Armored Saint

Yeah, they really seem to neglect the South. Every tour recently is 4-6 California/limited West Coast, 2 East Coast, 2-3 Midwest - done. It's a shame they never got a larger fan base, but their periods of inactivity are simply too large.

Just make a quick trip to Vegas!
 
Will be there (Vegas) for the first time next week...but it will be for work and Saint won't arrive until a month later.
 
X-post from the concert thread:

The weekend of Armored Saint was absolutely incredible!

First night in Chicago the whole family and some friends went to the venue, ate at their rooftop restaurant at a table next to John, Gonzo, Jeff, and Phil, then went downstairs for the show. Armored Saint always puts on a killer set, but the added mystique, rarity, and rawness of hearing all of Symbol of Salvation was simply otherworldly. These guys slayed every single song. Sure, John Bush is aging and his voice shows some signs of that (mostly dropping some octaves here and there or singing a harmony while the backing guys covered the super high stuff), but he still sounds absolutely incredible. There's not many guys that can sing with his power and still retain a tune for this long.

Here's some photos and vids from night one: https://www.instagram.com/p/BliWZMRgZ-Y/?taken-by=brettknickerbocker

Second night in Milwaukee began with four different brewery stops, so of course it was going to be amazing. The venue was called Shank Hall, named after a joke in Spinal Tap and literally had a mini stonehenge hanging behind the bands. This was a much small venue, much less crowded, but the guys still put on one hell of a show. We were in the second row of people this time and it was just stellar. I can't get over the awesomeness of this band or the incredible quality of Symbol of Salvation. Getting right up close gave me a newfound appreciation for Joey Vera's bass playing: his playing is tight, soulful, and full of fills that never detract from the song. Guy is a powerhouse. Easily my favorite bassist in metal.

Night two pics and vids: https://www.instagram.com/p/BllDjqigEvv/?taken-by=brettknickerbocker
 
Armored Saint was always a very underrated band IMHO. Whether your an oldschool fan (Delirious Nomad-era), a fan of the SOS era, or just got into them, they have some quality metal spread throughout their career. "Win Hands Down" is solid release to be sure. Better than it's predecessor.
 
Did a full relisten for the first time in 4-5 years, here's my updated rankings:

1. Symbol of Salvation - 10.0
2. Revelation - 9.1
3. March of the Saint - 8.6
4. Delirious Nomad - 8.2
5. Raising Fear - 8.1
6. La Raza - 7.8
7. Win Hands Down - 7.1

Only change is the debut album swapping places with Delirious Nomad, but not by a ton.

Also, more new Saint!


Not as good as End of the Attention Span, but this album already sounds better than Win Hands Down (which had absolutely stunning music but purely idiotic lyrics).
 
Just popped in here on the back of them being handed a tough draw in the GMAC, those two new tracks posted above are pretty good, bush is fantastic. The track posted in the GMAC was decent but it didn't haveme rushing to check out the rest of the album, was it a fair representative of that album or would you recommend anything else?
 
srfc said:
Just popped in here on the back of them being handed a tough draw in the GMAC, those two new tracks posted above are pretty good, bush is fantastic. The track posted in the GMAC was decent but it didn't haveme rushing to check out the rest of the album, was it a fair representative of that album or would you recommend anything else?
Click to expand...

Honestly, I would recommend just listening to the whole album! Reign of Fire was the single and is prone to the simplicities of such things.

If you’re pressed for time:
- listen to Warzone and Symbol of Salvation for straight up metal
- listen to Last Train Home, Another Day, or Tainted Past for melodic, epic metal

They are unique in both their vocals, Bush is a god but not your typical metal singer, and their focus on rhythmically interesting undercurrents. Pay attention to the drums and bass on Last Train Home or Warzone, it’s exceptional. Also, the guitars always rip some harmonies and solos.
 
Giving Symbol of Salvation a listen, really enjoying it and I'll probably pick it up.

The weird thing is that I'd always assumed they were a c-list thrash band with the cheesy name and the fact Bush went to Anthrax, but this album sounds more in the ball park of Slave to the Grind, No More Tears, Dr Feelgood, Appetite for Destruction, even Sonic Temple at times. That might just be a lazy comparison though as they are all fairly contemporary albums.
 
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