Review Summary: A great debut album, and also one of the best early doom metal-albums.
1984 was (for most people) the year in which Doom Metal was really born. Trouble released Psalm 9 in that year, and Saint Vitus released their great debut album.
In 1984, Saint Vitus had the following members:
Scott Reagers - Vocals
Dave Chandler - Guitar
Mark Adams - Bass
Armando Acosta - Drums
Review
When I first heard this album, I was not really impressed. But when I listened to it a few more times, I realy began to like it. Especially the guitar work and the vocals are awesome.
Scott Reagers is a great vocalist, I like him even better than Wino. His voice is pretty hard to describe, he sings operatic but he also uses growls. He really knows how to make doom metal scary. Just listen to "Burial At Sea":
Neptune please help me/Don't want no burial at sea. He also creates an own style, and doesn't try to imitate other vocalists (which most other doom metal vocalists do). This gives the album a very unique sound, even though you can hear Saint Vitus was influenced by Black Sabbath.
What I also like of this album is that it begins with the fastest (and most accessible) song, and that the songs after that slow down as the album progresses.
I will do a track-by-track review at his point.
1. Saint Vitus
The title and opening track, and strangely enough it is a fast song. But don't worry, the album will become slower as the album progresses, so this is the fastest song on the album. This has great vocals, lyrics, drumming and guitar work. The song is about a 'young lad' named Saint Vitus, who tells people to believe in a god and not in the government. And by telling that to people, he gets the death sentence. It's a fast and catchy song, and probably the most accessible one on this album.
5/5
2. White Magic/Black Magic
When I first heard this album, this song was my favorite. It's still a pretty fast song, but after three quart of the song, the song slows down and begins to be a real doom metal song. I really like the lyrics, and especially the way Scott Reagers sings here.
I believe in miracles/I don't believe in sin/I believe in wizardry/I don't believe in trends/White magic/Black magic/Which am I to choose?. Very catchy, in my opinion.
5/5
3. Zombie Hunger
Now the album begins to slow down. Zombie Hunger is pure doom, with great pounding riffs and vocals/lyrics. I especially like the line
No impulses feeding my brain in this song.
5/5
4. The Psychopath
The only downpoint of this album, sadly. I don't really like the riffs and vocals as much as in the other songs. I also think the song is way too long (don't get me wrong, I like doom metal, but it doesn't have to be as long as possible). I have a hard time listening to this song from beginning to end. I just don't like it.
2/5
5. Burial At Sea
The slowest song on this album, and in my opinion the best. I really like the slowness, the riff and the vocals in this song, especially when Reagers sings
Neptune please help me/Don't want no burial at sea. It's so haunting. Halfway through, there's a faster part, which makes the song much better than it already was. A great way to end the album.
5/5
Conclusion
I really like this album, it's great as a debut album and it's also one the the best early doom metal-albums. It has great vocals, a haunting atmosphere, great guitar work and interesting melodies. The album is pretty short (only 35 minutes), but that makes you want to play it over and over again. Try it if you like Black Sabbath or slow metal. You'll love it.
Pros
+ Great vocals
+ Great guitar work
+ The way the album is dealt: it begins with the fastest song and end with the slowest one.
Cons
- The Psychopath
- You have to be in the mood for it
- The production
This Message Edited On 05.30.07
