Formed in Salem, Oregon in 1980 by John Mahan (Lead Guitar), Richard Lynch (Rhythm Guitar), Russell Koch(Bass Guitar), Jim Maxwell (Drums) and Bob Page (Keyboards), Saint were originally know as The Gentiles. This incarnation of the band recorded their first demo in 1981. They later changed their name to Saint and recorded their "Warriors of the Son" EP in early 1984 on Rotton Records. They sounded like a mixture of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden and were one of the early bands to put Christian based lyrics in heavy metal. The band went on to record two very popular albums for Pure Metal Record before breaking up in 1989. For along time the Pure Metal CDs were very scarce and hard to come by and were fetching $70+ on ebay. However, in 1997 Richard and DeAnna Lynch reissued all three Saint albums on a two CD set, bringing down the price of the originals. Over the years all three of the original Saint albums, as well as the Gentiles demos and some live material have been released. In 1999 Saint released a an EP titled "The Perfect Life" with a "more modern sound" and a new singer. Fortunately original vocalist Josh Kramer returned to the fold shortly after and the band decided to record their next album in a style that the fans were demanding. |
