Review by Rosh on December 29, 2021.

I'll cut right to the point - 1988's Mournful Cries epitomizes every last thing I love about traditional doom metal. Granted, I'm much more fanatic about this stuff than someone who simply appreciates it for what it is, but if you want downcast, bleak, dry, and even introspective metal, you've got it in its purest form.

So, this is actually my second favorite album by this legendary ensemble, after the timeless self-titled debut. One thing I love about both masterpieces is their short duration and focused, sparse tracklist, as it really drives home the "less is more" aspect of doom metal, which is what Saint Vitus are all about anyway. This approach finds true meaning in grey, melancholic music, as it simply wants to express its woebegone message, and let the emotional aftertaste created by such a brooding atmosphere do the talking. As much as I enjoy Reverend Bizarre and The Gates Of Slumber, one could make the argument for traditional doom metal albums being their most effective when dialed back in terms of length; the stuff is stripped down and relatively repetitive anyway, so it's best to keep it brief to drive the point home.

And the stripped down feel is what I love most; We have 6 tracks par excellence here, without a moment of filler. This was the second Vitus album featuring Scott "Wino" Weinrich on vocals, but the first where he also contributed some of his distinctive guitarwork to complement Vitus' rifflord Dave Chandler. The music is as directly doomy as it gets, but never becomes so dirge-like as to lose its sense of direction, which actually makes for a plodding (in a good way) yet pounding feel; just listen to the very first riff of descending gloom in 'The Creeps', the riff of inevitable downfall heard in the chorus of 'Dragon Time', or the bottomy, marching riff after the intro in 'Bitter Truth'. 'Dragon Time' actually might just be the doom song to declare the penance for all humanity for their vain and sinful ways, with the tale of a dragon torching and terrorizing defenseless villages, delivered in an anthemic yet hapless tone. 'Bitter Truth', and the album's closer 'Looking Glass' feel a bit less damning musically, with the former picking up the energy by a slight margin and the latter being a bit warmer sounding, but nonetheless, they offer only a type of hardened introspection that still leaves no room for jovial reaction. All of this exudes a particularly glum, solemn, and cheerless essence made all the more remarkable by a stoic and steadfast heaviness.

This worsening state of already severe depression, combined with the integration of Wino's winding wisdom into the six-string department, gives this album a slight leg-up over even its landmark predecessor, 1986's Born Too Late, whose atmosphere felt just a tad less massive and oppressive than that of Mournful Cries; I feel that, by a narrow margin, MC was this particular lineup of Saint Vitus' strongest outing. Maybe one thing that makes it feel a tad more doomed than its older brother is the contrast in colors of each record's respective covers. The warm pink of BTL's cover feels just a notch more cheery than the dark blue of the exquisite hydra painting. In actually meaningful musical terms, though, there is a bit less bounciness to be heard on this record than on the '86 one; certain songs like 'Clear Windowpane' and 'H.A.A.G.' (Hell Ain't A Game) from the pink album did have somewhat more "upbeat" moments that are absent here. Not only that, but the more slithering doom riffs of songs like 'Shooting Gallery' and 'The Troll' feel more involved and potent here than their older counterparts from songs like 'Dying Inside' and even 'Mystic Lady'. In particular, 'Shooting Gallery' is an anti-heroin song, and while I've heard plenty of those, few really make it out to be such a deathly, reprehensible substance; the mood of this song is that of an absolute downward spiral into substance abuse and chronic illness, evoking total emptiness - it was clear that Saint Vitus were still defining doom metal. This is a direction they would continue for their debut on Hellhound Records, 1990's V, spawning instant doom hits like the chilling 'Jack Frost', but still falling just short of Mournful Cries.

Much like their fellow US doomers Pentagram, Vitus had an incredibly strong debut studio album in the mid 80's, followed it up with two nearly as excellent records, and then once again peaked with their fourth studio outing. This is a noteworthy parallel, as "Review Your Choices" is my favorite release from Pentagram, not unlike how Mournful Cries is my favorite release from the Wino-era of Saint Vitus. This album epitomizes all the well-paced, ominous, and foreboding elements that make up traditional doom metal, in a classy and compact package. Positively essential listening for all the unkempt, groggy, downtrodden bastards who can't find a girlfriend in the world!

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Rosh on December 29, 2021.

I'll cut right to the point - 1988's Mournful Cries epitomizes every last thing I love about traditional doom metal. Granted, I'm much more fanatic about this stuff than someone who simply appreciates it for what it is, but if you want downcast, bleak, dry, and even introspective metal, you've got it in its purest form.

So, this is actually my second favorite album by this legendary ensemble, after the timeless self-titled debut. One thing I love about both masterpieces is their short duration and focused, sparse tracklist, as it really drives home the "less is more" aspect of doom metal, which is what Saint Vitus are all about anyway. This approach finds true meaning in grey, melancholic music, as it simply wants to express its woebegone message, and let the emotional aftertaste created by such a brooding atmosphere do the talking. As much as I enjoy Reverend Bizarre and The Gates Of Slumber, one could make the argument for traditional doom metal albums being their most effective when dialed back in terms of length; the stuff is stripped down and relatively repetitive anyway, so it's best to keep it brief to drive the point home.

