Saint - Warriors of the Son (Re-issue)

Armor Records

saintwarriors.jpg

Well, if you were to list classic Christian metal bands, one of the first to roll off your tongue would probably be Saint.  The band has been around since the early '80's, and after a break for a few years activity has been going strong in the band's camp.  The group recently released a brand new album called In the Battle, and now they are re-releasing their debut full length, Warriors of the Son.  This is no regular re-issue though.  First off, the album was never released on CD.  It was a vinyl and cassette release only and aside from a limited edition version from M8, this was not available on CD to Saint fans.  Now, 20 years after it's initial release, the band has released Warriors of the Son with two bonus tracks.  And to top it off, the band totally re-recorded the album with all the original members and it makes for a much better sound than the original release.  They even re-did the album cover....which is just as bad as the original.
 
Like I said, the band included two bonus tracks on this version of Warriors of the Son.  The two songs are "The Killers and the Destroyers" and "The Reaper".  The songs were originally going to be on the EP, but time and money limitations prevented that from happening.  "The Killers and the Destroyers" was re-done back in 1986 and included on the Time's End album under the title "Destroyers".  "The Reaper" appears here for the first time in all its glory.  Both songs are solid tunes and fit well with the rest of the material.
 
Saint wowed fans in the '80's with their heavy metal sound in the vein of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.  Now in 2004, they are re-introducing themselves to a whole new audience while at the same time pleasing their long time fans.  This blast from the past combines ripping metal with lyrics that make no doubt where the band's loyalties lie.  Good to see this band still alive and kickin'.  (Review by Matt)

Rating:

skull8.gif