03/24/2026 18:18

Armored Saint

Armored Saint: new album 'Emotion Factory Reset' coming in May

US metal legends Armored Saint will release their new album 'Emotion Factory Reset' on May 22nd, 2026, via Metal Blade Records.

Track listing:
1. Close to the Bone
2. Every Man-Any Man
3. Not on Your Life
4. Hit a Moonshot
5. Buckeye
6. Compromise
7. It's a Buzzkill
8. Throwing Caution to the Wind
9. Ladders and Slides
10. Bottom Feeder
11. Epilogue

"Each Armored Saint record, to me, is like a new skin for the band, a different chapter. I don't think we've ever repeated ourselves," states bassist Joey Vera. "Every album has been pretty different from the previous one, a snapshot in time. In 2026, 'Emotion Factory Reset' is where our heads are at."

"When we start coming up with songs, I always say we can do whatever we want," vocalist John Bush says. "Use all our influences through the years, diverse music that we listen to and love, and let that seep in and bring something new out of us. It leads to something more adventurous."

'Emotion Factory Reset', the lineup's ninth full-length studio album since 1984's 'March of the Saint', bears out his words, the LP a resurrection of sorts, a tearing down and a rebuilding in 11 songs of diverse musicality and lyrical themes. Produced, as were the previous four albums, by bassist Joey Vera and mixed by Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Stone Sour), 'Emotion Factory Reset' finds the quintet challenging themselves. Songs like ,Close to the Bone, 'Hit a Moonshot' and 'Every Man-Any Man' has Saint honoring their past as one of the most respected and recognizable bands in heavy music while making forward-thinking music rooted in the present.

"'Close to the Bone' is a slamming hard rock/heavy metal song, but diverse in both the vibe and the way it's arranged. It feels like an Armored Saint song that came out in 2026 and I think that's really important," Bush says. "The lyrics came from trying to figure out how to work with people who maybe you don't see eye to eye with," he says, while Vera provided the initial impetus when his wife told him he just might keep some things too private.

'Hit a Moonshot' is a band favorite. A "moonshot" can be a baseball term, and Bush, an avid sports fan, was also thinking about the parallels between sports and entertainment. As well as "people who are kings at what they do, hence the Camelot phrase," the singer says. "People who just come through, whenever you least expect it. They just keep succeeding."

"I think the song defines what Armored Saint sounds like now," Jeff Duncan says. "I really dig it. I used my Les Paul and an EVH amp for the rhythm guitars on everything. My solos were done with a couple different guitars; it's simple, just good guitars plugged into a good amp and let it rip." Additionally, 'Buckeye' is a song with deeply personal lyrics for Bush, and is a rare instance of Duncan playing slide guitar to build the song's mood.

The track 'Every Man-Any Man' is a perfect example of how Armored Saint take heavy music to a place few metal bands venture to. While "Any man has his price" may be a familiar phrase, Armored Saint turned the saying on its head to broaden and create 'Every Man-Any Man'. The verses, with cool, big, and broad open chords, finds Bush singing around the music. He cites a favorite part of 'Any Man': "I love the bridge where I sing 'I'm like a rouge crazy evil cheating lucky little leprechaun.' It sounds like some very mischievous character who is looking to come around somebody's world and keep them guarded and keep them on their toes."

"I feel the intro guitar part almost has an Andy Summers [Police] vibe to it, and then Joey goes into the cool bass groove that's just vintage Joey," Bush says. "Combined with Gonzo, the grooves they create are essential to Armored Saint's sound. When they lock in, It's like they could be playing in the Commodores."

"My playing is more relaxed and dynamic now," Gonzo Sandoval affirms. "I've been really focusing on my hands-stick control - and I'm feeling comfortable with my singles, doubles, paradiddles, making creative ideas on the drum set smoother and more easily accessible."

The song process begins with Vera working up music and recording fully realized demos. "Before 'Emotion Factory Reset', I acquired a new guitar from ESP," Vera explains. "And sometimes when I get a new toy, it inspires me. I loved the guitar, and immediately songs started coming. I believe the first written was 'Compromise'. In the past, I've written some songs that are on the long side, epics. But I wanted to challenge myself and write a bit more concisely."

