– Yeah well, when I lay it out, it makes sense and makes you realize how fast time flies. After we put out Revelation we did a little touring and then John went back to work with Anthrax and I did with Fates Warning. Anthrax made We’ve Come for You All and Fates made X. I also played on several records and did several tours with other bands. By 2004 even I myself was in Anthrax for a year. By the middle of 2005 John was out of Anthrax and took 2 years off making music. I recorded and released my solo record A Chinese Firedrill. By this time it’s 2008, and it was then that John and I decided to write together. It took us a year to finish writing and recording. So, there’s your ten years!

I’ve read how the whole thing came together basically because you wanted to write with John. You weren’t even planning on Armored Saint. At what point did it become obvious that this is indeed an Armored Saint record? When did you call up the other guys?

– We started around May of 2008 and yes, it’s true, we were only writing for ourselves, to have a good time really. It wasn’t until maybe September that we decided we should do something with this stuff. We entertained the idea of starting something new but it just made more sense to work towards a new Saint record. So by the Fall we had called the other guys and of course they were all in.

Once it was decided to resurrect Armored Saint, did it affect how you approached what you were creating?

– We did get into some of the heavier tunes like Head On, Left Hook, La Raza. But we still made an effort to not over think it and feel obligated to make a “heavy metal record”. We still stayed true to the fact that all we wanted to do was to write some great songs.

How do you think the extended vacations between albums affects the music you create?

– It’s certainly easier to avoid repeating yourself! Also, I like to think that it gave me a longer period to learn things about writing music. I have more tools for my trade so to speak. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.

I’m going to rattle off a few song titles from the new record (my personal favorites, if that’s OK) and I want to get your perspective on these songs (memories from the sessions, what the song means to you, etc)

“Loose Cannon”

– One of the first riffs I wrote in the mid 2000’s. Shows my love for Thin Lizzy.

“Left Hook From Right Field”

– One of the last tunes we wrote. It came from a very Pop sounding idea. This one we may make a video for next month.

“Get Off The Fence”

– An old idea from the mid 90’s. Again my love for Thin Lizzy. A song about non committal tendencies.

“Bandit Country”

– This song feels like the city to me. And John wrote the lyrics from a perspective of some one who lives on the streets.

“La Raza”

– Maybe my favorite song (this week). I always wanted to fuse Santana with metal. Here’s my interpretation of that.

How did “La Raza” become the album title?

– We just thought the song came out really good. Also, the song is about the human race. The title means “the race”. It sort of sums up the entire record.

What kind of touring plans are you looking at right now for the new record?

– We are not able to plan any tours of any length right now. But we hope to be able to play some shows in summer. We’ll see.

Whose idea was it to “go green” with La Raza’s packaging?

– It was a combination of mine along with the labels. I found out that it’s become much more financially viable for the labels to produce packaging that is made from recycled materials. It wasn’t always like that. Also, the need for plastic is really unnecessary.

A lot of Metal fans dislike the digipack packaging format…why do you think that is?

– I have no idea. I think it gives each package its own unique feel and look. So that not every CD is stuck inside the same plastic jewel case. They should feel lucky, because one day in the not so far off future, there will no packaging at all!

“Nod To The Old School” gave the fans some unreleased, archive material several years ago. Is there any more of that lying around? Maybe for a box set?

– There’s a little but not much. We’ve put out just about everything. But there are a few things.

With the major labels and media bemoaning the perceived “death” of the CD format, where do you see the format fitting into the Metal scene?

– It will become collectible for a while just like LP’s were. But eventually, the CD format will only be a memory. It’s unfortunate but true.

That said, I’m sure you have some sort of MP3 device (like most of us do). If I were to scroll through your playlist, what’s the most un-Metal thing I would find?

– I don’t know what your tolerance level is like. But I’d say you’d raise an eyebrow at Duran Duran “Girls on Film”.

Any parting words?

– I want to thank all the fans who’ve stayed with us for the last 30 years, 20 years and the past 10 years, waiting for a new record. We’re lucky to have you guys.

http://www.armoredsaint.com/

Tracks like “Left Hook From Right Field”, “Loose Cannon”, & “Little Monkey” carry all the attitude and grit you’d expect from this band… driving tempos, intensity and heart. John Bush has never sounded better. One of the coolest things about his voice is his trademark “on the verge of giving out” screams. He sings with all the piss and vinegar a listener can handle. “Head On” has a great blend of groove and gravel. The aptly named “Chilled” is a nice change up in the middle with it’s dark, smoky verses and hard-hitting chorus.  “Bandit Country” brings a bit of funk into the mix while sacrificing none of the albums ferocity, as does “Get Off The Fence”. The title track is a nearly 7-minute jaunt through off-kilter grooves, percussion and attitude… the melody on the chorus carries an air of angry sadness and fits perfectly.There’s an underlying air of menace throughout the album that ties it all together quite nicely.

