Saint Vitus
Live

THE REVIEW

It's easy to judge in hindsight, but the SST catalog in the '80s was truly a gold mine. Those who were fortunate enough to approach the releases of Greg Ginn's label knew that the next one would be different and nothing was taken for granted. There wasn't a recognizable SST sound but many great bands, with much to say and add to what R'N'R had said until then.

It is from this stable of champions that the story of St. Vitus begins. Cult band, group of late freaks obsessed with Sabbath. Seeing them in photos must have been a shock for some hardcore kid with a narrow mind. The image that comes to mind is that of a Hell's Angels gathering, a mob of drunk and stoned bikers covered in black leather and tattoos.

What I have in my hands today is a live recorded in Germany in 1989, with the great Scott "Wino" Weinrich on vocals. A sound that, as I said, owes everything to Black Sabbath but doesn't stop at mere copying, there's much more, there's the reimagining of a sound and the beginning of a heavily pessimistic poetry. Tony Iommi's riffs are taken as a model by the wild guitarist Dave Chandler, and it is in these slow sound spirals that they find themselves comfortable, basking in the pain as Wino screams his resigned despair. Listen to "Born Too Late" or "Dying Inside", and you'll understand. Years later, someone will label all this as Doom and many will pay tribute to these sound experimenters, glorious electric warriors.

Today we're close to spring but it's strangely cold, moreover the sky is completely black and it's raining. I turn up the volume and light a joint while Wino intones his mantra... I'm losing all my friends and lovers.