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.
Head On
Armored Saint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ain't no way to make wrongs right
Never want to seek confrontation
But don't you stand so close to my knife
I got a lot of thorny thoughts
Gong banging till my arms are shot
Poor friendless Raymond
I give all I got
I won't roll over
I won't play dead
I won't keep dining on the insides of my head
Like an ol' dog
With no burden of ignorance
Never want to make lame excuses
Or keep my nose in the air like a prince
Some terrible beauty
Like Machiavelli
Poor friendless bastard
But I've got a skeleton key
And I won't roll over
I won't sit down
I'll keep on following the scent like a driven bloodhound
Be the real deal
If it hurts at least I can feel
An easy target without a weapon
Sometimes wound too tight
But I'm digging in with all my might
And I'll plunge in to life head on
Head on Head on
Head on Head on
Head on
I won't roll over
I won't play dead
I'd rather take it from the hands of some villian instead
Be the real deal
Every injury is gonna heal
So bring on the bite from any python
Sometimes wound too tight
But I won't go down without a good fight
And I'll always plunge into life Head on
In Armored Saint's song Head On, the lyrics speak to the idea of facing life head-on, even in the face of adversity or danger. The opening line "Loss of nerve man, ain't no way to make wrongs right" acts as a warning that backing down from a challenge won't solve anything. The lyricist goes on to say they don't seek confrontation, but if someone stands too close to their "knife," they will defend themselves. Even in moments of exhaustion ("Gong banging till my arms are shot"), they push forward. The mention of "terrible beauty" and "Machiavelli" hints at the idea that sometimes, to achieve what you want, you have to be ruthless or cunning. The lyric "But I've got a skeleton key" reinforces this idea, suggesting that the lyricist has a way to get what they want, even if it's not through traditional means.
The chorus of the song repeats the message that the singer won't give up or back down: "I won't roll over, I won't play dead / I'll keep on following the scent like a driven bloodhound." The line "Be the real deal" is a call to action, urging the listener to be authentic and true to themselves, even if it means feeling pain. The final part of the song reinforces this idea, stating "Every injury is gonna heal / So bring on the bite from any python / Sometimes wound too tight / But I won't go down without a good fight / And I'll always plunge into life Head on." The lyricist is saying that even if things get tough, they'll keep going, and face life head-on.
Line by Line Meaning
Loss of nerve man
Feeling anxious and hesitant
Ain't no way to make wrongs right
Accepting the fact that some things cannot be fixed
Never want to seek confrontation
Avoiding conflicts
But don't you stand so close to my knife
Warning others to stay at a safe distance
I got a lot of thorny thoughts
Feeling burdened with negative ideas
Gong banging till my arms are shot
Working hard and tirelessly
Poor friendless Raymond
Feeling pity for a lonely person
I give all I got
Putting in maximum effort
I won't roll over
Not giving up easily
I won't play dead
Not pretending to be defeated
I won't keep dining on the insides of my head
Not overthinking things
Like an ol' dog
Being experienced and wise
With no burden of ignorance
Having learned from past experiences
Never want to make lame excuses
Taking responsibility for one's actions
Or keep my nose in the air like a prince
Avoiding arrogance and entitlement
Some terrible beauty
The bittersweet nature of life
Like Machiavelli
Being strategic and cunning
Poor friendless bastard
Empathizing with a lonely person
But I've got a skeleton key
Knowing how to solve problems
I won't sit down
Refusing to back down
I'll keep on following the scent like a driven bloodhound
Persisting in the pursuit of one's goals
Be the real deal
Being authentic and genuine
If it hurts at least I can feel
Taking risks and experiencing life
An easy target without a weapon
Being vulnerable and defenseless
Sometimes wound too tight
Feeling tense and stressed
But I'm digging in with all my might
Holding on and persevering
And I'll plunge in to life head on
Facing challenges directly and fearlessly
I'd rather take it from the hands of some villian instead
Preferring to deal with a clear enemy
Every injury is gonna heal
Believing in the power of recovery
So bring on the bite from any python
Being unafraid of danger
But I won't go down without a good fight
Resisting defeat and giving it all
And I'll always plunge into life Head on
Being brave and proactive
Contributed by Hunter D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.