Forty years ago, Saint burst onto the scene with “Warriors of the Son” which would be the beginning of a long and winding journey for the early Christian metal band. Like many of the bands that started at that time, they started out strong but by the end of the 80s, they had lost steam and quit. However they were destined for resurrection in the next millennium to something even better. Although there have been lineup shifts leaving bassist Richard Lynch as the sole original member, the last three albums boast the same talented lineup with David Nelson on mic, longtime guitarist Jerry Johnson and Matt Smith on guitars, and Jared Knowland on drums.
“Immortalizer” stands as the greatest of the last three, if not all, studio albums Saint has released. This is Christian traditional metal done right! There is a good mix of chugging guitars, riffs, and power chords with David’s voice nailing a perfect spot with a gruff command and singing without bludgeoning with endless vibrato. Lyrically, Saint comes out more boldly as a Christian band in this release giving some spiritual nourishment to their fans.
The songwriting was the biggest improvement from “Heaven Fell,” even though I struggle to identify exactly why. There is not one boring song in the bunch and I liked each song in their own way. Whether it is the infectious energy in “Immortalizer,” the dramatic, gothy “My Cemetery,” the engaging “Blood of God,” or the epic closer of “Salt in the Wound,” there is a great balance in heaviness and openness that keeps the listener engaged. At times they have a progressive flare but are careful not to overstate musical ideas.
Lyrically the album is much more bold, while retaining David’s poetic style. “Immortalizer” is a call for Jesus’ second coming and “The Congregation” declares clearly God as the source of our blessings. Although catching lyrics is not my specialty (unless they are written plainly right in front of me), I can tell that they are bearing the name Saint faithfully in service to the King.
The performances are top notch. Rhythm guitar work is solid with a plenteous buffet of riffs to enjoy. I particularly enjoyed the triple meter work in “My Cemetery” that demonstrates the band’s precision as well as the odd-meter opening in “Where is the Faith.” Lead and solo guitar work is a pretty good balance of melodic lines and technical pyrotechnics, but is kept quite accessible and part of the overall composition. There is some nice twin guitar work here and there like on “Immortalizer,” but tends to be a harmonic accent. The bass supports well and sports a nice solo spot on “Blood of God.” The drums do a great job of setting the pace in the myriad of changes throughout the songs, but largely stays out of the limelight.
So what is there not to like? It’s hard to say. My first reaction was that the mix was soft and missing some punch, however the album has quite a dynamic range, meaning that they must have already considered the punchiness to dynamics proportion. It is not bad, but I might have traded a little in dynamics for a little more punch in the mix. The other is that there is a lot of lead guitar work in the background on songs that feels like filler. I get it that you really can’t have traditional metal without unleashing the lead guitarist. That said, the mix is just right to hear the lead work without getting listener fatigue, emphasizing the rhythm section more in these instances. See, I can’t even complain without giving a compliment!
Some bands constantly reinvent themselves where the latter career is nothing like their origins, while others keep refining their sound, trying over and over to record that perfect album. Saint is clearly in the latter where there are similarities in “Warriors of the Son” and “Immortalizer,” but not without some good developments along the way, getting closer to perfection. For Saint fans, I think that this is the album they have been waiting for, traditional metal that can stand the test of time. If you like metal at all, you owe it to yourself to check this album out!
Rating: 9.5/10
Written by Sean Bailey
Tracklist
1 – Immortalizer
2 – Repent
3 – My Cemetery
4 – Eyes of Fire
5 – The Congregation
6 – Pit of Sympathy
7 – Into the Kingdom
8 – The Loyal
9 – Blood of God
10 – Where is the Faith
11 – Salt in the Wound
Saint is:
Dave Nelson – Vocals
Richard Lynch – Bass
Jerry Johnson – Guitars
Jared Knowland – Drums
Matthew P Smith – Guitars
Guests:
Release Date: August 30, 2024
Record Label: Armor Records
Discography:
Warriors of the Son (1984)
Time’s End (1986)
Too Late for Living (1988)
The Perfect Life (EP) (1999)
In the Battle (2004)
Warriors of the Son (Re-Recorded) (2004)
Live 05 (2005)
The Mark (2006)
Crime Scene Earth (2008)
Hell Blade (2010)
Desperate Night (2012) [review]
Broad is the Gate (2014) [review]
The Calf (2019)
Heaven Fell (2022) [review]
Immortalizer (2024)
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Video for Immortalizer