With their third album, Raising Fear, Armored Saint began to climb out of cult status and garner more critical praise for their no-frills, meat-and-potatoes approach to heavy metal. Still not the most distinctive band in the world, Armored Saint nonetheless delivered their best-realized record up to that point in time, full of well-constructed riffs and melodies. Sadly, this would prove to be guitarist Dave Prichard’s final album with the band; leukemia claimed his life three years later. – Steve Huey