Origin of the Species: For almost
30 years, John Bush has set the standard by which all other American metal
frontmen strive for but few come anywhere close. Whether he's staging
a sword fight in glistening head-to-toe armor or fronting one of the "Big
Four," John Bush can be counted on to give nothing short of his all. His
rise to prominence was almost meteoric, as his first band, ARMORED SAINT,
was signed within a mere six months of forming. In an era when most American
metal bands infused their sound with the speed and energy of punk, ARMORED
SAINT stood out by flawlessly emulating the classic style of the NWOBHM.
The same can be said for John Bush's vocal style: a unique combination
of Bruce Dickinson's range and the gruffness of SAXON frontman Biff Byford.
The SAINT marched strong through the 80s until coming to a halt following
the tragic death of guitarist Dave Prichard and Bush's relocation to the
East Coast to join veteran thrash outfit ANTHRAX. The mid-to-late 90s
would be a dark age for classic metal and thrash as the scene turned into
a low-tuned, mid-paced, soulless wasteland. Despite this, Bush successfully
evolved with the times while keeping his golden pipes intact. What's more,
fans of the old school would finally see their patience rewarded when
ARMORED SAINT reunited in 2000. Since then, he's fronted both bands off
and on, although it looks like he may be done with ANTHRAX for good. Now
that we're fresh off the heels of the most recent SAINT masterwork, "La
Raza," we here at the Dogsite thought it would be fun to take a trip back
through John Bush's work in both bands and relive the best of the best
and the worst of the worst. So without further ado…
ARMORED SAINT - S/T EP, 1983: ARMORED SAINT's first three-song EP flew in the face of LA's glam metal scene as well as the burgeoning thrash metal movement, an exercise in tight, meat 'n potatoes power metal with a traditional lean. The drumming sounds simplistic in a few places, however it's clear in "Lesson Well Learned" and "False Alarm" that young Dave Prichard already knew his way around the fretboard without overplaying his hand (as evidenced during the tasty leads of "On the Way"). Bush's clean-yet-raspy voice assists in gluing the band's sound together in every track. It's a debut that made it clear ARMORED SAINT would be a band worth following.
ARMORED SAINT - "March of the Saint",
1984: The armored Bay Area battalions unleashed a virile debut, despite the fact they were rogue knights in search of the right castles to plunder. The title track initiates with heroic fanfares and pompous
MANOWAR-esque warrior agenda but from "Can U Deliver" onwards, it's mostly
rocking party metal somewhere between SAXON and VAN HALEN, every
song sporting a riff or two infectious as the bubonic plague, while the overused
vocal refrains and polished production date this album to the top of the
B class of early 80's US heavy metal. It's admirable that the whole California
quaking with the apocalyptic tremor of "Haunting the
Chapel" and "Ride the Lightning" didn't seem to cause any kind of identity crisis with the Sandoval brothers, Vera and company's songwriting. Bush sounds like a real heavy rock singer with none of the tuneless shrieking of Turbin or Araya. Thrashers might have hated these pure stadium heavy metal wannabes but one thing is for sure, today's retro bastards don't rock like this.
ARMORED SAINT - "Delirious Nomad", 1985: One year doesn't allow a band much time to follow-up its debut, but John Bush and the boys still manage to avert the dreaded sophomore slump. This is a band well-known for their strong opening tracks, and "Long Before I Die" is no exception: a short-but-sweet rocker that proves how effective one killer riff can carry an entire song. If that's not enough to whet your appetite, the next two tracks start showing how the band is growing creatively. The two-note intro of the kind-of-title-track "Nervous Man" creates a priceless sense of anticipation (fitting song title then, eh?), and the delicate, jazzy feel of "Over the Edge" is as "easy listening" as
metal can be while still qualifying as metal. From there, "Conqueror" lays down the blueprint that HAMMERFALL would go on to recycle time and time again, and "For the Sake of Heaviness" is a bona fide stand-out track thanks to its combination of highs and lows from both the guitars and John Bush's vocals. While still largely a straight-forward, no-frills metal album, the band members get plenty of opportunities to get their licks in, whether it's the drum roll followed by the guitar squeal in "You're Never Alone" or Joey Vera's whoop-ass bass solo in "Released." It's an album one dare not judge by its cover (the band apparently hates the album art), and despite being a bit more heavily polished than many of the other classic albums of this era, it's thankfully less so than "March of the Saint." It's a shame that this album gets lost among the shuffle, because "Delirious Nomad" stands the test of time as a worthy example of what old-school metal should be.
ARMORED SAINT - "Raising Fear", 1987:
ARMORED SAINT's formula for winning records seems to have solidified.