'Throwing Caution to the Wind' saw the whole band in the studio writing, old-school style. "We're not 20 years old anymore with no obligations or responsibilities, so it's not as easy as it used to be to go into the studio and have a couple drinks and just see what comes out of it," they say.

Bush, one of music's most respected vocalists, operates from a place of passion and presence in the studio and on stage. In fact, about 85% of his vocals from the last three Armored Saint records are taken from the demo sessions, capturing the raw power. While Vera is a granular and detailed writer, like Bush, the bassist says, "I try not to overthink and be right where I'm at that time. I really don't look over my shoulder much, like, 'what did I do in the past? What's going on in the next lane?' Once the ball starts rolling, I just sit back and let it happen."

The collaborative nature of 'Emotion Factory Reset' led to the album title, a phrase from Phil Sandoval. "To me, 'Emotion Factory Reset' means to reset yourself back to clarity. Take a pause and breathe before you respond or react. You can't control outside events, but you can control your mind," the guitarist says. "How you interpret things is what hurts you, not the event itself."

His brother Gonzo adds, "the world is going through a technological upswing/awakening. I look at our planet as the factory and in the most positive way we need to realign, reimagine reset for our better selves."

Moving forward as a united front comprised of diverse individuals lends the songwriting a depth that's evident. Influence-wise, "we all dig a lot of different music. Everybody. Not just rock. I have no 'guilty pleasures' when it comes to music," Bush says. "That freedom translates to our own records when it comes to writing and arranging, even if it just seeps in a tiny bit. The combination of listening to John Coltrane and Billy Strings can contribute to writing an inventive song for Armored Saint."

As with 2020's 'Punching the Sky', Armored Saint are always about punching above their weight and succeeding. 'Emotion Factory Reset' reaches further, both inward and outward. "I mean, there's never gonna be another 'Master of Puppets' or 'Appetite for Destruction'," Bush says. "We can all take inspiration from our previous records, but that was a different time. Armored Saint don't want to make another 'March of the Saint'. I want to keep moving forward, but we know who we are, it's not like we're going to dish out the new trip hop, black metal, bluegrass album."

Bush lets the music and instant inspiration dictate the lyrical shape of a song. "I'll listen to the music over and over, and start humming ideas. Sometimes humming melodies might lead to, 'oh, that sounds like it could work with this phrase or lyric.' Oftentimes I don't have a specific theme of where I want to start," he explains. "Sometimes, yes, but more often than not, I'll start writing and let the road take me and develop organically."

Lyrically, the singer's goal is to open minds and explore ideas. "I'm not telling people 'you should think like this,' it's more that I like to raise points, and maybe somehow, some words in a song might make people go, 'aha!" Trying to observe things from multiple angles is key on 'Emotion Factory Reset'. "In fact, lots of times with the songs I've written, when I listen back years later, it’s like, 'fuck man, you can apply this now to this, and it's a completely different meaning!' I think that's really cool. So that's my kind of goal." And while Armored Saint don't release an album every year, it's about quality, not quantity. "At the end of the day," Bush concludes, "as long as we feel it's great, that's the most important thing."

'Emotion Factory Reset' was recorded across several studios including 606 Studios, Secret Hand Studios, Skullseven Studios, Constantine Studios, and Bridge Recording, engineered by Oliver Roman, Bill Metoyer, Joey Vera, and Jason Constantine. Mastereing was done by Paul Logus at PLX Mastering. It features cover art by DDKing.

The record will be released on CD digipack (w/ 20-page booklet) and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:

- Amber Marble (US)
- Orange and Red Marble (US)
- Brutal Panda Exclusive – Citron Smoke (US)
- 180g Black (EU)
- Beige Gray Marbled (EU)
- Clear Black Gold Smoke (EU – Ltd. 500)
- Metallic Gold Black Dust (EU – Ltd. 300)
- Clear Gold Splatter (EU – Ltd. 200)

Additionally, a special European edition of the CD digipak includes the bonus track 'One Chain (Don't Make no Prison)' (People cover) only available digitally until now.

(source: Metal Blade Records)