American heavy metal veterans Armored Saint have officially announced their next full-length album. Titled Emotion Factory Reset, the highly anticipated record is scheduled to drop on May 22 through Metal Blade Records.
Marking their ninth studio release since their 1984 debut March Of The Saint, the new eleven-track collection represents a creative rebirth for the long-running group. The album was produced by bassist Joey Vera—who also helmed the band’s last four records—and mixed by Jay Ruston (known for his work with Anthrax and Stone Sour). Showcasing a blend of classic influences and modern sounds, songs like “Close To The Bone“, “Hit A Moonshot“, and “Every Man-Any Man” demonstrate the quintet’s willingness to push their musical boundaries.
“Each Armored Saint record, to me, is like a new skin for the band, a different chapter. I don’t think we’ve ever repeated ourselves,” says Joey Vera. “Every album has been pretty different from the previous one, a snapshot in time. In 2026, Emotion Factory Reset is where our heads are at.”
John Bush said: “When we start coming up with songs, I always say we can do whatever we want.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. It leads to something more adventurous.”
Known for his commanding stage presence and studio performances, John Bush brings immense raw energy to the new tracks. Remarkably, roughly 85% of his final vocal tracks on the band’s last three albums were pulled directly from original demo sessions. Both the vocalist and the bassist prefer to capture the organic magic of the moment rather than over-polishing their work.
“I try not to overthink and be right where I’m at that time. I really don’t look over my shoulder much, like, ‘what did I do in the past? What’s going on in the next lane?’ Once the ball starts rolling, I just sit back and let it happen,” the bassist explained.
The album’s title emerged from the band’s collaborative writing process, specifically originating from guitarist Phil Sandoval.
“To me, Emotion Factory Reset means to reset yourself back to clarity. Take a pause and breathe before you respond or react. You can’t control outside events, but you can control your mind. How you interpret things is what hurts you, not the event itself,” he said.
His brother, drummer Gonzo, added: “The world is going through a technological upswing/awakening. I look at our planet as the factory and in the most positive way we need to realign, reimagine, reset for our better selves.”
To give fans a taste of the new era, the band has released the album’s opening track, “Close To The Bone“, as the lead single. A music video directed by My Good Eye: Music Visuals is also available online.
John Bush comments: “The first track on the record sounds like vintage Armored Saint. Yet vintage that comes out in 2026! How did we do that? The title of the record, Emotion Factory Reset appears as the first line of the bridge. Killer riffs, awesome rhythms and attacking vocals gets this train rolling. The title implies the human response to withdraw and keep things to yourself instead of being confrontational; Something I believe we all struggle with as humans. Do you just say, ‘aww, whatever man,’ or do you say, ‘hey, f**k you!’ Depends on the moment I guess.”
Adds Joey Vera: “Musically, this song was inspired by my love and appreciation for metal that was coming out around the time of the NWOBHM, which is right when Armored Saint was formed. As always, I try to reimagine my early influences by giving them a slight modern twist.”
Guitarist Jeff Duncan agrees: “I like to think that Armored Saint doesn’t keep making the same album over and over. Emotion Factory Reset is another musical chapter for the band. When the five of us play together, we have a special chemistry and our first single ‘Close To The Bone‘ demonstrates this perfectly; it’s musically sophisticated but still retains the Armored Saint signature sound.”
The recording process for the new album spanned multiple facilities, including 606 Studios, Secret Hand Studios, Skullseven Studios, Constantine Studios, and Bridge Recording. The sessions were engineered by Oliver Roman, Bill Metoyer, Joey Vera, and Jason Constantine. The final product features striking cover artwork designed by DDKing.
Additionally, fans in Europe will have access to a special CD digipak edition featuring the bonus track “One Chain (Don’t Make No Prison)“, which was previously only available digitally.
Emotion Factory Reset Official Track Listing:
- “Close To The Bone”
- “Every Man-Any Man”
- “Not On Your Life”
- “Hit A Moonshot”
- “Buckeye”
- “Compromise”
- “It’s A Buzzkill”
- “Throwing Caution To The Wind”
- “Ladders And Slides”
- “Bottom Feeder”
- “Epilogue”
