The God Behind the God

Since its origins stretch as far back as 1987 (when it operated under the name Rigor Mortis), Spiritus Mortis is probably Finland\'s first doom-metal band. With a title like *The God Behind the God*, the group\'s sixth studio album may seem rooted in occult worship. Yet from the opening onslaught of “The Man of Steel” to the hard-driving closer, “Perpetual Motion,” it’s clear that Spiritus Mortis worships at the altar of the Chicago doom-metal band Trouble. If the throaty rasp of singer Sami Hynninen sounds familiar, consider yourself well versed in Finish doom-metal; he formerly operated under the name Albert Witchfinder as frontman for the obscure band Reverend Bizarre. Hynninen gives the genre a much-needed dose of unpredictability. Where many in his position mimic Ozzy’s howls or the higher register of Pentagram\'s Bobby Liebling, Hynninen contrasts the slow and sludgy trudging of “Death Bride” with a vocal versatility that has more in common with those found among New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands—though he never succumbs to the glass-shattering falsettos typical of the genre.