Armored Saint and Metal Church Concert Review and Photos
Armored Saint and Metal Church – The Glass House – November 3, 2026
The Metal Saint Tour stopped at The Glass House in Pomona California Tuesday night with two old-school titans of heavy music co-headlining – Armored Saint and Metal Church. I had grown up with both bands, but hadn’t seen either live, and the opportunity to see them together in the same 1000 capacity venue was too good to pass up. I had little idea how great both bands would be…
Armored Saint
Armored Saint formed 44 years ago in 1982, and have been hugely influential on the scene, while somehow never gaining the same universal recognition and album sales as bands in their circle (Metallica, Anthrax, etc.). Widely known for their artistic integrity and refusal to water down their heaviness to gain airplay, or cater to passing music trends like some of their peers, fans of Armored Saint are some of the most passionate and dedicated in the business. This shouldn’t be a surprise, as the band has always put their music first.
They’ve had an interesting history, filled with unusual ups and downs. Not long after forming, vocalist John Bush received a call on behalf of Lars Ulrich asking if he’d like to join Metallica. In a Metal Hammer interview, Megaforce Records owner Johnny Zazula said “Lars was in love with the way John sang for Armored Saint, and I guess Armored Saint was the one band from the LA area that stood out as not a poser hair band, so he took to John and wanted him to do the job.” Armored Saint was doing well in the LA scene, and Metallica hadn’t yet shown signs of what they would come to be, so John turned the offer down.
Founding guitarist Dave Prichard passed away in 1990, just as the band was set to enter the studio to record their fourth album and magnum opus, Symbol of Salvation. The album came out in 1991, and the following year John left the band for 13 years to front Anthrax, causing the band to shut down. What never changed was the desire for their fans to hear their music and watch them play live.
That brings me to Tuesday night in Pomona. I’ve seen my share of Armored Saint patches on battle vests at metal concerts and festivals, and I’m familiar with their music. What I didn’t count on was how amazing their show would be. When you think of a band that’s had the same lineup give or take since the early ‘80s, you expect that they’ll sound pretty good, and the fans will be so happy to see them that they won’t notice some falloff since the last time they saw them. Bullshit. Armored Saint hit the stage and completely took charge. They weren’t going through the motions or phoning it in – these guys were there to kick ass, and that’s exactly what they did.
Song after song blasted forth from the PA system and every one of them was great, and performed with an incredible intensity – these guys didn’t just sound good, they looked great and put on an amazing show.
The first person I saw on stage was drummer Gonzo Sandoval standing behind his kit, sticks raised in the air - he was wearing sunglasses in a venue darker than most with his trademark top hat. He seemed to disappear behind his massive kit when he sat down to play, but his sound was huge and did all of his talking, especially during his incredible solo halfway through the show. Gonzo’s brother, guitarist Phil Sandoval kept mostly to stage left, but his time there was spent ripping it and repeatedly dropping to his knees to execute one of the many unique rock god poses in his repertoire – more than anything, he looked like he was having fun. His partner in all things in six string, Jeff Duncan on stage right, provided a more economical approach while sounding amazing and having the time of his life performing for fans close to home. Joey Vera on bass was no-nonsense, and provided considerable chops, powerful low-end, and serious attitude. John on vocals was amazing, and it’s easy to envision what Lars saw in him all those years ago, and interesting to imagine what things would have looked like if he’d accepted the offer to join Metallica. Fortunately for those in attendance, that didn’t happen, and John graced the stage at the Glass House on Tuesday. His vocals were huge, and the amount of effort required to push them out of his body caused his hands and arms to move, almost as if he were using them as outriggers to maintain his balance while hitting the big notes. He was incredible to both hear and witness in person, making me really wonder why I’d never seen them play before.
The setlist included songs from all chapters of their storied history, including three tracks from their new studio album Emotion Factory Reset, which came out in May. This was a really fun night - a blistering one-two punch of heavy metal, and a must-see if Armored Saint and their The Metal Saint Tour rolls through your town.
Armored Saint is:
- John Bush: Vocals
- Joey Vera: Bass
- Phil Sandoval: Guitar
- Jeff Duncan: Guitar
- Gonzo Sandoval: Drums
Setlist:
1) Close to the Bone
2) March of the Saint
3) Nervous Man
4) End of the Attention Span
5) Every Man – Any Man
6) Last Train Home
7) Drum Solo
8) Win Hands Down
9) Tribal Dance
10) Hit a Moonshot
11) Aftermath
12) Chemical Euphoria
13) Can U Deliver
14) Reign of Fire
15) Mad House
Metal Church
Metal Church have somehow been around even longer than Armored Saint, forming 46 years ago in 1980, although guitarist and primary songwriter Kurdt Vanderhoof is the sole remaining founding member in the band. There have been multiple lineup changes over the years, including the recent additions of bassist David Ellefson (ex-Megadeth), vocalist Brian Allen (ex-Vicious Rumors), and Ken Mary (ex-Alice Cooper) on drums, all of whom joined in late 2025 in time to record on the new album Dead to Rights.
It seemed like the new additions added a much-needed jolt of energy to the band, and on Tuesday they came out of the gate hot. Right off the bat, Brian’s voice easily cut through the dual guitar attack of the first song “Ton of Bricks”. For me, it was an eye-opening moment – you hope that a new member will live up to your lofty expectations of a favorite band, but Brian not only did the songs justice, he elevated them to new levels. The same could be said of David on bass, who was obviously a force to be reckoned with during his 30 years with Megadeth – on this night he was incredible, not only in his playing but also in his performance. Ken sounded great on drums and added much needed punch and flair to the material. The two longest tenured members of the band, guitarists Kurdt and Rick Van Zandt, provided an in-your-face twin guitar assault on the senses that Metal Church are known for, with a tone and muscular approach that really sets them apart from other heavy bands. All five men together on stage combined to form one cohesive unit – their sound was huge and effortless, and it was amazing to be in the audience watching it take place and the crowd’s reaction to it.
Metal Church are on the road supporting their 14th studio album Dead to Rights, released in April, and played two songs from it on Tuesday – “Dead to Rights” and ‘F.A.F.O.”. The other ten songs in their setlist were curated from every era of their vast career, and the audience responded enthusiastically to all of it, including their cover of Deep Purple’s “Highway Star”.
Getting to see Armored Saint and Metal Church share the same stage was an honor. I was expecting a great night of music, but both bands delivered so much more. It’s no mystery why they each have such passionate fans, and why those fans drove out to Pomona in droves on a Tuesday night to see some blistering live music
Metal Church is:
- Kurdt Vanderhoof – Guitar
- David Ellefson - Bass
- Rick Van Zandt - Guitar
- Brian Allen – Vocals
- Ken Mary - Drums
Setlist:
1) Ton of Bricks
2) Start the Fire
3) Fake Healer
4) Gods of Wrath
5) F.A.F.O.
6) Badlands
7) Watch the Children Pray
8) Dead to Rights
9) No Friend of Mine
10) Highway Star
11) Beyond the Black
12) Metal Church
Brooks Robinson is an LA-based concert photographer, and 30+ year freelance camera operator for film, television, and music videos. He has photographed some of the largest film/TV projects in history, and hundreds of music videos in MTV's heyday.
