Photos by Wayne Edwards.
© Wayne Edwards
Photo Gallery: Bassists, Part 1
Armored Saint
Photo Gallery: Drummers, Part 2
Photos by Wayne Edwards.
© Wayne Edwards
W.A.S.P. and Armored Saint, BMI Event Center, Versailles, Ohio, December 1, 2022
W.A.S.P. and Armored Saint brought their show to middle Ohio on the first day of December and Versailles will never be the same.
Celebrating forty years of musical mayhem, Los Angeles metal band W.A.S.P. is on a tear. Fronted by Blackie Lawless, W.A.S.P. has released some of my favorite metal albums over the years, including The Last Command (1985), The Headless Cross (1989), and The Crimson Idol (1992). In the ensuing decades, many more albums emerged – some that took big chances, as in K.F.D. (1997), and the two-part concept album, The Neon God (2004). Through it all, the musical mastery of the band never waned. This show is a big deal for fans especially because W.A.S.P. has not toured in the US for ten long years. It has been a grueling wait, but our patience was rewarded by an incredible spectacle on Thursday night.
The venue was BMI Event Center in Versailles, Ohio. By the way, in the Buckeye State they pronounce the ells in Versailles. The facility is an indoor speedway, but I know it best as a facility to host concerts. It is a unique place with a 1,500-seat capacity, including 300+ balcony seats. For this show, seats and tables were placed in the main floor area, with risers in the back offering good views of the stage from every angle.
The opening band was Armored Saint, another legendary LA metal band also celebrating their fortieth anniversary this year. These two are a great match for each other, and they came together synergistically for an exceptional show. Armored Saint’s most recent album is 2020’s Punching The Sky, an excellent record we reviewed positively here at FFMB.
Armored Saint played songs from across their many albums, starting with “Reign Of Fire” and ending with “March Of The Saint.” We did get to hear music from the latest, and they played “Symbol Of Salvation” from the album of the same name – one of their most recognized works. Cheers all around.
The headliner was next. Blackie Lawless and crew took the stage, which was itself adorned with carnival-style posters, some of which recalled songs from W.A.S.P. albums. They opened with a medley of hits, and, with few pauses, ran through most of the songs I had on my mind from “Inside The Electric Circus” to “Chainsaw Charly” to “Wild Child” and “Animal (Fuck Like A Beast).” While there was a notable focus on music from The Crimson Idol, which was fine by me, Lawless did not neglect other fan favorites. The band sounded excellent, and the energy was crackling from the stage and out into the crowd. It was a fantastic show.
W.A.S.P. and Armored Saint have a few more dates remaining (at this writing) on the US leg of the tour, so see them while you can. Beginning next Spring, W.A.S.P. will be in the UK to keep the music rolling when they kick off their European tour. Here’s hoping they never stop.
Photos by Wayne Edwards.
Links.
W.A.S.P., https://www.waspnation.com/
Armored Saint, https://armoredsaint.com/
BMI Event Center, https://www.bmieventcenter.com/
Photo galleries.
Armored Saint, https://flyingfiddlesticks.com/2022/12/06/photo-gallery-armored-saint-bmi-event-center-versailles-ohio-december-1-2022/
© Wayne Edwards
Photo Gallery: Armored Saint, BMI Event Center, Versailles, Ohio, December 1, 2022
Photos by Wayne Edwards.
Links.
Armored Saint, https://armoredsaint.com/
BMI Event Center, https://www.bmieventcenter.com/
FFMB article on the show, https://flyingfiddlesticks.com/2022/12/06/w-a-s-p-and-armored-saint-bmi-event-center-versailles-ohio-december-1-2022/
© Wayne Edwards
Armored Saint, Punching The Sky review (Metal Blade Records 2020)
For more than thirty five years, Armored Saint has been banging eardrums. They are back to do it again with Punching The Sky.
“March of the Saint” is the first song on the first album in 1984, March Of The Saint. It starts like a coronation march; a grand entrance. Then the guitars roll out and the 1980s metal vocals hit. That song has a fast tempo and a snappy lead break. What a great way to get started, and “Seducer” is on that album, too – one of my all-time favorites from Armored Saint. The band released three more albums through 1991 before taking a break for a while. They returned in 2000 with Revelation and formally reformed in 2006, releasing La Raza in 2010 and Win Hands Down in 2015. They have updated their sound over the years with new recording technology and so on but the heart of the band never strayed, and neither did their dedication to the idea of heavy metal.
The band for the new album is original members John Bush (vocals), Joey Vera (bass), Phil Sandoval (guitar), and Gonzo Sandoval (drums), who are joined once again by long-time guitarist Jeff Duncan. They lay down eleven big tracks for Punching The Sky, starting with “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants” which has the album’s title in the refrain. The music is vigorous, infused with loud attitude to go along with the rumbling riffs and roaring lead guitar splits. “Bubble” is a contentious number with a more serious tone than many of the other songs, while “Lone Wolf” has a clandestine opening riff and “Fly in the Ointment” is more reflective. At every turn, Armored Saint delivers heavy music longtime fans will embrace and that will catch the attention of new listeners as well. Recommended.
Punching The Sky is out Friday, October 23rd from Metal Blade Records, where you can get merch bundles. Bandcamp is the quick way to grab the digital download.
Links.
Band website, http://armoredsaint.com
Band Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/thearmoredsaint
Bandcamp, https://armoredsaint.bandcamp.com/
Metal Blade Records, https://www.metalblade.com/us/
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