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.
tension
Armored Saint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Only appears for a cameo
The camp is so clean
And it keeps raining green
The scent is strong
But yet something's wrong
Everything is too much right
God forsaken
God-awful place
The falling house of cards
That I love to embrace
I'm saving face
Four star everything's comped
We steer the peddlers clear
Lessons in decorum given out
First class, top notch, no fear
Announcing every heroic feat
Large praise and make it quick
Good as it is it's never great
This health is making me sick
Wrapped up the report is done
The addle brained just can't get enough
The scent is strong but yet something is wrong
Everything just ain't right
This house of cards is erasing my face
The song "Tension" by Armored Saint paints a picture of the paradoxical emotions often experienced in high-pressure corporate environments. The imagery is centered around a picture-perfect corporate campsite, where the CEO rarely makes an appearance and everything is carefully put in place. The first verse nods towards the participants' perception of the CEO role; in reality, he/she is only present for a short cameo, yet their position bears significant influence. The campsite's pristine condition and the continuous stream of money flowing in are represented through the line "And it keeps raining green," and the powerful scent of the place is almost intoxicating, perhaps because it's hiding something. The last line of the verse sums up one of the key themes of the song: everything is too much right, suggesting that something is off in this otherwise perfect environment.
The chorus of the song places a stamp on this feeling, with the repeated call for tension. The singer loves the idea of the falling house of cards, despite being aware of its danger, which is summed up in the lines "God forsaken, god-awful place/ The falling house of cards that I love to embrace." Yet, there's a sense of self-preservation too, with the decision of "saving face."
The second verse highlights the luxurious side of the environment further. All of the services are top-notch, and the people in power have no fear. Their heroic feats are announced with great pomp, and anything less than good is unacceptable. Despite all of this, the singer is not satisfied. There's a growing sense of discomfort that is referred to in the line "This health is making me sick." There's a sense of superficiality and emptiness in everything they're surrounded by.
Overall, the song is an excellent commentary on corporate life and the emotions that arise in such a cutthroat environment, even when everything seems perfect on the outside.
Line by Line Meaning
Brass hat, CEO
The high-ranking executive is present in the scene
Only appears for a cameo
But doesn't stay long enough to make a lasting impression
The camp is so clean
The place is immaculate and in order
And it keeps raining green
Money is flowing in abundance
The scent is strong
The atmosphere is overwhelming
But yet something's wrong
But still, there is a sense of unease
Everything is too much right
The perfection is becoming suffocating
Tension, need tension
I crave some sort of conflict or struggle
God forsaken
The place is devoid of any divine presence or meaning
God-awful place
This place is terrible and miserable
The falling house of cards
The situation is precarious and unstable
That I love to embrace
Even though it's dangerous, I cannot help but be drawn to it
I'm saving face
I'm trying to maintain an image of strength and competence
Four star everything's comped
Everything is of the highest quality and provided without charge
We steer the peddlers clear
We keep away the unwanted or unworthy people
Lessons in decorum given out
Rules of proper behavior are taught and enforced
First class, top notch, no fear
Living in luxury and without worry
Announcing every heroic feat
Boasting about small accomplishments
Large praise and make it quick
Excessive compliments that mean little
Good as it is it's never great
The situation may be good, but it never reaches true excellence
This health is making me sick
The excessive cleanliness and order is becoming unbearable
Wrapped up the report is done
The task has been completed and finalized
The addle brained just can't get enough
The foolish and naive cannot see the true nature of the situation
The scent is strong but yet something is wrong
Despite the apparent success, there is a sense of something amiss
Everything just ain't right
The perfection is a facade that is starting to crumble
This house of cards is erasing my face
My identity and sense of self is being lost in this unstable and dangerous situation
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: J BUSH, J VERA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind