ARMORED SAINT Singer Is 'Bummed' About General Feeling Of Divison In America

Former ANTHRAX and current ARMORED SAINT singer John Bush has weighed in on underdog Donald Trump's stunning upset of Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election, saying that "everyone just has to lighten up and respect everybody."

Speaking to California Rock News at last night's (Thursday, November 10) listening party for ARMORED SAINT's new live album, "Carpe Noctum", in Sherman Oaks, California, John said: "I don't know what's gonna happen. It's kind of a volatile time, and I'm kind of bummed about it — just the general feeling of the divison in America; it's obvious. It's pretty severe, and I hope we fix it quickly, you know, 'cause it sucks. I mean, I don't really care which way you wanna lean, you know. I have friends who are on the right, I have friends who are on the left, but we're still all just people. We're supposed to all just be Americans. I think everybody's just trying to have a happy life, and everyone should be entitled to that. I don't know if there's a savior, quite frankly. I think everyone just has to lighten up and respect everybody."

After ARMORED SAINT drummer Gonzo Sandoval publicly came out in support of Donald Trump earlier in the week, his bandmates released a statement via the group's Facebook page in which they distanced themselves from his views. They wrote: "Here at ARMORED SAINT, we all believe in freedom of speech. It's a right we all share and it's a right that is very precious. Everyone in America is entitled to it. By now, all of us who are engaged in social media are well aware of the brute tone of this freedom. It is celebrated in all of its beauty but also in its insidiousness.

"First in line of importance is that we strongly believe that religion and politics are a very sacred and personal set of beliefs that should remain inside the individual, especially when we're in a shared business with several people in a group. It is in our opinion that social media is no place for us to share what we believe in politically or ideologically.

"We make art and entertain. That's what we've always done and that's what we'll continue to do. The band's philosophy has always been from the observation point of view coupled with tongue-in-cheek irony. At this time of incredible polarization in our country, we choose to stay right here. Our goal is to not change the world. Our goal is to make music."

"Carpe Noctum" will be released in January. The disc features the band's 2015 Wacken Open Air festival set as well as their headlining show in Aschaffenburg, Germany.