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Average rating points:
Release Date: March 16th, 2010
Record Label: Metal Blade Records
My rating points:
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The newest release from Armored Saint, "La Raza" is both heavy and beautiful. The musicianship of Armored Saint is awesome. A perfectly balanced mixture of both hard rock 'n roll, and heavy metal really sets them apart from other bands in the LA Metal scene.
The first track off the album, "Loose Cannon" is really a wonderful song. It starts off very beautifully with a steady drum march, light keyboard accompanyment, and very beautiful classical guitar, and then goes into a very solid heavy riff. The drums are steady, the bass is phenomenal, the rhythm guitar is a bit more noticeable than usual for a metal album, and the vocals have very strong presence. The song runs at about five minutes, seven seconds, and features a very cool classic hard rock solo. Definitely a badass song!
Another great track off this album is "Get off the fence," which starts out with a solid, fast riff, fast drums, and a steady bassline. The vocal arrangement on this track reminds me a bit of old-school Soundgarden, upbeat, almost poetic, and very strong. The song gets a little slower at the halfway mark, with a lot of palm muting, building up to a secondary riff and awesome fast paced solo. A great track with a running time of four minutes, forty-eight seconds.
The track "Head on" is definitely the best track off this album, it begins with a light church organ introduction and heads into a twin-axe attack, followed by heavy chugging riffs. The riff on this track is pretty steady throughout the song and goes into another great solo, this one a bit longer and more methodical than the rest. After the solo it goes into a little Wah-Wah bridge, and then back into the song. An awesome track with a running time of five minutes, fourty-six seconds.
I give this album a 7.5/10 and two thumbs up. This is a great album, but it borders on sounding a lot like Soundgarden, which isn't horrible, but the arrangements could use a bit of work.
To buy the CD and for more information, check out their official website.
My rating points:
It's kind of ironic how I got into Armored Saint. I have always known about Armored Saint, and have heard their songs here and there, but I've never been a die-hard fan....until I saw them play at Rocklahoma in 2008. I actually knew quite a few more songs than I thought I did. And the songs I didn't know, I loved. They put on such an amazing, high-energy show, that I instantly fell in love.
From there, as a late bloomer, I became die-hard. I bought all the Armored Saint CDs, and all the Anthrax CD's that John Bush sang on, including "Sound of White Noise,' "Stomp 442," and "We've Come for You All". Armored Saint recently released, "La Raza," and I completely fell in love with it, from start to finish. And even though I continuously buy CD's , "La Raza" keeps finding its way back into my CD player.
I really like the concept as well, and the message that they are putting out there. "La Raza" is a Spanish term, meaning the people, specifically the people of Chicano and Mexican descent. I think their message refers to us all, the human race, in general. Even when I recently saw Armored Saint, John Bush said he felt a bit awkward being a white guy talking about "La Raza". Basically, the CD is about people, and the trials and the tribulations of human existence.
The first track, "Loose Cannon" begins slow, and gradually builds into a powerful anthem., which sets the pace for the entire CD. The song talks about road rage, and how we are all in a hurry... something we can all relate to, especially those of us who live in Los Angeles. We are all so caught up in our daily lives; we don't take time to appreciate the little things.
"Left Hook From Right Field" is a fist pounder that talks about if you don't believe what I do, you ain't getting into heaven.
My absolute favorite song on the CD is "Chilled". I just can't get enough of this song! I just listen to it over and over and over again. It's catchy, has great guitar riffs, and makes you think about the perception of time. It takes you on a journey through your mind and through reality.
The title track, "La Raza," is a great follow-up for "Chilled". It has some killer Latin drumbeats, and is an eye-opener to where we stand today. The CD closes strong, with "Bandit Country" which is my other favorite song on the CD.
Seriously, "La Raza" is the MOST amazing album that I have heard in a long time. Musically, and lyrically, it speaks to us ... the human race. It truly gives you something to think about, and something to rock out to, at the same time. If you haven't heard it, get it now. You will not be disappointed.
Keep rockin'
Alison
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