ARMORED SAINT – Nod To The Old School

Did you really believe that Joey Vera is the bass player in Fates Warning? Or did you believe that John Bush is the lead singer in Anthrax? Well, they are, in a way – but here is where they belong! This is their home. Here’s where they come from; Armored Saint, the most underrated metal band of the 20th century (considering that Savatage in the end made it somehow.) The strength of the Saint is Bush’s powerful vocals, combined with monster riffs from Jeff Duncan and Phil Sandoval (inspired by the late genius Dave Prichard), backed up by the unique thunder drumming by Gonzo Sandoval (last seen jumping up and down on the side of the stage while Savatage played “Gutter Ballet” at the Bang Your Head!!! festival), and the most groovy and dead on bass players in metal, Mohawk Joey Vera.

The Saint is truly the best live band around, along with Nevermore and Savatage, simply as they are – like the liner notes say – the true definition of a real band. So what about this record then? Well, a couple of new songs, a couple of re-recordings, a few live tracks, the original EP from 1983, and demos with Dave Prichard… Your mouth should be full of water already. To be honest, I don’t think this is the record to start with if you never experienced the magic of this band, it’s more a record you get when you have all the others. This is a gift to the true fans, a nice way for the mighty Saints to clean the attic and thank the die hard fans. You’re Welcome!