Features: Fringe · Adam Hills · After The End · Arj Barker · Charlie Pickering · Geraldine Quinn · Gorden Southern · Tarnished · There's Something About Fairy · Tom Gleeson WOMADelaide · Akoustic Odyssey · Seckou Keita · Amanda Palmer · Animal Collective · Belles Will Ring · Bob Log III · High Places · Armored Saint · Cry Murder · Pulp Fiction Comics · Silverstein · Vetiver Armored-Saint US band Armored Saint are touring Australia in March with fellow metal veterans Death Angel. From his home in Los Angeles, drummer and co-founder Gonzo Sandoval speaks about the past, present and future of this enduring band who, after twenty seven years, are making their first visit to Australia. Clearly pumped by the prospect of the band's first trip down under (although singer John Bush and bassist Joey Vera both toured here as members of Anthrax), Sandoval is also very keen to talk about a batch of new songs that will hopefully lead to a new album later this year. "It's gonna be heavy. It's gonna be Armored Saint. John Bush is sounding amazing. The rhythms, the grooves and the textures are all sounding very fresh, so I think this is happening at just the right time." While excited by the new material, the band appear to be in no rush to record and release what will be the first all-new album in nine years. "Basically we're just taking a no pressure approach, writing songs now before we move into the selection process before recording. I'd love to say that we will be busy playing shows all [Northern] summer and then be in the studio in fall or winter, but right at this time I just couldn't say when it will be released." Sandoval is coy about whether Australian audiences will hear any of this new material. "I'm going to leave that as a little surprise. We may drop a little tester while we're in Australia so you guys will be the first to hear it live, but we'll just wait and see how that goes!" I am curious to know why this is their first tour to Australia and what may have changed to make it possible now after all these years. "I would love to have been able to tour since the beginning. While we are an American band, when we formed we wanted to have that European sound; 'Maiden, Priest and UFO, those were all influences. It was our dream to take the music all over the world, not just to Europe but all other different parts of the world, including Australia, it just never happened at the right time for whatever reason. But that's the past and I look at the future as bright and we're just grateful and feel very lucky for the opportunity to connect with the fans and play our style of music in Australia." Armored Saint split in 1992 after Bush accepted an offer to join Anthrax, but reformed in 1999 and released the 'Revelation' album the following year. Since then there have only been spasmodic tours. Sandoval ponders for some moments when asked if there was a particular catalyst for the members committing fully to touring and recording new material in 2009. "That's an interesting one. Joey and John both have young families. Jeff Duncan has got his band DC4 and I've been busy with my two bands Life After Death and Sons Of Sandoval. So in the meantime when Armored Saint has been down I've been very busy writing and recording with my other bands to fill in the gaps. But I feel honoured and privileged to be back performing in Armored Saint in the year 2009, twenty-seven years on! So to get back to your original question, the catalyst was the timing, to get everybody's schedules to meet, because the desire was certainly there." When asked about his favourite Armored Saint album, Sandoval identifies two as the standouts. "I really enjoyed 'Delirious Nomad' because of the drum sound. Working with Max Norman on that album was a thrill. 'Symbol Of Salvation' also was a pleasure to record. That was after [co-founder and guitarist] David Pritchard had passed away. We had written twenty-four songs with David before he died, so we had this music that was just sitting there. We weren't thinking about keeping Armored Saint going, but after a couple of years we realised that Dave would have wanted us to record these songs." As we wind up our conversation, Sandoval talks a little more about Pritchard, who succumbed to leukaemia in 1989. "He's an amazing individual and artist. I say he "is" because I truly believe that his energies are still with us. I also believe that his energies are the reason why the band is still alive and kicking in the year 2009. So I feel blessed to be able to rock with Armored Saint with my friends and my brother in new places in the world." James McKenzie Armored Saint and Death Angel play HQ on Friday 13 March.