Saint Vitus

A band that inspired lumbering legions of drop-tuned doomsayers, Saint Vitus nonetheless couldn’t creep or crawl out of obscurity during its mid-’80s heyday. As the title track of the band’s seminal 1986 LP declared, frontman Scott “Wino” Weinrich and company were simply Born Too Late to find widespread success—though given the number of subsequent bands that have copied the “Black Sabbath at half speed” blueprint of “I Bleed Black” and “Dying Inside,” those songs were arguably born too soon. With doom now an established and revered branch of metal’s family tree, Saint Vitus has returned to life, with its classic lineup (minus late drummer Armando Acosta) returning to the touring circuit with a fresh crop of sludgy riffs, Lillie: F-65, the group’s eighth album and first with Wino since 1990.

Updated 05/21/2012