UMUR "The Sane Asylum" is the debut full-length studio album by US, San Francisco based thrash metal act Blind Illusion. The album was released through Combat Records in 1988. Blind Illusion was formed in 1979 and although it took until 1988 before the band were able to release their debut full-length studio album, they are widely recognised as an important and influential San Francisco thrash metal act. Blind Illusion released no less than six demo tapes in the years 1981-1986, the last one being "Slow Death" from 1986 (actually their second 1986 demo). "Slow Death" finally got them signed to Combat Records for the release of "The Sane Asylum".

Blind Illusion went through several lineup changes in their career, but the lineup who recorded "The Sane Asylum" are Marc Biederman (guitars/vocals), Les Claypool (bass), Larry Lalonde (guitars), and Mike Miner (drums). It´s a well known "secret" that Kirk Hammett of Metallica produced "The Sane Asylum", although he isn´t credited on the album (who knows...maybe he was afraid of how James and Lars would react to him working outside Metallica). Hammett is of course not the only interesting name mentioned above as Lalonde came from a stint with Possessed where he played on the legendary 1985 album "Seven Churches" and on the other Possessed releases until that band split-up on 1987. Both he and bassist Les Claypool would find considerable commercial and artistic success in the 90s with alternative rock/metal act Primus.

Stylistically the material on "The Sane Asylum" is thrash metal but with strong ties to traditional heavy metal. So this has more in common with the heavy/speed metal tinged and often melodic inclined material of Megadeth than it has to the brutality and aggression of the contemoporary material by artists like Dark Angel and Slayer. It´s obvious that Blind Illusion are a gifted bunch of guys. The vocals aren´t that exciting (being pretty standard shouting/snarling thrash metal vocals), but these guys can play and there are some pretty tight and adventurous sections on the album (for the latter take a listen to "Kamakazi") and some well played lead guitar work. Sometimes it even borders technical thrash metal because of the many rhythm changes and the complexity of some of the riffs (just take a listen to "Death Noise" for proof of that), but then again Blind Illusion aren´t exactly Watchtower.

Less will do though and as "The Sane Asylum" also features a (for the time) well sounding production, which suits the material well, it´s a good quality debut album from Blind Illusion. I wouldn´t call it something way out of the ordinary for the genre, but it´s certainly entertaining while it plays. 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

Vim Fuego Most people will be familiar with the twisted little ditties at the beginning and end of each episode of South Park, courtesy of Primus. However, most people would be unaware of the link to the Bay Area thrash scene of that band. Guitarist Larry LaLonde was a member of the highly influential San Fran thrashers Possessed, and LaLonde and bass maestro Les Claypool were band mates in this little outfit, Blind Illusion.

‘The Sane Asylum’ was really a slightly off–the–wall release for a thrash band. "Vengeance Is Mine" is particularly twisted. Much of it is out of time, whether deliberate or accidental, it's hard to tell. The tempo and time signatures of the song wander all over the place. There are some frenetic solos, and at times some damned weird noises produced by who knows what. Easy listening it most definitely isn't. "Death Noise" has an AC/DC–ish backbeat, an almost funky section, and a Middle Eastern sounding solo. It all leads into guitar scrapes sounding like dive bombers attacking, and then the main body of the song starts. Strangely, the excellent main riff is so muffled as to be almost inaudible, with the clunky drumming further up the mix. Unexpectedly, it works. "Kamakazi" sounds like a refugee from Iron Maiden's debut album.

Despite the creative output of the Primus pair, they were little more than hired guns here. Main man Marc Biedermann wrote almost everything on the album. Released in 1988, some of the songs were already 10 years old: "Death Noise" was written in 1978, "Kamakazi" 1979, and the rest of the album between 1985 and 1987. Biedermann had a limited vocal range, but wrote to it accordingly, sounding something like Dark Angel's Ron Rinehart minus the falsetto screams.

And so how do Claypool and LaLonde perform? Well, there are none of the trademark weird bass noises from Claypool, but his playing is still far from conventional. Often playing counter to the rhythm guitar, he fills many small spaces with runs, mini solos and unexpected notes. LaLonde's performance matches much of his output in Possessed, trading breakneck solos with Biedermann, with that nasty extra bite his other band was famous for. However, Possessed it ain't.

This album doesn't make much sense on first listen, but it’s a grower. You’ll find yourself drawn to repeatedly, without knowing why.