ARMORED SAINT's JOHN BUSH Says All Musicians 'Borrow', 'Imitate' And 'Steal' From Others When Writing New Songs

In a new interview with The Plowzone Radio Show, former ANTHRAX and current ARMORED SAINT vocalist John Bush suggested that all artists are a product of their influences, but some are just better at making that product sound original. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Even [THE ROLLING STONES frontman] Mick Jagger, he made the comment one time, 'Nothing's new under the sun.' Something like that. And he's in THE STONES. But they would copy a lot of people, for sure.

"I think the key, my opinion, is take a lot of influences," Bush continued. "Take a lot of them, and from different sources, different types of music. It doesn't even have to be music. It could be something artistic, whatever. Take it all, and then churn it in your stomach, and then when you regurgitate — not to be too visual about it — but then hopefully that, with your personality of who you are, will give it uniqueness. So I think that, to me, is what you strive for."

Elaborating on his belief that nothing is completely original, John added: "You're always doing that — you are borrowing. You imitate, you steal. Everyone does a little bit. And copy. So you are doing that. It's very true, all of that. So it's just about — the last thing you wanna do is be blatant about things, 'cause then you're stealing from somebody. And I think that by listening to lots of stuff… 'Cause, say you're a heavy metal musician, but all you listen to is metal, somehow, some way you're just going to just naturally probably really imitate all that stuff. So if you in some R&B or some jazz or some bluegrass or maybe some African, indigenous music, and pull that in, all of that, and listen and then let that all kind of stew into you, then maybe you won't be as blatant with it. So I think that's the key.

"If some people ask me what would I suggest to a budding musician, that's what I say, is, 'Just make sure you listen to lots of music.' You wanna play metal? Great. But listen to lots of music," he concluded. "It's really imperative."

ARMORED SAINT's latest full-length album, "Emotion Factory Reset", came out on May 22 through Metal Blade Records.

"Emotion Factory Reset" is a resurrection of sorts for ARMORED SAINT, a tearing down and a rebuilding in eleven songs of diverse musicality and lyrical themes. Produced, as were the previous four albums, by bassist Joey Vera and mixed by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR),the record finds the quintet challenging themselves. Songs like "Close To The Bone", "Hit A Moonshot" and "Every Man-Any Man" have ARMORED SAINT honoring their past as one of the most respected and recognizable bands in heavy music while making forward-thinking music rooted in the present.

The collaborative nature of "Emotion Factory Reset" led to the album title, a phrase from guitarist Phil Sandoval.

"Emotion Factory Reset" was recorded across several studios, including 606 Studios, Secret Hand Studios, Skullseven Studios, Constantine Studios and Bridge Recording, engineered by Oliver Roman, Bill Metoyer, Joey Vera and Jason Constantine. It features cover art by DDKing.

A special European edition of the CD digipak includes the bonus track "One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)", only available digitally until now. The classic track was originally written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter and was first released by PEOPLE in 1970. Additional covers include THE FOUR TOPS (1974),SANTANA (1978) and THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (1989).

ARMORED SAINT's current lineup of singer John Bush, guitarists Phil Sandoval and Jeff Duncan, drummer Gonzo Sandoval and Vera has been together since 1989 — not including a few hiatuses while Bush served as ANTHRAX's lead singer.

At various points in the 1980s, Bush and Vera each had offers to audition for spots with fellow heavy metal giants METALLICA but decided to stay with ARMORED SAINT.

In July 2023, ARMORED SAINT was inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

In May 2023, ARMORED SAINT's long-awaited documentary, "Armored Saint: Band Of Brothers", had its world premiere in the band's hometown at the Harmony Gold Theatre in Hollywood, California.