete an album of new material called "Darkness Visible." The long-awaited sophomore effort was met with critical acclaim and rewarded with invitations for the band's first European tour. The very first show they played was at the Keep It True Festival and was captured in the live album "Till Death Do Us Part" which was chosen as one of iTunes top 8 metal albums of the 2008.
By 2009, Sacred Oath had gone through a couple lineup changes and now guitarist Bill Smith and bassist Scott Waite had joined Rob and Kenny to record "Sacred Oath," which included the band's most successful single "Counting Zeros." The video for this song and an interview with Sacred Oath aired on MTV's Headbanger's Ball program, thrusting them into the national spotlight and helping to further develop their fanbase in America.
Sacred Oath quickly entered the studio in the spring of 2010 and recorded "World On Fire" in an effort to assure the fans that they had no intention of letting years go by between albums. Critics and fans alike recognized "World On Fire" as the band's strongest album to that point and Sacred Oath played several tour dates in the US. Another MTV video premier with the single "Meet Your Maker" helped to keep the band's efforts visible on an international scale.
A 'best of' compilation "Spells and Incantations" was released in 2012 while the band recovered from a difficult recording schedule and disappointing tour that left Kenny Evans in physical rehab with a severely injured lower back. In their free time, plans were made to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Oath's debut album, including a vinyl reissue of "A Crystal Vision" and a brand new recording with the four members that recorded that album.
The resulting album "Fallen" was originally conceived as an EP side project but quickly became a full length LP once Rob, Pete, Kenny and Glen began the process of writing the new material and producing recordings. It was obvious to Rob right away that there was some magic happening in the reunion and a push was made to expand to 10 songs, with separate editions mastered for CD, vinyl, and iTunes. The album will be released worldwide on May 28th 2013 and the band may or may not tour following its release.
Souse: http://sacredoath.net/biopage/