Joey Vera Explained

Joey Vera (born April 24, 1963) is an American bassist who is known as a member of the heavy metal band Armored Saint and progressive metal band Fates Warning. During 2004 and early 2005, he toured with Anthrax as a fill-in for Frank Bello, who had taken a break from the band.^[1] He was also a member of Engine, recorded with Tribe After Tribe, and appears on the OSI album Free. His first solo album, A Thousand Faces, was released in 1994. His current solo project, A Chinese Firedrill, released an album titled Circles in 2007.^[2] In August 2019, Vera was announced as the touring bassist for a newly reunited Mercyful Fate filling in for Timi Hansen.^[3] He remained with the band until 2024.^[4]

Originally a guitar player, Vera took interest in playing the instrument after listening to Kiss' Alive!, and by the time Armored Saint formed, he had switched from guitar to bass. Vera has cited Geezer Butler, John Deacon, John Entwistle, Larry Graham, Steve Harris, Louis Johnson, John Paul Jones, Geddy Lee, Paul McCartney, Jaco Pastorius, and Verdine White as influences or inspirations to his bass playing.^{[5] [6]} He usually plays bass by using his fingers, though he has used a guitar pick on a few occasions.^{[7] [8]}

Discography

With Armored Saint

• Armored Saint EP (1983)
• March of the Saint (1984)
• Delirious Nomad (1985)
• Raising Fear (1987)
• Saints Will Conquer (1988)
• Symbol of Salvation (1991)
• Revelation (2000)
• Nod to the Old School (2001)
• La Raza (2010)
• Win Hands Down (2015)
• Carpe Noctum (2017)
• Punching The Sky (2020)

as Joey Vera

• A Thousand Faces (1994)

With Fates Warning

• A Pleasant Shade of Gray (1997)
• Still Life (1999)
• Disconnected (2000)
• FWX (2004)
• Darkness in a Different Light (2013)
• Theories of Flight (2016)
• Long Day Good Night (2020)

With Tribe After Tribe

• Pearls Before Swine (1997)
• Enchanted Entrance (2002)

With Chroma Key

• Dead Air for Radios (1998)

With Engine

• Engine (1999)
• Superholic (2002)

With John Arch

• A Twist of Fate (2003)

With Seven Witches

• Passage to the Other Side (2003)
• Deadly Sins (2007)

With OSI

• Free (2006)

as A Chinese Firedrill

• Circles (2007)

With Arch/Matheos

• Sympathetic Resonance (2011)

With Motor Sister

• Ride (2015)

External links

• Official website (archived)
• HardRadio.com interview with Joey Vera

Notes and References

1. Web site: Joey Vera . April 24, 2023 . Metal Storm . en.
2. Web site: A CHINESE FIREDRILL . April 11, 2010 . Vera . Joey . Joeyvera.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090501183339/http://www.joeyvera.com/achinesefiredrill.html . May 1, 2009 .
3. Web site: Mercyful Fate bring original lineup back to home turf in Copenhell 2020. Alice Pattillo02. August 2019. Metal Hammer Magazine. August 2, 2019 .
4. Web site: MERCYFUL FATE Parts Ways With Bassist JOEY VERA. January 16, 2024. Blabbermouth.net. January 16, 2024.
5. Web site: Armored Saint's Joey Vera: "I heard Kiss's Alive! and that was about it for me. I just wanted to play an instrument". May 20, 2021 . Guitar World. June 29, 2021.
6. Web site: Armored Saint Family Tree — The Metal. givememetal.com. October 25, 2020 . June 29, 2021.
7. Web site: Joey Vera (Armored Saint/Fates Warning) Plays Favorite Bass Riffs. October 6, 2020 . Loudwire. June 29, 2021.
8. Web site: Armored Saint bassist Joey Vera talks long-awaited new album, Punch The Sky. June 14, 2021 . forbassplayersonly.com. February 9, 2022.