This Metal Mind Productions reissue of one of the new decade openers in Metal music, and there is a long list trust me, came to me just when it was important to point out that there is a whole legacy behind the German producer and of course bass player / vocalist, Mat Sinner, other than his well-known baby PRIMAL FEAR. Long story short, before PRIMAL FEAR, SILENT FORCE, GODDESS OF SHIVA, LEVEL 10 and his vast project line, there was, and proudly still is, SINNER. "The End Of Sanctuary" comes as SINNER's twelfth studio album, another brick in Sinner's wall of Teutonic Metal deliveries. Since the very beginning, Sinner knew how to create the right mashup, the thin line between classic Heavy Metal and Hard Rock coated with a thin layer of 80's driven AOR. Back in 2000, after the last break up of ACCEPT, it would appear that SINNER's music served the hunger for weighty riffery and the overall awesome feel of the metallic fist in a leathery spiky glove.

Talking about ACCEPT will easily let you in the lights of this album, rather similar to previous albums by SINNER, the flames of the old Teutonic gods breath mightily within the material, immersing it with their alluring magnetism. On the other hand, while being galvanized by Metal hymns, "The End Of Sanctuary" portrays the heavenly George Lynch oriented guitar riffs, performed by the awesome guitaring of Alex Beyrodt and then PRIMAL FEAR guitarist Henny Wolter, letting the 80's DOKKENish influence stride in for the kill. The general feel of the release, even slightly less cheery than the 80's and 90's album of SINNER and considerably darker, is still loosened up, rocking the house down but also keeping tabs on the pedal to the Metal, celebrating the good old days of Teutonic Metal with sheer finesse and utterly smothered catchiness. Sinner might not be what you would call, the ordinary old school Metal singer, but his gruesome voice, lacking almost every bit of range, suits the proceeding of the music admirably.

Sharing the love for 80's established Heavy Metal thunder, "Heavy Duty" took my attention right off with a blazing riff that left no place for a second guess accompanied by a striking chorus that shot class and a tasty soloing effort that screamed for heaven. Heavier than thou did the final track "Hand of the Saint", appealing once again with a tantalizing main riff that left me wishing it was the only riff on the song, showing a few signs of Sinner's strong PRIMAL FEAR entity that appeared to be looming beneath the surface. Simply a reach for the sky token of bliss. Getting that HELLOWEENish edge comes the melodic stormer, and superb anthem "Blood Relations", no doubt a proof that Sinner is a master at work with those catchy tunes, possibly the catchiest of them all. The keyboards intro was really not necessary for the introduction of "Edge of the Blade", mid-tempo piercer, lesser into the 80's kind of smoothness and into a slight modernized edge, yet still serving it the old way.

Frankly, following that period of time in Sinner's career, I didn't expect no more nor less from the guy. SINNER's music might became heavier that decade, especially with the closeness to Sinner's PRIMAL FEAR that seemed charged and on the roll, however, the Rock N' Roll edge that served him in the 80's remained true and adamant to the bone. These kinds of records of true dedication inspire even if in general they won't renew a thing.