ARMORED SAINT

A staggering 42 years after the release of their debut album, ARMORED SAINT are still pursuing a singular course. "Emotion Factory Reset" is the fourth full-length album the LA veterans have released since reuniting in earnest back in 2006, and although there is plenty that is familiar here, it remains a significant challenge to tether them to any particular subgenre or stylistic offshoot. A heavy metal band in tooth and claw, ARMORED SAINT have been masters of their own domain for a long time. The grunge-defying vitality of 1991's "Symbol of Salvation" set them on a less traditional course than their early albums might have suggested, and ever since that point, frontman John Bush has been singing songs that have consistently evaded weary cliché or arcane tropes. They have done it all with the minimum of fuss and with an undeniable sense of style, and "Emotion Factory Reset" continues that approach, with 11 songs that blend fierce modernity with classic melody and ageless bombast. More importantly, the band's ninth album is full of vibrant performances that make it plain how much ARMORED SAINT are (still) enjoying themselves.

While other "old" bands tie themselves in knots trying to keep up with current trends, ARMORED SAINT have long been dedicated to the art of songwriting, free from the usual restrictions and powered by instinct. The free-spirited intensity of the band's music is encapsulated beautifully by "Close To The Bone": a fiery opener that comes close to rivalling the immortal "Reign Of Fire" (from "Symbol…") and noisily demonstrates both the enduring power and grit of John Bush's seminal voice and the thunderous abandon of his comrades. Hewn from classic metal, but bereft of its most hackneyed elements, the ARMORED SAINT sound of 2026 is as fresh and invigorating as it ever was.

On the explosive "Every Man–Any Man", they keep it simple but scintillating. Bush's melodies are instantly memorable, and the riffs that underly his soulful rasp are uniformly riveting. With levels of musicianship that are beyond reproach, this band could head down any stylistic avenue they choose, but these ruggedly straightforward and breathlessly accessible songs are tangibly organic and executed with naturalistic glee. In fact, the only thing that the likes of the grandiose "Not On Your Life" and the furious, adrenalin fueled "Hit A Moonshot" really have in common is that they are great songs played by great musicians. Beyond that, ARMORED SAINT are an entirely liberated proposition, and their passion for firing pristine hooks into the ether is infectious. Woozy and dramatic on the curiously named Buckeye", punchy and thrash-adjacent on the mildly funky "Compromise", and elegantly progressive on the acerbic "It's A Buzzkill", everything they attempt over the course of 50 minutes resounds with energy, joy and class. Whether it's the mutant '80s metal of "Throwing Caution To The Wind" or the steroidal alt-rock of "Bottom Feeder", this is another ARMORED SAINT album that defies time and trend. And aside from the obvious fact that listening to John Bush sing just about anything is always a rare pleasure, "Emotion Factory Reset" is such a glowing example of what happens when a band of brothers block out the rest of the world to plough their own musical furrow that it would take an absurd degree of cynicism to regard it as anything other than a triumph. Few albums this year will warm the heart like this one. ARMORED SAINT still rock harder and smarter than the rest.