There is an aggressive crunchy heaviness to the instrumentation in the
title track, and Bush's vocals propel it further into orbit as he puts
his all into his pipes. "Out On a Limb" is a perfect example of barebones
anthemic metal executed flawlessly. "Chemical Europhia" is dizzyingly
powerful with a tight rhythm section and leads swimming in and out, and
the stomping beat of "Crisis of Life" is irresistible. Bush might sing,
"I'm falling, I'm falling" yet his voice is definitely more
than stable. There's a barren loneliness a la 70s PRIEST in the haunting
ballad "Isolation". Despite the slick major-label
production, "Raising Fear" is a record all metal fans really should have in their collection.
ARMORED SAINT - "Saints Will Conquer
(Live)", 1988: - So to review, we're three albums into the career
of the SAINT and, as one should expect from a major label, these albums
are noticeably smooth around the edges. Those looking for something a
bit rougher should check the band out in their true element… LIVE. The
difference between studio and stage is like night and day: After the "Hello
Cleveland!" greeting (wonder what movie they're referencing there?!),
the SAINT charges in with a chaotic rendition of "Raising Fear" that replaces
the emphasis on John Bush's high-pitched harmonies with a supercharge
of speed. From there, other songs that greatly benefit from the live
treatment
are "Chemical Euphoria" and "Long Before I Die," which make the originals
sound sluggish by comparison, and Bush's working of the crowd in "Can
U Deliver" will make listeners feel right there among hundreds of sweating
bodies. Unfortunately, the live portion of "Saints Will Conquer" clocks
in at less than 30 minutes, forcing some glaring omissions (where's "March
of the Saint"?). Plus, the bonus studio track, "No Reason to Live," a
leftover from the debut EP, was written before the band found its own
identity and is barely recognizable as an ARMORED SAINT tune. And even
though we don't tend to include music videos in our buying guides, the
DVD "A Trip Thru Red Times" is a far better representation of the live
ARMORED SAINT experience and has a much more expansive song selection,
plus a bunch of extra goodies. Dave Prichard's spine-chilling extended
solo on "Book of Blood" is reason enough to seek that one out.
ARMORED SAINT - "Symbol of Salvation",
1991: While the death of a talented contributor like Dave Prichard
would have been enough to finish a lesser band, it only seemed to make
ARMORED SAINT stronger. Moving from the superbly un-metal Chrysalis imprint
to Metal Blade, John Bush and crew deliver nearly an hour of world class
American heavy metal; 13 tracks and not a weak one to be found. So many
metal albums of the time period sound sterile and overproduced, but the
performances and songwriting of "Symbol…" resonate perfectly with Dave
Jerden's rich, classy approach. Guitars are layered here, there, and everywhere,
adding incredible depth and riff muscle to cuts like
"Warzone" and "Dropping Like Flies". Gonzo's drumming reaches mind-boggling, neck-snapping perfection in "Tribal Dance" and "Reign of Fire", while Bush's mighty vocals soar to new heights in epic rockers "Tainted Past" and "Another Day", vaulting and gliding over colorful acoustic melodies and crunching power chords. Despite the fact that alt-metal, grunge, and ANTHRAX were waiting just around the corner to spoil the party, the fact remains that ARMORED SAINT crafted one of the strongest heavy metal albums of all time in 1991, and it still sounds fantastic today.
ANTHRAX - "Sound of White Noise", 1993:
It sounded so good on paper: Charlie Benante's superhuman drumming set
against John Bush's brawny metal pipes. This was ANTHRAX's chance to push
the collective reset button, flush away years of dorky schlock like "Antisocial"
and "Indians" and show the young'ns how real streetwise metal is made.
Throw in Dave Jerden's production (see "Symbol of Salvation" above) and
it becomes obvious that there are no excuses. To be fair, a couple of
tracks absolutely smoke, like the ultra-turbulent "Room For One More",
a great example of Bush and Benante playing on each other's strengths.
"Burst" also kicks the door down, Bush taking command of a great
chorus
augmented by wrist-snapping thrash riffs. Sadly, for the rest of the album,
the band seems too focused on modernizing their metal sound, attempting
to forecast what real 90s metal should be. As a result, the songs
come out flat. The two FM-friendly tracks "Only" and "Black Lodge" both
center around great vocals from Bush, but riff-wise and hook-wise, neither
one delivers. The same can be said for the rest of the album, cuts like
"Packaged Rebellion" building and building but never delivering that great
riff that metal classics require.
