“Every town has stories to caution or warn, every police officer has a seen a crime that keeps them awake at night, and every coroner has seen death in ways that the rest of us could never imagine. Murder, conspiracy, supernatural horror, and real-life terror are stains on the cutting room floor where Edmonton-based group Tales of The Tomb paints their canvas. Unified by the desire to have the grotesque power of 90’s era death and murder metal, Tales of The Tomb started as a thought that grew into an insatiable need to make extreme music.”
It seemed sensible to begin this introduction with the band’s own introduction to their genesis and inspirations. Originally formed in 2013 by guitarist/vocalist Corey Skerlak as a vehicle for carrying forward the kind of murder metal associated with Macabre, the band grew and reached the point of releasing their 2015 debut EP, Volume One: Morpras. Now the band have completed work on a second EP, Volume Two: Mendacium, which will be released on September 27th. As its title suggests, the EP concerns deception practiced in the context of destructive real-world events — “a collection of narratives surrounding government cover-ups, national lies and the heinous crimes committed amongst the shadows”.
One of those real-world events, and the ravaging warfare that followed it, are the subjects of the lyric video we’re premiering today for one of the songs on the new EP: “Nine Eleven“.
(L-R): Trez Thomas (Guitar and Vocals), Corey Skerlak (Guitar and Vocals) – Photo by Kylee Thompson Photography
The band tell us this about the song, and the EP as a whole:
“This EP is an important installment that embodies the fundamentals of the band — Reality is more horrifying than fiction. This is a concept EP based on the Latin word Mendacium — meaning untruth and or to be lied to. The first single ‘Nine Eleven‘ is just that — presenting a version of tragic historical events from various angles and the alleged truths that were presented. The intention of each song is to unmask the deception forced upon the masses pushing them to challenge their own perception of reality.”
Whatever you might think of the conspiratorial slant placed on the 9/11 attack and the (proven) lies that led the U.S. into the protracted Iraq War beginning in 2003, the song itself is a brutal but thoroughly electrifying piece of work, a death metal onslaught that’s packed with ripping and boiling riffs, neck-cracking drumwork, and deep, gruesome roars. The music jolts and jabs as much as it seethes and slashes, as the band work pile-driving grooves and punchy fretwork into the mayhem. They also create moments of gloom and misery within the barbarous frenzies, and the song also includes a pair of superheated solos that will open your eyes.
Volume Two: Mendacium was mixed and mastered by Cryptopsy guitarist and Head Engineer/Owner at The Grid Studios, Christian Donaldson. The EP also contains a bonus track about the Japanese horror film Mermaid in a Manhole, and it features artwork by Tony Midi of Tonymidi Artworks. It’s available for purchase now.
BANDCAMP:
https://talesofthetomb.bandcamp.com/
FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/talesofthetomb/
https://talesofthetomb.bandcamp.com/releases