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Warrel Dane

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Warrel Dane
Dane performing in 2005
Dane performing in 2005
Background information
Birth nameWarrel George Baker
Born(1961-03-07)March 7, 1961
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
DiedDecember 13, 2017(2017-12-13) (aged 56)
São Paulo, Brazil
GenresHeavy metal, progressive metal, thrash metal, power metal
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Years active1983–2017
LabelsCentury Media
Formerly ofSerpent's Knight, Sanctuary, Nevermore

Warrel Dane (/ˈwɒrəl/; born Warrel George Baker; March 7, 1961 – December 13, 2017)[1] was an American musician and the lead singer for the heavy metal bands Sanctuary and Nevermore. He was a natural baritone;[2] though he was initially known for his high-pitched vocals with Serpent's Knight and on the first two Sanctuary albums. Later in his career, Dane became more recognized for his distinctively deep, dramatic voice.

Career

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Dane at Wacken Open Air 2014

Dane trained as an opera singer for five years and developed a broad vocal range, spanning from notes as low as G♯ below low C, or G♯1, to notes as high as the B♭ below soprano C, or B♭5. While his high head voice vocals were more prominent in the earlier Sanctuary albums, he occasionally employed them in his work with Nevermore as well. Sanctuary's 2014 comeback album, The Year the Sun Died, features these higher passages on three songs.

Dane provided the voice of Candynose Twinskins in the musical comedy Metalocalypse on Adult Swim.

Dane's first solo album, Praises to the War Machine, was released on May 13, 2008, by Century Media Records. At the time of his death, he was working on a second album,[3] which he stated would differ from his first solo effort: "Some of it is just brutally heavy", Dane said.[4] In March 2016, the title of the album was revealed to be Shadow Work.[5] The recording session was initially scheduled for October 2016.[6]

Influences

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Dane's musical influences included Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Jefferson Airplane, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, and The Doors,[7] while his primary vocal inspirations were Ronnie James Dio, Rob Halford, George Strait, and Bruce Dickinson.[8]

Death

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On December 13, 2017, it was reported that Dane had died of a heart attack in São Paulo, Brazil, at the age of 56.[1] He had been working there on his second solo album, Shadow Work. Johnny Moraes, the guitarist in Dane's solo band, stated, "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 mentioned that Dane had been dealing with numerous health issues, including a history of alcohol abuse and type 2 diabetes.[9]

Legacy

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On January 14, 2018, one month after Dane's death, 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 tribute to Dane, on YouTube.[10] The movie was originally released in May 2016 as part of a Brazilian festival,[11] but Carvalho decided to make it publicly available after Dane's death. Dane met Carvalho that year, when the independent director interviewed him for a local Brazilian TV program during college.[12] According to Carvalho, Dane was given a private screening of the movie after post-production was completed and described it as "great" and "terrifying".[13]

Discography

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Serpent's Knight

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  • Released from the Crypt (1983)
  • Silent Knight... of Myth and Destiny (2010) – disc one vocals

Sanctuary

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Behemoth

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Lady Catman

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  • Eyes Wide Open (2018) – guest vocals

Solo

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Shaded Enmity

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  • And Life Was Great.... (2013)

Nevermore

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Watch WARREL DANE's Final Performance On Brazilian TV, Recorded Two Weeks Before His Death". Blabbermouth. December 16, 2017. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  2. ^ Hasbrouck, Greg. "Interview with Warrel Dane – conducted by Greg Hasbrouck, 2011". Progpower USA. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2011.
  3. ^ Warrel Dane (July 1, 2015). "Slayer one of my favorite bands? Yes! Working on new solo shit ... Ya'll will be happy lol". Twitter.
  4. ^ "WARREL DANE Talks Next SANCTUARY Album, Performing NEVERMORE's 'Dead Heart' And Second Solo LP". Blabbermouth.net. October 14, 2015.
  5. ^ "WARREL DANE Says There Has Been No Discussion Of NEVERMORE Reunion". Blabbermouth.net. March 10, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  6. ^ "WARREL DANE Has 'Mixed Feelings' About Replacing JEFF LOOMIS In NEVERMORE". Blabbermouth.net. September 18, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  7. ^ "Warrel Dane interview". Metal.de. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  8. ^ "Warrel Dane interview". Metal-rules.com. September 27, 2006. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  9. ^ "NEVERMORE And SANCTUARY Singer WARREL DANE Dies Of Heart Attack In Brazil". Blabbermouth.net. December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  10. ^ DaneyCarvalhoFilms (January 14, 2018), O Ano em que o Sol Morreu (2016, dir. Daney Carvalho), archived from the original on December 22, 2021, retrieved January 14, 2018
  11. ^ "Seleção 2016" (in Brazilian Portuguese). April 4, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  12. ^ Faculdade Cásper Líbero (March 10, 2016), Edição Extra – Perfil Warrel Dane – Março 2016, archived from the original on December 22, 2021, retrieved January 14, 2018
  13. ^ Carvalho, Daney (January 14, 2018). "For those who wanna know: Warrel saw the movie on a private screening years ago, after we had our interview. He thought it's great and the bathroom scene "terrifying". :) Miss you, man! #warreldane #nevermore #Sanctuary". @DaneyCarvalho. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
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