Armored Saint was formed in 1982 by brothers Phil and Gonzo Sandoval, and guitarist David Prichard, while attending Woodrow Wilson High School. Next to join were singer John Bush and bassist Joey Vera. Gonzo Sandoval came up with the name after getting stoned with the other band members and seeing the film "Excalibur" at a theater in Monterey Park. Armored Saint recorded a five song demo that landed the song "Lesson Well Learned" on the compilation album "Metal Massacre II". Three of these demo songs were then used for the band's self-titled EP on Metal Blade Records in 1983. The group then signed with Chrysalis Records in 1984.
Armored Saint released their debut album "March of the Saint" in 1984 followed by 1985's "Delirious Nomad". The debut album yielded a minor MTV hit with "Can U Deliver?". After the release of "Delirious Nomad", Phil Sandoval left the group. Their third album, "Raising Fear", was recorded by the remaining four members. Unhappy with their lack of success on the Chrysalis label, Armored Saint returned to Metal Blade in 1989. Soon after the release of their first live album "Saints Will Conquer". Later that same year the band added Jeff Duncan formerly of the L.A. club band Odin as second guitarist.
While writing and recording rough four-track demos for their next studio album, Dave Prichard was diagnosed with leukemia. Prichard succumbed to the disease before recording sessions for "Symbol of Salvation" began. After a brief hiatus, Phil Sandoval returned to the band to replace Prichard. The following year, "Symbol of Salvation" was released to widespread critical success. It was dedicated to the spirit and memory of Dave Prichard, whose solo on the demo recording of the song "Tainted Past" was used on the album.
Following the successful "Symbol of Salvation" tour, John Bush was offered the position of lead vocalist in the very successful thrash band Anthrax. Unsure of Armored Saint's future, Bush accepted the job. The remaining members declined to continue, and Armored Saint was officially disbanded.
After Armored Saint disbanded, Joey Vera kept busy playing with such bands as Fates Warning, Lizzy Borden and Chroma Key. He released a solo album in 1994 and started a successful second career as a producer and engineer.
Gonzo and Phil Sandoval formed a new band called Life After Death, a song oriented rock outfit influenced greatly by the legendary band Thin Lizzy.
In 1999, with Anthrax on temporary hiatus, John Bush and Joey Vera decided to reform Armored Saint. The entire "Symbol Of Salvation" lineup returned to the studio and in 2000 the album "Revelation" was released. It included the band's first song with Spanish lyrics, "No Me Digas". A small club tour opened for Dio and Lynch Mob followed.
The following year, the band released "Nod To The Old School", a collection of rarities, demos and outtakes (many from the Prichard years), plus a few new tracks.Soon after, John Bush returned to the studio with Anthrax, and Armored Saint was on indefinite hiatus.
in 2004, Joey Vera re-joined Bush in Anthrax on a temporary basis, replacing bassist Frank Bello. In early 2005, Anthrax's Scott Ian announced that their classic "Among The Living"-era lineup was reforming, leaving the membership of Bush and Vera in question. Bush stated his involvement with Anthrax was over, and Dan Nelson took over vocal duties in the band in 2007. This move gave new hope to many that Armored Saint would soon again record. A one-off show with the "Revelation" lineup took place in 2005 and in 2006 the band embarked on a new tour.
As part of their 20th anniversary, Metal Blade Records released a special edition of "Symbol Of Salvation". Also reissued was the band's long out of print live video, "A Trip Thru Red Times".
In Fall 2009, the band returned to the studio to record a new album called "La Raza" which was released in March 2010.
On February 11, 2013, Vera officially announced that the band had begun working on their seventh studio album. The album, titled Win Hands Down, was released on June 2, 2015. Win Hands Down debuted at number 183 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. The album also reached number 33 on the German Top 100 albums charts.
On February 24, 2017, Armored Saint released their first live album in 29 years, Carpe Noctum.
On May 23, 2019, Armored Saint announced that they had begun writing and demoing songs for their eighth studio album. The resulting album, titled Punching the Sky, was released on October 23, 2020. Metal Hammer named it the 33rd-best metal album of 2020.
In October 2020, Armored Saint released a teaser trailer to their documentary "Armored Saint: The Movie" which includes appearances from such as James Hetfield from Metallica and Scott Ian from Anthrax.
In a July 2023 interview, Bush confirmed that he and Vera have "started writing some songs a little bit" for the next Armored Saint album.
