| Mark Adams | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth Name | Mark Adams |
| Born | 1958, Bloomington, Indiana, USA |
| Died | 23 May 2023 |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Genres | Doom Metal, Punk Rock |
| Instrument(s) | Bass |
| Years active | 1978 - 1996, 2003, 2008 - 2016 |
| Labels | Hellhound Records, Southern Lord Records, SST Records, Season of Mist |
| Associated acts | Saint Vitus |
Mark Adams was a bassist best known as being a founding member of Saint Vitus, a pioneering band in the genre of doom metal. Along with performing bass he also contributed some writing to several Vitus songs such as "The Psychopath", "Darkness", "Angry Man", "Imagination Man" and "Blessed Night". He was part of the band for the entirety of their original run and active with the band for their reunion from 2008 - 2016.
Biography[]
- For more details feel free to view the Riffipedia page on Saint Vitus.
Adams would be born in Bloomington, Indiana but would move to California in his youth. Some years later he would join Tyrant in 1978 with Armando Acosta and Dave Chandler. Later recruiting a singer in Scott Reagers, Saint Vitus would officially form in 1979. The band would play their first live show in August 1979. Greg Ginn of Black Flag would sign the band to SST, a label that typically had hardcore punk bands.
The original lineup would take recordings in 1982 and release them as Saint Vitus in 1984 with a follow-up album and EP in Hallow's Victim and The Walking Dead in 1985. The band toured with Black Flag in December 1984 with one tour spanning 45 shows in 46 days. Initially with their long hair and slower sound the band dealt with hostile punk audiences but by the time they toured again in '85 they won a lot of crowds over.
At some point in 1985, the band got word of Scott Weinrich via The Obsessed through tape trading. Reagers would offer him the vocal role and Weinrich would move to California to join the band. Wino would move to L.A. and join the band in early 1986, with his first performance with the band being on 16 May that year at the Palm Springs Community Center. Around the same time that year the band would record their third album (and first with Wino), releasing Born Too Late in October. This record has proven to be a seminal record in the makings of doom metal and the title track an iconic Vitus song. Tbe band would tour in support of the album in 1986. As a nod to Black Flag and the band that got their start on the road, they would cover one of their songs and release it as the Thirsty and Miserable EP in 1987.
The band's fourth album Mournful Cries would follow in 1988, proving to be their final release with SST Records. Learning of an overseas fanbase, Vitus would sign with German label Hellhound Records. The band would tour Europe for the first known time in 1989 and follow-up with a tour of the country again in 1990. In the meantime the band released their fifth album V and their first live album Live in 1990. Following their 1990 European Tour Wino would leave the band to re-form The Obsessed. With new singer Christian Linderson the band would write a new album and release C.O.D. in 1992. However with mixed reactions and frustrations with the music scene as a whole, Saint Vitus would opt to reunite with Scott Reagers to compose one final album: 1995's Die Healing.
Following Saint Vitus' breakup in 1996 Adams would remain in California and stay out of the music scene as a whole. He'd return for two shows as part of the 2003 Saint Vitus reunion. Saint Vitus would reform in 2008 after the dissolution of Debris Inc. along with an offer to perform at the 2009 edition of Roadburn Festival with the same lineup as the 2003 reunion. Unlike the 2003 reunion the band would begin touring again through 2009 and 2010, eventually working towards a new album. Lillie: F-65 would see release in 2012 to critical acclaim. This lineup would remain active until 2014 when Wino was dismissed from the band.
In 2015 original vocalist Scott Reagers would return to the group for his first full shows with the band in twenty years, essentially reuniting three of the four original members. Adams would perform a North American tour alongside The Skull and Witch Mountain in 2016 but it would prove to be his last as Patrick Bruders would replace him that Fall. In 2018 it would be revealed that Adams had been suffering from Parkinson's Disease and forced to retire from music. Guitarist and bandleader Dave Chandler would create a GoFundMe to help raise costs for Adams' medical expenses.[1]
On 24 May 2023 it would be confirmed by Dave Chandler and several other people in the doom scene that Adams had passed away after a lengthy battle with Parkinson's Disease.
Selected Discography with Saint Vitus[]
- Saint Vitus (1984, SST)
- Hallow's Victim (1985, SST)
- Born Too Late (1986, SST)
- Mournful Cries (1988, SST)
- V (1990, Hellhound Records)
- C.O.D. (1992, Hellhound Records)
- Die Healing (1995, Hellhound Records)
- Lillie: F-65 (2012, Season of Mist)
External Links[]
References[]
| V·T·E Saint Vitus | |
|---|---|
| Current Members | Dave Chandler • Scott Reagers • Henry Vasquez • Patrick Bruders |
| Past Members | Mark Adams • Armando Acosta • Scott Weinrich • Christian Linderson |
| Studio Albums | Saint Vitus • Hallow's Victim • Born Too Late • Mournful Cries • V • C.O.D. • Die Healing • Lillie: F-65 • Saint Vitus |
| Extended Plays | The Walking Dead • Thirsty and Miserable • Saint Vitus / Born Too Late • Saint Vitus Live |
| Compilation Albums | Heavier Than Thou • The Walking Dead / Hallow's Victim |
| Live Albums | Live • Reunion 2003 - Live in Chicago • Marbles in the Moshpit • Live Vol. 2 • Let The End Begin |
| Associated Bands, Artists, Etc. | The Obsessed • Spirit Caravan • The Hidden Hand • Shrinebuilder • Debris Inc. • Debris Inc. (Album) • Blood of the Sun • Lord Vicar • Count Raven • Outlaw Order • Down • Crowbar |