Hello Richard Lynch, how are you doing?

RL Doing fantastic!!!!

Please tell us something about your hometown?

RL I live in the capital city of Oregon, Salem is a relatively small town approximately 140000 population.

Saint 1984

Saint is considered to be one of the first Christian Heavy Metal bands. Please tell us about the history? How the band got started?

Saint story began around 1978, I was visiting an old friend her name was Mrs. Shumway she was the piano player at the local AG church. I was 19 at the time hadn’t played in a band ever and had limited skills. She then told me that she had a word from the Lord, she said that God had told her that I was going to be a minister but not one that the church would accept and that he would do mighty things through me. By the time 1984 rolled around I completely forgot the conversation until later on around 2002. Between 1978 and 1984 I got heavily involved in music, I started out as being a sound engineer at our local church and soon moved to doing sound for some of the festivals in the area, and a tour Leon Patio. It was somewhere around 1979 that I met John Mahan, Russ Koch, Jim Maxwell, and Bob Page. They had a garage band going and it was kind of rock which was where my roots were, so I started writing lyrics for the music that they had written, and the next thing you know we were writing songs together. John Mahan and I started writing songs and piecing a band together called The Gentiles which included Russ Koch and Jim Maxwell. That was fairly short lived and so when John decided to disband the drummer Gene McClendon and I form the band Saint.  We use some of the songs that I Co wrote during The Gentile days and put together the EP Warriors of the Son. John Mahan heard the demo and decided to come back and complete the EP and that’s where it all started

What where your favorite bands at that time? 80’s…

RL like everyone there’s a long list of artists that I listen to, and a lot of influences that I grew up with like Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple. But in the 80s the band that stood out the most, and the most intriguing was Judas Priest. We loved how they pieced heavy metal together and seized on some of their style. Interestingly it was the droning bass that gave them and us the sound we were looking for.

Saint 1986-Time’s End

A lot of people in the 80’s did not understand why a strong, hard and raw heavy Metal band singing about the gospel of Jesus Christ.. The Church and a lot of believers Saïd that heavy Metal was from the Devil. And the ‘normal’ metalheads maybe thought that it was a disgrace to the Metal scène. To sing about Jesus and Salvation..?

RL Yeah metal has come along way since then but even today there is still resistance. Surprisingly we didn’t get as much grief as I thought we would get, by 1986 our own church was wanting to get behind us. But the bottom line is they’ll always be someone trying to tell us what’s right and what’s wrong.

Did you Guys ever got interest from record labels outside the gospel/white Metal scène?

RL No we never did, and we were on a 5 album contract with Pure Metal anyway that was unbreakable. By the time Too late for Living came out we had disbanded.

How it was to be in that particular time (1986-1988) to be on Pure Metal Records?

RL I could talk trash about Pure Metal all day long but the reality is, they are the ones that open the door for us in the world market

Saint, with Josh Kramer

Can you tell us about your goal with Saint. Is it to play quality Heavy Metal or is there more then meets the eye..?

RL My goal is and always was to be able to relate to people with their struggles in life. Quality heavy metal is required.

Press and fans are all these years telling that the band is sounding like Judas Priest? What is your idea about this matter?

RL Judas Priest was a huge influence and it definitely shows in our writing, but not all of our song sound like Judas Priest. There are so many other influences, I think the big thing was that Josh sounded a lot like Halford but it may have been just simply the melodies that I wrote that were kind of Halfordish. You know it’s not a bad thing to be compared to one of the greatest heavy metal bands in history.

Saint-The Mark album

After more then 30 years and with about 10 albums in the pocket.. what is your favorite album and album cover..?

RL To date my favorite album is The Mark, oh how I wish we had Jared Knowland to produce it, it would have been so much better.

As for album art I’m gonna go with Hell Blade.

Album, Hell Blade, 2009

Is there still a heavy Metal scène in your area.. Salem, Oregon, USA..?

RL No heavy metal, pretty much dead here in Salem Oregon sadly.

What happened after this great and epic album; Too Late for Living..? With Saint…The Doors should be wide open for the band after this album?

RL Ha ha God doesn’t shut the doors for no reason, I think will leave it at that.

What brought you Guys back to the Front in 1999?

RL The door is open back up and here we are better than ever!!!!

Too Late For Living, 1989

Are you Guys working on a new album? Please tell us about it?

RL the new album is called The Calf, It features Jerry Johnson on guitars, Matt Smith on guitars, Jared Knowland on drums, and our newest addition David Nelson on vocals and of course myself. We found David singing in a band called Mr.Wizard, Jerry and I went and listen to them play and I had to have him, he is a fantastic addition to the band. The album is full length 10 songs and touches on everything from legalism to life struggles. I think that it will become my new favorite album.

Please tell us the story after all these years what happened between Saint and Armored Saint?

RL actually it was Chrysalis records who wanted us not to use the name Saint, but it was real short lived and nothing came of it.

Do you remember a Nice or special thing that happened during the history of the band that you want to share with us?

RL Yes, a lot of people were blessed and got saved.

Years ago Josh Kramer was playing with a German Metal band playing Saint Songs on a Metal Festival? Why you Guys did not show up to play as a band with Josh on this German Festival?

RL Money… it’s always about the money with promoters. Josh however had a great experience and was able to take the Saint Name to Germany and for that I am grateful.

Any last word to the readers of Bonavox?

Yes, be sure to check out the new Saint LP The Calf and if you haven’t heard some of the 2004+ albums you should really check them out as well. Now then, I pray my great God and savior Jesus Christ bless you all.
come visit us at saintband on facebook or www.saintsite.com

Saint-Videoclip, 2012



The thing about this Saint album is that it is literally the best, I can remember buying this at a local store and it was the “pick of the month” and it was displayed with a huge cardboard beast like you see on the album. You just knew it was gonna be  amazing. Way , way ahead of there time with a solid message that holds up today. It’s in my top 10 stuck on an island recordings, maybe that’s why they wrote island prisoner (lol) Enjoy this epic masterpiece! From a musicians standpoint its so well arranged I love it! Saint rulz. Thanks to the writer;mister: Dariq Louis…