Here we are with album No. 9 from ARMORED SAINT. Emotion Factory Reset is out now via Metal Blade Records, and roughly 44 years into their storied career, you’ve gotta ask yourself, “Do these guys still have gas in the tank?” To that I say, “Trust and believe, they do.”
Across 11 tracks, we get a sea of delicious melody mixed with serious heavy hitters, but the band never once drifts into noise territory. “Hit a Moonshot” and “Every Man-Any Man” find the guys sounding like a band 20 years younger, and I mean that in the best possible way.
“Close to the Bone” checks all the right boxes as an opener, much like 2015’s “Win Hands Down,” which remains a personal favorite in the ARMORED SAINT canon. Meanwhile, “Compromise” comes galloping in with a thick, pounding rhythm section courtesy of Joey Vera and Gonzo Sandoval.
On the guitar front, Jeff Duncan and Phil Sandoval leave it all on the field with tunes like “Throwing Caution to the Wind” and “Not on Your Life.” Clearly, these guys still remember exactly how to rock. Again, take note, youngsters.
Jon Bush delivers some especially heartfelt vocals on “Buckeye,” pairing deeply personal lyrics with killer slide guitar work. I still don’t know how the man sounds this good after all these years. It’s honestly amazing. Bush has one of THE best voices I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing.
Closer “Epilogue” wraps things up in fine fashion and stands as my favorite track on the album, begging for repeated listens.
In news that should shock absolutely nobody, ARMORED SAINT has done it again. While not every song is a home run, Emotion Factory Reset is absolutely worth firing up.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Epilogue,” “Every Man-Any Man,” “Buckeye,” “Throwing Caution to the Wind”
RATING: 8/10
—THE MAESTRO
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