ANTHRAX - "Stomp 442", 1995:
While "Sound of White Noise" may have seemed directionless at times, ANTHRAX's second album with Bush is pretty much full-on jock metal. "Random Acts of Senseless Violence" is an attempt at PANTERA-style groove 'n shout, while "Fueled" and "King Size" mine HELMET territory. Like the previous record, there are a few hot flashes: "Nothing" utilizes Bush's voice well, and "In A Zone" does pack some heavy riffs. But overall, too many songs on "Stomp 442" are either instantly forgettable, or the perfect accompaniment for selling some sort of sports drink or workout machine. Oddly, with all the angry testosterone-riffing presented here, the tender
acoustic-dominated "Bare" is one of the album's most memorable cuts, serving as a reminder of Bush's SAINT glory days.
ANTHRAX - "Volume 8: The Threat is Real",
1998: The most positive thing anyone can say about this album
is this: It's a far more bearable experience than "Stomp 442." Doesn't
say a whole lot? Sorry, but that's about all we have to work with here.
The thrash metal genre is totally flatlined, so what's a thrash metal
band to do? Apparently, doing what they did best and defying the trends
was out of the question, so they instead opted for what's more often than
not a dirty word in the metal word: experimentation. Granted, some of
these experiments aren't that bad, like the tribal percussion in album
opener "Crush!" or the country twang of "Toast to the Extras" that, if
nothing else
predates REBEL MEETS REBEL. For the rest of the album, "Piss 'n Vinegar" sounds like a 90s update to "Can U Deliver" that succeeds solely on the efforts of John Bush's vocal harmonies, and "Born-Again Idiot" is the heaviest ANTHRAX track in some time. The rest of the album, though, is so bland and forgettable that is hurts. For instance, why didn't Bush sing the hidden ballad "Pieces"? We appreciate that it's Frank Bello's heartfelt message, but it doesn't take away from the fact that the guy just doesn't have a very good voice. And what's the point of "604" and "Cupajoe"? Couldn't these blips have been saved for an S.O.D. album? Despite a scant few shining moments and the continued support of Dimebag, this is still a prime example of a band that's flopping around like a fish out of water in search of its own identity (and suffocating halfway there). In their defense, though, were the other bands that comprise the "Big Four" really doing any better at this point?
ARMORED SAINT - "Revelation", 2000: Frankly, many of us had mixed feelings about this reunion, as the once-sacred name in American metal had been reduced to a side project by Bush and Vera. But despite nearly a decade of making mediocre metal records with ANTHRAX and FATES WARNING, the band is actually able to reconnect with the PRIEST-like spirit of prior releases like “Delirious Nomad” several times. The production is riff-focused and simple compared to the thousand-guitar symphony “Symbol of Salvation”. Bush’s vocal performance shines during the midtempo “Den of Thieves”, while the bone-grinding crunch of “Control Issues” and the majestic “Creepy Feelings” line up
well with Saint material of old. Even so, the album is saddled with several cuts that lose steam, like “After Me, the Flood” and “What’s Your Pleasure”. Regardless, it beats the hell out of any ANTHRAX stuff, but despite the strength of the album, Bush would soon return to the kings of Adam Sandler baseball-cap metal.
ARMORED SAINT - "Nod to the Old School", 2001:
The SAINT had already made a successful comeback a year prior, so not too many folks were expecting them to release anything so soon after "Revelation." And while it would normally be just another compilation with the "rare and unreleased" tag line slapped on it, there's one reason why it's an essential purchase for any true SAINT fan: It's the ONLY place you can get the self-titled EP (see above). Before listeners get to that, though, there are six new studio tracks (two new songs, two covers and two re-recordings of their own songs) in addition to two live cuts. As far as the new songs, "Real Swagger" has a straight-forward classic
metal groove, while "Unstable" is a more modern, low-tuned semi-ballad. The acoustic revamping of "Tainted Past" may not have been necessary, but "March of the Saint" benefits greatly from the speed increase and present-day production. Now normally, including any covers at all could be considered a cop-out, but "Day of the Eagle" (ROBIN TROWER) and "Never Satisfied" (JUDAS PRIEST) give Jeff Duncan and Phil Sandoval plenty of room to play around. And of course, the two live tracks, both from "Revelation," prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that the SAINT still owns the stage. What follows the EP is a bunch of outtakes and demos from the "Symbol of Salvation" sessions, but while they're intriguing to hear once or twice (like how the riffs in "People" would later become "Tribal Dance"), they're not likely to be revisited regularly. It's a comp that feels a bit thrown together, and the absence of anything from "Delirious Nomad" or "Raising Fear" makes it feel incomplete, but it's worth getting for the inclusion of the debut EP alone.
