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.
Warzone
Armored Saint Lyrics
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I always have the starring role
But the scenery is never quite clear
Cause the film is growing old
But I just roll them dice
And I pray for snake eyes
Lonely warzone
Lonely warzone
My only friend
Insanity is the word I plead
Cause the trenches are all filled up
With the bodies of men who used to laugh with me
They just got shot like sitting ducks
But I just roll them dice
And I pray for snake eyes
Lonely warzone
That I defend
Lonely warzone
My only friend
It's a bloody fighting
How I feel it
It's a bloody fighting
Won't you yield it
But I just roll them dice
I keep on rollin
Lonely warzone
That I defend
Lonely warzone
My only friend
Lonely warzone
That I defend
Lonely warzone
My only friend
The lyrics of Armored Saint's song Warzone express the feelings of a soldier caught in the middle of a war. The soldier is plagued by nightmares and only finds solace in the isolation of the warzone that he is tasked to defend. The soldier is haunted by the memories of his fallen comrades who were once his friends and now lie slain. The imagery in the lyrics is vivid, painting a bleak picture of a war-torn landscape, littered with bodies of soldiers who were once brothers in arms.
The lyrics suggest that the only way for the soldier to cope with the horrors of war is by adopting a fatalistic attitude. Rolling the dice symbolizes the randomness of death in war and the soldier’s submission to fate. The soldier resigns himself to the reality of the warzone and finds comfort in the familiarity of his surroundings. The warzone becomes his only friend, the one thing that he can rely on in this chaos.
Overall, the lyrics of Warzone capture the emotional trauma of a soldier in combat. The words paint a picture of devastation and despair, highlighting the futility of war and the toll it takes on those that fight it.
Line by Line Meaning
When I dream I see movies in my head
When I dream, I always imagine playing the lead role in a movie.
I always have the starring role
I am always the main character in my dreams.
But the scenery is never quite clear
The backdrop in my dreams is not always distinct.
Cause the film is growing old
The movie in my mind is getting old and its details are fading away.
But I just roll them dice
All I can do is take chances and hope for the best.
And I pray for snake eyes
I hope for good luck and fortunate outcomes.
Lonely warzone
I am fighting a war alone.
That I defend
I am trying to protect something precious to me.
My only friend
In this battle, my only ally is myself.
Insanity is the word I plead
I am driven to insanity because the war has filled up with deaths of my fellow soldiers.
Cause the trenches are all filled up
All the hiding spots are done and the war zone is filled with deceased bodies.
With the bodies of men who used to laugh with me
The graves of men with whom I used to share great camaraderie and laughter.
They just got shot like sitting ducks
They were shot in cold blood while being stationary targets.
It's a bloody fighting
I am indulged in an unceasingly violent battle.
How I feel it
This never-ending fighting has left an emotional impact on me.
Won't you yield it
I cannot surrender even if I wish to.
I keep on rollin
I never give up and continue to take my chances.
Lonely warzone
I am fighting a war alone.
That I defend
I am trying to protect something precious to me.
My only friend
In this battle, my only ally is myself.
Lonely warzone
I am fighting a war alone.
That I defend
I am trying to protect something precious to me.
My only friend
In this battle, my only ally is myself.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: DAVID EARL PRICHARD, GONZALO SANDOVAL, JOHN ROBERT BUSH, JOSEPH JOHN VERA, Jamaal Bush, K Reid, Kenyatta Blake, Walt Dewgarde
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind