Metal Blade Records

Leaders and stalwarts of the American heavy metal scene since the early 80s, Armored Saint's Punching The Sky sees them returning hard. A diverse, attitude-drenched collection, it's everything the band's faithful have come to expect from them while pushing their signature sound forward. "The goal is to write really good music. I know I'm stating the obvious here but that's about the size of our agenda," says bassist Joey Vera. Exploding to life with the crunchy, rousing "Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants" and not letting up until the closing ruthless riff of "Never You Fret", the record is possessed of an urgency and vigor which very much places it in the right now, but could only be the work of Vera, guitarists Phil Sandoval and Jeff Duncan, drummer Gonzo Sandoval and vocalist John Bush. "When you're a band that began four decades ago, you really have to push yourself harder than ever when it comes to making a new record," states Bush. With Vera acting as producer, he recruited the same engineering team that worked on Win Hands Down with drums recorded by Josh Newell at El Dorado Studios in Burbank, CA, guitars tracked by Bill Metoyer at Skullseven studios in North Hollywood, CA, and vocals, bass and additional recordings by the bassist at his studio. The record also features a few guest musicians, with the sound of Uilleann Pipes, Patrick D'Arcy and Guns 'N' Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed.<br/><br/>DIGIPAK

Lik: Mass funeral evocation 2019 [Digipack / CD]

Igorrr: Spirituality and distortion 2020 [Digipack / CD]

With 2018's Cobra Speed Venom, the band reached the same lofty heights as their 2002 landmark release, Crowned In Terror, but they were primed and ready to write its successor. "It surely set the bar up high for a follow up," Olsfelt explains.<br/>Having celebrated their thirtieth anniversary in 2020 [their first eight years spent as Crown Of Thorns], The Crown have proven themselves one of the most enduring forces in death metal. They further up the ante with Royal Destroyer, a record that sets a new standard for the genre.<br/>Together with legendary producer Fredrik Nordström, the band tracked the resulting 10 songs at Gothenburg's Studio Fredman. "We push ourselves to the limit, really trying to make everything as good as it can get, trying to make every song as impactful as possible," Olsfelt states. While he believes that people need to hear the album themselves to be able to accurately describe it, Olsfelt also asserts that The Crown have achieved something that makes for a "continuous whole" - while being diverse. "We have some of the most intense stuff ever!"<br/><br/>BONUS TRACK(S)

Cannibal Corpse: Violence unimagined 2021 [Digipack / CD]

Endseeker: Mount Carcass [CD]

Amon Amarth: Versus the world 2002 (Rem) [CD]