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.
On The Way
Armored Saint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There'll always be some friction in your life
But you gotta keep your head high
And beat the odds with a sigh, my friend
Keep pushin' to the plateau
Find gold at the end of the rainbow, begin
Feel the sweet sensation
Suddenly you've taken charge of your life
Feeling good, you're on the road at last
Yes, you're made of Armor
And Saints will conquer
And you ask what this thing could be
Just jump on the road and follow me
I knew that one day I would reach you
And show you lives worth living for
Sometimes you'll go through hell first
But at the end you'll be at heaven's door
Do you realize your on the way
To an everlasting day
Don't turn your head on the ones who placed your crown
Or soon you'll find yourself going down!!
The song "On the Way" by Armored Saint is an uplifting, motivational piece about the importance of perseverance and having a positive outlook on life. The lyrics encourage the listener to hold onto their dreams and push through challenges, with the promise that success and happiness are waiting at the end of the journey. The use of imagery, such as the metaphor of finding gold at the end of the rainbow, adds to the song's hopeful tone.
The lyrics of the chorus, "And Saints will conquer / And you ask what this thing could be / Just jump on the road and follow me," suggest a sense of community and shared purpose among the "Saints." The singer offers to guide others towards a better life, encouraging them to trust in the journey even if it is difficult at times. The final warning in the last verse, "Don't turn your head on the ones who placed your crown / Or soon you'll find yourself going down!!," serves as a reminder to stay humble and grateful for the support of others.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold on to that vision
Keep your goal in mind and don't give up
There'll always be some friction in your life
Life will never be perfect, and there will always be obstacles
But you gotta keep your head high
Stay positive and keep moving forward
And beat the odds with a sigh, my friend
Even when things are tough, don't give up, and keep going
Keep pushin' to the plateau
Keep working towards your goal and don't stop until you get there
Find gold at the end of the rainbow, begin
Find the reward at the end of the journey and start working towards it
Feel the sweet sensation
Experience the joy and satisfaction of achieving your goal
Suddenly you've taken charge of your life
You are in control of your own life and making decisions for yourself
No one can surpass
No one can compete with the success you have achieved
Feeling good, you're on the road at last
You are finally on the path to success, and it feels great
Yes, you're made of Armor
You are strong and capable of overcoming obstacles
And Saints will conquer
The best people will succeed and overcome obstacles
And you ask what this thing could be
You may not know what your goal or purpose is yet
Just jump on the road and follow me
Trust me and follow my lead to success
I knew that one day I would reach you
I always believed in you and knew you were capable of success
And show you lives worth living for
I want to show you that there is a purpose and meaning to life
Sometimes you'll go through hell first
You may have to face tough times before reaching your goal
But at the end you'll be at heaven's door
After overcoming your challenges, you will achieve success and happiness
Do you realize you're on the way
You are on the path to success and achieving your goal
To an everlasting day
You will achieve a long-lasting and fulfilling success
Don't turn your head on the ones who placed your crown
Don't forget the people who helped you along the way to success
Or soon you'll find yourself going down!!
If you forget the people who helped you, you may lose your way and fail
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BUSH, PRICHARD, VERA, G. SANDOVAL, P. SANDOVAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Today Tomorrow Music
one of the best metal vocalist ever
Dmitry Owens
Definitely - Bush rules! 🤘
Gonzo Sandoval~ Drums of Thunder
one of my altimeter favorite songs! it really reminds me of our fallen brother R.I.P. David Earl Prichard, Long Live the Red Saint!
Dana Dane
I was fortunate enough to see Armored Saint during their Symbol of Salvation Tour in 2018. They sounded incredible. Btw this is an incredible performance and recording. Every instrument is clear as a bell. Joey Vera is a beast of a bassist. The first time I ever saw John Bush live in person was in 1997 with Anthrax and sounds just as powerful to this date. Armored Saint as a whole seems to get better/tighter every passing year.
BA99
That bass in the mix!👍
Mauricio Hernández Díaz
Was prolly mixed by Joey himself.
Savagio Desperados
This band is just magic !!!! Thanks to exist !
Michael Martin
The energy John brings to the performance is amazing. Armored Saint is lucky to have him.
Terry Davis
Great to see that the Saint is still marching, after all these years.
🤙
Yves Arsenault
John Bush.. that voice... great clip