Saint Vitus (band)
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Saint Vitus is an American
doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...
band formed in Los Angeles in 1979. They are considered to be one of the first doom metal bands, and have been labeled as one of the "big four" of that genre, along with Candlemass,
Pentagram A pentagram (sometimes known as a pentalpha, pentangle, or star pentagon) is a regular five-pointed star polygon, formed from the diagonal line segments of a convex (or simple, or non-self-intersecting) regular pentagon. Drawing a circle aroun ...
and
Trouble Trouble may refer to: Film and television * ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin * ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film * ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Trouble'' ...
. Having released nine studio albums to date, Saint Vitus never achieved a popular breakthrough, but have exerted great influence on the development of doom metal,
sludge metal Sludge metal (also known as sludge or sludge doom) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated through combining elements of doom metal and hardcore punk. It is typically harsh and abrasive, often featuring shouted vocals, heavi ...
, and
stoner rock Stoner rock, also known as stoner metal or stoner doom, is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of doom metal with psychedelic rock and acid rock. The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered foremost by Kyuss and Sleep. ...
. The original line-up consisted of Dave Chandler (guitar), Mark Adams (bass), Armando Acosta (drums) and Scott Reagers (vocals). They recorded their first two albums before
Scott Weinrich Robert Scott Weinrich (born 1961), better known as Wino, is an American singer and guitarist. He has been highly influential in helping develop and codify doom metal's trademark sound, and is also considered an influential figure in the stoner r ...
replaced Reagers in 1986. The line-up of Chandler, Adams, Acosta and Weinrich is the longest-lasting. The third album '' Born Too Late'' (1986) is generally acknowledged as their best release. After breaking up in 1996 and briefly reforming in 2003, Saint Vitus reunited again in 2008 with the band's "classic" line-up, featuring Weinrich, Chandler, Adams and Acosta, and embarked on a successful tour. However, after 30 years in the band, Acosta left Saint Vitus in 2009 due to worsening health, and was replaced by Henry Vasquez. By 2016, both Weinrich and Adams had left Saint Vitus and were replaced by Reagers and
Pat Bruders Patrick Bruders is an American musician who is the current bassist for heavy metal supergroup Down, former bassist of extreme metal band Goatwhore from 1997 to 2004, and former bassist for sludge metal band Crowbar from 2005 until 2013. ...
respectively, leaving Chandler as the only constant member of the band and reuniting two-fourths of the original lineup.


History


Formation and first two albums (1979–1985)

The band was formed in 1979 under the name Tyrant, with Scott Reagers (vocals), Dave Chandler (guitar), Mark Adams (bass), and Armando Acosta (drums). They changed their name to Saint Vitus in 1980, after the
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
song "St. Vitus Dance". Their main influences were Black Sabbath,
Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in th ...
,
Blue Cheer Blue Cheer was an American rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was sporadically active until 2009. Based in San Francisco, Blue Cheer played in a psychedelic blues rock or acid rock style, and ...
,
Blue Öyster Cult Blue Öyster Cult ( ; sometimes abbreviated BÖC or BOC) is an American Rock music, rock band formed on Long Island in Stony Brook, New York, in 1967, and best known for the singles "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Burnin' for You", and "Godzilla ( ...
and
Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
. The band's early sound combined the dark and psychedelic style of bands like Black Sabbath and Blue Cheer with the aggressive heavy metal and
hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
sound of Judas Priest and Black Flag, another favourite band of Chandler. In the beginning, their style was considered "out-of-date" compared to the
hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
, glam and
speed metal Speed metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) roots.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' (Berg Publishers, 2007), , p. 31. It ...
genres, which were popular at the time. Being rejected by the
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
metal community, they were involved in the punk rock scene by Black Flag, with whom they toured during the early 1980s, and later with other groups like
the Brood ''The Brood'' is a 1979 Canadian psychological body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar, and Art Hindle. Its plot follows a man and his mentally ill ex-wife, who has been sequestered b ...
,
Saccharine Trust Saccharine Trust is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1980 by singer Jack Brewer and guitarist Joe Baiza. The band would frequently perform with SST labelmates Minutemen and Black Flag. However, Baiza descri ...
,
the Mentors The Mentors are an American heavy metal band, known for their deliberate shock rock lyrics. Originally formed in Seattle, Washington in May 1976, they relocated to Los Angeles, California in 1979. The band garnered attention both from noted h ...
,
Napalm Beach Napalm Beach is an American rock band formed in Portland, Oregon. They are considered early innovators of the grunge sound. Nicholas Pell, writing for the ''Portland Mercury'' said "a huge influence on the grunge and alternative rock of the 1990s ...
and D3. Black Flag guitarist
Greg Ginn Gregory Regis Ginn (born June 8, 1954) is an American guitarist, bassist, singer and songwriter, best known for being the leader, primary songwriter, and the only continuous member of the hardcore punk band Black Flag, which he founded and led ...
would also sign Saint Vitus to his label,
SST Records SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was formed in 1966 by Ginn at age 12 as Solid State Tuners, a small business through which he sold electronics equipm ...
, which eventually released 4 LPs and 2 EPs by the band. Chandler affirmed: "the heavy metal fans at the time hated us, and so did the punk rockers, but the punk rockers grew to appreciate us". Under this line-up, Saint Vitus recorded 2 albums (''
Saint Vitus Vitus (), whose name is sometimes rendered Guy or Guido, was a Christian martyr from Sicily. His surviving hagiography is pure legend. The dates of his actual life are unknown.Basil Watkins, ''The Book of Saints: A Comprehensive Biographical D ...
'' & '' Hallow's Victim'') and an EP ('' The Walking Dead''). Reagers left the band in early 1986, and was replaced by
The Obsessed The Obsessed is an American heavy metal band from Potomac, Maryland, led by Scott "Wino" Weinrich. The band combines elements of doom metal, stoner rock, and punk rock. Formed in 1980, they recorded a few demos and played a handful of liv ...
frontman Scott "Wino" Weinrich (at this time,
The Obsessed The Obsessed is an American heavy metal band from Potomac, Maryland, led by Scott "Wino" Weinrich. The band combines elements of doom metal, stoner rock, and punk rock. Formed in 1980, they recorded a few demos and played a handful of liv ...
had only released one 7"). Reagers' final performances featured songs from then-upcoming album '' Born Too Late'', such as "The War Starter" and "H.A.A.G", as many of these were written while he was still in the band.