And the stripped down feel is what I love most; We have 6 tracks par excellence here, without a moment of filler. This was the second Vitus album featuring Scott "Wino" Weinrich on vocals, but the first where he also contributed some of his distinctive guitarwork to complement Vitus' rifflord Dave Chandler. The music is as directly doomy as it gets, but never becomes so dirge-like as to lose its sense of direction, which actually makes for a plodding (in a good way) yet pounding feel; just listen to the very first riff of descending gloom in 'The Creeps', the riff of inevitable downfall heard in the chorus of 'Dragon Time', or the bottomy, marching riff after the intro in 'Bitter Truth'. 'Dragon Time' actually might just be the doom song to declare the penance for all humanity for their vain and sinful ways, with the tale of a dragon torching and terrorizing defenseless villages, delivered in an anthemic yet hapless tone. 'Bitter Truth', and the album's closer 'Looking Glass' feel a bit less damning musically, with the former picking up the energy by a slight margin and the latter being a bit warmer sounding, but nonetheless, they offer only a type of hardened introspection that still leaves no room for jovial reaction. All of this exudes a particularly glum, solemn, and cheerless essence made all the more remarkable by a stoic and steadfast heaviness.

This worsening state of already severe depression, combined with the integration of Wino's winding wisdom into the six-string department, gives this album a slight leg-up over even its landmark predecessor, 1986's Born Too Late, whose atmosphere felt just a tad less massive and oppressive than that of Mournful Cries; I feel that, by a narrow margin, MC was this particular lineup of Saint Vitus' strongest outing. Maybe one thing that makes it feel a tad more doomed than its older brother is the contrast in colors of each record's respective covers. The warm pink of BTL's cover feels just a notch more cheery than the dark blue of the exquisite hydra painting. In actually meaningful musical terms, though, there is a bit less bounciness to be heard on this record than on the '86 one; certain songs like 'Clear Windowpane' and 'H.A.A.G.' (Hell Ain't A Game) from the pink album did have somewhat more "upbeat" moments that are absent here. Not only that, but the more slithering doom riffs of songs like 'Shooting Gallery' and 'The Troll' feel more involved and potent here than their older counterparts from songs like 'Dying Inside' and even 'Mystic Lady'. In particular, 'Shooting Gallery' is an anti-heroin song, and while I've heard plenty of those, few really make it out to be such a deathly, reprehensible substance; the mood of this song is that of an absolute downward spiral into substance abuse and chronic illness, evoking total emptiness - it was clear that Saint Vitus were still defining doom metal. This is a direction they would continue for their debut on Hellhound Records, 1990's V, spawning instant doom hits like the chilling 'Jack Frost', but still falling just short of Mournful Cries.

Much like their fellow US doomers Pentagram, Vitus had an incredibly strong debut studio album in the mid 80's, followed it up with two nearly as excellent records, and then once again peaked with their fourth studio outing. This is a noteworthy parallel, as "Review Your Choices" is my favorite release from Pentagram, not unlike how Mournful Cries is my favorite release from the Wino-era of Saint Vitus. This album epitomizes all the well-paced, ominous, and foreboding elements that make up traditional doom metal, in a classy and compact package. Positively essential listening for all the unkempt, groggy, downtrodden bastards who can't find a girlfriend in the world!

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Felix on September 18, 2019.

Honestly speaking, I am not familiar with the whole discography of Requiem, a band that originates from Switzerland. I emphasize their origin in order to make clear that they are not from Sweden, although their musical approach has much in common with the death metal legions from the Scandinavian country. Requiem also play vehement death metal and some morbid lines seem to be stolen from the dungeons of formations such as Grave. But the dudes from Central Europe do not need to take a jealous look at the work results of other bands. They create their own form of heavyweight mid-tempo parts, brutal blast beats sections and everything else in between. To call their approach highly original would be a lie. The leads at the beginning of "Signal Zero", for instance, have a lot in common with typical Bolt Thrower tunes (and yes, I am aware of the fact that Bolt Thrower do not have Swedish roots.) But we all know that the guidelines of the lethal genre do not allow much wiggle room. Thus, a certain number of similarities to the outputs of some competitors from other countries cannot be avoided.

Yet Requiem do not try to score with predictable tunes. "Diary of a Damaged Brain", my personal favourite and therefore logically and in all objectivity the best song, delivers an apocalyptic hardcore touch and the sinister chorus seems to be supported by the early Napalm Death. Just watch out for the insane "of a" screams that ennoble the chorus line. It is no exaggeration to say that the Swiss berserks hammer the title in the head of the listener. These screams stand in sharp contrast to the typical growling of the lead vocalist and the emotionless voice that appears inter alia at the beginning of the song. Its profile is completed by nightmarish riffs and deadly breaks. Unfortunately, this song is second to none. There are more good tracks, but none of them delivers this fascinating mix of insanity, brutality and vileness. Anyway, the album provides a dense and powerful dose of gnarled death metal. Songs like "Extinct by Evolution" or "Inconsistent Consequences" do not lack of pressure and they are truly not at risk to disappoint the fans of the genre.

Between these basically good tunes and the aforementioned highlight stands "Bloodcult". It reflects one of the strengths of the musicians. They are able to compose bulky riffs while keeping an eye on a good flow simultaneously. I am not totally fascinated by this formula, but I like it and it has an extraordinary touch. By contrast, the sound of the album shows a very generic approach. One can expect the typical death metal sound and, fortunately, it is a vigorous, transparent and mighty production. Thus, Requiem have not made any serious mistakes while writing and recording this output. The double strike at the end underlines this statement. "Setting the Score", levels the soil with merciless riffs and blast beats, but it holds tiny melodies as well. "Two Sides Within", the final eruption, brings the album to a furious end. In all fairness, I think that Swiss death metal has never sounded better since the early days of Hellhammer.

Rating: 8 out of 10