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.
In the Hole
Armored Saint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The war
I'm burning out
Is this the end
The bombs are raining hell
I see
the real me
Floating out to space
Where's the human race
Slave
Well it's immortal right
But I'll give it a try
As they fly through the air
Doubters beware
My home
Below
A blissful place
Stuck in this silo
I live alone
Make the best of what i own
Trusty
Gold key
Ready to kindle the globe
Please lay these arms to rest
My will is running low
Slave
Well it's immortal right
But I gave it a try
While the faces stare
At the hideous glare
Better turn and run
I've unleashed the sun
You say you wanted it done
I'm the man to count on
I'm in the hole for life
These subtle words fit right
Lord knows man needs a vice
On my knees in pain
The lyrics of Armored Saint's song "In the Hole" paint a picture of a person who is amidst a war, possibly a nuclear one, and is struggling to come to terms with the imminent end of their life. The first lines "The wind, The war, I'm burning out, Is this the end" set the tone for the rest of the song as the singer questions what will happen to themselves and humanity itself as bombs rain down on them.
Despite the chaos, the singer seems to find peace in the fact that they can see their "real me," and even as they are "blown to bits," they still retain hope for the survival of the human race. They view themselves as immortal but also know that they are stuck in this silo, living a life of confinement and solitude, and all they can do is make the best of what they have.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more aggressive, unleashing the sun and becoming the "man to count on." While they acknowledge their pain and confinement in the hole for life, they also embrace the idea that man needs a vice, a source of comfort in tough times.
Overall, "In the Hole" is a powerful commentary on the human experience during times of war and the search for hope amidst chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
The wind
The powerful force of nature is blowing
The war
A violent conflict between nations is going on
I'm burning out
I'm experiencing exhaustion and losing energy
Is this the end
Is this the end of everything that exists?
The bombs are raining hell
The bombs are bombing everything around like hell
I see
I can see everything happening around
the real me
I finally see my true self
Floating out to space
I feel like I'm slowly drifting away from this world into space
Blown to bits
I'm completely destroyed or devastated
Where's the human race
What happened to humanity, where are they?
Slave
I'm a slave to this whole situation
Well it's immortal right
This situation will last forever, won't it?
But I'll give it a try
Although it's hopeless, I'll still try to fight
As they fly through the air
Things are constantly moving and changing
Doubters beware
Those who doubt me should be careful
My home
My dwelling place, where I belong
Below
Somewhere beneath the earth's surface
A blissful place
A peaceful and happy environment
Stuck in this silo
Trapped in this confined space
I live alone
I have no one to share my life with
Make the best of what i own
I'm doing the best I can with what I have
Trusty
Reliable, trustworthy
Gold key
An important or valuable key
Ready to kindle the globe
Prepared to ignite or spark a great change in the world
Please lay these arms to rest
Please let me be at peace, stop the fighting
My will is running low
I'm losing the will to continue, getting tired
Well it's immortal right
This situation will last forever, won't it?
But I gave it a try
Although it's hopeless, I tried to fight
While the faces stare
While everyone watches or looks on
At the hideous glare
At the grotesque, ugly sight
Better turn and run
You should flee before it's too late
I've unleashed the sun
I've set something powerful and dangerous free
You say you wanted it done
You asked for this to happen
I'm the man to count on
I'm reliable and trustworthy to get things done
I'm in the hole for life
I'm stuck in this difficult situation for life
These subtle words fit right
These delicate or faint words are appropriate
Lord knows man needs a vice
God knows that people need something to rely on
On my knees in pain
I'm suffering and in great agony, on my knees in pain
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DWIGHT BAKER, KELLY CLARKSON, JIMMY MESSER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
purseonal2010
Two songs on the album about Nukes. This one, and "Aftermath". I bought the record album (remember those???) back in 1985! I've loved this album ever since, as i love all the Saint albums! They will always be on the march!!!! Glad that John Bush is back in the band WHERE HE BELONGS! The stint with Anthrax was just so wrong. He's not a thrash metal vocalist. He's a power metal vocalist! There is no greater power metal band than Armored Saint! PERIOD!
Mark Easley
Another Dave Prichard Masterpiece. Saint Rules!
Alan Sorrenti
One of the most underrated band (and album) of the whole history.
Slim Jim
Great song, from a great album, from a GREAT BAND!
Alan Sorrenti
One of the most underrated band (and album) of the whole story.
my love songs
A great jam by the Saint!!!!! RIP Dave Prichard!
gpetropolj
This darkened silo.I live alone. Make the best of what I own!
Jose Artur R.M.
everybody says "underrated" thats right, but that isn´t important, its a really great heavy metal band!! CLASSICS!!!! yeaaah
purseonal2010
"Trusty gold key ready to kindle the globe". Love those lyrics! It's very profound, that he's living in a missile silo out in the midwest, probably Nebraska, where the Strategic Air Command is located. His only job is to fuel the missiles, and get them ready for the end of the world. VERY intense job there! Can you fuckin imagine it??
beerchain inline
Loving it , YEAH!