Interviews    Spiritus Mortis
by Chris Barnes

Finland's Spiritus Mortis make their brand of dark, NWOBHM-tinged Doom Metal the old fashioned way - with sweat, talent and passion. Both their Demo 2000 and Forward to the Battle demos are a pleasure to listen to... heavy, epic in scale and, as singer Vesa Lampi likes to say "...like a charging herd of rhinos...". Some savvy metal label has got to sign these guys. Hell, if I had the bread, I do it myself! Guitarist Jussi Maijala and singer Vesa Lampi talk about the band's history, their recordings and what they think of the current state of heavy music.

Hellride Music: Spiritus Mortis has the distinction of being the first Doom act ever in Finland, with it's roots going all the way back to 1988. Give us a rundown on the history of the band. I know there were other singers before Vesa joined in 2000.

Vesa Lampi: Spiritus Mortis was formed in the end of 1988. We were the first band in Finland to be called as a doom act. Founding members were Teemu, Jussi and VP. Totally different and unheard in Finland. The early SM lineup gained cult following by good reviews of demos and helluva lot of gigs. When nothing really happened with the band and studies, "real jobs", army services and so on came into picture SM laid low in late '90's. I came in picture around 2000, I recall…

Somewhere in the end of 2000 Veli-Matti joined SM….. rest is history .. ha ha ha … Yes, Teemu formerly sang in SM and what can I say…. he sounded like his bass! And then there were singer called Tomi Murtomäki. Very good and talented vocalist indeed! He's style is more or less like D.Coverdales and I guess it wasn't satisfactory to all. Maybe he was a bit too shy on stage also….. at least if you compare it to my chaos act! ….ha hah ha….

Hellride Music: The band has recorded many demos between 1990 and 2002. Looking back on the early years, how would you say the music is evolved? How would you describe the bands sound back in 1988 and how it sounds in 2002?

Jussi Maijala: Always heavy and slow, earlier we sounded more like slow Celtic frost or Venom. Now Spiritus Mortis sounds like Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger II Ausf. B "Königstiger" - tank with 88-mm cannon, heavy and destroying everything who dare to resist.. well …. little bit megalomania makes your life more interesting. Sometimes our tank sounds like its another track is broken…

Vesa: Well….. as I have been close to SM through all it's history I can say that the basic SM sound has not changed a lot. We still play many songs from late '80s and the only change is that the soundwall is even bigger than years ago! Like very fat rhino running or herd of rhinos, depending which song we play! Of course the band itself has become better and better. Even technically! At least the last 2 years ,or so, with Veli-Matti on drums has been great time of development for SM. Still basically I can say that the world changes, SM won't! And we are proud of it! Someone could say that no progress but we do exactly what we want and we don't run after always coming and going trends! It's very sad to see bands that do it….. No soul…..

Hellride Music: I hear a noticeable difference in approach between Demo 2000 and Forward to the Battle. Demo 2000 seems to be more reminiscent of Trouble meeting epic Dio-era Sabbath, while Forward to the Battle has a NWOBHM feel along with it's darkness. What led to the different approaches between the two albums?

Jussi: More songwriters, Vesa makes some good songs too and make our music more versatile. Darkness is always with us.

Vesa: I've heard that one before! Demo 2000's songs are very old, kinda basement of SM, if you see what I mean? Veli-Matti joined SM couple months before Forward's recordings took place and that's for sure one reason. We made half of Forward's... songs while kinda adjusting V-M to SM. He brought us "old guys" also so much fresh ideas that Forward's... songs turned out to be the way they are! Even the double bass drum part in one song!! As a very talented musician and technical drummer he gives us much more possibilities to compose songs than days before. There are also my songwriting and that also makes Forward... maybe little different than Demo 2000, for sure. Another thing is that if we would have done Forward... in the same studio than Demo 2000 it would be much closer to Demo 2000, I'm sure of it! Good thing is that both demos have got great reviews around the world. That's nice!

Hellride Music: Where were the two demos recorded and who did the production and mixing duties? Did the sessions go relatively easy?

Jussi: We recorded Demo 2000 in PopArtikkeli-studio in our hometown, Alavus. Everybody did they heavy duty and told their own opinions. We have played those songs so long that sessions were quite easy. The wizard behind the soundworld was M. Ketola.

Vesa: I had been in SM for only couple of months before going to studio and I rehearsed songs by 4 tracker from old demos, also other songs too, removed former vox tracks and so on. You know, standing alone in rehearsal room and shout the lungs out! Actually I do that often nowadays before gigs. We had only one training session with whole band before going to studio, I recall….. The playing went easy because guys had played those tracks a couple hundred times. My part was easy too, actually I was surprised how it turned out! Actually the first song "All the Words Were Spoken" is the only vocal track I've ever done in studio which I've been completely satisfied afterwards ……. Did I really say that?!?! Completely…. I don't know, but close anyway! Forward... was recorded by ourselves with our own computer recording system. That's why Forward... is, soundwise speaking, from another planet comparing to Demo 2000. Not bad but too weak I think. Tempo's in some of the tracks are too high…… I guess we were too excited about new drummer who could really play! No problems while recording, anyway!

Hellride Music: Let's talk about the songwriting in Spiritus Mortis for a bit. Can you give us a general description on how the songs evolve? What serves as inspiration both lyrically and musically?

Jussi: I play guitar, play more guitar and try to make guitar riffs with ones I want to play myself. Not too complicated ones because I just don't want to play such kind of riffs, usually they are too artistic so I don't enjoy playing them and I think that crowd won't like them either, people don't catch them, they can't remember those riffs, can't sing with them in the shower or dance to them in the car. Do your Jazz Odyssey at home, don't tease people. After the creation of riffs, I introduce them to the boys, usually if they start to jam with me, the riff is good enough for us. Usually Teemu and Vesa make most of the arrangements. Our goal is that the song goes like a freight train!