Weinrich-era (1986–1991)

Wino recorded three studio albums ('' Born Too Late'', '' Mournful Cries'' & '' V''), a live album (''
Live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music *Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of albums ...
''), and an EP ('' Thirsty and Miserable'', featuring the Black Flag cover of the same name) with Vitus. ''Born Too Late'' proved to be their most acclaimed album and the title track is considered an anthem of the doom metal genre. The Wino years marked a change in their style, featuring a slower and darker sound, in contrast to the hardcore influences of the first two records with Reagers, and the band started to gain some notoriety in Europe. Weinrich also wrote some songs such as "Bitter Truth", "Looking Glass" and "Ice Monkey", the latter was covered by supergroup Down in their early live performances. By 1989, Saint Vitus had been dropped from SST and signed to
Hellhound Records Hellhound Records was a German record label during the late 1980s and 1990s, self-described as "the heaviest label on earth". They became known for putting out doom metal, with artists such as Saint Vitus (band), Saint Vitus and The Obsessed. In ...
, who released the band's next three albums. Weinrich left Saint Vitus in 1991 to reform
The Obsessed The Obsessed is an American heavy metal band from Potomac, Maryland, led by Scott "Wino" Weinrich. The band combines elements of doom metal, stoner rock, and punk rock. Formed in 1980, they recorded a few demos and played a handful of liv ...
after Saint Vitus' label,
Hellhound Records Hellhound Records was a German record label during the late 1980s and 1990s, self-described as "the heaviest label on earth". They became known for putting out doom metal, with artists such as Saint Vitus (band), Saint Vitus and The Obsessed. In ...
, released an album of older Obsessed recordings.


''C.O.D.'', ''Die Healing'', and breakup (1992–2002)

