ARTIST: Saint Vitus
TITLE: Mournful Cries
FORMAT: LP
LABEL: SST
CATALOG #: SST-161
RECORD CONDITION: NEW
JACKET CONDITION: NEW
NOTES: review by Mark Deming allmusic

' third album, , was an instant classic of the then-nascent doom metal movement, and without question it's the band's finest and most powerful work. It was so strong that it was hard to imagine how could top it, and the truth is they didn't; their next album, 1988's , is a shorter and less ambitious album that lacks songs quite as remarkable as "Clear Windowpane," "Born Too Late," or "Dying Inside." But was ' second album with singer , and like it confirmed he was the ideal vocalist for the band. The gritty resignation and throaty, fevered force of his voice meshes perfectly with 's howl-in-a-void guitar work, and his lyrics lend the songs an unblinking street-level attitude that gives the tunes a wildly potent force, even on the token fantasy piece "Dragon Time." 's second guitar also gives more space to stretch out with his thick, buzzing chords, as 's carefully punctuated drumming hits like a fist in the gut and ' bass gives the songs a simple but rock-solid foundation. The material on rates a B, but the performances deserve at least an A-, with stronger ensemble work than anything had accomplished to date, and when they rise up in full strength on "The Creeps" and "Shooting Gallery," they're a mighty and malevolent force to be reckoned with. (The production also gives the material a more resonant and natural sound than they achieved on .) It's not a masterpiece, but still ranks high in this band's mighty pantheon.

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