SAINT VITUS - Self Titled
Season of Mist
One of the highlights of my life in recent years was finally seeing SAINT VITUS fronted by Scott Reagers. It was a few years back at a local club downtown. The band played all of their early stuff from the Reagers' era, although nothing from Die Healing, and they tossed in "Born Too Late" as an encore. Great show of course and ever since then I've wondered if Reagers would stick around and the line-up would record a new album.
Well 2012's Lillie: F-65 might've been the band's comeback with Wino but this is a comeback as well to me. Along with Reagers on vocals and the amazing riff master Dave Chandler on guitar, Henry Vasquez returns on drums. Another new addition is bassist Pat Bruders (DOWN) who takes over for Mark Adams who had to leave the band due to health reasons. Bruders does a good job filling in and on these cuts he sounds like a perfect fit.
As far as the release goes musically well just like on Lillie: F-65 the band has one foot in the past and the other one standing on experimental ground. Not that SAINT VITUS hasn't tried to expand from their patented doom style before. Go back and listen to COD for that. So on here Reagers' vocals are amazing. It's as if he just stepped out of a time machine from the year 1984. And on songs like the doomy blues of "Hour Glass" or the homage of their past "Last Breath", he breaks from his typical vocal range.
There's some really cool fast cuts on here like closer "Useless" which is a nod to BLACK FLAG. "Bloodshed" also picks up the pace well. Opener "Remains" starts off with the same riff from G.G. Allin's "I Hate People" then slides into typical VITUS slow groove. Of course ya gotta give it up to guitarist Dave Chandler who has the ability to create freshness from familiar sounding riffs. Then he cranks out a solo to hypnotize you or cut your head off.
All in all SAINT VITUS do a good job on this their ninth full length. The majority of the cuts follow along with their patented style of doom without sounding rehashed. You wanna hear a band from way back when add some freshness. I wasn't too keen on the experimental cuts; "A Prelude to" and the creepy "City Park". But then again I wasn't expecting a remake of past efforts.
http://www.season-of-mist.com/
https://saintvitus.bandcamp.com/album/saint-vitus
https://www.facebook.com/saintvitusofficial
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