Posted by Zeche Carl, Essen by Claudia Ehrhardt & Nicky N. Meyer
When you’re on the road with Seven Witches and Engine while still holding down ties to Armored Saint and Fates Warning, things get… let’s say, complicated. But for Joey Vera, it’s just another day juggling more bands than most people have socks.
We caught up with him during the Seven Witches tour – where, ironically, he wasn’t even supposed to play originally. A last-minute call, a missing bassist, and the kind of friendship that gets you in trouble later all led to Vera stepping in. What followed was a conversation full of insight, humor, and a lot of sideways glances at the madness of being a full-time, multi-band musician.
“I just like playing. Doesn’t matter what it is.”
Joey Vera joined Seven Witches on tour by accident—or rather, by opportunity. “Billy quit about a month or two before the tour,” he explains. “Jack and I had become friends during the Savatage tour, and after I worked on the Seven Witches record with him—just mixing, not playing—he called and said: ‘I lost my bass player. Wanna help out?’”
Of course, most fans think of Vera as the driving bass force behind Armored Saint and Fates Warning. So what’s happening with those bands?
“Armored Saint still exists. We want to do another record, maybe start in January, but John’s busy with Anthrax right now. They’re finishing their album as we speak. So it’s a bit of a waiting game.” In the meantime, Joey’s been quietly writing new material for Armored Saint—though it’s on a slower schedule.
Navigating between bands as different as Seven Witches, Fates Warning, Engine, and Armored Saint isn’t as chaotic as it seems. “It’s not that hard for me. Each band has its own frame, its own world. When I sit down to write, I know exactly which hat I’m wearing.”
Sometimes those hats overlap. “One track I originally wrote for Engine ended up turning into something for Armored Saint,” he laughs. “It started modern, ended up more power metal—perfect Saint material.”
Between the Stage and the Studio
When asked which band is more fun to play live with, Joey just grins. “Depends on the mood. I just love playing. Being able to shift between styles keeps it fresh. But of course, Armored Saint is special. We go way back—these are guys I’ve known since third grade. There’s a certain magic there.”
Still, he’s got a lot of love for Engine, his current focus with the release of Superholic. After the Seven Witches tour, Engine was set to play a string of dates on the US West Coast, including Las Vegas and Phoenix, with a possible larger tour in the summer. “We’re still figuring it out. Record sales, timing, and the right tour partner—it’s tricky since we don’t fit the traditional Metal Blade mold.”
That doesn’t mean Europe is off the table. “If we can get a tour with someone bigger—like what we’re doing now with Seven Witches—it might work. Maybe November or December. We’ll see.”
Wacken Dreams and Studio Schemes
Would he play Wacken again? Absolutely. “Whether with Engine or Armored Saint—it’s cool either way. Just not on the same day, please,” he laughs. “We know someone from Finland doing four bands in two days at Wacken. That’s a bit much.”
And what of Fates Warning? “They’re kind of on a break,” Vera admits. “Jim Matheos is working on a solo project with Mike Portnoy, so we’ll see what comes of that.”
Besides touring and recording, Joey’s also producing and engineering. “I’d like to do another solo album too, if I ever find the time. My first one in ’94 was all over the place. The next one would be more focused, stylistically.”
He’s also open to working with smaller, lesser-known bands. “I like discovering potential and helping them make a good record. It doesn’t have to be famous—just has to be good.”
FINAL WORDS
Joey Vera lives and breathes music. If he’s not on stage, he’s behind the mixing board. If he’s not writing, he’s recording. He’s got a wife who understands the madness because she’s in the business too, and he’s aware that fortune doesn’t always favor musicians—but he’s making the most of every note.
Whether you know him from Armored Saint, Engine, Fates Warning, or Seven Witches, one thing’s certain: Vera will keep making music. One band, or five, it doesn’t matter.
“Something’s always going on,” he shrugs with a grin. And honestly? That’s just how we like it.