-
Armored Saint is a legend, but they have never enjoyed much commercial
success. Early in their career, they were grouped in the same batch of
bands that Metallica emerged from. I have never paid much attention to
their career.
-
I vaguely remember seeing a video for "Reign of Fire" on an episode of
MTV's Headbanger's Ball and then completely forgetting this release. I
had no idea that this release was the result of coming through the
tragedy of losing their guitarist David Pritchard to heaven. Following
this release, and fast-forwarding a few years, vocalist John Bush found
his way into Anthrax. Now, in 2003, this 1991 release is being re-issued
with an extra CD of the 4 track demos that were recorded between 1988
and 1991. More about that in a minute.
-
This release kicks off with the anthem "Reign of Fire," which serves as
a good introduction to the band. It shouldn't be an insult to say this
song sounds like the 80s because it was released on the downward spiral
of 80s metal bands. The power of this song is the tightness of the
individual parts. The guitar and drums synch early and don't separate
throughout the song. Bassist Joey Vera locks in with drummer Gonzo and
satisfies me as a rhythm section.
-
I like the other songs on this release better though. "Last Train Home"
sticks out for the way Bush sings "Last Train Home," holding the notes
to give the lyrics a powerful effect. I can imagine crowds going nuts
when he gets to the chorus. "Tribal Dance" starts out with a lot of
percussion before launching into what has to be a truly classic riff.
Drummer Gonzo plays patterns on his toms that are interesting. Another
standout track is "Hanging Judge."
-
The overall feeling I get from the CD portion of this re-issue is that
this is a good metal CD.
Then I put in the CD demos and I realize that the rough beginnings of
these songs have brilliance of their own. The demos, as you would
expect, are rougher versions of the final release. The main thrust or
appeal of the demos is that you can hear what now-deceased guitarist
Dave Pritchard had in mind when he crafted these riffs. "Tribal Dance"
is presented in its primitive format without the percussion
introduction. So, after you navigate through the final version of these
songs, hear the demos of these songs, you get to listen to the band talk
about these songs.
-
Brian Slagel, a bigwig at Metal Blade Records, leads the band through a
detailed account of the history of the band in the epoch of preparing to
write, writing, and then regrouping to record these songs. Even as a
non-fan, I found the interview to be intiguing. Slagel does a
tremendous job of keeping the band on track, discussing each song's
origin. You get an insight into what other bands never seem to want to
fully disclose: their creative process. Here, though, Armored Saint is
stripped down, talking about what songs the band liked and didn't like,
who came up with the basic ideas, and, as you might expect, the role
guitarist Pritchard played in writing the riffs and how current
guitarists Jeff Duncan and Phil Sandoval took the Pritchard's spirit to
craft the final version. Even though these songs sound like the 80s,
they have aged well. Bush is as accomplished of a vocalist as is
possible in the world of music. His range is dynamic and his emotions
ring in his delivery. The riffs of Pritchard show the genius of a man
whose time came too soon. And while this was, perhaps, designated to be
a tribute to their fallen comrade, I found this release to also be
designated as a treat for their fans that have loved this CD, mostly
understanding the media's version of what the band went through to come
out on the other side.
-
Now, you get the band's version. It is well worth the wait and the time
to either rediscover or discover the power of this band.