La Raza has a very organic, earthy tone about it. The riffs are fat. The vocals are impassioned. The hooks and tempos are infectious. The lead work is soulful and impressive. You’re swaying under the weight of a massive groove one minute, then giving yourself future neck problems the next. When it’s cranked in the headphones, it almost sounds as if you’re in the room with the band… loud and heavy. All in all, I’d say ten years was worth the wait for La Raza. It’s raw, real and ultimately a very satisfying listen. In a time when other bands their age either seem to lose their way or try to be something they’re not, Armored Saint do neither. They prove that veteran acts can deliver the goods time after time.

Here’s what ARMORED SAINT vocalist John Bush had to say about how the new album came together:

“About a year and a half or so ago Joey asked me if I’d be interested in writing some songs. I was in the right mind finally, so I said send me something. To be quite honest, I wasn’t thinking in terms of ARMORED SAINT but more like just writing rock music. I felt pretty free with that mentality and the ideas felt very organic. With every passing song things improved and next thing we knew we had about eight songs demoed. Although the idea of sparking something completely new was appealing it became clear that if it was Joey and I the reality was, let’s not kid ourselves; this is ARMORED SAINT.

So here it comes. Embracing my inner R&B singer and coupling that with our influence of the great seventy’s hard rock band’s we grew up on.”

ARMORED SAINT bassist Joey Vera comments:

“John and I began writing over 14 months ago and in the beginning we had only a general musical direction in which we were going. Once we decided to keep writing and with more of an intention of turning it into an ARMORED SAINT project, we were faced with a few questions. One was, how does this new music we’re writing fit into the current musical styles of today? And should we care? We quickly answered the latter. We realized we should do what we always did and that is to write good songs. And for ourselves first. We are not unaware of our parameters in which we have created over the past 25 years, but we are also not afraid to take chances and simply do what we do best. The idea of trying to continue where we left off over 10 years ago since our last release is not very appealing to me. I have to let go of what I did in 1991 and in 2000. Nothing at all against what we’ve recorded in the past but my head is in a different place now. Trust me; I still want to kill your senses with music, but just in a different way.”

To get a taste of what the new ARMORED SAINT album will sound like, head over to the band’s MySpace page HERE where ARMORED SAINT is streaming the demo version of Loose Cannon (performed with a drum program). Loose Cannon gives fans a glimpse into ARMORED SAINT’s writing process and is also a nice taste of what’s to come on the band’s forthcoming full-length studio release.

Expect the new album from ARMORED SAINT to be released in the spring of 2010. Plenty of studio blogs, photos, and video will be posted to the band’s MySpace page and fans can also keep up with the band in the studio through Twitter HERE.

Keep up to date on all things Saint at the following locations:
http://www.myspace.com/armoredsaint1
http://www.armoredsaint.com/
http://twitter.com/thearmoredsaint

There are even a couple of live videos embedded on disc 2 that play nice and loudly on your PC. John Bush has a great attitude in his voice. ‘Real Swagger’, one of 2 brand new cuts here, showcases this perfectly. A driving mid-tempo riff coupled with John’s acidic snarl drills right into your brain. The chorus on this one is begging to be played live. This would have fit neatly within the Revelation record. ‘Unstable’, the second newbie, has a good, chugging riff counteracted by a cut time, softly sung chorus. The feel of this track is nice and dark, which John’s vocal brings out nicely. The high-octane remake of ‘March Of The Saint’ will have the lifers banging their heads and shaking their fists in pure metal bliss.

Kudos to the Saint for their obscure taste in cover songs. They deliver Robin Trower’s ‘Day of the Eagle’ and Judas Priest’s ‘Never Satisfied’ with unadulterated Armored Saint style and substance. Joey Vera (bassist) handled all production duties for the new tunes and the result is a full, heavy mix and crystal clarity. Guitarists Jeff Duncan and Phil Sandoval turn in their usual amount of guitar venom, and Gonzo Sandoval pounds his drums without a hint of mercy. The acoustic reworking of ‘Tainted Past’ offers a moody, melodic break in the madness. Nice tones on this one.

 That’s pretty much it for the ‘new’ stuff here. The rest of disc 1 is rounded out by 2 live tunes (recorded on the US 2000 tour) and the original Bill Metoyer produced, 1983 3-song EP plus 1 extra from the same sessions. Disc 2, besides having the videos, is chock full of 4 track demos from 1989, plus ‘You Can Run But You Can’t Hide’ (from The Decline Of The Western Civilization Part 2) plus a strange little 54-second blurb called ‘Betty ’79’. Oh, about those demos, they sound good. Don’t let the ‘4-track’ tag fool you.

While not quite full-scale release quality, I have heard store-bought albums that sounded much worse. Diehard Armored Saint fans and metal collectors need to get their leather-gloved claws on this 2-disc set.