ARMORED SAINT - Nod To The Old School
May 21, 2001, 23 years ago
(Metal Blade)
Ambitious two disc odds and sods collection of material culled from the band's entire career, including two live CD-ROM clips, as well as the promotional videos for 'Last Train Home' and 'Reign Of Fire'. Actually, the two CD format will only be available in Europe, where the Saint still mean something, and just ten thousand copies will be produced, then it reverts to a single CD, like the rest of the world gets. Disc one opens with 'Real Swagger' a newly penned song. Love the fluttering UFO noise and guitar tones, but lyrically, it's extremely repetitive and very unimaginative. 'Unstable', another new one, is next, slower, with more of a modern crunch. The band re-recorded 'March Of The Saint' for this album, as well as a cover of Robin Trower's bluesy, '70s-sounding 'Day Of The Eagle'. Speaking of covers, the previously available, but hard-to-find version of Judas Priest's 'Never Satisfied' is here as well. The tracks from the original vinyl EP appear on CD for the first time, as well as 'Stricken By Fate', which was recorded at the same session. The initial disc includes a pair of live tunes and an acoustic version of 'Tainted Past'. The second, albeit shorter disc, holds the gems. Although it begins rather roughly, with a forgettable 'You Can Run But You Can't Hide' and the 54 second pre-Armored Saint 'Betty '79' the final five tracks, all four track demo recordings from back in '89, capture the essence of the band which most of the full production albums failed to translate. Live, the Saint were always heavier and more dangerous than the Chrysalis releases portrayed and it's that fire which these long lost recordings embody. 'Pirates', a punk-fueled number, and the Michael Schenker-inspired 'Medieval Nightmares' are amongst the most aggressive stuff the Saint have ever written. 'People' is a precursor of the Latin-tinged 'No Me Digas' off Revelation. Compare 'Tongue And Cheek' to either of the newbies on disc one!