In a new interview with Brazil’s Headbangers News, ARMORED SAINT frontman John Bush was asked if he had ever taken any singing lessons to help him develop such a unique vocal approach. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “ Well, I’ve done some training through the years, mostly just for voice preservation. As you get older, this is more demanding. It’s like an athlete, and you’ve gotta be fit. And, obviously, the older you get, the more challenging it is to sing heavy metal music. It’s very demanding. And I’m 61 years old now, so I’m not a young spring chicken. And my voice is different than it used to be, although a lot of people, they say, ‘Oh, you sound the same.’ Not really — I actually sound lower and I have this kind of more mid-range sweet spot that I kind of sing most of my stuff in that range. But it’s all very complimentary and I’m grateful for those comments that people make.”
Addressing the fact that some people consider him to be one of the top singers in heavy metal, Bush said: “People like [IRON MAIDEN‘s Bruce] Dickinson and Ronnie Dio, of course, and [JUDAS PRIEST‘s Rob] Halford, as far as I’m concerned, these guys are the kings of metal, and to even come close to being in the same kind of ballpark with them is a big honor. But I just try to do my own thing. I think for me, through the years, what I always strive to do is just sound unique, have my own kind of style. I kind of model a lot of my singing after those people, but also guys like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. Some of my favorite singers are from the old-school soul world. And so I’ve always kind of wanted to sound like a combination of a heavy metal singer and an R&B singer. Anybody who has a unique style to singing and sounds original. I think that’s the most important thing. I tend to really like those type of singers mostly. I don’t really know about the range; I don’t really have the music knowledge about all that stuff. I just know it’s about trying to sound unique and original.”
Bush also talked about his singing approach with ANTHRAX, which he fronted from 1992 to 2005, and then again for several shows in late 2009 and early 2010. He said: “Someone like [classic ANTHRAX singer] Joey Belladonna has a really unique voice. His voice is very distinctive; when you hear it, you know it’s him, which is cool. And that’s kind of what I try to do for myself. And our voices are very different, so when I joined, it was, like, ‘Oh, now this kind of raspier, kind of gruff singer is now in the band.’ And Joey‘s voice is a little cleaner and higher. But distinctive both of them are and different. So it did change the sound.
“I mean, let’s face it, somebody like Sammy Hagar changed the way VAN HALEN sounded, and certainly Ronnie Dio did [with BLACK SABBATH], and Brian Johnson [did with AC/DC], even though Brian‘s voice is similar to Bon‘s [Scott], but it was, again, very distinctive, both those guys,” John explained. “You change a singer in a band, and the sound’s gonna change a little bit. It is just the way it is.”
Following two festival performances — Bangers Open Air in São Paulo, Brazil and Sonic Temple festival in Columbus, Ohio respectively — ARMORED SAINT will enter the studio next month to begin recording its long-awaited ninth studio album, tentatively slated for a spring 2026 release through Metal Blade Records.
In September, the band will join W.A.S.P. for a trio of U.K. shows before returning to the States to support legendary guitarist Michael Schenker on his “My Years With UFO” U.S. tour. ARMORED SAINT will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its second album, “Delirious Nomad”, with a five-song micro set of songs from the record throughout the tour.
To further commemorate the cornerstone record, the band is making available a special “Delirious Nomad” wrapped guitar from Dean Guitars. Each guitar is signed by the band. Presales will be announced in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, check out additional “Delirious Nomad” merch items at this location.
Last June, ARMORED SAINT released a rendition of “One Chain (Don’t Make No Prison)”. The classic track was originally written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter and was first released by PEOPLE in 1970. Additional covers include THE FOUR TOPS (1974),SANTANA (1978) and THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (1989).
“One Chain (Don’t Make No Prison)” was produced by Vera, mixed by Jay Ruston and mastered by Maor Applebaum.
ARMORED SAINT released the “Symbol Of Salvation Live” CD/DVD in 2021 via Metal Blade Records. The release came in celebration of the seminal album’s 30th anniversary. “Symbol Of Salvation Live” was a combination live album and video of the band playing the album in its entirety at New York City’s famed Gramercy Theatre during its 2018 tour.
In July 2023, ARMORED SAINT was inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.
In May 2023, ARMORED SAINT‘s long-awaited documentary, Armored Saint: Band Of Brothers”, had its world premiere in the band’s hometown at the Harmony Gold Theatre in Hollywood, California.
Source: blabbermouth.net