Aftermath
Armored Saint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Aftermath
Shades of hell
I set them free
But struggle
Eternally
It's too late now
To turn the clock around
Made by foolish pride
Time to mend
Your life begins
Breathe for me
Make me feel
I'm not alone
Rowen
Final stunt
Will the blood shed
End at once
Rowen
Is no doubt
Life in limbo
Is our home now
Rowen
Final stunt
Will the blood shed
End at once
Rowen
Is no doubt
Life in limbo
Is our home
The lyrics to Armored Saint's song "Aftermath" reflect on the consequences of human pride and the struggle to accept those consequences. The opening lines "So let it be felt, Aftermath, Shades of hell, I set them free, but struggle eternally" suggest that the singer has made a decision that has caused a lot of damage, and is now grappling with the aftermath of that decision. The phrase "shades of hell" alludes to the fact that the damage caused is significant and possibly even irreparable.
The next few lines "It's too late now, to turn the clock around, Frozen world outside, made by foolish pride" suggest that the singer is aware that they can't undo what has been done, and that the world around them has been negatively affected as a result of their actions. The repetition of the word "Rowen" in the second half of the song suggests that this could be a character that the singer is either blaming or trying to beseech for forgiveness or help. The lines "Will the blood shed, end at once?" and "Life in limbo, is our home now" suggests that the singer is either hoping or resigned to the fact that this situation will not end anytime soon, and that they will have to accept their current state of being or find a way to move on.
Overall, "Aftermath" is a reflection on the consequences of our decisions and the struggle to come to terms with them.
Line by Line Meaning
So let it be felt
Let the emotions and the impact of the events be experienced and acknowledged.
Aftermath
The consequences and aftermath of the events are now being experienced.
Shades of hell
The situation is difficult and dark, with no clear way out.
I set them free
I let go of my problems and tried to forget about them.
But struggle
Despite my previous efforts, I continue to face difficulties and challenges.
Eternally
The struggle feels endless and never-ending.
It's too late now
The situation has progressed too far and cannot be reversed.
To turn the clock around
It is impossible to go back in time and change the past.
Frozen world outside
Outside of this situation, the world feels cold, distant, and unfeeling.
Made by foolish pride
The current situation is the result of somebody's foolish pride or arrogance.
Time to mend
It is now time to start the process of healing and moving forward.
Your life begins
This is a fresh start, a new chapter in life.
Breathe for me
Please help me, guide me, and support me through this difficult time.
Make me feel
Provide me with the emotional support and connection that I need to get through this.
I'm not alone
Despite the challenges, I am not alone and I have people who care about me.
Rowen
Unknown reference, open to interpretation.
Final stunt
The last and most significant action in a series of events, possibly with dire consequences.
Will the blood shed
Is there going to be more violence, suffering, or conflict?
End at once
Can this all just stop and the conflict be resolved?
Rowen
Unknown reference, open to interpretation.
Is no doubt
There is no uncertainty about the situation and its consequences.
Life in limbo
Life feels uncertain, between two states, and in a state of transition.
Is our home now
We are now at a point where this uncertain state has become our new reality.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: J. VERA, JOHN BUSH, PHIL SANDOVAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
2Zero8discipline
Aftermath
So let it be felt
Aftermath
Shades of hell
I set them free
But struggle
Eternally
It's too late now
To turn the clock around
Frozen world outside
Made by foolish pride
Time to mend
Your life begins
Breathe for me
Make me feel
I'm not alone
Rowen
Final stunt
Will the blood shed
End at once
Rowen
Is no doubt
Life in limbo
Is our home now
Rowen
Final stunt
Will the blood shed
End at once
Rowen
Is no doubt
Life in limbo
Is our home
Wayne Wilcox
Armored Saint and Savatage....two of the most under-appreciated metal bands in North American history!!!
Metal Heart
Deux excellents groupes connus en Europe par les amateurs de Metal!
realitygutter
I've thought exactly the same thing a thousand times..how true..
Metallian Validor
añadiría a Vicious Rumors y Virgin Steele
N.I.B
You forgot Fates Warning.
PROSODYmetal
Wayne Wilcox hell yeah!
Peter B.
How is John even human?! No other metal singer sounds as good as day one and can carry a flame like that. Just unbelievable.
Keith Helinsky
So much respect for JB….damn strong pipes
Eric Pymm
The whole Delirious Nomad album is incredible. March of the Saint too. RIP Dave Prichard 😢
Mark Boyd
John Bush never disappoints and neither does Armored Saint. Jeff Duncan and Phil Sandoval are a wonderful guitar tandem, Joey Vera is terrific on the bottom end, Gonzo is great and dammit...Bush is the most underappreciated vocalist in rock. He sounds even better here than he did back in the day...and he was great back in the day. Wow. So glad these guys are still showing how it's done!