| Musical Style: Classic Metal | Produced By: Jared Knowland |
| Record Label: Armor | Country Of Origin: USA |
| Year Released: 2024 | Artist Website: Saint |
| Tracks: 11 | Rating: 95% |
| Running Time: 46:45 |
We have admired and appreciated Saint beginning with its mid-eighties inception, a sentiment reflected in the number of accolades bestowed by us on the Salem, Oregon based classic metal act. The groups Pure Metal Records 1986 sophomore effort Time’s End, for instance, was voted Angelic Warlord album of the year, while follow up effort Too Late For Living ranked third in our list for 1988. Note that in our article ranking the top 50 Christian metal albums of the eighties, Time’s End and Too Late For Living placed eighth and seventeenth, respectively.
Saint might have remained on the sidelines better part of the nineties, but it returned following the turn of the century with its second comeback album in 2006, the Book of Revelation conceptual themed work The Mark that also took album of the year honors. A re-issued version to The Mark on Retroactive Records in 2011 under the new title The Revelation was included in our 2016 article outlining the top ten albums of the previous ten years.
Fast forward to 2019 and subsequent to a five year hiatus - noting the honorable mention assigned to 2014’s Broad Is The Gate - Saint returned with its ninth album The Calf, which received a fifth place ranking in our annual list. Finally, Saint blew us away in 2022 when tenth album Heaven Fell tied for first place with Stryper’s The Final Battle, and is one of a select few to receive a perfect 100% Angelic Warlord score!
August of 2024 Armor Records eleventh album from Saint Immortalizer is certain to garner similar accolades from carrying over the consistency and continuity of Heaven Fell. Musically, it stays true to the group’s traditional metal roots with its emphasizing of two-guitar harmonies and aggressive riffing, mid to upper range vocals and lambasting rhythm section. Hence, albums opening title track to realize Saint firing on all cylinders and pinpointing the unremitting heaviness and paramount hooks in which it has gained apt renown. I appreciate how “Immortalizer” touches upon some neo-classical themes for its instrumental moments. Lyric snippet:
Immortalizer save our soul
You've come to rescue
All who reap and sow
And as you sit and ponder
Reading every verse
The smell of fear arises
Feel it start to burn
Raise the flame from
The coals there is escape
Ensuing piece “Repent” maintains the quality. It reinforces equal parts advancing tempo, front man David Nelson’s integral gruff and gravelly but melodic vocals align with the intrusive themes, and fierce mentality, refrain is fittingly terse as bassist Richard Lynch’s harsher croon reveals in the shouted backing vocals. “Repent” does a good job capturing the emotion and energy to Saint’s eighties material.
“My Cemetery” exemplifies the groups more melodic side. Manner in which the song makes an abrupt transition from opening orchestration and piano to blatant rhythm guitar reminds of Bloodgood’s “Seven” (off Rock In A Hard Place from 1988). Moving forward “My Cemetery” speaks of melodic heavy metal as lavish guitar harmonies and bountiful vocal melodies call attention to a commercial albeit flattering side to Saint we do not experience often. Lyric snippet:
My life is cursed
So where will I go
Enforcing the law
Delivering the blow
Life in the grave
Is all that I know
Oh God deliver
The sins of my soul
Down in my cemetery
Cry the tears underground
“Eyes Of Fire” finds Saint at its best. Song presents with its share of variances, progressing through exacting moments to see unabashed guitars lead the way (a Maiden-esque galloping mentality prevails) and others of a more exquisite nature in which a refuse to go away with repeat play melody rises to the surface. All the while Nelson lowers his register to the extent Mark Boals (Joshua Perahia) comes to mind.
