Review by Sonny for Saint Vitus - Mournful Cries (1988)

On their first five albums Saint Vitus were the masters of the old showbiz adage of "leave them wanting more", with their albums typically clocking in at only about 35 minutes. This is the shortest (32 mins) and, in my opinion, their best. There's no superfluous noodling or padding out (a trap too many Doom bands fall into), just half a dozen absolutely top quality tracks of Traditional Doom, complete with Wino's unmistakable, whiskey-soaked vocal delivery that is absolutely perfect for this style of doom. A track like Bitter Truth gets me every time, so slow and crawling that it gives me a feeling like an icy hand creeping up my spine every time I hear it.
Received wisdom is that the previous albums are better, but I disagree - where Saint Vitus are concerned, THIS is the shit!