Armored Saint's 'Punching the Sky' - Album Review

With all the squabbling that often takes place within certain sections of the metal community over the seemingly infinite number of metal subgenres, and what even constitutes as metal in the first place, it is unsurprising that sometimes one cannot see the wood for the trees. All too often in the strange world of metal, certain bands just never seem to rise to the top. Even some established bands with decent-sized fanbases can never seem to be flavour of the month; and I think that it is those bands who can ever only really be called 'heavy metal' that suffer this fate the most. One such band is the Californian five-piece act Armored Saint. Despite a hiatus between 1992 and 1999, Armored Saint have been around in one form or another since 1982 - and have been releasing very solid and enjoyable slabs of tradition heavy metal since unleashing their self-titled EP into the world in 1983. Despite their activity being fairly sporadic of late, in the 1980s Armored Saint made a good go a breaking into the mainstream - but never truly made it. 1984's March of the Saint, 1985's Delirious Nomad, and 1987's Raising Fear all did well at the time; but it was 1991's Symbol of Salvation that came the closest to hitting a home run. The album was mired in sadness however, as it was the band's first effort without founding guitarist Dave Pritchard who had tragically died the year before of Leukaemia. Despite the success of Symbol of Salvation, it seems that Armored Saint's long-term fortunes were waning somewhat and in 1992 frontman John Bush joined Anthrax, replacing Joey Belladonna, with the band folding shortly afterwards. By 1999 however, Bush had decided to reactivate the band with the rest of the Symbol of Salvation line-up - who have been putting out albums and touring at a steady but not exactly frequent pace ever since. Armored Saint may not be the busiest band, but their output over the years has certainly been a case of quality over quantity. My real introduction to the band's new material came five years ago with the release of the solid Win Hands Down (which I reviewed here), an album which I listened to a lot at the time but have not revisited for a while. It was typical of the band's recent, post-Symbol of Salvation sound though; something which also informs the newly-released Punching the Sky - the band's eighth studio album. A five year gap between albums is actually quite quick for Armored Saint these days, but the band's fans have gotten used to waiting over the years! They will be pleased to know, therefore, that Punching the Sky is another strong album packed full of good, old-fashioned heavy metal riffing and attitude. As much as albums like Win Hands Down and 2010's La Raza impressed, Punching the Sky seems more instantly memorable than those two releases. There seems to be a bigger focus on choruses and strong melodies this time around, with a bit more of a nod to their earlier work thrown in alongside their usual modern toughness.

Despite the album's first song, Standing on the Shoulders of Giants, being largely typical of the band's core sound, the album actually opens in a slightly unusual way. The opening moments of the song are quite atmospheric and somewhat folky, with uilleann pipes courtesy of Patrick D'Arcy cutting through the swirling mix to set a strange tone before a clean guitar and percussion combo builds up to the first of many big riffs. The guitar duo of Phil Sandoval and Jeff Duncan has been together since Symbol of Salvation, but Punching the Sky is probably the band's most impressive from a guitar standpoint since that seminal 1991 release. There are so many great riffs and memorable solos scattered throughout the album, and Standing on the Shoulders of Giants includes its fair share. These riffs help many of the songs here to stick in the brain after only a couple of listens, along with the tough vocal melodies of Bush - who sounds as good now as he did back in the 1980s. His no-nonsense, blue-collar vocal approach has always been a big part of the band's appeal, but he still knows his way around a big hook. The chorus of the opening number is one of the album's best, and it really helps to get things off to a great start. A high-energy verse also helps, but it is the anthemic chorus that is sure to turn heads. This is one of the aforementioned nods to their older sound, and the melodies here sound like they could have been written during the Symbol of Salvation sessions. Lead single End of the Attention Span follows, and the quality is maintained. End of the Attention Span is a harder-hitting song than the album's opening cut, with a pummelling modern-sounding groovy riff kicking things off - before a tough-as-nails chorus showcases why Anthrax came calling for Bush back in the day. The song might not have the anthemic qualities of the opener, but the big riffs and attitude make up for for any lack of soaring hooks. In many ways, End of the Attention Span is quintessential modern Armored Saint - but just dialled up to 11. It is one of the band's best modern cuts in my view, and the riff has been rolling around in my head ever since I first heard the song a couple of months back. Bubble opens with a industrial sounding drum groove from Gonzo Sandoval before a snaking riff kicks in and the song settles into a muscular mid-paced strut. Despite Armored Saint certainly having a distinct sound, there is actually quite a lot of variation to be found on Punching the Sky - something that the album's opening three numbers can attest to. Bubble is different from the two tracks that came before it, with its laid back take on a Pantera-esque groove clashing somewhat with the overall bluesy approach taken. This mix works well however, and it allows the two guitarists, and particularly bassist Joey Vera, to really showcase their riff and groove-based skills - while Bush manages to squeeze in surprisingly hooky chorus that is quite different from the deliberateness of the rest of the song. At this stage of their career, and perhaps due to the fact that they are never likely to be flavour of the month, Armored Saint can just about get away with whatever they want, and a song like Bubble showcases the band at their most creative.

