HOT SUMMER OF LOVE
October 2002
Self-financed
Spiritus Mortis - Hot Summer Of Love at Metal-Realm
Ok, these guys are from Finland and despite my prejudice, they don't play atmospheric nor death/grind metal. Although, I was quite sure for the second case, since the cover shows a german world war II tank, and it writes "hot summer of love" in red, blood letters! ! But, the guys play old-school metal full of doom metal influences and feeling. Mainly inspired by Black Sabbath and having a really heavy distortion on the guitars, the Finnish create eight songs of heavy/doom metal capable of making you having some good time if you're into this kind of music. Simple musical structures and not anything special when it comes to technique, they have surely listened a thousand times to the Black Sabbath period with Tony Martin, their singer sings like him. The surprising fact about this album is that in the end, there's this ninth song, called "mighty one" which is an epic ballad speaking about battles and kings, in the vein of Gravedigger and Manowar! ! ! Quite unexpected I'd say! It is really good though! So, if you enjoy heavy doomy music, based on slow, long riffs and if you're into Iommi's riffing school, then this is for you! Another dose of Sabbathian metal! !
7 Takis Pomonis, October 2003
Spiritus Mortis - Hot Summer Of Love at Reflections of Doom
This is the latest release by Finnish doom mongers Spiritus Mortis and although this one isn’t available to the ‘public’ it does seem like it has spread quite well throughout the underground. This 9 song promo cd (r) is another excellent representation of what this band is all about.Like no other they have the ability to mix slow grinding doom songs with more up tempo tracks and yet they have the ability to create one coherent soundscape from start to finish. The two most remarkable songs on offer here are the Trouble cover ‘At the end of my daze’ and the closing track ‘The mighty one’. Their rendition of the old Trouble chestnut gets a mighty thumbs up from me and ‘The mighty one’ with it’s Manowar-esque lyrics comes across as a mixture of vintage Danzig and a totally doomed out Manowar. In quite a few reviews vocalist Vesa Lampi has been described as a northern version of RJ Dio and although this isn’t totally true,the man does posses one impressive set of lungs,to say the least. Not unlike fellow Finnish doomsters Minotauri , SM comes across as the ultimate mixture of old school Sabbath influenced metal and pure , true doom. Pretty killer stuff and I for one can’t wait for the band’s debut full length album…for now you can contact the band at…
Spiritus Mortis - Hot Summer Of Love at Pull The Chain
Can anyone remember those early-eighties doom metal recordings. before the genre turned to shit with the emergence of the english new school of doom metal. I'm probably going to be slaughtered for this but I'm unable to find any kind of interest for soporific big sellers such as Anathema or above all Cathedral. Well Spiritus Mortis (that appears to be one of the oldest doom metal acts ever from Finland) adopt a similar haunting melodic depressive doom metal style as the ones heard almost twenty years ago when acts such as Trouble «Psalm 9» (their fantastic debut) or «The Skull», Witchfynder General «Death Penalty» and «Friends of Hell» or even Candlemass took the European scene by storm with their ultra depressive version of the doom music. Musically, Spiritus Mortis bring you back to this period. The clean vocal works lack perhaps of the needed depth and heaviness to compete with the above-mentioned releases but «Hot Summer Of Love» is a very good album for everybody into doom music. Georges
Spiritus Mortis - Hot Summer Of Love at Shroud of Woe
The next demo from this oldest Finnish doom metal band. I still can't understand the fact that after playing 15 years and, what is more, playing awesome music SPIRITUS MORTIS still do not have a lucrative record deal. Please, tell me why? Their previous demo "Forward to the Battle" has some kind of war spirit inside, even the production was heavier. With this new demo "Hot Summer of Love" they move towards softer sounds and lighter production. They serve us nine new songs of total running time about 35 minutes. Of course, this is still high-quality traditional doom with stoner rock influences. The heavy metal influences which have been always present in their art are still visible but more in vocals than in guitar play. Vesa Lampi sings as if the time stopped in 80's when heavy metal gods from New Wave of British Heavy Metal were ruling world metal scenes. I enjoyed "Forward to the Battle","Hot Summer of Love" I love! And if no company signs them and sends on tour, I will completely lose faith in justice on this planet.
Spiritus Mortis - Hot Summer Of Love at Tragenda
Finnish Doom Metal... they are being around since 1987 and have many releases behind. As said their music is mostly doom metal with influences from Trouble and Candlemass, as just a few play today with many slow and height parts, enough catchy moments and riffs, but for sure isn't boring or repetitive. The best thing on this album is the powerful and felt vocal performance by the singer, Vesa Lampi, but on the whole the band is technical enough and the arrangements are quite complex but seldom boring, with no weak parts or less good moments and enough nice ideas. The songs are of the same high quality, The only bad thing I could find on this album is the weak production and I have the feeling that the songs would have been better with a more suitable sound. On the other hand, it's good enouugh to catch your attention. Some of those tracks will be on Spiritus Morits debut cd that with a better production I'm sure will be a killing album! If you like the "music of destiny" check this band out.
