The great Finnish doom band Spiritus Mortis has been in existence since 1987, and ever since that time have been plugging away producing quality classic slow metal. I last encountered the lads with their superb 2016 album, “The Year is One”, with the silky vocals of Albert Witchfinder producing the sheer class, and the track “Robe of Ectoplasm” has been a mainstay of my playlists ever since. This, their first full length album in six years (and the only release in between was last year’s limited edition tape box-set – none more cult!) is the first to have new singer Kimmo Peramaki, as well as brand new drummer Markus Kuula starring.
The good news is that, as ever, Spiritus Mortis have produced the goods. Just as you might expect with a band this long-lived, there is a definite sense that the lads are working at the very peak of their game. If you haven’t heard them before (which you should definitely remedy if you’re a doomster), you should expect epic doom in the vein of say, Classic Candlemass – plenty of catchy hooks, mournful melodies and tasteful atmosphere. Kimmo’s vocals are absolutely perfect for the band – cultured, in the vein of the melodic heroes of heavy metal singing, so that when he’s belting out the lines of “Deaths Charioteer”, sounding like Rob Lowe (Solitude Aeturnus et. al.) on steroids, you know that he’s bringing his A-game for the song.
Most of the tracks on here are around the five minute or so mark, with a couple running in at six minutes plus, but it’s testament to the craft of the gentlemen that the songs never drag. In terms of song-writing, there really aren’t many in this space who can hold a candle to what they produce. “Skoptsky” for example is a sinister crawl through traditional doom fare, but when the chorus hits? You’re going to be humming this to yourself for days afterwards. In terms of the guitar work, founder member Jussi Maijala and long-time compatriot Kari Lavila are real artisans in creating memorable, meaty riffage. Teemu Maijala (bass) is a low-ender in the archetypal doom mould; bringing downbeat bass majesty into every song. New drummer Markus is a great fit for the band too, with an insistent and play-for-the-track attitude that marries technical ability with never seeking to over shadow the song itself.
If all this appears to be good to be true, it really isn’t. I absolutely adored their last album, but this release is a gentle evolution and, if anything, has even more memorable moments carved into the platter. By the time that album ender “Are You A Witch” rolls around, I found myself putting it back on repeat. I have the fortune (!) of having a long daily commute which gives me a lot of time to spend on my listening within my daily routine as well as normal leisure listening. This has been a near constant listen since I got it a couple of weeks ago. I think it will remain thus for some time to come. Excellent stuff.
(9/10 Chris Davison)
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