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.
Win Hands Down
Armored Saint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The ones that helped me realize when shit was funny
Cut our teeth
A kick in the ass
Tackling life there's just one chance
Mischief makers piss some off
Deal with consequences or not
Roaming the city eyes open wide
With boots on ground
Win hands down
A giant sound
Win hands down
Just maintain
Then drop the reins
And place my crown
Win hands down
Lise some royal decree
A verbal contract
You're with me
And man I got your back
Seeking adventure every which way
Knowing full well there may be hell to pay
Adolescence in full swing
A booming voice were gonna bring
So much that this platoon can do
Bread and circus is the rule
The lyrics to Armored Saint's "Win Hands Down" pay tribute to the singer's old friends who helped him navigate the ups and downs of life. The song is a reflection on the reckless abandon and rowdy camaraderie that defined the singer's wild youth. He sings of "cutting teeth" and taking on life with "just one chance," highlighting the urgency and immediacy of youthful energy. The "mischief makers" that he ran with often found themselves in trouble, and they had to deal with the consequences of their actions - or not. The singer describes their adventures roaming the city with "eyes open wide," daring any adversary to cross their path.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea of winning at all costs, of coming out on top no matter what. The singer sings of dropping the reins - letting go of control - and placing his crown, symbolizing his triumph over all obstacles. He declares his loyalty to his friends, acknowledging that they are all in this together, come what may. The bridge of the song speaks to the sense of rebellion and defiance that characterized his youth, and to the limitless potential that he and his friends possessed - if only they could harness it. Overall, "Win Hands Down" is a nostalgic look back at the singer's youth, and a testament to the bonds of friendship and loyalty that sustained him through that wild and crazy time.
Line by Line Meaning
This is an ode to all my old buddies
This song is a tribute to my childhood friends.
The ones that helped me realize when shit was funny
My friends were there for me during tough times and helped me see the humor in them.
Cut our teeth
We learned and grew from our experiences.
A kick in the ass
Sometimes we needed a push to get going or to make a change.
Tackling life there’s just one chance
We knew that we only have one life to live, so we made the most of it and took risks.
Mischief makers piss some off
We were troublemakers at times, and some people didn't appreciate our antics.
Deal with consequences or not
We were willing to accept the consequences of our actions, whether good or bad.
Roaming the city eyes open wide
We explored our surroundings and were always on the lookout for new experiences.
Every adversary is urged to hide
We were confident in our abilities and ready to take on any challenge that came our way.
With boots on ground
We were ready for action and willing to get our hands dirty.
Win hands down
We were determined to succeed and confident in our abilities to do so.
A giant sound
Our success was going to be big and powerful.
Just maintain
We needed to keep our composure and stay focused on our goals.
Then drop the reins
Once we achieved our goals, we could let go and enjoy our success.
And place my crown
We deserved recognition for our hard work and achievements.
Like some royal decree
Our success was important and deserved attention, almost like a king's proclamation.
A verbal contract
We made promises to each other to always have each other's backs.
You're with me
We were a team and we stuck together through thick and thin.
And man I got your back
We were always there to support each other.
Seeking adventure every which way
We were always looking for new and exciting experiences.
Knowing full well there may be hell to pay
We were aware of the risks we took, but we weren't afraid to take them.
Adolescence in full swing
We were young and full of energy, eager to live life to the fullest.
A booming voice were gonna bring
We were ready to make our mark on the world and be heard.
So much that this platoon can do
We had a lot of potential as a group and could accomplish great things.
Bread and circus is the rule
We were entertained easily and didn't need much to have a good time, almost like the phrase 'bread and circuses' used to describe Roman entertainment.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BUSH JOHN ROBERT, VERA JOSEPH JOHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
2Zero8discipline
This is an ode to all my old buddies
The ones that helped me realize when shit was funny
Cut our teeth
A kick in the ass
Tackling life there's just one chance
Mischief makers piss some off
Deal with consequences or not
Roaming the city eyes open wide
Every adversary is urged to hide
With boots on ground
Win hands down
A giant sound
Win hands down
Just maintain
Then drop the reins
And place my crown
Win hands down
Lise some royal decree
A verbal contract
You're with me
And man I got your back
Seeking adventure every which way
Knowing full well there may be hell to pay
Adolescence in full swing
A booming voice were gonna bring
So much that this platoon can do
Bread and circus is the rule
Jacobs Ladder
Lyrics - (with likely some inaccuracies :) )
this is an ode to all my old buddies
ones that help me realize when shit was funny
a cut out tee
a kick in the ass
tackling life
theres just one chance
mischief makers
piss them off
deal with consequences..or not
roaming the city eyes open wide
every adversary deserves to hide
with boots on ground
win hands down
a giant sound
win hands down
just maintain
drop the rest
place my crown
win hands down
its a royal decree, above all contract
your with me and man i got your back
seeking adventure every which way
knowing full well there may be hell to pay
adolescence in full swing
[boom or bust?] four man rush
were going to pray [pay?]
so much madness a platoon can do
ready circus, is a rule
with boots on ground
win hands down
a giant sound
win hands down
just maintain
drop the rest
place my crown
win hands down
win hands down
win hands down
win hands down
Eddie L
John Bush is still one of the best vocalists period.
Anto duju
@Scott Marinelliwe can not change your opinion, for me.. well... that would be very tough competition there are so many singer with great voice i could not decide who's the best. As Eddie L said, def. 1 of the best
Anto duju
maaaan, he can still kick ass with his voice! like in the old days.
Nikos Tragakis
You mean "one of the best vocalists, hands down."
John A Spangler
Agree 100%
Scott Marinelli
The best metal voice of all time in my opinion!!!
L Coters
Doesnt matter what your taste, you're lookin at pioneers. respect
GrayWoIf
Armored Saint keeping that Traditional Heavy Metal sound alive!!!
Soundtallica in Chains
How has John Bush kept his voice this intact over all those years of brutal metal singing??
🆁∕∕∕🆂
Training. Get a vocal trainer if you want to sing professional. Don't drink. Don't smoke. Unless your last name is Kilmister.