Spiritus Mortis - Hot Summer Of Love Abandon All Hope –magazine, Ireland
By no means a new band these Finns are really starting to turn up the heat. Their current outing offers up another nine slabs of top notch Trouble infested Doom. Right from the onset of the first track, "Beyond", it is crystal clear that lead weight riff will follow lead weight riff. While the music has a southern, almost bluesy charm, it is Vesa Lampi's vocal delivery that gives Spiritus Mortis the edge over all and sundry. Very few singers would be able to provide the depth and passion he does on "Leave Me", "Death Walking" or "Vow To The Sun". You can also hear the band's rendition of "At The End Of My Daze", which was recorded for "Trouble" Heaven. And if that is not enough for classic Metal fans just dig your teeth into the closing ballad. All the evidence begs the question why they have remained unsigned thus far. Watch this space. (DA)
Hot Summer Of Love at doom-metal.com
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!!
Reviewed by: Kevin McHugh
Hot Summer Of Love at Hellride Music
Ah, the jolly doomsters of Finland. Who else but Spiritus Mortis would call a recording "Hot Summer of Love" then emblazon the cover with a picture of a Konigstiger tank? Sick bastards... Their affable sense of humor aside, Spiritus Mortis get better and better with every recording they send me. I mean, they started out really fucking good with their Demo 2000 disc, fine tuning their trad doom chops. Then came the doom-tinged NWOBHM-like Forward to the Battle, showing a real progression in terms of songwriting and sound. Now I have the "Not Going to Be On Sale EVER!" Hot Summer of Love blasting in the background. HOOHAH!! Nine tracks of dark warrior metal, doom-tainted homages to the battlefield. This thing rules. OK, so the production isn't all that great, it was recorded on the studio computer system, but the potential here is f'n phenomenal. "Beyond" starts the proceedings with a turgid no-nonsense doom riff and a great bass-driven breakdown with some very subtle keyboard work to add to the dark atmosphere. "Leave Me" is another chord progression that would have sounded right at home on any of the Dio-era Sabbath releases. "Killing Machine" and "Vow to the Sun" could have been right out of Rocka Rolla or Sad Wings of Destiny.... what a tasty collection of powerful vintage metal riffery. The cover of Trouble's "At The End of My Daze" does the original justice, with the addition of some pretty damn good harmonica work. Harmonicas in Finland?! A perfect example of globalization in process. Vocalist Vesa Lampi's delivery also keeps getting more impressive... when he rips into "burnnn in hellllll!!!!" in "Before".... sheesh!! The Finnish air raid siren. Perhaps the most powerful track is also the most surprising.... a piano-powered warrior ballad called "The Mighty One" penned by Lampi and drummer/keyboardist Veli-Matti. Epic storytelling in epic musical form. It's stuff like this that sets Spritus Mortis apart from the metal merchant pack - their output is some of the most versatile I've had the pleasure to hear in doom metal...or metal in general! Although Hot Summer of Love won't be on sale anytime soon, expect most of the songs on this one to be on the forthcoming full length. It'll be worth the wait, trust me.
Hot Summer Of Love at Imperiumi
The Hot Summer of Love -demon levyttänyt Spiritus Mortis todistaa jälleen olevansa kovastikin hengissä. Kaiken kaikkiaan ihmetyttää eniten se, että bändi on ehtinyt olla kasassa jo vuodesta 1988, mutta ei ole vielä SAANUT levytyssopimusta aikaiseksi. Doom/stoner-tyyli on erinomaisesti vielä hallussa ja muutenkin tyyli on sitä luokkaa, että varmasti löytyisi hommaa ulkomailtakin, esimerkiksi Saksa, Japani jne. Myös itse demo on varsin massiivinen yhdeksän biisin arsenaalilla, käytännössä siis olisin voinut hyvillä mielin tästä vääntää virallisen levyarvion. Vesa Lammen laulutaidot ovat edelleen varmalla otteella hallussa, joka tehostuu eritoten pianovetoisella The Mighty Onella. Demosta ei meinaa löytyä vikaa etsimälläkään, ehkäpä ainoa puutetta herättävä on löyhä miksaus. Bändi on myös todistettavasti erittäin osaava livenä ja ruusuista tulevaisuuttahan tässä voi vain SM:lle toivoa. Kaiken kruunaa se, että demoa kuunnellessani silmiini nousi nostalgian kyyneleet Candlemassin aikoja muistellessani. Loistava tupakan/viinan polttama laulu, hienot kitaraharmoniat. Missä viipyvät viisaat levy-yhtiöt? Perkele, Alavus rocks! -VL