My Jurisdiction opens in a somewhat similar fashion to how Bubble ended, with a rumbling bass groove and some swampy harmony guitar leads, but the song as a whole is much more riff-based and in-your-face. As much as everyone in the band shines throughout each song, this song for me belongs to Gonzo Sandoval. His drumming style generally might not be the most flashy or distinctive, but the grooves he lays down here really make the song tick. His ride cymbal work during the main chorus riff really makes it pop, while his verse grooves are delightfully snappy. Outside of the drumming however, the song is largely just classic Armored Saint. The chorus is a pretty memorable affair, and the lengthy shredded guitar solo is filled with 1980s-esque phrasing. If Bubble was the band at their most creative, then My Jurisdiction is the band sticking to what they know best - with both sides shining equally. Do Wrong to None, with its marching snare-based intro, exhibits more of the band's classic sound and contains yet more memorable riffs. The first 30 seconds or so of the song contains two excellent and distinct riffs; and it is fitting therefore that the song is a real showcase for Duncan and Phil Sandoval. Bush still stands out vocally, but this is a song for the guitarists out there. All of the riffs here are memorable and packed full of groove, and there are plenty of wah-based leads thrown in throughout to punctuate the verses. The highlight however is the main speedy solo that is easily one of the album's best. It is a moment of pure metal excess, and the sheer number of notes crammed into the solo showcases the talent of the band's guitar tandem. Lone Wolf is the first of two songs here to feature the subtle keyboard talents of Dizzy Reed (Guns N' Roses; The Dead Daisies). While Reed's contributions never overshadow the band, his additions help to flesh out the songs that he is a part of. Lone Wolf is a bit less furious than the last couple of numbers, and instead goes for more of a mid-paced feel that mixes heavier sections with more low-key moments complete with clean guitar arpeggios and tight vocal harmonies. Despite this slight change of pace however, the song still feels at home on the album. The heavier sections are similar to some of the other mid-paced sections here, but the cleaner moments allow for a little light in and amongst the shade. Armored Saint have done these somewhat moodier pieces before, and they usually work well - with Lone Wolf being another strong addition to the band's canon. Missile to Gun is instantly a much more strident song however, with a Thin Lizzy-esque harmony guitar intro that builds towards a Megadeth-esque main riff. It is one of the fastest, heaviest tracks here and it showcases the more direct nature of the band's songwriting - and a great snarling vocal from Bush. It might not be the catchiest song here, but for pure energy and attitude there are few better cuts - although there are occasional burst of melodic harmony guitar work that harks back to its intro. This is the sort of song that is certain to go down well live when the band get the opportunity to tour the album; with its furious energy sure to whip up any metal crowd.

Fly in the Ointment returns to the band's more anthemic side, with another contender for the best riff here kicking things off. I like how the song often takes a more low-key approach, particularly during the slightly grungy verses, as it really helps the heavier moments to shine. The chorus here is another winner, but it is made all the more powerful by following the slower verses. When the chorus kicks in, you know that the band really mean business - and it helps to push the hooks as a result. Some of the hooks here rival those found in the album's opening track, which again means that the band's glory days are somewhat referenced here. Although all of Armored Saint's recent albums contain a lot of hooks, it does seem like there was more focus placed on this time around - which I am certainly not complaining about. Bush just soars throughout the album, his ageless voice sounding as strong as ever. The occasional burst of piano from Reed helps to add a little depth here and there too, and everything really comes together to ensure that the song is another highlight. Bark, No Bite opens with something of a jazzy explosion of pomp metal, but these vibes are short-lived as it is not long before another harmony guitar lead kicks in. It does seem like the band were listening to a lot of Thin Lizzy in the writing and recording stages of this album, as there are a lot of twin lead guitar moments here - certainly more so than usual. This is certainly no bad thing however, as the style suits the band nicely - and it allows the song, which is largely quite a heavy number, to feature a little more melody than it otherwise would have. The chorus is perhaps the album's heaviest moment too, with some really angry-sounding Bush vocals fitting in perfectly with the sledgehammer riffing. The song is a great representation of the heavier side of the band, with a little of their anthemic bent also thrown in for good measure. Unfair is one of the murkier tracks here, so it is similar to Lone Wolf in that respect but with less emphasis on the heavier side of the band and more focus placed on atmospheric, grungy songwriting. The clean guitar patterns are pretty hypnotic at times here, while Vera's huge bass presence occasionally cuts through the mix to add some slightly heaviness - although not in the traditional way. This is easily the album's most downbeat tune, but it works well and allows the band to stretch their wings a little and showcase something close to a true ballad. Towards the end the song does ramp up somewhat, but it never really strays too far from its downbeat and melancholic roots. It is left to Never You Fret, with a flute intro from Gonzo Sandoval, to draw the album to a close - and unsurprisingly it does so by showcasing some more big riffs. The folky intro harks back to the album's opening moments however, which is nice, but the song is just more of the classic Armored Saint sound that fans know and love - with pacey riffs and cutting guitar leads the order of the day. It is not the catchiest track here, but as a reminder of how Armored Saint sound typically it is a strong finishing few minutes of music. The lengthy guitar solo is probably the song's overall high point - but it brings the album to a satisfying, hard-hitting close. Given that fans have had to wait five year for Punching the Sky there was quite a lot riding on its release, but in my view the album was worth it. As mentioned earlier, Armored Saint are a band that favour quality over quantity, and this album is almost certainly their best since getting back together in 1999. There are so many strong metal anthems here, and anyone who enjoys heavy metal, regardless of whatever subgenres are currently popular, ought to give it a spin.

The album was released on 23rd October 2020 via Metal Blade Records. Below is the band's promotional video for End of the Attention Span.