Saint Vitus were one of the leading American doom metal bands in the 80's together with names such as Trouble and The Obsessed, two bands closely linked to Saint Vitus. The band was first formed in 1979 under the name Tyrant but they changed their name later on. The main influence on the band was the doomier side of Black Sabbath but were also slightly influenced by the flourishing hard-core scene, especially on their earlier releases. They were soon signed by the Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn's SST Records and released their debut album in 1984, starting off a long career that would come to end around 1995 when the band more or less faded out. They never made a commercial breakthrough but they have had a major influence on the metal scene in general. "Born Too Late" is generally regarded as their best effort.
Source: http://www.tartareandesire.com/bands/saintvitus.html