ANTHRAX - "We've Come For You All", 2003:
The band is not aging with dignity, as if that wasn't obvious at this point. From Dimebag Darrell to Roger Daltrey, the guests serve mostly to emphasize the lack of direction in this pandering, pop influenced "reality metal" as pseudo-aggressive groove metal mosh in "What Doesn't Die" gives already a bad taste on which to build one's impression of the album. Beyond, it's mostly into interchangeable simple, soft alternative rock ballads like "Safe Home" or the chorus driven hits such as "Anyplace But Here" which are not much heavier than GREEN DAY. Bush sounds generic, that's pretty much all we can say about him on this album. If something can be said
in defense of the record, the production values, easy listening leads and vocal melodies gleaned with a commercial eye should have made this a top seller and replaced at least some of the vapid metalcore that has even worse surface recognition of metal music techniques.
ANTHRAX - "The Greater of Two Evils,
2004: Well, this time the songs aren't too bad since they have
been picked by fans from the classic 80's catalogue of the band but the
LIMP BIZKIT production, over-proficient precision, lack of atmosphere
and unexcited vocals from Bush hardly add anything to what was above average
early thrash. Songs like "Keep in the Family" and "Madhouse" are still
guaranteed to incite moshing and stage diving when the band deigns to
play them live, but when you sit within the four walls of your home and
grab a beer can, the only idea aroused by these recordings is that they
must be paid pretty well for doing this. I won't even start thinking about
the
kind of fans that wished these old classics to be recorded with "a more professional sound", because they are surely the type that killed this whole genre (thrash) in the first place.
ANTHRAX - "Music of Mass Destruction (Live)", 2005 : This is a prime example of what happens when you don't give an album a proper listen before rushing it onto the shelves. In short, "Music of Mass Destruction" is one of the worst sounding live albums ever recorded, in addition to being a great tool for anyone making the argument that drum triggers are ruining modern metal. Anyone that can make it past the first few seconds of "What Doesn't Die" and doesn't have the instinctive reaction of turning the damn thing off is either incredibly brave or legally deaf. Where the brevity of "Saints Will Conquer" left fans wanting, "Music of Mass Destruction" is nearly 70 minutes that'll hurt
the ears as much as being locked in the elevator of the CN Tower as it goes up and down at around 100 mph. And even though John Bush still sounds great, especially on his own songs like "Only" and "Safe Home," not even his showmanship can save this sinking ship. And sure, there are a few clever moments, like how the band starts "Belly of the Beast" with a bit of CELTIC FROST classic "Dethroned Emperor," or how Bush gets a jab in at Sly Stallone during the intro of "I am the Law." Too bad the rest of this one makes MAYHEM's "Live in Leipzig" sound like KISS' "Alive!" Avoid like the Clap.
ARMORED SAINT - "La Raza", 2010:
It's simply fascinating after all the drama and poor releases of the ANTHRAX era, ARMORED SAINT can return in 2010 picking up exactly where they left off. The songwriting is just as strong as the "Symbol" era, and cuts like "Get Off the Fence" pack all the classy metal wallop from that masterwork in terms of Bush's meaty vocals and Gonzo's deft drumming. Other morsels like the stunning "Little Monkey" take up right where the riffy "Revelation" record left off. If anything is different this time, it's a couple of experiments with airy production: both "Blues" and "Chilled" benefit from a looser, bass-driven arrangement built around less rhythm guitar
than traditional metal, delivering a swirly KINGS X sort of vibe without sounding too ambitious. Overall, "La Raza" proves to be a tad stronger than it's predecessor due to brevity and less throwaway cuts (never did understand the point of that Spanish ARMORED SAINT song "No Me Digas"). Perhaps it's the outlet represented by side projects like FATES WARNING and ANTHRAX that have allowed this band to stay so consistent when they do eventually convene for a record. With so many bands sleepin' late and smokin' tea from album to album (some can't get it right after a one-year break!), it makes the ARMORED SAINT discog even more impressive.
Closing Thoughts: As usual, this buying guide is a conglomeration of gloats and groans, but we hope you enjoyed reading it all the same. So now that you've heard what we had to say, it's time for you to sound off. What are some of your John Bush memories? Which ARMORED SAINT cut is your favorite? Was the Bush-led ANTHRAX really that bad? Which is more forgivable: a hit-and-miss yet consistent output of tunes or a decade-long period of no tunes? Let us know! In the meantime, hopefully there's one thing we all can agree on: There are some killer cuts in the above list (yes, even among the ANTHRAX entries), and it's in no small part to the vocal talent and showmanship of John Bush himself.
And the best part? The man shows no signs of stopping, so it looks like there's gonna be plenty more grade-A metal to come! Hope y'all enjoy it as much as we will. Till next time…
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