Saint Vitus Live
Southern Lord Recordings sunn43 July 26th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
Saint Vitus are old school, maaaaaaaan. Besides releasing new, substantive albums every so often, Southern Lord finds the time to repackage bona fide classics such as V and, now, Live. The unconquerable line-up has been preserved in its true form on Live, which features the multi-faceted talents of Scott Wino Weinrich (The Hidden Hand, ex-The Obsessed, ex-Spirit Caravan, ex-Place of Skulls) who exemplifies what a dynamic leader is capable of producing from only his voice box.
Come to think of it Winos Lemmy Kilmister-esque (Motorhead) scratchy tone is my favorite characteristic of the now-defunct Saint Vitus, circa 1989s Live. As far as the music goes, though, the doom-oriented songs touch upon the heralded Black Sabbath for riff ideas, and their general façade is quite inviting. Furthermore, Im sure its a treat for long-time fans to finally be able to obtain a legitimate copy of the record, as it had been out-of-print for numerous years. The quality is higher than I anticipated it to be. But, more amazingly, the clarity shines through while avoiding minor pitfalls like static, fuzz, and such. Of course Saint Vitus are somewhat reliant on distortion, but the overall sound isnt as muddled as it is muddy. In other words, the amplification and how the vocals front the mix was orchestrated in a precise, commendable manner. Its also humorous to hear Wino disregard the fact that the band was recording a live album when he says, at the beginning of Born Too Late, You gotta turn the monitors down, Fritz. Such examples convey the realism of live performances.
Though I cant say I drool over live albums (how many do Pearl Jam, Phish, and Dream Theater have now?), Saint Vituss material is worth hearing, even when filtered through a live setting. Live, I believe, isnt the most integral piece to the groups puzzle however, itll pique your interest in several ways. Pretty good: not essential.
7/10
Official Southern Lord Recordings Website
Southern Lord Recordings sunn43 July 26th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
Saint Vitus are old school, maaaaaaaan. Besides releasing new, substantive albums every so often, Southern Lord finds the time to repackage bona fide classics such as V and, now, Live. The unconquerable line-up has been preserved in its true form on Live, which features the multi-faceted talents of Scott Wino Weinrich (The Hidden Hand, ex-The Obsessed, ex-Spirit Caravan, ex-Place of Skulls) who exemplifies what a dynamic leader is capable of producing from only his voice box.
Come to think of it Winos Lemmy Kilmister-esque (Motorhead) scratchy tone is my favorite characteristic of the now-defunct Saint Vitus, circa 1989s Live. As far as the music goes, though, the doom-oriented songs touch upon the heralded Black Sabbath for riff ideas, and their general façade is quite inviting. Furthermore, Im sure its a treat for long-time fans to finally be able to obtain a legitimate copy of the record, as it had been out-of-print for numerous years. The quality is higher than I anticipated it to be. But, more amazingly, the clarity shines through while avoiding minor pitfalls like static, fuzz, and such. Of course Saint Vitus are somewhat reliant on distortion, but the overall sound isnt as muddled as it is muddy. In other words, the amplification and how the vocals front the mix was orchestrated in a precise, commendable manner. Its also humorous to hear Wino disregard the fact that the band was recording a live album when he says, at the beginning of Born Too Late, You gotta turn the monitors down, Fritz. Such examples convey the realism of live performances.
Though I cant say I drool over live albums (how many do Pearl Jam, Phish, and Dream Theater have now?), Saint Vituss material is worth hearing, even when filtered through a live setting. Live, I believe, isnt the most integral piece to the groups puzzle however, itll pique your interest in several ways. Pretty good: not essential.
7/10
Official Southern Lord Recordings Website