Vesa: I have never thought about myself being real musician. I can't read notes and stuff. For me songwriting is strongly connected to feelings, emotions. If something goes badly wrong or I'm just pissed off then it's right time for me to pick up guitar and have my revenge on society! The grim world flows to the guitar and unleashes hell. I might say, no 9 - 17 office kinda "musician" at all! About the whole process I can say that all the riffs or whole songs someone introduces to rest of the band goes through the ' SM grinder and it turns out to be SM song! We play and play until it sounds like a rhino running….. Inspirations to lyrics comes from daily life's shit which always comes ahead and movies are another good source for me. The other side and, you know, everyone has a darkside in their minds so …. that's very interesting…… SM can't sing about " boy meets girl under the moonlight….." ….well ….. if the moon suddenly explodes then it's more SM!

Hellride Music: Vesa, you have a tremendous voice, I'm sure you've heard that before. It has a "Classic" feel to it. Who do you consider inspirations vocally?

Vesa: Thanks Chris! You know, I keep hearing that day after day…. Hah ha ha …. Seriously speaking my style might be slightly different comparing to bands nowadays. I mean those growlers in black metal and so on bands and those M. Kiske clones. I have always thought myself being a blues/rock singer and that's my strong part, I guess. I always try to include some theatrical feel to vox lines. I don't do vocals, even in studio, strickly keeping in mind was it excactly the right note but if it sounds good and has a right feel to it then it's good! My all time favorites are I.Gillan, R.J.Dio and J.Morrison….. well I have to add that everybody doesn't like me!

Hellride Music: On that same subject, how do you feel about so many of the bands in metal today using the "cookie monster" vocals? Do you feel they are in danger of sounding all the same and thus becoming interchangable?

Jussi: If I want a sound of rottweiler, I buy a dog.

Vesa: Cookie monsters indeed! Everyone has right to do whatever they like but I don't like that style. Yes, they really sounds the same, song after song! Band after band! I believe that they try to sound dangerous and threatning and so on but , sorry guys, I'm not afraid! Ha hah …. They make me laugh every now and then. But as I said, do what you want, main thing is to make music from your heart.

Hellride Music: Who do V-P and Jussi consider as inspirations for their approach to guitar playing?

Jussi: I stopped listening music 1995 so I don't know or play fashion stuff. I'm doing my own shit, which sounds good to me. Inspirations? Remember that Königstiger…'eh?

Vesa: VP has blown his head off with such heavy stuff like Beatles, ELP….. well of course I've seen Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin CDs in his hands…. I'm glad you didn't ask what Veli-Matti listens!

Hellride Music: How do you guys feel about the Doom scene worldwide? Who do you currently admire out there? Also, give us your feelings on your Doomed countrymen, Skepticism, Reverend Bizarre and Minotauri.

Vesa: In generally speaking I think doom scene is very honest and creative Worldwide. Just think about those mainstream bands and that bullshit what they make just for money! And one after one there comes worst and worst clones …… Good business for labels! So little to do with music alone. I haven't heard Skepticism's music at all, I'm sorry to say! I must check it out some day. You know, we have done "The Friends of Hell Tour" with Reverend Bizarre and Minotauri and we had some good times….. I can't remember for sure but I've been told so! Ha ha ha…. What can I say about them … crazy muthas…. Reverend Bizarre is the doooooom act! God damned, once I thought SM would be the slowest playing band in Finland but then I heard RB and after that SM songs felt like speed metal. They have that kinda dedication to the doom scene that it must be admired. Everyone who thinks, for example that Stratovarius is heavy metal, should listen RB's debut! That's HEAVY.

Hellride Music: I never hear about the females of Finland. No one ever says, "Oh, Finnish chick are the hottest!!". Once and for all, give us your feelings on Finnish chicks. Hot or not?

Jussi: Königstiger is more beautiful. No, just more bad humor.. Northern beauties are the best. Gentlemen prefer blondes!

Vesa: Don't you know why Finnish chicks ain't the hottest? Well …. Because here in Finland is always so cold! Hahh ha … more bad humor! Well …. They have some hot parts…… organs…. and … you know … . the fireplace where to throw a log….. in Winter when it's cold…… outside I mean….. How bad humor can be?

Hellride Music: How will Spiritus Mortis finish up 2002 and what are your plans for next year?

Jussi: Conquer Mars before Russians do it. Well, I think that we play more heavy metal. I mean we do not have so clear plans what to do, to me rock `n` roll is for fun, not planned by Soviet-style 5-years plan.

Vesa: Some festival gigs on summer but the calendar is empty after those ones. Gotta get some more! We have connections to some Finnish record labels but we'll see what will happen … debut CD maybe… Also a couple of foreign labels have shown some interest but we'll wait and see, I'll let you know what happens! If we don't get a decent deal this year we'll certainly go to studio and make some earthshaking new demo!

Hellride Music: Thanks for the interview!! Any words you'd like to leave us with?

Jussi: Vorwärts, Panzers!

Vesa: Jussi are you drunk again?….. World changes, Spiritus Mortis won't!

Read the Hellride Music reviews of Forward to the Battle and Demo 2000

Purchase Forward to the Battle or Demo 2000 at the Hellride Music Super Store

Listen to a Real Audio sample of All the Words Were Spoken

Visit the Spiritus Mortis website at www.metalprovider.com/spiritusmortis

Copyright 2002 HellrideMusic.com
Interview by Chris Barnes 8/8/02