''Born Too Late'' is the third studio album by American

doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...

band

Saint Vitus Vitus (), whose name is sometimes rendered Guy or Guido, was a Christian martyr from Sicily. His surviving hagiography is pure legend. The dates of his actual life are unknown.Basil Watkins, ''The Book of Saints: A Comprehensive Biographical ...

, released in 1986. It was the first Saint Vitus album featuring

The Obsessed The Obsessed is an American doom metal band from Potomac, Maryland, led by Scott "Wino" Weinrich. Formed in 1979, they recorded a few demos and played a handful of live shows until they first split up in 1986 when Weinrich joined as lead vo ...

singer

Scott "Wino" Weinrich Robert Scott Weinrich (born 1961), better known as Wino, is an American singer and guitarist. He has been highly influential in helping develop and codify doom metal's trademark sound, and is also considered an influential figure in the stoner r ...

. It is generally cited as their greatest effort. All the songs from this album except "The War Starter" are featured on the band's compilation album '' Heavier Than Thou''. On April 11, 2009, "Dying Inside" was performed by the band with

Phil Anselmo Philip Hansen Anselmo (born June 30, 1968) is an American musician best known as the lead singer for groove metal band Pantera, southern metal supergroup Down (band), Down, and Hardcore punk, hardcore band Superjoint, amongst other musical proj ...

as a guest in

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Music and lyrics

Born Too Late has been described as "deeply rooted in the gloomy ballistics of early lackSabbath." The album contains "sludgy, ultra-slow riffs," and omits the " galloping rhythms" that are common in traditional heavy metal. Paul Kott of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

described the album's sound as "Black Sabbath on

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and wearing lead suits underwater." According to him: "Each chord rains down like a hammer, and each progression takes an eternity to resolve." According to the staff of ''

Revolver Magazine ''Revolver'' is an American heavy metal music and hard rock magazine, published by Project M Group. It was originally launched under Harris Publications in the spring of 2000 by Tom Beaujour and Brad Tolinski, who envisioned it as an American ...

'', "The record’s smoked-out vibes, fuzzy riffs and

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-shuffle tempos (as well as Wino’s retro-longhair look and stoner-biker poetry) weren’t just a kiss of death for commercial success, they also blatantly flew in the face of everything deemed cool or trendy within the underground." The album's lyrics explore themes such as

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psychedelic drugs Psychedelics are a subclass of Hallucinogen, hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger psychoactive drug, non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also ...

war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

insanity Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors caused by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to other ...

, and

alcohol abuse Alcohol abuse encompasses a spectrum of alcohol-related substance abuse. This spectrum can range from being mild, moderate, or severe. This can look like consumption of more than 2 drinks per day on average for men, or more than 1 drink per ...

. Kott assessed: "Before almost anyone else had even realized that

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was on its death bed, Saint Vitus were looking back on the '70s with

nostalgia Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a neoclassical compound derived from Greek language, Greek, consisting of (''nóstos''), a Homeric word me ...

. Throughout, the album is what might be considered a cliched retrospective of that bygone era's heavy metal sentiments."

Legacy

The album is now considered to be a highly influential release in the doom metal genre. Paul Kott of

gave the album four stars out of five in his retrospective review, which he closed with the statement: "The most important consideration with this album, though, is not the

originality Originality is the aspect of created or invented works that distinguish them from reproductions, clones, forgeries, or substantially derivative works. The modern idea of originality is according to some scholars tied to Romanticism, by a notion ...

of the approach. What separates ''Born Too Late'' from nearly all heavy metal up to that point was the outright admission that the band's passion - slow, heavy music - not only lacked commercial viability, but was in fact itself a source of the

ridicule Mockery or mocking is the act of insulting or making light of a person or other thing, sometimes merely by taunting, but often by making a caricature, purporting to engage in imitation in a way that highlights unflattering characteristics. Mocke ...

and

social alienation Social alienation is a person's feeling of disconnection from a group whether friends, family, or wider society with which the individual has an affiliation. Such alienation has been described as "a condition in social relationships reflected b ...

the music speaks to. The

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style

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of the band's commitment to that sound and image was in direct opposition to the money and chicks attitude of L.A.

glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal music, heavy metal that features pop music, pop-influenced Hook (music), hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat arena rock, rock anthems, and slow Sentimental ballad#Powe ...

of the day. While the impact Saint Vitus made with ''Born Too Late'' at the time was minimal, the legacy of that early dedication has influenced and changed the world of music. For all fans of

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...

stoner rock Stoner rock, also known as stoner metal or stoner doom, is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of doom metal with psychedelic rock and acid rock. The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered foremost by Kyuss and Sl ...

, and

, this album is a classic."

Track listing

All songs written by Dave Chandler, except where noted. ;Side one # "Born Too Late" (music: Chandler; lyrics: Chandler; Scott Reagers) – 6:52 # "Clear Windowpane" – 3:14 # "Dying Inside" – 7:23 ;Side two # "H.A.A.G. (Hell Ain't a Game)" (music: Chandler; lyrics: Robert Gonzales) – 5:02 # "The Lost Feeling" – 5:22 # "The War Starter" – 6:43

CD reissue bonus tracks

In 1987, SST re-released ''Born Too Late'' on CD and included the '' Thirsty and Miserable'' EP tracks, which are as follows. #

"Thirsty and Miserable" (

Dez Cadena Dez Cadena (born June 2, 1961) is an American punk rock singer and guitarist. He was the third vocalist and later rhythm guitarist for hardcore punk band Black Flag from 1980 to 1983. Cadena played guitar with Misfits from 2001 to 2015, initi ...

, Rosa Medea,

ROBO Julio Roberto Valverde Valencia (born 1955), better known by his stage name Robo, is a Colombian Americans, Colombian-American drummer. He came to prominence in the early 1980s with punk band Black Flag (band), Black Flag, and more recently ha ...

) – 3:51 ( Black Flag cover) # "Look Behind You" – 3:18 # "The End of the End" – 5:49

Personnel

;Saint Vitus *

– vocals * Dave Chandler – guitar * Mark Adams – bass * Bill Linnane - piano * Armando Acosta – drums ;Production *

Joe Carducci Joe Carducci is an American writer, record producer, and former A&R executive, formerly most closely associated with the influential record label SST Records. Carducci lived for a time in Chicago before moving to Hollywood in 1976. From 1981 to 19 ...

– producer *

Michael Lardie Michael Lardie (born September 8, 1958) is an American musician and record producer known for his memberships in the rock bands Great White and Night Ranger. Early life Lardie was born on September 8, 1958, in Anchorage, Alaska and raised in ...

, Jim Mancuso – engineers

References

{{Authority control Saint Vitus (band) albums 1986 albums SST Records albums