Armored Saint is a heavy metal band from the USA founded by brothers Felipe ‘Phil’ Sandoval (guitar), and Gonzalo ‘Gonzo’ Sandoval (drums), along with Dave Prichard (guitar), John Bush (vocals), and Joey Vera (bass). In a career spanning four decades, the band has released eight studio albums – ‘March Of The Saint’ (1984), ‘Delirious Nomad’ (1985), ‘Raising Fear’ (1987), ‘Symbol Of Salvation’ (1991), ‘Revelation’ (2000), ‘La Raza’ (2010), ‘With Hands Down’ (2015), and ‘Punching The Sky’ (2020). During this time the band has endured line-up changes, two periods of inactivity, and the death of founding guitarist Dave Prichard in 1990.
2022 sees Armored Saint celebrating their fortieth anniversary with the reissue of the band’s first three albums – ‘March Of The Saint’, ‘Delirious Nomad’, and ‘Raising Fear’ – all originally released during heavy metal’s formative years during the eighties. The glorious eighties when metal was just “metal” – none of this grunge, nu, djent, and post-metal nonsense!
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Even the likes of Def Leppard and Bon Jovi were considered to be metal! Everything was so much simpler back then…
…I was a teenager listening to Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Saxon – bands that are now classed as “traditional metal”. And then along came the American traditional metal bands – bands such as Virgin Steele, Manowar, Twisted Sister, Metal Church, W.
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A.S.P., and Armored Saint…
…with a sound to emulate their British peers, paving the way for thrash and power metal to evolve over the ensuing years. Armored Saint‘s 1984 debut ‘March Of The Saint’ features ten songs over forty minutes, opening with the blistering speed of the album’s title song, followed by the NWOBHM sounding ‘Can U Deliver’. ‘Mad House’ gallops furiously, ‘Take A Turn’ is a slower-paced, anthemic foot stomp, with ‘Seducer’ a classic “foot on the monitor” swagger.
Over on side two – yes readers, side two! The eighties were all about vinyl records, with digital downloads and streaming not even invented! How much technology has changed over the past forty years is incredible, although, with the recent re-emergence of vinyl, this reissue will be released on multi-colored limited edition vinyl…
…so back to side two – ‘Mutiny On The World’ is meaner and moodier than anything on side one, with ‘Glory Hunter’ a much rockier song than everything heard so far. ‘Stricken By Fate’ is hustle and bustle, ‘Envy’ an infectious sub-three-minute marvel, with the final song ‘False Alarm’ picking up the pace and rampaging to a finish.
Overall, a glorious reminder of how great the American invasion of traditional metal was during the eighties.
TRACKLIST
March Of The Saint
Can U Deliver
Mad House
Take A Turn
Seducer
Mutiny On The World
Glory Hunter
Stricken By Fate
Envy
False Alarm
Armored Saint: Facebook
Release Year: 2022
Label: Metal Blades Records
Category: Album
Country: USA
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire, and Metal-Roos.
