Against all odds, Armoured Saint are still going. Relentlessly. They set off nearly 40 years ago with their eponymous debut album in 1982. While their previous album Win Hands Down was a little sub-par compared to the clan’s other albums (yes, clan - what else do you call a group that hasn’t changed since 1989?), Punching the Sky is an album by a group at the top of their game. The opening single Standing on the Shoulders of Giants sets the tone for the rest of the album: the verses have an unstoppable groove, the chorus sticks in your brain and the singer John Bush is astounding. The feast has begun and it’s not stopping any time soon. Undeniably energetic and heavy (just look at End of the Attention Span and Do Wrong to None), Armoured Saint’s music is also injected with a dose of elegance and class. You can hardly call it violent and that’s what gives the Los Angeles duo that extra soul that distinguishes them from their peers. It’s clear that Armoured Saint are passionate about what they do and they’re intent on doing it to the highest quality. Of course, other heavy metal bands have had amazing careers (with Metallica out in the lead) but Armored Saint is the archetype of a band that’s free to do what they want. They’re no more technical, fast or stylish than their peers but they’re completely unique and their sound is immediately recognisable. Joey Vera, the bassist and main composer, writes custom-made music for himself and his companions: who else could sing Lone Wolf as well as Bush? How do you mix energy with melody? Which rhythm section produces the same punchy and groovy feeling as the Vera/Sandoval duo? Punching the Sky implicitly answers all these questions by demonstrating in eleven tracks that Armored Saint, decidedly, still has no equivalent on the current metal scene. Respect. © Charlélie Arnaud/Qobuz