FROM THE CRYPTS - CELEBRATING PAST ALBUM RELEASES in the HISTORY of HARD ROCK & HEAVY METAL…
The first time I heard Warrel Dane was on the Sanctuary song Battle Angels from the Megahurtz compilation, released via Epic Records in 1988. I was hooked from the first note that he had sang. When the band called it quits following the release of Into the Mirror Black, I was crushed. Then, Nevermore came on to the scene and all was good once again. And again, I was crushed when Nevermore called it quits. But, Sanctuary were revived and the scales were balanced once again. You see, it did not matter what band he fronted, as long as Warrel Dane’s amazing voice and lyrical content were there, it was golden. And, his solo efforts are no exception. Along with Geoff Tate, Rob Halford and Midnight (R.I.P.) of Crimson Glory, Warrel is on the top 5 list of my favorite vocalists (Ray Alder of Fates Warning rounds off the list). I saw Nevermore a couple of times and met Warrel Dane on both occasions. He was quiet, humble and the times he spoke, he was very humorous. There is no-one quite like him in the “World of Metal”, and there never will be. He was one of a kind, and I along with thousands more, will miss him dearly. Shadow Work is Warrel’s final work, posthumously released, and a fitting farewell to a man that touched many with his words. — E.N. Wells
Rest In Peace Warrel Dane (Warrel George Baker; March 7, 1961 – December 13, 2017)
On October 26, 2018 Warrel Dane’s final solo full-length studio album Shadow Work was released posthumously via Century Media Records.
Background:
Although the recording sessions were originally planned for October 2016, sessions for Shadow Work, the follow-up to 2008's Praises to the War Machine didn’t begin until autumn of 2017. The sessions were held at Orra Meu Studio, São Paulo but after Warrel Dane's death, recordings stopped.
On December 13, 2017, it was reported that Dane had died of a heart attack in São Paulo, Brazil, at the age of 56. It was there that he was working on his second solo album. The guitarist of Dane's solo band Johnny Moraes stated that, "He died in the night. He had a heart attack. He was in the apartment where he stayed during the recording of the album when it happened. I gave him cardiac massage and we called the Mobile Emergency Care Service (SAMU), who came very fast, but when they arrived, he was already dead." Moraes stated that Dane was already facing a lot of health issues due to a history of alcoholism and diabetes mellitus type 2.
After reviewing the material that could actually be completed using vocals from the various studio and pre-production sessions with Warrel, the decision was made to release his final recordings as Shadow Work since it had already been revealed as such in March 2016.
Note:
On January 14, 2018, one month after Dane's passing, the Brazilian movie director Daney Carvalho released his debut short film O Ano em que o Sol Morreu (a reference to the title of the Sanctuary album The Year the Sun Died), a drama and a tribute to Warrel Dane, on YouTube. The movie was originally released in May 2016 as part of a Brazilian festival, but the director chose to make it publicly available after the singer's death. Dane himself met with Carvalho that year, when the independent director interviewed him for a local Brazilian TV program during college. According to Carvalho, Dane was given a private screening of the movie after he finished post-production and thought it was "great" and "terrifying".
Critical Reception:
Shadow Work received great reviews, with manofmuchmetal.com stating; “Anyone familiar with Nevermore or Dane’s debut solo album, Praises To The War Machine will hear plenty on Shadow Work to enjoy and soak up one last time. It is impossible to not hear Dane’s past endeavours in this music because his voice is just so unique. Literally no-one sounds quite like him and as a died-in-the-wool fan as I am, this is the most difficult thing to come to terms with.”
Much Metal concluded with; “Ultimately, any kind of score for this album is unnecessary and redundant. Those who are fans of Nevermore and Warrel Dane will almost certainly buy this because it is the last chance to hear new material from him. And, in any case, this isn’t the finished article, not what Dane and his band had originally envisaged. On top of that, I cannot guarantee that my score won’t be influenced by sentimentality. All you need to know is that I like it and, if you’re a fan of Dane’s previous output, you’re likely to as well. So, for once I’ll leave the score blank and simply say this: Warrel, thanks for the music, rest in peace.”
While newnoisemagazine.com stated; “Warrel Dane died with the same grudge against humanity that he’s had for decades, and this literal dark night of the soul seems to be one final manifestation of that. Nevertheless, Nevermore fans will be greatly pleased by the context of this album, and it should definitely go down as one of the best releases of the year. They can try to replace him, but no one in this genre will ever be able to match Warrel Dane. Let us hope that in death, he has finally found peace.”
Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells
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