(Southern Lord)

Scott “Wino” Weinrich fronted one of the most unsung hard-rock bands of the 1980s in the form of Saint Vitus. Saint Vitus were the odd man out at SST Records—ground zero for American hardcore—playing Sabbath-influenced metal while bands like Black Flag, Husker Du and Dinosaur Jr. were being heralded for reshaping punk. Years on, Saint Vitus has proven astonishingly influential. Along with Black Sabbath, they’ve been heralded for inventing doom metal. It’s little surprise that Weinrich’s most recent outfit, the Hidden Hand, would find a home at what is currently the premier imprint for doom, Southern Lord. With the Hidden Hand, Weinrich—along with the rhythm section of bassist Bruce Falkinburg and drummer Evan Tanner—has mastered a broody brand of riff rock that’s more in line with traditional metal while fusing it with searing psychedelia, prog and a taste of Southern rock. The Resurrection of Whiskey Foote is loosely a concept album taking place in the mountainous country of 18th-century America, with the title character expressing the travails of pioneering, not unlike James Fenimore Cooper’s Natty Bumpo. Pretty heady stuff for what some people call “stoner rock.” The album is jammy in all the right places and plenty heavy, highlighted by some pummeling solos from Weinrich. Housed in a mini gatefold, LP-style sleeve, this release further harkens back to the salad days of heavy. Seek out the 2xCD limited edition version with the bonus EP Devoid of Colour.