Joey Vera interview: Armored Saint bassist on the band's legacy, touring, AI and more

When Armored Saint started in 1982, even the band members couldn’t imagine still going strong more than 40 years later.

“No. So this fact is a great reminder of how much we appreciate this opportunity to still be able to do this,” bassist Joey Vera said.

But that’s exactly what the veteran heavy metal band out of Los Angeles is doing, heading out on the road in support of Queensryche. That tour, which runs from March 27 to May 21, visits the Roxian Theatre in McKees Rocks on April 24.

The band’s current lineup of singer John Bush, guitarists Phil Sandoval and Jeff Duncan, drummer Gonzo Sandoval and Vera has been together since 1989 — not including a few hiatuses while Bush served as Anthrax’s lead singer.

Their debut album, “March of the Saint,” in 1984 helped land shows and tours with bands like Quiet Riot and Whitesnake (with a tour featuring all three of those bands hitting the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh on Nov. 30, 1984.) At various points in the 1980s, Bush and Vera each had offers to audition for spots with thrash metal titans Metallica but decided to stick with Armored Saint.

Early albums like “Delirious Nomad” in 1985, “Raising Fear” in 1987 and “Symbol of Salvation” in 1991 cemented their spot in the heavy metal landscape. Their latest album, 2020’s “Punching the Sky,” received strong reviews, and work is underway on more new music.

In an email interview in late February, Vera discussed the band’s legacy, touring, artificial intelligence in music and more:

Before the tour kicks off with Queensryche, you’ll be on the Monsters of Rock cruise in early March. What is that like, to be on a boat with so many metalheads?

This will be our fourth metal cruise, and it’s always been a great time. It’s like being at a music festival with all of your fans and friends from other bands and crew. Everyone has a great time.

What do you see as the biggest changes to touring since you first started?

For one thing it’s way more expensive than it used to be! Bands these days are forced to rely on merch sales and VIP experiences in order to help make ends meet.

With Armored Saint part of the metal scene for decades, how do you think your music has evolved over the years?

I think we’ve been able to remain honest songwriters while navigating the changes in the music scene. I think we’ve paved our own path.

How do you view Armored Saint’s legacy in the broader context of heavy metal?

Again, I see ourselves as a band that has pretty much done what we wanted to do musically and along the way we’ve been fortunate enough to have touched enough people to have amassed a very loyal following.

Do you think the band has grown more comfortable over the years with its identity and where it fits in the music scene?

Yes I do. I think we started feeling most comfortable in our skin around the time of writing “La Raza” in 2009.

With “Punching the Sky,” was there an overall theme that the band wanted to tackle with that album?

Not necessarily. We don’t usually write with an overall theme. But one thing we’re always aiming for is growing, expanding our knowledge, taking chances. So “Punching the Sky” alludes to that fact.

It seems like with everything that’s happening in the world, you will never run out of material/inspiration for songs.

I don’t think so. There’s always something going on in life that either pleases you or (ticks) you off.

In “End of the Attention Span,” you railed against the distractions caused by electronic devices/technology/social media. With that in mind, how do you think AI is going to affect the music industry?

Kind of worried about that. Even with the advent of making recording music to the general consumer, that was a double-edged sword. Now all it takes is a few prompts and you have a fully written and recorded song.

In a related question, do you wish you could go back to a day when you didn’t see a hundred phones in the air while you’re playing?

Ha. Yes, definitely. What ever happened to being in the moment? People are forgetting about one of the greatest qualities of the life experience.

What can we expect from Armored Saint in the future? Are there any more albums/videos in the pipeline?

We are currently writing new music for a new record. We’ve recorded a single along with a video for that single which should be released this summer. We have a European tour this summer and then we hope to go into the studio in late 2024.