Description

French pressed music cassette. White cassette with silver text. Limited 200 copies

Legendary doom metal band Saint Vitus ninth full-length album is momentous not only as it is their first album in seven years but also because it marks the first time that original vocalist Scott Reagers has appeared on a Saint Vitus record in 24 years. Reagers helped start the band back in 1979 (yes, 40 years ago!) and has had multiple stints with them over the years. He was welcomed back into the fold in 2015 to fill in for then-singer Scott “Wino” Weinbach, who was busy with the reunion of The Obsessed. Saint Vitus also stands as the group’s first album with their new bassist, Pat Bruders of Down. He came aboard in 2016 after founding member Mark Adams had to step away from making music after it was revealed that he was battling Parkinson’s disease. Opener, Remains, recalls their classic, fuzzed out, 60s-worshiping, Black Sabbath through a Woodstock filter sound. Dave Chandler’s heavily distorted Blue Cheer on steroids guitar tone feels like an old friend you’ve missed, and Scott Reager’s downbeat, Danzig-lite crooning sounds as solid as it did way back in the 80s. It’s a very respectable example of their sound and easily the best thing they’ve done since Die Healing. The album features more of that Vitus that is paranoid, despairing, slithering. This is classic Vitus every step of the way and I could not have hoped for a better album this late in the game. Just where it will sit in the band’s canon of releases, I’m not sure, particularly as the sound/production and mix is so good that it is hard to compare to earlier albums as it is just so pleasing to the ear. You never know, it could be their last album and if that is the case they will have gone out on a high.

Track list:
1. Remains
2. A Prelude to…
3. Bloodshed
4. 12 Years in the Tomb
5. Wormhole
6. Hour Glass
7. City Park
8. Last Breath
9. Useless