Review : ARMORED SAINT – “La Raza”

Armored Saint – La Raza
released March 16, 2010 on Metal Blade Records

Rating : 2.5 / 5

My first exposure to vocalist John Bush and thrash legends Anthrax was on The Sound Of White Noise (actually, that’s half true: there was that one Married… With Children episode and the whole “Bring Da Noise” collaboration). Although I enjoyed that album, it did not prompt me to explore further. Thus, the impressive back catalogue of not just one, but two, bands was ignored by me. Armored Saint have returned with their first new material in a decade, and unlike other recent new material from resurrected 80s metal bands, it helps to have been a fan in order to enjoy La Raza.

All of the life reflections get – ahem – kinda old after a while, and the middle of the album dawdles time and again, almost as if we caught them during a jam session. The biggest offender is doubtlessly the near-seven minute title track, which meanders around midtempo crunch, beefy bass, expansive Latin percussion, and a lighter-raising chorus. It has its moments, but is too quirky for return visits. The same can be said for the two tracks that follow, which also further demonstrate that La Raza is more rock- than metal-oriented.

The best and most distinctive aspect of Armored Saint is certainly John Bush. He may be singing some goofy lyrics, but his gritty timbre hits the ear nicely. Seriously though, “In this kangaroo court you can’t be wishy-wash/You’ll never be taken serious” from “Get Off The Fence” and “Sweet as a bag of Splenda” from “Bandit Country” are just two examples of some questionable content that receive a proverbial ‘WTF’ stamp.

I wanted to like this album more. I wanted to get behind it, tell you all to blast it from the rooftops, and rejoice in the rebirth of a remarkable band. La Raza is worth a once-through to see what piques your interest, but don’t be surprised when the yawns set in.

FCC : 5, 8
Try 1, 2, 10

01. Loose Cannon
02. Head On
03. Left Hook from Right Field
04. Get Off the Fence
05. Chilled
06. La Raza
07. Black Feet
08. Little Monkey
09. Blues
10. Bandit Country