Following Weinrich's departure, the band found former Count Raven singer Christian "Chritus" Linderson as a replacement after a short search. He would record only one album, '' C.O.D.'', produced by
Don Dokken Donald Maynard Dokken (born June 29, 1953) is an American singer and musician. He's best known for being the lead singer, occasional guitarist, and founder of the glam metal band Dokken. He is known for his vibrato-laden, melodic vocal style whi ...
, and tour Europe and America with the band until 1993 before being replaced by original vocalist Scott Reagers for what would for a long time be their final album, ''
Die Healing ''Die Healing'' is the seventh studio album by the American doom metal band Saint Vitus, released in 1995 by Hellhound Records. In addition to being their final album before disbanding in 1996, ''Die Healing'' saw the band reunite with the origi ...
'', regarded by Chandler to be their finest work. Saint Vitus played dates in America and Europe following the album's release. After the completion of the tour, Saint Vitus decided to disband in 1996. Chandler went on to form the punk/doom band Debris Inc., with Ron Holzner of
Trouble Trouble may refer to: Film and television * ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin * ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film * ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Trouble'' ...
in the early 2000s. They released their self-titled album via
Rise Above Records Rise Above Records is a London-based independent record label owned by Lee Dorrian (of the band Cathedral and formerly of Napalm Death). Founding Lee Dorrian started Rise Above Records in 1988 without the intention of the label being an ongoi ...
in 2005. Acosta stayed busy with a band called Dirty Red, Adams no longer played music, and Reagers also left the music scene. After The Obsessed broke up in the mid-1990s, Wino moved back to Maryland and formed Shine/
Spirit Caravan Spirit Caravan was an American doom metal / stoner rock band featuring guitarist and vocalist Scott "Wino" Weinrich. Biography Scott "Wino" Weinrich formed Spirit Caravan after the breakup of The Obsessed. The remainder of the band consisted ...
and once again toured Europe and the US until the band's break up in the early 2000s. His next band, The Hidden Hand, followed a similar path before breaking up in the mid-2000s. Wino also briefly joined Place of Skulls, featuring former
Pentagram A pentagram (sometimes known as a pentalpha, pentangle, or star pentagon) is a regular five-pointed star polygon, formed from the diagonal line segments of a convex (or simple, or non-self-intersecting) regular pentagon. Drawing a circle aroun ...
/Death Row guitarist Victor Griffin, for the album ''With Vision'' released in 2003.


Reunion(s) and Acosta's death (2003–2010)

On July 1, 2003, the classic ''Born Too Late'' line-up (Weinrich, Chandler, Adams, Acosta) played a gig at
Double Door Double Door, a concert hall and nightclub, was located in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The venue was first opened on June 12, 1994, and was co-owned by Andrew Barrett, Sean Mulroney and Joe Shanahan. On Ju ...
in Chicago. In 2008, it was announced that Saint Vitus were reuniting again for a tour in 2009. The band headlined Friday's April 24 date at the 2009
Roadburn Festival Roadburn Festival is an international music festival held in Tilburg, Netherlands every April since 1999. It was set up as a spin-off from the Roadburn music blog founded by Jurgen van den Brand and Walter Hoeijmakers. Originally focused on stone ...
. at the 013 venue in
Tilburg, Netherlands Tilburg () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern province of North Brabant. With a population of 222,601 (1 July 2021), it is the second-largest city or municipality in North Brabant after Eindhoven and the seventh-larg ...
and then went on to play three gigs in Germany. The lineup for this reunion was the same as the 2003 reunion. Drummer Armando Acosta, who had been with the band since its inception over thirty years ago, left the band before the European tour of 2009 had been completed. Dave Chandler has cited health concerns as the reason for Armando's replacement. Armando Acosta died on November 25, 2010 from arterial complications at the age of 58, and was buried at
Riverside National Cemetery Riverside National Cemetery (RNC) is a cemetery located in Riverside, California, dedicated to the interment of United States military personnel. The cemetery covers , making it the largest cemetery managed by the National Cemetery Administration ...
in California. He was then replaced by Henry Vasquez of the band Blood of the Sun. Wino also released one album to date as a member of the Doom Supergroup "Shrinebuilder" in 2009.


''Lillie: F-65'' (2011–2012)

In February 2010, Chandler stated that there was talk of Saint Vitus recording new material, but there were no concrete plans at the time. However, according to frontman Weinrich, "we're writing some stuff right now. Everybody's pretty busy. I know I've been busy. The Wino band is pretty much on hiatus right now. So it looks like we'll be doing some recording in the near future. The bottom line is we would like to do a new record. There's talk about it. We've already been floating around a couple ideas. So yeah, somewhere down the line there will be a new Vitus record in the cards." In March 2010, Wino revealed to the German edition of ''Metal Hammer'' magazine that Saint Vitus were without a record label, and had only written one new song so far, but that a full-length studio effort from the group would likely surface within the next 12 months, making a 2011 release date likely. However, plans eventually fell through, but had planned to regroup to make the album sometime in the summer of 2011, after the band finished the 2011 Metalliance Tour with
Helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...
and Crowbar. On the Metalliance Tour, Saint Vitus debuted a new song called "Blessed Night". On November 8, 2010, it was announced that they were signed to
Season of Mist Season of Mist is an independent record label and record distributor with subsidiaries in France and the United States. The record label was founded in 1996 by Michael S. Berberian in Marseille, France. From the start releasing black metal, pag ...
and would release their new album, entitled '' Lillie: F-65'', on April 27, 2012. It marked Saint Vitus' first studio album since 1995's ''
Die Healing ''Die Healing'' is the seventh studio album by the American doom metal band Saint Vitus, released in 1995 by Hellhound Records. In addition to being their final album before disbanding in 1996, ''Die Healing'' saw the band reunite with the origi ...
'', its first release with vocalist Weinrich since 1990's '' V'' and first release without Armando Acosta on drums. Late 2009 through 2010 also saw the majority of Saint Vitus' back catalog come back into print. SST Records reissued vinyl versions of all the group's records except for the first album, which was reissued on CD. The label also released "Hallow's Victim" and "The Walking Dead" on CD, having never previously been available in the format. Buried By Time and Dust Records also did a limited vinyl issue of "Die Healing" (the first time that album had been available on vinyl) with a CD reissue expected to follow. In an April 2012 interview with Drop-D, guitarist Dave Chandler was asked if Saint Vitus was going to make another album after ''Lillie: F-65''. His response was, "Right now we're just taking it step by step to see how people respond to he new album There would be no reason not to because when you're constantly playing you get a lot of ideas. We're not going to say yes or no now. There are a lot of people talking about the record so hopefully it will live up to everybody's expectations."