Whereas the previous two speak of a lighter facet to Saint, “The Congregation” finds the group rotating back to a classic metal bent. The song charges forward from the start, contentious with its leading guitar walls - albums crisp production reveals in the process - and heavy set backing vocals but also absorbing as another outspoken chorus hook realizes. I cannot say enough good things about the dual guitar leads of Jerry Johnson and Matt Smith. Lyric snippet:
Kneel as a sinner live to die
Part of religion all our life's
They come in comfort with an invitation
Hail to the congregation
All your blessings come from Him
See who's standing at the end
Hallelujah you are saved
“Pit Of Symphony” is first of albums two shorter (three and half minute) but faster cuts. It follows suite of other Saint speed-based number such as “Space Cruiser” (Time’s End) and “Star Pilot” (Too Late For Living): accelerated tempo, expedited low end and frenetic leads. In similar form but better in my opinion is “The Loyal” due to being somewhat more engaging with the brawnier hooks (noting the groups catchy vocal melodies) and tougher riffs overall. Each song gives Knowland opportunity to exhibit his sophisticated timekeeping.
Back to melodic territory with “Into The Kingdom”, a diverse piece taking an enterprising form its span (assured, purposeful and melodic as it gets) but routinely tempering for acoustic passages with a classical slant. Nelson’s gravelly pitch works well with the acoustic themes, while Johnson and Smith again put on a clinic with their varied riffs and bluesy vestiges. In the end, this is one of albums finer tracks. Lyric snippet:
Into the kingdom
When your soul can't find the light
And there's nowhere to go
And the bodies come to life
You know where to go
Into the kingdom
Living the past from our lives
These feel like old times
We travel back in time
When the sky comes to life
Saint returns to bold metal territory with “Blood Of God”. Song fades in to feedback followed by Lynch’s stout bass solo ahead of taking off, pummeling with galvanic guitar at the front of the mix, particularly for the catchy refrain, and powerhouse tempo, which leans towards borderline thrash territory. What we have is another example of Saint at its heaviest but arresting best. Lyric snippet:
There is a savior that sees
Us through the night
The plan is written to
Push us on to the light
Gods blood died to saved me
I have received the blood of God
Gods blood has inundated me
(Taking every breath Drowning in abyss)
(Blood of God)
A darker and ominous tone reveals with “Where’s The Faith”. Song draws upon a doom-like aesthetic with its deliberate demeanor, on occasion brightening for soothing moments to see milder guitar hold sway, but ever reverting to the somber as pensive momentum takes command in chilling fashion. Despite the bleak Alice Cooper like form, “Where’s The Faith” uplifts a surprisingly robust melody.
Closing cut “Salt In The Wound” delights with its impinging mid-tempo allure and intermitting dicing guitar leads to decorate front to back. In between, the song features some of the albums most preeminent hooks (vocal melodies are a challenge to keep from your mind) and catchiest riffs to draw in at once. Interestingly, on several occasions the ‘Salt In The Wound’ title is repeated mirroring the same melody as The Mark/The Revelation cut “Reaping The Flesh”. Lyric snippet:
Let the Blood run through you
Feel it sting make you new
Scratch the surface find your way
You know it comes from deep within
You know He feels your pain It’s how it all begins
The blood of Christ is in your veins
And now you know how it feels
To finally be healed
This is how it ends This is how it all ends
With Salt in the wounds
Immortalizer equates to another top classic metal album from Saint. I appreciate how the group blends material taking a melodic form with that in line with its signature driving nature, which helps lend an appealing element of variety. Likewise, band performance remains above the line as Nelson continues to impress vocally, while Johnson and Smith are in fine form guitar wise. Lynch and Knowland provide solid rhythm section support. It also cannot be understated the continuity of carrying over the same lineup for the third straight album beginning with The Calf. In the end, if a fan of Saint or classic/traditional metal then Immortalizer is certain not to disappoint.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “Immortalizer” (4:18), “Repent” (3:53), “My Cemetery” (4:19), “Eyes Of Fire” (5:08), “The Congregation” (4:19), “Pit Of Symphony” (3:33), “Into The Kingdom” (3:50), “The Loyal” (3:35), “Blood Of God” (4:13), “Where’s The Faith” (4:00), “Salt In The Wound” (5:38)
Musicians
David Nelson - Lead Vocals
Matt Smith - Guitars
Jerry Johnson - Guitar
Richard Lynch - Bass
Jared Knowland - Drums
