Spiritus Mortis
Demo 2000 (Demo) 2000 No label
I must admit I did not know this Finnish band until receiving this SHORT demo. On this SHORT offering we find nice, groovy traditional doom spread out over 3 songs. I often found myself SHORTLY humming or tapping along. You won't find any melancholy or depressive sounds here, this is a SHORT one for the groovesters among us. Given the quality of this demo, it makes me wonder why no record label has made SHORT work out of picking these guys up. The only downside I can find is (you might have guessed it already): it's SHORT! It barely makes the 10 minute mark. Given that a demo is to show what you are all about, I would have enjoyed it if Spiritus Mortis had shown a little bit more of themselves on this demo, 10 minutes is just not long enough for quality work such as this. Having said that, it might not come as a surprise that I am looking forward seeing these guys put out a full-length one day. For more info on this band visit their website.	1. All the Words Were Spoken 2. Flames 3. The Omen Approx. 10 minutes
Reviewed by: Aldo Quispel
Forward to the Battle (Demo) 2001 No label
In my review of their 'Demo 2000' I complained about it being rather short. So the band sent me a lengthier demo originally recorded with the intention of introducing the then new drummer. The band expressed their unhappiness with the end result, but I would disagree. This demo offers six groovy and epic traditional doom tracks that once more make me look forward to one day a full album gets released by these guys. This demo has more of an epic feel about it then 'Demo 2000' and at times I think that vocalist Vesa would not have been misplaced as the vocalist of an 80ties NWOBHM band. However their Sabbatisch track 'Sweet Oblivion' quickly reminds us all where these guys are coming from and that we are definitely dealing with a doom act. The down-tuned guitars, the sluggish rhythms and the epic wailing vocals, all the things that make traditional doom sound great can be found here. All that is left for me to say is: Forwards to a record deal and full-length album!	1. Forever 2. Beware of the quiet one 3. In pouring rain 4. Sweet Oblivion 5. Sleeping Beneath the Lawn 6. In Between Approx. 19 minutes
Reviewed by: Aldo Quispel
Hot Summer of Love (CD) 2003 No Label
Crouching like a grinning gargoyle on the dark horizon of Finnish doom, Spiritus Mortis - along with Minotauri and Reverend Bizarre - form a triumvirate of new trad doom bands from Europe's frozen north. All three bands united for the recent "Friends of Hell" tour in Finland, and now the word is getting out to doomsters worldwide that a crushing juggernaut is gathering power: "Wake up, its time to die!!" Formed in 1988, Spiritus Mortis is Finland's longest-standing doom group. Their sound has morphed slightly from a Venom/Celtic Frost-influenced band to one incorporating more NWOBHM and English 70s hard rock elements. But although the scene has grown and changed over the years, SM have remained consistently doomy, striving only to get closer to their ultimate goal of sounding like a sick herd of rhinos thundering across the African velt. To that end, this demo starts out with 'Beyond,' a slow, doomy stomp showcasing Vesa Lampi's theatrical Gillian/Dio-ish vocals. About midway through the song, Veli comes in on the keys, giving the song a middle eastern Zeppelin/'Kashmir' flavor. 'Future' is more up-tempo, with a NWOBHM feel and superb percussion, far beyond what one expects from an average doom group. 'Leave Me' has a battle metal flavor, while 'Killing Machine' dares to boogie, doom style. In all, anyone into riffing doomsters like Sabbath, Solitude Aeturnus, Abdullah, or Candlemass, or old-school rockers like Priest, Deep Purple, or Rainbow will want to sample these front-line Finnish doom merchants. Although the album is titled 'Hot Summer of Love,' the name is belied by the harsh black and white cover photo of a Konigstiger tank, ha ha. Spiritus Mortis says that this demo will never be commercially available, but I'm sure that most of this tuneage will appear on their upcoming studio album. Trust me, you'll want this. Doom or Be Doomed!!	1. Beyond 2. Future 3. Leave Me 4. Killing Machine 5. Death Walking 6. TCM 7. Vow to the Sun 8. At the End of My Daze 9. The Mighty One Approx. 35 minutes
Reviewed by: Kevin McHugh
Spiritus Mortis (CD) 2004 Rage of Achilles
I really admire the patience of some bands. Take for instance this Spiritus Mortis: although the band is around since 1987, it took them another 17 years of countless demos, line-up changes and the usual shit an underground band has to go through, to finally release their debut album through Rage of Achilles. Spiritus Mortis is among the first ever Finnish classic doom bands. Their sound leans heavily towards traditional heavy metal, yet the base is most definitely doom. Their powerful, thunderous riffing and singer Vesa Lampi's strong vocals are undoubtedly the band's most distinguishable elements. They add to this album a proud, almost epic quality comparable to the grandness of Solitude Aeturnus. This resemblance is ever more emphasized by Vesa's frequent drawing-outs which have a definite Rob Lowe timbre to them. Occasionally, the band presses on the accelerator with equally successful results. The faster parts on the album have a strong NWOBHM feel to them bringing at times the mighty early Trouble masterpieces in mind. All typical elements of the genre (including a doom ballad, the closing track 'Mighty one') are represented on this release, which can be rightfully considered to be the band's crowning achievement after so many years of hard labour. The 14 tracks on this release offer an unusually (for a doom band) diverse and eclectic mix and they don't bore the listener for a single second. Similarly to the fact that the band has been shamefully ignored for so many years, it seems that also this release comes a bit in the shadow of other contemporary critically acclaimed releases of the genre, which is a pity as they deserve in a way the same attention for their hard work and quality of their material. Let’s just pray to the gods that we won’t have to wait for another 17 years to see the follow up release.	1. Forever 2. Beyond 3. Vow To The Sun 4. Death Walking 5. Doom Mood 6. Rise From Hell 7. Forbidden Arts 8. Baron Samedi 9. Flames 10. excerpt from Tortilla Flat Suite 11. ...In Me 12. Sweet Oblivion 13. The Throne Will Fall 14. The Mighty One Approx. 50 minutes
Reviewed by: Kostas Panagiotou