Armored Saint
La Raza

What hides behind a cover, at first glance, quite anonymous (the artwork is understood inside), is a compact and solid album. Without significant qualitative peaks but also without spectacular falls, in short, it doesn't come close to their great masterpiece "Symbol of Salvation" (1991), but it captures the essential traits, updating them to the present time, and above all reconfirms Armored Saint as one of the best American metal bands of all time.

It's hard to speak ill of Armored Saint, a band that has always made substance and coherence its creed, composed of first-rate musicians and an eclectic singer that any metal group would want behind their microphone. "La Raza" continues the conversation that began in 2000 when the reunion album "Revelation" was released, truth be told, little considered. Over these long years, there has never been talk of disbanding; Armored Saint continued to do some tours, and the band's members pursued personal projects, not least John Bush, expelled and then, it seems, taken back by Anthrax (how someone can expel a singer like Bush to get Belladonna back and make a pathetic early-days reunion is unknown).

John Bush is indeed the protagonist of this new work, composed of ten songs, recorded in analog, like in the old days. The initial "Loose Cannon", after the intro, reveals the character of the album, a compact song with great work by Gonzo Sandoval on the drums. Jeff Duncan and Phil Sandoval's guitars chase each other, with the ever-great Joey Vera, also the album's producer, present and pulsating on bass.

On the one hand, we find heavy mid-tempos like "Head on", and the album's leading track "Left hook from right field", the speed is increased in "Get off the fence" and "Little Monkey", while the title track "La Raza" acts as a bridge to the experiment "Tribal Dance" present in "Symbol of Salvation", especially in the tribal opening. Tracks of hard rock blues in "Black Feet" and "Blues". In all tracks, to be honest, there is a sort of revival of 70s sounds that nonetheless manage to bring freshness because they are wisely updated and embroidered by John Bush's voice, which seems to get nothing wrong. A voice still with few equals, melodic but capable of scratching when the moment calls for it.

A direct album that reconfirms Armored Saint as unique or nearly so, survivors of that American power metal, born in the eighties. With the not insignificant merit of having managed to renew themselves without falling into the déjà vu of the past, but always bringing new, small but important modifications to their sound. An album certainly made to cement the friendship of the band members and satisfy the fans' hunger but, it is hoped, to start another tour round, waiting for inspiration to write new material, possibly without having to wait another ten years.