SPACE GOD RITUAL is a Doom Metal band from Portland, Oregon.  "The Unknown Wants You Dead!" is their fifth full length album-they also released an EP in 2010.  I can't speak for their previous efforts as I have not heard them (yet) but this one?  Fucking weird and a sary.  Of course, I mean that in a good way—SPACE GOD RITUAL have crafted a strange brew of Doom and macabre theatrics that is both creepy and engaging.

The intro track, "Miskatonic 1927," is filled with ghost laden keys, weird sounds, and spoken word.  Their lyrics seem to center on Lovcraftian themes but, honestly, I know very little about Lovecraft or his writings.  However, this entire album is definitely the soundtrack to a trip through another dimension, one that might not be so safe.  Otherworldly, to say the last.  After the intro end, the first full length track, the title track, "The Unknown Wants You Dead!" explodes with a thick groove, swelled to capacity with hammering drums and bass.  The vocals are rather unique, a clean theatrical approach with lots of actor-like nuances.

"Into The Curio," is a bit more psychedelic but more subtle than some bands at trippy song.  Rather, this song is more like someone slowly going mad over time, getting closer to the rabbit hole with each step. The album's halfway point, the over seven minute long "Cultes des Choules," is one of the better tracks. It begins with heavy riffs, solos laden on top.  The bass drives the meat of the song, with the vocals working over it to to tell the story.  Simple but effective riffs combine with ominous key tones to up the atmosphere, which feels unnerving and cautious. The song maintains this feel, even during the guitar solos.  Is Scary Doom a new sub genre?  It needs to be.

"Strange Blood," is another song that is over seven minutes in length but is quite a different beast.  The first half of the track is more up tempo and traditional than anything before.  However,  around the five minute mark, just when I thought I was safe from the demons that pour out of this band's music, a shadow infused personality rears its ancient head to give the track a strong finish, albeit one with a mysterious but slightly dangerous vibe. My favorite track is "Mansion In The Mist," because it left me with quite a cold vibe and a bit of mistrust-Doom Metal's version of "The Hotel California."  I felt very alone while listening to this track but a small part of my brain was trying to tell me I might not be as long as I thought-that some unseen evil was just out of the corner of my eye.

I can honestly say I've never heard a traditional Doom album quite like this before-but, perhaps, that is because this band really isn't traditional at all.  They have a lot of cool ideas presented in a package that had to been hard to execute.  The results speak for themselves..but in a creepy multi voice that might eat your soul.