'Mournful Cries' is the fourth studio album by American doom metal band Saint Vitus, released on 22nd August 1988 by SST Records.
'Mournful Cries' perfectly blends dark existential themes of life with a more of a dark-fantasy lyrical approach. Musically it is solid and heavy-hitting blues-tinged traditional doom metal. The sound production of the album is typical for the doom scene of the late 80s.
Overall the album, while short, is very coherent and works as a whole where the sum of it is bigger than the parts. What makes Saint Vitus such a powerhouse in the doom scene? It is the pure raw authenticity of their message and the dark atmosphere they create with their minimalistic riffing. When you listen to 'Mournful Cries' — the record can bring you emotions which many more complex and well produced modern records simply fail to achieve.
Tracklisting:
Side A:
1. Intro / The Creeps
2. Dragon Time
3. Shooting Gallery
Side B:
4. Intro / Bitter Truth
5. The Troll
6. Looking Glass