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.
False Alarm
Armored Saint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You hear the siren, again and again
Screaming a whine
Deep in your mind
Follow the signs and you'll soar
A piercing shrill that keeps you awake
You're the example, he's ready to take
Though it seems wild
A change has been made, for you on the other side
Another false alarm, another false alarm
It won't do any harm, just another false alarm
Deep in a sleep, you're awoken again
This time departure is scheduled at ten
Not a bad deal
This ones for real
I can't let it go
A piercing shrill that keeps you awake
Your the example he's ready to take
Laugh when you lose
Hung by the noose
Anyway, the fire still burns to the core
Another false alarm, another false alarm
It won't do any harm, just another false alarm
False alarm
The opening lines of 'False Alarm' by Armored Saint sets up the feeling of anxiety and unease through the mention of a siren sounding in the wind. This siren acts as a warning to the listener to pay attention to the signs and make a change, however wild it may seem, in order to escape some impending danger. The chorus, 'Another false alarm, it won't do any harm, just another false alarm', suggests that the listener has been through similar situations before where they thought there was danger, but it turned out to be nothing. The second verse takes the listener through a similar scenario, but this time the departure is scheduled at ten, indicating that the danger is more imminent and real. Despite this, the listener still struggles with letting go of past false alarms and the 'fire still burns to the core'.
The lyrics of 'False Alarm' could be interpreted as a metaphor for anxiety and the struggle of coping with it. The siren could represent the internal alarms that go off in a person's mind when they are experiencing anxiety, and the false alarms could signify the times when the anxiety is unfounded. The song encourages the listener to take action and make a change, even if it seems wild, in order to escape the cycle of anxiety.
Line by Line Meaning
Look out the window, the sounds in the wind
Pay attention to what's happening outside, the noise you hear might be important.
You hear the siren, again and again
You can hear the emergency siren, and it keeps going off repeatedly.
Screaming a whine
The siren makes a loud, high-pitched noise.
Deep in your mind
Your subconscious is aware of the warning sounds.
Follow the signs and you'll soar
If you pay attention to the signs and warnings, you can avoid danger and thrive.
A piercing shrill that keeps you awake
The alarm is so loud and intense that it's disrupting your sleep.
You're the example, he's ready to take
You are being singled out as an important individual to heed the alarm, and someone is ready to act on it.
Though it seems wild
Despite the chaotic situation.
Go for the ride
Embrace the experience and see where it takes you.
A change has been made, for you on the other side
You will be transformed by the experience and will emerge as a different person.
Another false alarm, another false alarm
This is not the first time the alarm has sounded inaccurately.
It won't do any harm, just another false alarm
Although it's a nuisance, there is no immediate danger and the alarm is not harmful.
Deep in a sleep, you're awoken again
You were sleeping, but the alarm has woken you up again.
This time departure is scheduled at ten
This time there is a specific time of departure you need to be aware of.
Not a bad deal
The situation is not unfavorable.
This ones for real
This time the warning has legitimate importance.
I can't let it go
You cannot ignore the warning, you must act on it.
Laugh when you lose
You need to maintain a sense of humor, even in difficult times.
Hung by the noose
You are in a precarious situation and need to be cautious.
Anyway, the fire still burns to the core
Despite the warning and adversity, your inner motivation and passion still drive you forward.
False alarm
The warning is not a real emergency.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVID EARL PRICHARD, GONZALO SANDOVAL, JOHN ROBERT BUSH, JOSEPH JOHN VERA, PHILLIP J SANDOVAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
2Zero8discipline
Look out the window the sounds in the wind
You hear the siren again and again
Screaming a whine deep in your mind
Follow the sign and you'll soar
Piercing shrill that keeps you awake
You're the example he's ready to take
Though it seems wild go for the ride
A change has been made for you on the other side
Another false alarm, another false alarm
It won't do any harm, just another false alarm
Deep in a sleep you're awoken again
This time departure is scheduled at ten
Not a bad deal this on'e for real
And I can't let it go
Piercing shrill that keeps you awake
You're the example he's ready to take
Laugh when you lose hung by the noose
Anyway the fire still burns to the core
Another false alarm, another false alarm
Just another false alarm False alarm
Ken Knight
One of the best bands ever
Dancing Donut
Pretty good but definitely not one of the best
Joel Smith
The beginning of the late and GREAT DAVE PRICHARD. I loved his playing so unique and medieval. Just like the cover of "March of the Saint". God I loved these guys.
lovegun2112
I saw them last night in L.A. they kicked ass!!
Marty Mcfly
Beautiful song! W Armored Saint e w 80's! Great metal band
Bo Nichols
Absolutely hands down this to me by far is the best album this awesome heavy metal outfit ever produced, it is kick freaking ass from start to finish PERIOD . !!!!!!!!!!!
HinjuRock
The EP is better - more raw and heavy.
Bo Nichols
@Jon Green Yes you are right but nothing Armored Saint EVER done will ever touch "March of the Saint" 1984 & of course that is my humble opinion of course. Have a good one & keep rokken !!!
Jon Green
Delirious nomad is epic as well
Justin Tyler Jimenez
Cool song, especially the 1983 EP version of this song as well:).