Few Asheville bands have acheived the national and international following of Asheville-based heavy metal rockers Sanctity.   Sanctity boasts one of the strongest followings on MySpace of any Asheville band with the possible exception of Secret Lives of the Freemasons. 

As of Feb 11, 2008 Statistics on the Sanctity MySpace site showed: 
MySpace Views:   314,900     
MySpace Plays:  397,826    
MySpace Fans:   22,461

The band keeps up a grueling tour schedule with appearances across the nation and into Europe where they've built a large and  loyal base of followers.  Keeping up such a heavy touring schedule is a difficult life, especially when you have family and other concerns at home.  In the past few days, two core members of Sanctity made the tough decision to leave the immensely successful band and devote more time to the home front.   Lead vocalist and guitarist, Jared, became the father of a beautiful baby girl in December of 2007 and as any parent knows, your whole life changes when that child comes into your life.  Bassist, Derek, has also left the band to tend to devote more attention to needs at home.  Fellow band members have voiced their total support Jared and Derek in their decisions. 

Fortuitously, Sancity had already planned to add a new member to the lineup early this year.  Brian Stephenson (ex Annihilator) was already scheduled to join the band on the current tour and is performing with the band now.

The band changes were not totally unexpected and remaining band members remain committed to the continuing the Sancticity tradition of rocking to the max with hardcore metal.  "Perseverance is nothing new to Sanctity, we've dealt with everything from gear being stolen, being stranded in Wisconsin, bus accidents, and now this. "

Sancity latest release, Road to Bloodshed, was released in 2007 and received high praises and high sales volume.   With the shift in band lineup, the recording will stand as a marker of the band's success under the previous lineup.   Fans are cautiously  optimistic that new bandmates will bring the same energy and musical skill their fans have come to expect.

Sancity's fans are extremely passionate and loyal to the band and were quick to react on the Sancity Message Board (http://sanctityweb.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=6 )

Jared's soaring vocals will be sorely missed and it remains to be seen who will step up to the microphone to take the lead.   Fans are bemoaning the loss of the 2 key bandmates, but are loyally optimistic that the band will continue on the same path.    

Despite having two members leave, Sanctity continues it's current tour obligations in the West and Northwest areas of the US and Canada.    Hometown friends Zach Jordan and Scott Smith (both in Above the Means) are filling in on guitar and bass respectively and the band will be decide on a permanent lineup once the current tour ends.  

The remaining tour schedule includes:

11.02.2008 The Warehouse, CalgaryCanada
13.02.2008 Plaza Club, VancouverCanada
14.02.2008 El Corazón, SeattleUSA
15.02.2008 The Hawthorne Theater, PortlandUSA
16.02.2008 The Boardwalk, OrangevaleUSA
18.02.2008 Slim's, San FransiscoUSA
19.02.2008 House of Blues, San DiegoUSA

EDITORS NOTE: When news of the shifting band lineup broke, The Asheville Music Scene was already in the process of an in-depth feature story on the band and their success.   Those articles will be published on this website in the near future.
 

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