Metal Church at The Mercury Music Lounge

Metal Church is an American heavy metal band formed in 1980. Originally based in San Francisco, California, they relocated to Aberdeen, Washington the following year and briefly called themselves Shrapnel. Led by guitarist and songwriter Kurdt Vanderhoof, the band has released fourteen studio albums and is considered to be an integral part of the then-emerging Seattle heavy metal music scene of the 1980s, as well as pioneers of the thrash metal, speed metal and power metal genres. They achieved considerable popularity that decade, with two of their first three albums entering the Top 100 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. The band's early lyrical topics, such as conflict and paranoia, later expanded into philosophical, political and social commentary.

Armored Saint is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1982. Since 1990, the band has consisted of vocalist John Bush, bassist Joey Vera, guitarist Jeff Duncan, drummer Gonzo Sandoval, and guitarist Phil Sandoval. Bush and Vera are the only constant members of the group's lineup. Armored Saint has released nine studio albums, one EP, two live albums, and one compilation album. The band emerged as part of the Los Angeles heavy metal scene during the early 1980s. Their first releases included the self-titled EP "Armored Saint" (1983) and the studio albums "March of the Saint" (1984), "Delirious Nomad" (1985), and "Raising Fear" (1987). Prior to the release of their fourth studio album, "Symbol of Salvation" (1991), the band experienced a period of inactivity caused by record label issues and the death of guitarist Dave Prichard, who died of leukemia in 1990. Armored Saint disbanded in 1992 after Bush joined Anthrax as vocalist, but reunited in 1999 and subsequently resumed touring and recording. Armored Saint was founded by brothers Phil Sandoval and Gonzo Sandoval, together with Dave Prichard, John Bush, and Joey Vera. Several members had previously played together in a short-lived band called Royal Decree. According to Gonzo Sandoval, the name "Armored Saint" was inspired by the film "Excalibur". In 1983, Bush was invited by Lars Ulrich to audition for Metallica after the release of "Kill 'Em All", but declined in order to remain with Armored Saint. The band recorded a five-song demo that included the track "Lesson Well Learned", which appeared on the compilation album "Metal Massacre II". Three songs from the demo were later included on the EP "Armored Saint", released by Metal Blade Records in 1983. The band subsequently signed with Chrysalis Records. Armored Saint released their debut album, "March of the Saint", in 1984. The single "Can U Deliver?" received airplay on MTV. During the recording of the second album, "Delirious Nomad", Phil Sandoval left the group. The following album, "Raising Fear", was recorded by the remaining four members. In 1986, Joey Vera was approached by Metallica to replace bassist Cliff Burton following Burton's death, but declined the offer. During the 1980s, Armored Saint toured or performed with bands including Judas Priest, Metallica, Aerosmith, Whitesnake, Alice Cooper, Saxon, Testament, Exodus, Dio, Accept, King Diamond, Savatage, Helloween, and Danzig. By the end of the decade, the band had left Chrysalis Records and returned to Metal Blade Records. After the release of the live album "Saints Will Conquer", Jeff Duncan joined the band as guitarist, while Gonzo Sandoval temporarily left and was replaced by Eddie Livingston. In 1989, Dave Prichard was diagnosed with leukemia while the band was preparing material for a new album. He died on February 27, 1990, shortly before recording sessions for "Symbol of Salvation" began. Following a brief hiatus, the Sandoval brothers rejoined the band, with Phil Sandoval returning on guitar. "Symbol of Salvation" was released in 1991 and included the songs "Reign of Fire" and "Last Train Home". The album was dedicated to Prichard's memory, and his guitar solo from an earlier demo recording of "Tainted Past" was incorporated into the finished version of the song. The band toured in support of the album with acts including Suicidal Tendencies, Savatage, Scorpions, Sepultura, and Overkill. In 1992, Armored Saint contributed the song "Hanging Judge" to the soundtrack of the film "Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth" and briefly appeared in the film. Later that year, Bush accepted an offer to become the vocalist for Anthrax. Attempts to continue Armored Saint with a revised lineup were unsuccessful, and the band officially disbanded. After the breakup, Joey Vera performed with groups including Fates Warning, Lizzy Borden, and Chroma Key. He also released a solo album and worked as a producer and engineer. The Sandoval brothers formed the band Life After Death, while Jeff Duncan later formed DC4 with Shawn Duncan, Matt Duncan, and Rowan Robertson. In 1999, during a temporary hiatus by Anthrax, Bush and Vera reformed Armored Saint. The lineup from "Symbol of Salvation" reunited and recorded the album "Revelation", released in 2000. The album included "No Me Digas", the band's first song with Spanish lyrics. Armored Saint subsequently toured with Dio and Lynch Mob. In 2001, the band released "Nod to the Old School", a compilation featuring demos, rarities, outtakes, and new material. Shortly afterward, Bush resumed work with Anthrax, and Armored Saint entered another hiatus. In 2005, following changes in Anthrax's lineup, Armored Saint resumed activity and performed a reunion concert. The band undertook additional touring in 2006. Metal Blade Records also released a three-CD anniversary edition of "Symbol of Salvation" and reissued the live video "A Trip Thru Red Times". The band's sixth studio album, "La Raza", was released on March 16, 2010. On December 7, 2011, Armored Saint performed at one of Metallica's 30th anniversary concerts in San Francisco. In 2013, Joey Vera announced that the band had begun work on a seventh studio album. The resulting release, "Win Hands Down", was issued on June 2, 2015. The album entered the Billboard 200 chart at number 183 and also reached the German Top 100 album chart. In 2017, Armored Saint released "Carpe Noctum", their first live album in nearly three decades. In 2019, the band began writing and recording material for their eighth studio album. "Punching the Sky" was released on October 23, 2020. The same year, Armored Saint released a teaser trailer for the documentary "Armored Saint: The Movie", which featured appearances by musicians including James Hetfield and Scott Ian. In 2023, Bush confirmed that he and Vera had begun writing material for another album. In 2024, the band recorded a cover version of People!'s "One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)", which was released as a standalone single. In 2025, Armored Saint announced plans to begin recording their ninth studio album. The band also performed at the Sonic Temple music festival in Columbus, Ohio. On March 24, 2026, Armored Saint announced that their ninth studio album, "Emotion Factory Reset", would be released on May 22, 2026. The band also announced performances at Milwaukee Metal Fest and a European tour with Testament in support of the album. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armored_Saint Studio albums Armored Saint EP (1983) March of the Saint (1984) Delirious Nomad (1985) Raising Fear (1987) Symbol of Salvation (1991) Revelation (2000) La Raza (2010) Win Hands Down (2015) Punching the Sky (2020) Emotion Factory Reset (2026)