Blessed Is He That Heareth, For the Time Is At Hand (Revelation - Armored Saint)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	Revelation - Armored Saint
Date:	28/01/08 (15 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Solid modern heavy metal with good vocals.

Disadvantages: Doesn't recapture the old spirit.

'Revelation' was the first album recorded by the reformed Armored Saint almost a decade after their previous effort 'Symbol of Salvation,' and there's very little sign that they've been away. John Bush's vocals are more similar to his work in main project Anthrax than the early Saint albums, and like Jeff Duncan and Phil Sandoval's guitars, avoid the high range and conform more to the low-end of groove metal, marking this out as a distinctly post-1991 album unable to recapture the innocence of the daft but fun eighties. Like all Armored Saint albums this is unremarkable but entertaining heavy metal, less classic than their early work in the same way 90s Judas Priest or Iron Maiden is less memorable, but at least this band maintained a stable line-up, and it's got cool Wayne Barlowe style artwork too.

The main difference between this album and its more commercially-oriented, long-ago predecessor is that there's less of an effort made to firmly differentiate songs and conform to the accepted styles of the mainstream, resulting in a lumbering work of mainly overlong songs, all lasting around six minutes a piece. While this at least speaks of a commitment to producing good quality metal for metal fans without any delusions of popular success, it makes the whole thing that little bit more impenetrable and dull, as the mid-speed songs plod along without much variation and end up sounding mostly the same.

The heavier songs aren't really that heavy, especially compared with Anthrax's contemporary 'Volume 8' that saw Bush's finest performance with that band, and oddly it's the comparatively lighter moments that work the best; comparative because they still retain the hard riffs and drums of all the others, but apply more pleasant lead guitars and ever-so-slightly-softer vocals, making 'Creepy Feelings' and 'Den of Thieves' among the album's most memorable. The only other songs to stand out from the throng are 'No More Digas' for its Spanish lyrics, and the commendable 'What's Your Pleasure' that sees a return to short, speedy metal with fast, fun guitar solos that wisely wasn't placed earlier in the album as it would make the rest seem a little disappointing.

Of course, being regular heavy metal with no delusions of grandeur, it doesn't matter that most of the songs sound pretty much the same or can only be distinguished by a chorus or maybe some cool guitars of the like that completely dominate the second half of track three. The more important thing is that it doesn't slip up, apart from maybe the dull stoner rock of 'Damaged,' and should please heavy metal fans into the deeper vocal and guitar ranges. It's just a shame my more squealing tastes are now long gone in the band's history.

1. Pay Dirt
2. The Pillar
3. After Me, the Flood
4. Tension
5. Creepy Feelings
6. Damaged
7. Den of Thieves
8. Control Issues
9. No More Digas
10. Deep Rooted Anger
11. What's You Pleasure
12. Upon My Departure

Summary: Armored Saint's fifth album (2000).