John Bush: Is he, or isn't he the singer ofAnthrax? He's in, he's out, he's back in again. Does Scott Ian—or Bush himself—even know at this point? While that mess somehow gets sorted out, Bush is back on vocals for the band he joined way back in 1982, Armored Saint. La Raza is the band's sixth album and first new studio effort in a decade, following 2000's Revelation. The album took shape when Bush and bassist Joey Vera (who also has spent time in Anthrax) started writing songs together again in 2008.

Bush is now best known for his tenure with the best band to ever take its name from a disease, but back in the day Armored Saint was a solid and dependable hard rock act. Who could forget their memorable appearance playing live at the "Boiler Room" in Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth? No, seriously, it was awesome.

Even if it's been a few decades since the band's most popular time period, La Raza sees Armored Saint sticking to its guns as a tried and true hard rock band. The album is song-oriented, almost like it was customized to showcase Bush's trademark soaring vocals. There's a few heavy riffs, but mostly it leans to the more mid-tempo, radio-rock side of the hard rock and metal spectrum, relying on hooks and sing-along choruses. Vera even states in the band's bio that they "weren't attempting to reinvent any wheels" with La Raza, but rather just sticking to their strengths.

A lot of it is hit: "Loose Cannon," the best and most rocking track of the album, "Head On," the title track (which features a cool rhythm break with bongos and a tropical island feel) and "Left Hook from Right Field." And a lot of it is miss: the cringeworthy lyrics of "Little Monkey" (a song that almost made me feel embarrassed for Armored Saint), and a normal, unexciting rocker like "Black Feet."

Overall, La Raza is a nice shift from the brutal death metal and grindcore that's slowly been rattling my head the past few years. It's a loose, fun rock record that Saint and Bush-era Anthrax fans surely will want to check out.