While we all wait with baited breath for a new album to drop from L.A. legends Armored Saint, Metal Blade have some good news in the form of two vinyl reissues that are sure to set your turntables on fire. The label will reissue the band’s ‘Revelation’ and ‘La Raza’ full-lengths on vinyl August 16, 2024, two albums that are sadly misunderstood when considering milestone pieces like 1984’s ‘March Of The Saint’ and 1991’s glorious ‘Symbol Of Salvation’.
‘Revelation’ is the fifth studio album from the band, originally released in 2000 on Metal Blade Records, now available for the first time on vinyl in the US. The song ‘The Pillar’ was originally written for the 1992 horror film ‘Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth’ where the band makes a cameo appearance as a bar band performing the song ‘Hanging Judge’ at the Boiler Room club.
Recalls bassist Joey Vera, “The story for ’The Pillar‘ was that sometime in 1991 we were approached by the producers for Hellraiser to write a song for the end credits of the movie. They had already agreed to give us the song ’Hanging Judge‘ and a part in the film. So we wrote ’The Pillar‘ which later they passed on and instead they decided to go with Hell On Earth by Motörhead. If we’re gonna lose out, better that it’s by Motörhead!”
‘La Raza’ is the sixth studio album from Armored Saint, originally released in 2010. It was previously unavailable on vinyl outside of a limited 2010 UK release, and the album’s inclusion in the limited edition VMP Anthology: The Story Of Metal Blade eight-LP box set released in 2021. It marked a return for the band after a decade of studio silence, and put them back to the front echelon of blue-collar American heavy metal. Both albums will be released on August 16 via Metal Blade. In the mean time, you could do yourself a favour and check out the stunning Category 7 album featuring John Bush on vocals. That’s a trip and a half.
Armored Saint tour the UK in August.
Photo by Stephanie Cabral.