(click to download high res copy)

(click to download high res copy)

Saint Vitus were thee premiere American doom metal act of the '80s. Along with Trouble, Pentagram and the Obsessed, Vitus were pioneers of true-Doom Metal. They were one of the first to fuse the behemoth riffage and bleak atmosphere of Black Sabbath with the desperate aggression of punk rock ala Black Flag.

Their eponymous 1984 debut was released by Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn's SST Records, and was followed in quick succession by the Walking Dead EP and Hallow's Victim album the very next year.

Obsessed frontman Scott “WINO” Weinrich (later member of: Spirit Caravan, Place of Skulls, Hidden Hand, and PROBOT!) joined Vitus on vocals in 1986 (and sometimes guitar) for the classic “Born too Late” album. One more release on SST (“Mournful Cries”), and endless touring (earning them a rabid cult following )climaxed with the release of “V” in 1990.

“V” features the classic doom-anthem: “I BLEED BLACK” and the mid-tempo stomp of the often covered: Angry Man. The production is raw, pure and primitive, the dying emodiment of DOOM. Their undeniable influence on metal can be felt in the homage paid by such bands as: Soundgarden, DOWN (lyrics and riffs blatantly lifted), C.O.C., Eyehategod, Crowbar, GRIEF.

After a “Live” album (also soon to be re-released via Southern Lord) Wino left Vitus to reform THE OBSESSED. With Wino’s departure Christian Linderson of COUNT RAVEN assumed the vocal mantle as ‘Lord Chritus’ for 1991’s “Children of Doom”. “Lord Christus” stint on vocals was shortlived and eventually VITUS reformed with first singer Scott Reagers for the 1994 ‘Die Healing’ opus. Again this was not meant to be and the band quickly disentagrated.

Things were silent for a few years until...

Last year (2003) the classic Vitus lineup of : Dave Chandler, Wino, Mark Adams, and Armando Acosta reformed for two special shows. The mighty Vitus was resurrected at a gig in Chicago and the “With Full Force” Festival in Germany.

In 2004 kvlt Doom label: Southern Lord is respectfully re-packaging and re-issuing the “V” album. This new essential edition comes with bouns video footage of Wino’s first show from 1986!

“V” is an essential chapter in (Doom)-Metal history!