Product Description

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: ARMORED SAINT
Title: SYMBOL OF SALVATION
Street Release Date: 07/14/1998
Domestic
Genre: HEAVY METAL

Track Listing

1. Dropping Like Flies
2. Last Train Home
3. Tribal Dance
4. Truth Always Hurts
5. Half Drawn Bridge
6. Reign of Fire [*]
7. Another Day
8. Symbol of Salvation
9. Hanging Judge
10. Warzone
11. Burning Question
12. Tainted Past
13. Spineless

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10964 in Music
• Brand: ARMORED SAINT
• Released on: 1998-07-14
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Customer Reviews

Metal Doesn't Get ANY Better Than This!
Following the death of founding member Dave Prichard (from leukemia) Armored Saint proceeded to complete the album that they had started with him just months earlier. Finishing several songs co-written by Prichard, Armored Saint took their classy straight-ahead Metal style up to a new level, putting them on a par with Iron Maiden, Dio, and Black Sabbath. There is not one weak track on the album, but there are 10 or 11 GREAT songs on it! Songs like "Reign Of Fire," "Dropping Like Flies," "Tribal Dance," and the title track are all-time greats. SYMBOL OF SALVATION is timeless; it still sounds fresh today. Not at all dated. If sales were based solely on the quality of the music this album would have been their "Black Album!" If you have gotten this far you are most likely a Metal Fan, so your next step is to buy it. You will be glad you did. - (And if you like this one I also recommend Anthrax' SPREADING THE DISEASE, Flotsam And Jetsam's CUATRO and DRIFT CD's, and Armored Saint's REVELATION CD from 2000 - their first in nine years!)

Arm yourself for some prime metal!
I can't really say much more than what the previous reviewers have already stated, so let me just reiterate what an incredible metal masterpiece this is. I borrowed this CD from my brother back when it was first released. Living in L.A., I had known of Armored Saint for quite awhile and had actually seen them in a very small club back in the early eighties before they were signed. However, I had never really taken them too seriously until I heard this album. After just one listen, I was amazed at how good it was. It instantly became a disc that I considered one of the best metal albums I had ever heard. What makes it so good? Well, like some of the other reviewers have said, it's the songs. The lyrics and the overall song structure are just awesome. But, more than anything else, it's the fact that it never slows from beginning to end, it's one great song after another. There are very few albums that I can honestly say that about. Like everyone else, I have my personal favorites, but every track is really good, and to this day (14 years later) it remains one of my favorite albums of all time. If you like hard rock/heavy metal and haven't heard this one, you really should treat yourself. It'll grab you from the first chords and never let go!

Great classic metal and hard rock
I am not familiar with other Armored Saint releases, but I am very impressed with this album. I would rank this album as one of the best classic metal albums of all time. I consider it 'classic' because it is in the vein of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, descended straight from the line of great heavy metal of the '70s and '80s, mixed in with a hint of glam and hair metal.

John Bush's excellent vocals are the high point of the album. He can hit some very high notes and has a great range. In my opinion, Bush is competant even with the great heavy metal singers such as Bruce Dickinson, Geoff Tate, and Rob Halford. I even think Bush's voice is similar to that of Steven Tyler. The other instruments - guitars, bass, and drums - are all very well done. They seem to be placed very well within the song; they are able to both show off and fit within the context of the song at the same time. The songwriting is exceptional on this album.

Now for the actual songs. "Reign of Fire" is probably the best song on the album, being both very heavy and having an incredibly infectious chorus. "Dropping Like Flies" is also a very strong song, probably my favorite. It too has a very infectious chorus. I dislike "Last Train Home" because it reminds me too much of an '80s power ballad, like something Motley Crue would do. It is a single however, and also a good song at that. "Tribal Dance" has an interesting tribal percussion part at the beginning and turns out to be a decent heavy song. "The Truth Always Hurts" is a funky sort of song that has more of a loose feel to it. "Half Drawn Bridge" is a great atmospheric guitar solo played over a slow bassline. "Another Day" and "Tained Past" also show tendencies toward the power ballad style. The title track, "Symbol of Salvation" is an excellent metal song that picks up the slack where the mellowness of "Another Day" left off. It sports high pitched vocals and Iron Maiden-style riffs. "Hanging Judge", "Warzone", and "Burning Question" keep the end of the album rocking hard. The final song "Spineless" is a fast and thrashy metal song that will please the fans of heavier genres.

Overall, this is a well written and well executed album that shows a great example of classic metal and hard rock. This album will appeal to a variety of metal fans, including fans of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Queensryche, and others. Also fans of Dokken, Whitesnake, and other hard rock bands may appreciate this record. I highly recommend you buy this album and see how good hard rock and metal should be played, instead of the overproduced and talentless music that is often popular.