Customer Reviews

Raising Fear

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this on cassette while on a family vacation in 1987 when I was 13 years old. It was one of the best purchasing decisions of my young life. Pulling double duty as rhythm and lead, guitarist Dave Prichard (who sadly passed away in 1990) excels in both roles, Joey Vera's fluid basslines are sublime, and John Bush's throaty delivery was never more inspiring, before or since. What's more, they create a sound in this album that has stood the test of time, as twenty years later it still sounds vital. I know a lot of Saints' fans give the nod to March of the Saint or Delirious Nomad, but for my money this is the best Saint album on record. And, though it shares stiff competition from the likes of Master of Puppets and Reign in Blood, Raising Fear also gets my vote as one of the essential metal albums of the 1980s. For the song "Book of Blood" alone, this album deserves a place on every hard music lover's shelf.

From start to finish, this is just another of fantastic albums that got slighlty overlooked. Hopefully, this one will someday be again re-released and re-remastered.!

Armored Saint may of fallen under the radar in many rock circles during the 80's and 90's, but you have to hear these guys to really appreciate their talented ways. So many great songs, still haven't heard a true klunker yet! Even with a few personnel changes over the years, John Bush and co. continue their insaintly ramage right in your face. If you can still find the currently rare "Raising Fear", get it and enjoy the ride!

Originally released in 1987, Raising Fear was the third full-length Armored Saint album, and the final one to be released by a major label. Apparently the record company had a heavy hand in the Raising Fear recordings, giving the band very little freedom to make the kind of music they really wanted to. I'm not quite sure what to think, as I tend to enjoy Raising Fear and March of the Saint (which was also micromanaged by the label) much more than Delirious Nomad, the album in which the band had more creative control. Still, I think you have to err on the side of artistic freedom and let the band record the kind of songs they want to record.

Anyway, on to the album itself. Raising Fear is another high quality album from a band that never disappoints. Armored Saint has always managed to play classic power metal without all of the Omen-style cheesiness, and infuse it with plenty of thrash-like aggressiveness. The result is a sound that seemed almost too mature for the still growing California metal movement. They still indulged in some of metal's sillier elements (stage armor, for example), but their lyrics quickly became more mature and relevant. Songs like Isolation, Chemical Euphoria, and Frozen Will/Legacy could have been written for Metallica or Megadeth. Honestly, I'm still amazed that Armored Saint never reached a wider audience. You have to figure that a good chunk of Metallica's early audience would have loved a band as intense as the Saint, especially given Metallica's attempts to get Saint vocalist John Bush to join their band. Even a fraction of Metallica's sales figures would have made Armored Saint (deservedly) a household name.

Metal Blade reissued Raising Fear in 1995. I'm not sure if it's been remastered or not, but it sounds pretty good to me, and holds up pretty darned well 20 years later. If this is an album that was restrained by record company politics, I'd love to hear an unrestrained version. Maybe the band will oblige us with a re-recording one day.

Raising Fear is a must have for any Armored Saint fan. This is the last studio album featuring the talented David Prichard before he tragically died. His best guitar work is on this one. Most of the songs are great on this cd. The highlights are the Legacy, Human Vulture, Raising Fear, and Book of Blood, though the remake of Saturday Night Special is pretty weak. I am lucky enough to own one of Dave's Old marshall amplifiers and I love playing along with this cd. So pick it up. It's good!

Great cd. Features the Saints best song in Chemical Euphoria... Out on a limb, Raising fear and Legacy are just awesome songs. A must have for Metal fans and 80's style Saint... Great stuff!