Armored Saint: Landing The Knock Out Blow!
US metallers and leaders of the scene since the early 80s, ARMORED SAINT are back with their eighth full-length album, Punching The Sky, via Metal Blade Records. The record packs a punch, brimming with the explosive attitude and energy AMORED SAINT have become known for.
These guys have been doing what they do for a long time and are coming up to their 40 year anniversary, a milestone that many bands never see. Vocalist John Bush describes how things have evolved now from how they were in the early days of the music industry, saying, “we used to make flyers and go and promote at other shows with the goal to be the biggest band in Los Angeles. Now you can be automatically on the global stage with the help of the internet. Technology has allowed us to make amazing videos for a tenth of the price and Pro Tools helps to save time on recording.”
He goes on to discuss how things are in the beginning stages of a band. “On the other hand there’s nothing like the early days of a band when everything is new and everything is a different experience. Your first record release, first tour, first band promo shot. The industry forces you to get tough cause it slaps you in the face. It can be unforgiving. I think it’s easier to release music these days but it’s also more competitive. I love having the backing of a label and watch everything work as a well-oiled machine.”
ARMORED SAINT are known for their balls to the wall, explosive style, a classic sound that has evolved with the band as they have progressed. Bush comments, “you want to keep the classic sound but you gotta keep growing. The music should have a natural progression. Just as we do as humans! The origins of what we are, a hard rock/metal band always sets the tone. Incorporating different instruments, different arrangements, willingness to take chances, that’s what helps it expand. From one record to the next.” When you’ve been writing music for over 40 years, you need to keep the creativity constantly flowing to ensure things are fresh and interesting, and Bush describes his sources of inspiration for creating new music. “Reading and of course listening to lots of music helps. Older artists, newer artists. Everything can have an influence. Then you churn it up inside, let it come out through us and boom it’s ARMORED SAINT! I think the key is letting the music have it’s own personality. I’m not the greatest singer in the world technically but I strive to be distinctive. That’s most important to me. That’s what made Lemmy a great singer! His uniqueness.”
Having such a long history can be pressurising, your fans have been committed to you for decades and expect nothing but the best, Bush comments. “You gotta push yourself otherwise you get stagnant and repetitive. Repeating yourself is stale and boring. I don’t think that’s what our fans want from us. I love thinking outside of the box but at the same time we’re brutally honest with ourselves.”
In this digital age, it’s common for many bands to work on material separately and then come together to collaborate, something which ARMORED SAINT also do. Bush describes the process, stating that, “there were special moments about all of us getting together in a rehearsal room and hashing it out. On the other hand, I think the nostalgia makes it appear as if we were more productive then we really were. Combining everyone’s personal life and schedules makes working separately the norm now.” There’s no exact science to the songwriting process though, and he discusses the importance of letting your music be perfectly imperfect. “I’ve been writing lyrics in my car for years. A lot of Symbol of Salvation was written when I was a messenger delivering packages! As I said Pro Tools allows us to be time productive these days but it can make you lazy. ‘Ah just fly the chorus in’. I don’t want perfection. I like mistakes. It lets the music breathe. [LED] ZEPPELIN, the best band ever, were a sloppy mess at times.”
Punching The Sky is a record about perseverance and pushing beyond limits, but Bush says that they don’t limit themselves to just discussing one subject. “I try to let the music dictate the lyrical idea. Never before has there been so many topics to write about. It’s an endless array of subjects to choose from. I still love reading the newspaper although sadly it’s a dying industry. Social commentary coupled with personal feelings is a nice combo. Plus there’s gotta be a little sarcasm too. I thank Larry David for that.”
He says there’s no particular track on the album that he is most proud, of but that he “Loves it all! Ask me again in a year. I’m super proud of all the tunes. It’s another huge step for us.” The record has a few slightly slower songs as well as heavier tracks to keep things interesting, and Bush is clear that “Diversity is key. We’ve been doing it for years. When we did the Symbol of Salvation in its entirety tour it became clear how diverse that record was. From rockers like Reign and Tribal to ballads like Another Day and Tainted Past. Extremely broad. We continue on that path with Punching The Sky.”
The music industry and the entire world has been completely shaken up at the moment, but ARMORED SAINT are still looking ahead to the future, keen to continue touring and travelling to new destinations. “There’s still a lot of territories we haven’t been to,” Bush comments. “We’ve only done one show in all of Scandinavia. Sweden Rock in 01. We’ve only played one show in Asia and that was our one and only time in Japan, Loud Park. I want to do a tour in France, Spain and Portugal. It’s been years since we’ve been to Australia. Never played New Zealand. Mid-cities of Canada, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg. Lot’s of places.” Most plans are totally up in the air, but looking ahead to 2021 and beyond, Bush simply says it “would be nice to do some shows. After you finish a record you want to play those songs live. Hopefully, we can solve this pandemic problem and we can perform and also I can go to some cool shows too. Maybe we can get the Symbol of Salvation live recordings and DVD out also!”
Punching The Sky is out now via Metal Blade Records.
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