Jeff Ulmer (SACRED BLADE)

[Ravenpride]

Oliver/Keep-It-True
Today we mourn the death of one of the very few geniusses in Heavy Metal. Jeff Ulmer of Sacred Blade. Its still hard for me to find words...Jeff was a legend of the underground scene. "Of The Sun And Moon" is one of the best albums ever and had its unique sound. Jeff was known as a perfectionist, who was never satisfied with his already perfect work. For many years we tried to get Sacred Blade to Keep It True one day and he was optimistic that we can do it once...but now the surprising message of his death killed all hope at once. So lets celebrate his music, which will remain forever. Thank you Jeff, we will never forget you and will dedicate the upcoming Keep it True to your legacy..

[youtube][/youtube]


R.I.P

[Ravenpride]

Jeff Ulmer, guitarist/vocalist for the acclaimed early '80s Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada-based metal band SACRED BLADE, died on March 22 after reportedly suffering a stroke. His sister, Jennifer Ulmer, wrote on Facebook: "You'll be missed terribly, brother Jeff. We'll keep your memory alive forever in our hearts, in those quiet moments. With friends it will be with stories, laughter and tears, and with music, of course."

According to The BNR Metal Pages, "SACRED BLADE went the usual route of recording demos and gaining an underground reputation, appeared on a 'Metal Massacre' compilation [with the song 'The Alien'], and finally releasing the excellent 'Of The Sun + Moon' album in 1986, one of the great gems of pure '80s metal. With sci-fi lyrical themes and a speed/power style that was familiar yet quite original, the album has stood the test of time as a classic of the underground '80s metal scene. Various recordings were made towards the release of a second album which was rumored to be called 'The Seven Moonz Of Xercez', but the album never materialized (though bootleg copies of the demo circulated for years later) and the band seemingly disappeared."

In a 2006 interview, Ulmer stated about the fact that SACRED BLADE never released a follow-up to "Of The Sun + Moon": "I don't believe that releasing inferior product is good for anything other than ripping the fans off, which is the last thing I want to do. Sure, having new product would keep the public awareness alive, but I would still be faced with an album I could not fully stand behind. I struggled for over a decade to get the follow-up to 'Of The Sun + Moon' recorded, but for one reason or another, there were always obstacles that kept it from completion, from financing to having our tapes disintegrate during production. I know it is frustrating to the fans to have to wait so long for new material. It is equally frustrating for me to have to contend with the hurdles that are faced when you are independently producing music that isn't conforming to the current trends in the market, while insisting on production quality that rivals or surpasses that of artists with multibillion-dollar corporations behind them."