Recording of the album commenced at Hyde Street Studios with Kirk

Recording of the album commenced at Hyde Street Studios with Kirk Hammett producing. At the same time in the adjacent Alpha and Omega Studios , Blue Öyster Cult were recording their Imaginos album. Blue Öyster Cult’s manager, producer, and lyricist, Sandy Pearlman , heard Biedermann’s playing and asked if he would like to guest on the album. Thus, Biedermann appeared on several songs on the album (“I Am The One You Wanted Me Of”, “In the Presence of Another World” and “The Siege and Investiture of Baron Von Frankenstein’s Castle at Weisseria”) alongside notable guitarists such as Joe Satriani and The Doors ‘s Robbie Krieger . In lieu of payment for his contributions to the album, Biedermann bartered for studio time to mix the Blind Illusion album, since they had spent all of their advance money by that point. The resulting debut album The Sane Asylum was released in the spring of 1988 on Combat Records in the US and Music For Nations affiliate label Under One Flag in Europe. While Hammett did in fact produce the album, he is not credited as such because of Metallica management requiring payment to use his name, which Biedermann declined. The band embarked on a US tour to promote the release with Hallows Eve and At War. Halfway through the tour, Claypool returned to Primus and was replaced by Adam Gates for the remainder of the tour. After the band returned home in 1989, LaLonde also left the band to join Claypool in Primus.