Sentinel

Sentinel were a straight-ahead hard rock band from Sudbury, Ontario, formed by four teenagers in 1983. The group featured Gord Prior on vocals, Rob Cappelletti on guitar, Kevin O’Kane on bass and Eugene Coon on drums.

They recorded seven songs at Wexford Sound in Toronto during the summer of 1984. Although the full session remained unreleased for decades, Sentinel appeared on the 1986 Capitol Records compilation Moose Molten Metal Volume 2 with the track “Rock Free.”

The complete recordings were finally restored and released in 2026 as The Lost Tapes 1984. Raw, melodic and driven by youthful energy, the album preserves a lost piece of Sudbury hard rock history and is dedicated to the memory of Eugene Coon.

-Robert Williston

  A Sudbury 1984 Time Capsule of Pure, Balls-to-the-Wall Rock!

Back in 1983, four hungry teenagers from the hard-rockin' streets of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada forged a sound that exploded straight out of the frozen north like a shot of molten metal from the mines. Influenced by the many bands of that time like Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Mötley Crüe, Scorpions, Queensrÿche, Dio, Iron Maiden, Rush and the Killer Dwarfs, SENTINEL was born to raise hell and crank it to 11.

Just turned 17, lead singer Gord Prior dropped out of high school, got kicked out of the house, and dove headfirst into the rock 'n' roll dream, living in the downtown abandoned practice hall with real danger and hunger snapping at his heels. His voice was young and powerful, channeling the music that was permeating his circle at that young age. On lead guitar, Rob Cappelletti, already a hometown legend by the time he was 16 and some say a guitar god in the making, unleashed fiery, flashy solos that wore his influences loud and proud while carving out his own razor-sharp identity. Kevin O'Kane's genius instincts anchored the chaos with a heavy, steady bottom end that let the guitars and drums go absolutely feral. And behind the kit, the late great Eugene Coon (who tragically died in a car accident in 2018) drove the whole machine like a man possessed, pure energy, power, and attitude that defined the band.

In the summer of 1984, the boys loaded up their gear into friend Dave Chevrier’s van, drove through the night to Toronto, crashed in a cheap hotel, and hit Wexford Sound the next day. Engineered and produced by Tom Atom, and recorded with the help of neighbour and friend Brent Roach, they banged out these seven songs pretty much live off the floor, the band slamming together as a unit, beds tracked hot, with Gord adding his soaring vocals afterward and minimal overdubs. It was raw, real, and dripping with that once-in-a-lifetime teenage fire.

Back in 1984, almost no one outside their tight circle of friends knew who SENTINEL was. For decades these recordings sat unheard in the vault. No one in the band knew where the master recordings even were anymore as time moved on.

Gord Prior went on to co-found Blu Bones in the early 1990s, scoring real success with MuchMusic rotation, a record deal and serious touring mileage with major acts. Eugene and Kevin tore it up in other successful bands of the era, while Rob pursued classical guitar studies at the University of Toronto, proving the guy could shred anything he touched.

Decades later, the original tapes resurfaced. They were lovingly baked and transferred digitally by producer/engineer Siegfried Meier. Then, talented friend and mixing magician Darren Morrison brought the beast back to life, keeping every original track intact, nurturing the tones, balance, and authentic ’84 vibe while making it richer and heavier than ever.

Darren Morrison was the catalyst who pushed this release across the finish line as the sole producer of this recording in 2026.

Now, in 2026, this lost treasure has finally been unearthed and unleashed for the first time ever. A genuine historical time capsule from the golden era of Canadian 1980s guitar rock.

This release is dedicated to Eugene’s memory. His unstoppable energy is all over these recordings, and it always will be.

This is SENTINEL, straight out of the heart of the Canadian north, a wild, innocent blast of 1984 metal hard rock glory. Crank it up loud, bang your head, and feel that pure teenage rebellion. No bullshit, no autotune, just four young guns from Sudbury living the dream.

This is more than a reissue. It’s the ultimate “best band no one ever knew” story, an unexpected surprise and pure ear candy for anyone who grew up on this sound. A true hidden gem from the rock underground, finally seeing the light of day.

This is true Canadian rock music history.

Crank this beast up and have some fun!

SENTINEL

Recorded Summer 1984
Unleashed Summer 2026