Doom Metal was born in the end of the 70's, when some bands started to play Metal using slow tempos, nasty and crude guitar riffs and using raw normal voices to breed a form of music that was bitter and with a somber and sinister ambiance. It's like taking the oppressive musical elements from earlier albums from BLACK SABBATH (the Father of Doom Metal and Metal itself), writing songs in their own visions, and Doom Metal was born. Names as TROUBLE, WITCHFINDER GENERAL and PENTAGRAM brought to the genre its natural and most known features, and along with them the infamous North American cult quartet SAINT VITUS. And these guys are still active and unleashing their funereal energy once more with "Saint Vitus", their latest spit of blood.

The band brought some surprises on its line-up: Patrick Bruders is the bass player now, and the original singer, Scott Reagers, is back once more. These changes are enough to say that them, along with Dave Chandler (guitarist and founder of the band) and Henry Vasquez (drums, percussion) are up to release another great album. Yes, on "Saint Vitus", the most classic form of Doom Metal is presented. But the crude melodies and raw energy are here, what means to the clones: beware, for the Lords of the Dead are back from the crypts! Tony Reed is the producer of "Saint Vitus", and even using modern technologies, the sound quality of the album is truly organic (even the rhythm guitars during the solos are absent), because the band used simple instrumental tunes, like they were playing a live show. On the other hand, all is extremely clear and can be understood without complains. It's like taking them on the past and bringing to the present, just like that.

These Doom Metal gentlemen are great and made of "Saint Vitus" a great album. And moments like the funereal and rusty tempos of "Remains" (a hypnotic song, with very good work from bass guitar and drums), the introspective and atmospheric "A Prelude to..." (this clean insight created a good ambience for the vocals), the nasty melodies of "Bloodshed" (the tempos are really great, but the guitar riffs and solos are incredible) and on "12 Years in the Tomb", the sinister melodies of "Wormhole" and "Hour Glass", and the brutal Doom Metal slow grasping harmonies of "Last Breath" are enough to bring the listener kneel down.

It's excellent to hear a veteran band as SAINT VITUS still up to unleash such furious music. And "Saint Vitus" is a lesson of how to be active for so long and still be relevant.