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.
Tainted Past
Armored Saint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is blowing my mind
I can't seem to piece it all together
I guess it takes time to unwind
To let the dust settle
And let cooler heads prevail
Each and every day I rise
From the ashes I've left behind
They say it's not meant to be
Well I'm parting the sea
Got to let go
Move on from a tainted past
I'll never know
Fall out from a tainted past
The selfish greedy world we live in
Is making me mad
It's always give me every marble
Then kiss my ass
Each and every day I rise
From the ashes I've left behind
To start anew push through
If you go for the green why
ou'll soon see what I mean
Got to let go
Move on from a tainted past
I'll never know
Fall out from a tainted past
Tainted past
Why should anyone finish last
Tainted past
You needn't be a saint
All you need is lots of cash
Why did it end this way
I'll never understand
Why my world is grey
When you combine heartache
With misery
Sets up a challenge
For destiny
Each and every day I rise
From the ashes I've left behind
To start anew push through T
hey say it's not meant to be
Well I'm parting the sea
Got to let go
Move on from a tainted past
I'll never know F
all out from a tainted past
The song Tainted Past by Armored Saint is about the struggles of letting go of one's past and moving forward. The lyrics talk about the cynical view that has been taken and how it's blowing the singer's mind. They can't seem to piece everything together and it takes time to unwind and let cooler heads prevail. Each day they rise from the ashes they've left behind and start anew, pushing through despite being told it's not meant to be. The chorus emphasizes the need to let go of a tainted past and move on from it.
The second verse talks about the selfish and greedy world we live in, where people are always looking out for themselves and their own interests. The singer is tired of this mentality and it's making them mad. They continue to rise each day, pushing through heartache and misery, knowing that it sets up a challenge for destiny. The song ends with the chorus repeating the need to let go of a tainted past and move forward.
Overall, the song is about the struggles of letting go of one's past and moving on, despite the challenges and obstacles that may come their way. It's about rising above cynicism and selfishness and pushing through to a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
The cynical view that has been taken
The negative opinion that people hold is affecting me
Is blowing my mind
It's overwhelming for me to comprehend
I can't seem to piece it all together
I am having difficulty understanding it all
I guess it takes time to unwind
I need time to process it all
To let the dust settle
I need to wait for things to calm down
And let cooler heads prevail
I need to wait for people to calm down and think rationally
Each and every day I rise
Every day I wake up
From the ashes I've left behind
From the mistakes I've made in the past
To start anew push through
To begin again and keep going
They say it's not meant to be
Others say it's not possible or destined to happen
Well I'm parting the sea
But I'm determined to make it happen
Got to let go
I need to move on
Move on from a tainted past
Leave behind the mistakes from the past
I'll never know
I won't ever find out
Fall out from a tainted past
Suffer the consequences of the mistakes from the past
The selfish greedy world we live in
The world is full of self-centered and money-oriented people
Is making me mad
It angers me
It's always give me every marble
Everyone always wants everything for themselves
Then kiss my ass
And expect others to serve them
If you go for the green why
If you pursue money
You'll soon see what I mean
You'll understand what I'm saying
Tainted past
Mistakes from the past
Why should anyone finish last
Why do people have to be punished for their mistakes?
You needn't be a saint
You don't have to be perfect
All you need is lots of cash
Money can solve problems and make things easier
Why did it end this way
Why did things turn out this way?
I'll never understand
I won't be able to comprehend it
Why my world is grey
Why my life is bleak and unfulfilling
When you combine heartache
When you experience emotional pain
With misery
And suffering
Sets up a challenge
Creates an obstacle
For destiny
For what is meant to happen
Fall out from a tainted past
Suffer the consequences of past mistakes
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID EARL PRICHARD, GONZALO SANDOVAL, JOHN ROBERT BUSH, JOSEPH JOHN VERA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind