In the world of doom metal, Saint Vitus is without question one of the most iconic and recognized acts around. The band’s music has inspired so many young up and coming artists, however, no one will ever be able to truly capture that distinct sound which Saint Vitus is able to conjure up on their recordings.
With Scott Reagers returning to the band after not appearing on a studio album since Die Healing, this new self-titled release was well overdue. In all fairness, the contributions by vocalist Scott “Wino” Weinrich are not to be ignored. Wino played an important role in the band’s history and sang on some really great albums. When Reagers left in 1986 Wino brought a very raw and unapologetic style to the band and I consider both singers to be exceptional frontmen. I just feel that having Reagers back in the band allows for Saint Vitus to pick up where they left off on Die Healing, which is one of my favorite releases in the band’s discography.
The new album maintains that very raw and haunting doom sound which fans will notice right away. Drummer Henry Vasquez has done a solid job behind the kit ever since he replaced the late Armando Acosta. Henry plays with tremendous feel and you can definitely hear it on this album when he hammers out those heavy thunderous rhythms. Bassist Pat Bruders also sounds tight on this album and helps strengthen the rhythm section by providing some devastating bass lines. For me though Dave Chandler’s guitar work throughout this album steals the show. Dave’s distinct style and sound matched with Reagers' delivery on the songs creates these dark and haunting tracks which revisits that old chemistry established during the early days of the band.
Opening the album with a nasty burst of reverb is the song, “Remains.” The band dives into a heavy sounding riff that packs a mighty punch of doom to kickoff the album. Track number two, “A Prelude to…” is a haunting tale of terror and despair which Reagers tells over a bone chilling atmosphere. After the song ends the band unleashes the next song, “Bloodshed,” in complete unapologetic fashion and the riffs come at you like an axe wielding maniac on LSD.
Song number four, “12 Years in the Tomb,” is another sinister offering of doom containing some crushing guitar riffs and plenty of feverish solos. “Wormhole” and “Hourglass,” keep the album moving in a strong direction and are well written pieces of music. If you pay attention to the lyrics in, “Wormhole,” you hear references to old Vitus songs which I thought was a clever idea. The song, “City Park,” is a unique track and reminds me of something you would hear at the beginning of a classic horror movie. Also, Dave provides some spooky narration over the ominous arrangement which I think works quite well.
The final two songs, “Last Breath” and “Useless,” are solid choices to conclude this new release. “Last Breath,” is a slower and HEAVY sounding track full of savage guitar work and bombastic drumming. Changing up the tempo to finish the album, “Useless,” takes on a more classic hardcore punk style with an intense composition bringing listeners back to the old days when the band first released, “Hollows Victim.”
Saint Vitus proves that no matter what year it is, their brand of music is eternal and the band continues to demonstrate tremendous songwriting skills. Honestly, the person who recorded this album did a great job keeping the Vitus sounding alive and capturing this band’s legendary doom making talents. This is a release you don’t want to miss if you are a fan of doom metal. For anyone who has ever had someone talk about their length of hair, or the out of date cloths they wear, you should know this… Saint Vitus has your back!
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