ARMORED SAINT have announced their ninth studio album Emotion Factory Reset, arriving May 22 via Metal Blade Records. The follow-up to 2020's Punching the Sky features eleven tracks produced by bassist Joey Vera and mixed by Jay Ruston — a proven pairing that has delivered some of the most refined heavy metal production in the genre.
The album's title emerged from guitarist Phil Sandoval, who described the concept as "a reset to clarity. Take a pause and breathe before you respond or react" — a concept that resonates broadly in the current cultural climate. The first single "Close To The Bone" serves as the album's opening track, setting the pace with Sandoval's stripped-down approach: "Just good guitars plugged into a good amp and let it rip."
Vocalist John Bush framed the band's creative intention: "Use all our influences through the years, diverse music that we listen to and love, and let that seep in and bring something new out of us." Bassist Joey Vera, reflecting on the intro riff for "Hit A Moonshot," drew from memories of a Los Angeles garage band — confirming the album's deep roots in West Coast heavy metal tradition.
Recording took place across 606 Studios, Secret Hand Studios, and Constantine Studios. The album also benefits from the consistent presence of the band's long-running lineup: Bush, Vera, Sandoval, and guitarists Jeff Duncan and Gonzo Sandoval — a brotherhood forged over forty years in the Los Angeles metal underground.