Recent activities (2015–present)

In 2015, Saint Vitus performed a single U.S. date in
Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
and a European tour with original singer Scott Reagers, his first full shows with the band in 20 years. Due to Wino's commitments with
The Obsessed The Obsessed is an American heavy metal band from Potomac, Maryland, led by Scott "Wino" Weinrich. The band combines elements of doom metal, stoner rock, and punk rock. Formed in 1980, they recorded a few demos and played a handful of liv ...
's reunion, Reagers once again filled in for him on Saint Vitus' fall 2016 U.S. tour with
The Skull ''The Skull'' is a 1965 British horror film directed by Freddie Francis for Amicus Productions, and starring the frequently paired horror actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, alongside Patrick Wymark, Jill Bennett, Nigel Green, P ...
and Witch Mountain and has remained with the band ever since. Also during this period,
Pat Bruders Patrick Bruders is an American musician who is the current bassist for heavy metal supergroup Down, former bassist of extreme metal band Goatwhore from 1997 to 2004, and former bassist for sludge metal band Crowbar from 2005 until 2013. ...
of Crowbar and Down filled in for their longtime bassist Mark Adams, who could not tour with the band because of health reasons; it was revealed in October 2018 that he has been suffering from
Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...
. Saint Vitus released their live album ''Live Vol. 2'' on September 23, 2016. In a November 2017 interview, Chandler stated that they had "pretty much a whole ewalbum" written. The band's latest album, titled ''Saint Vitus'', was released on May 17, 2019.


Personnel


Members

;Current members * Dave Chandler – guitar (1979–1996, 2003, 2008–present) * Scott Reagers – vocals (1979–1986, 1994–1996, 2015–present) * Henry Vasquez – drums, percussion (2009–present) *
Pat Bruders Patrick Bruders is an American musician who is the current bassist for heavy metal supergroup Down, former bassist of extreme metal band Goatwhore from 1997 to 2004, and former bassist for sludge metal band Crowbar from 2005 until 2013. ...
– bass (2016–present) ;Former members * Armando Acosta – drums, percussion (1979–1996, 2003, 2008–2009; died 2010) * Mark Adams – bass (1979–1996, 2003, 2008–2016) * Scott "Wino" Weinrich – vocals, guitar (1986–1991, 2003, 2008–2015) * Christian Linderson – vocals (1991–1994)


Timeline


Discography

*''
Saint Vitus Vitus (), whose name is sometimes rendered Guy or Guido, was a Christian martyr from Sicily. His surviving hagiography is pure legend. The dates of his actual life are unknown.Basil Watkins, ''The Book of Saints: A Comprehensive Biographical D ...
'' (1984) *'' Hallow's Victim'' (1985) *'' Born Too Late'' (1986) *'' Mournful Cries'' (1988) *'' V'' (1990) *'' C.O.D.'' (1992) *''
Die Healing ''Die Healing'' is the seventh studio album by the American doom metal band Saint Vitus, released in 1995 by Hellhound Records. In addition to being their final album before disbanding in 1996, ''Die Healing'' saw the band reunite with the origi ...
'' (1995) *'' Lillie: F-65'' (2012) *''Saint Vitus'' (2019)


References


External links

*
Saint Vitus page at Southern Lord

Hommage to Eternity – Unofficial Tribute Site
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Vitus American doom metal musical groups Heavy metal musical groups from California Musical quartets Musical groups established in 1979 Musical groups disestablished in 1996 Musical groups reestablished in 2003 Musical groups disestablished in 2003 Musical groups reestablished in 2008 SST Records artists Season of Mist artists Articles which contain graphical timelines Hellhound Records artists Roadrunner Records artists Nuclear Blast artists Musical groups from Los Angeles