Cover Story – Anatomy of the Sacred


By: Rachel Rocks

– Making a Difference Through Music

By: Rachel Rocks

“Suicide Lake” was officially released in October 2019 on Spotify and iTunes by Anatomy of the Sacred. This song was written in dedication to those we have lost, and those that remain by Brenda Robinson and Shane Krout of Anatomy of the Sacred. Suicide is definitely not something to be taken lightly. Brenda and Shane know that suicide is unfortunately getting more prevalent in the world, and they felt it was time to break the silence and try to touch as many lives as possible and help prevent the horrible tragedy of suicide in our nation and around the world! Unfortunately, too many people have been directly or even indirectly affected by suicide and plenty of people will be able to relate to this amazing song, “Suicide Lake”.

Brenda wrote the lyrics after doing hours of research, as part of her research she watched the recently released ‘13 Reasons Why’, ‘Sea of Trees’, and ‘The Shack’ just to name a few. She really wanted to write about suicide in a way that has never been written before. She wanted to make a song that made people stop and listen and think, and ultimately make better decisions. Shane actually saw a quote on Facebook that said “Suicide doesn’t take the pain away, it gives it to someone else…” – Unknown. That quote wound up being the backbone of the song, and then Brenda filled in all of the details.

After the lyrics were written it was time to turn it over to Shane, he is the masterful arranger of all of their songs. Shane is a life-long multi-instrumentalist which helps him as he puts music to the amazing lyrics that Brenda provides to him. The beginning of the song instantly sets the dramatic tone to “Suicide Lake”. You know immediately that it’s going to be powerful and meaningful just by the first few notes. As the song flows you feel it building as it goes through the line of, “The pain that you’re feeling, the rest that you’re seeking, the lie you’re believing, says you’re alone…”

You really have to hear “Suicide Lake” for yourself to truly appreciate the magnitude that this song hits you with as it penetrates your soul. Anatomy of the Sacred’s Symphonic Metal is so unique, but yet exquisite, it truly is beautiful metal. The life of a song is very important, and the way that Brenda and Shane collaboratively write their songs is sometimes quite a lot of give and take, but ultimately, they truly understand each other, and it definitely shows in their writing.

You can hear “Suicide Lake” on iTunes or Spotify, and you can also find the link on their website, www.anatomyofthesacred.com. Anatomy of the Sacred has been working together since 2011 so they have plenty of other songs you can check out too.

Anatomy of the Sacred is not your average central PA band, they have a very unique style and sound. When they play local shows, they do play as a full band. Their shows always involve costuming and props, which helps dictate the meaning and purpose behind every song. They work hard to put on a full show every time they play! They are currently looking for a booking agent or promoter, but in the meantime if you would like to get Anatomy of the Sacred booked at your venue or special event, you can email anatomyofthesacred@outlook.com or call 417-650-1216.

When you release a new song, it truly takes a whole army so Shane and Brenda also wanted to thank some people that helped finalize their creation: their drummer, James McGarvey, Dale Lytle for his breathtaking guitar work, especially his very powerful guitar solo, Michael Washkevich from MDW Productions for all of his mixing and mastering of “Suicide Lake”, Shane Rice Studios for designing the artwork and graphics for the song cover, and Renee Robyn and Curtis Jones for their masterful photography skills. Everyone they’ve worked with has truly been instrumental in creating “Suicide Lake” the way it is meant to be.

Brenda and Shane can’t stress enough on how they want this song to be inspirational. They want it to help people realize all of the reasons to keep on living. Every time I’ve listened to “Suicide Lake” I can feel the different perspectives that it is written in. It is meant to have meaning, and to get people to stop and think, and reach out to those around them. Ultimately, they want it to help people. If everyone starts helping each other how much better would our world be! So please, share their music with anyone who will listen, and if it makes just one person choose to keep on living, then they have accomplished their goal. We can all help prevent suicide.

The suicide prevention hotline provides 24/7 free and confidential support for people in distress, and they also have prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones.

Call 1-800-273-8255. They also have live chat and a lot of resources at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.