Armored Saint: Symbol of Salvation Live

Symbol of Salvation, from 1991, is probably the most widely treasured album in Armored Saint’s discography. The line-up for the album featured John Bush on vocals, Jeff Duncan and Phil Sandoval on guitars, Gonzo Sandoval on drums, and Joey Vera on bass. The same five guys decided to perform the album live in its entirety at a series of shows in 2018 in Europe and in the United States, resulting in a live album simply titled Symbol of Salvation Live, recently released by Metal Blade.

The live album is pretty faithful to the studio version. Only three tracks are a fair bit longer than what appeared on the original release: “Last Train Home,� “Symbol of Salvation,� and the closer “Spineless.� To my ears they don’t really jam out much on those tracks. For instance, “Last Train Home� starts with a somewhat atmospheric opening that doesn’t appear on the studio version and some stage banter.

Which version is better, the studio or the live follow-up? It’s a hard call, but I have to go with the live version. It has a more immediate feel to it with an in-your-face, but not overpowering, excessively loud mix. Bush’s vocals are still strong, though understandably a bit huskier at points. That isn’t distracting, though, and may add something to a few of the songs. I also should add that Gonzo seems particularly energized.

The only song on the album that I really don’t like, and never have, is “The Truth Always Hurts.� It was too bluesy on the studio version for me and remains so on the live version.

If you get the vinyl version, you receive five demo versions of songs that were recorded during the writing sessions for the album, featuring guitarist Dave Prichard, who died of leukemia prior to its release. Not surprisingly, they are all a little raw, but enjoyable, with the possible exception of “People,� which sounds a bit too much like Guns N’ Roses for my tastes. I particularly like “Pirates.� It is three minutes of straight-ahead metal.

Fans of Armored Saint, and of classic metal in general, should check this out. You won’t be disappointed and, I would wager, many will find themselves parting with some money to get it.

Track Listing:
1. Reign of Fire
2. Dropping Like Flies
3. Last Train Home
4. Tribal Dance
5. The Truth Always Hurts
6. Half Drawn Bridge
7. Another Day
8. Symbol of Salvation
9. Hanging Judge
10. Warzone
11. Burning Question
12. Tainted Past
13. Spineless
14. Nothing Between the Ears (1989 4-Track Demo)
15. Get Lost (1989 4-Track Demo)
16. Medieval Nightmares (1989 4-Track Demo)
17. People (1989 4-Track Demo)
18. Pirates (1989 4-Track Demo)

Added: November 13th 2021
Reviewer: Aaron Steelman
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 1063
Language: english

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