On September 27, 2019, TALES OF THE TOMB released "Volume Two: Mendacium," the band's second EP. This follows their first EP released in 2015 "Volume One: Morpras." TALES OF THE TOMB is a death metal band that hails from Canada.

Thematically, the band focuses on crime and conspiracies. A quick internet search informs me that "mendacium" is a Latin term that means "falsehood" or "lie." Almost all of the songs on this album are about conspiracy theories. Soundwise, the band is squarely in the realm of death metal, but shows a variety of influences. The riffs are at times groovy, melodic, or technical, but always brutal, and there are a lot of riffs on this record. However, the transitions between them are rarely jarring. Something that helps, and what this band excels at, is the vocal phrasing of the passages. The vocals pair well with the rhythm of the riffs and match the tempo changes. Lastly, for a band without a dedicated bassist or drummer, the bass lines and drumming are still decent.

The album starts off strong with "The Nightmare Hall." It begins with a sound clip before a chugging riff. Towards the end, there is even a slam riff incorporated. The song ends with another sound clip about aliens and the government. "Faul" has a great groovy riff throughout that is complimented well by the bass line. I'm also fairly certain this song is about the conspiracy theory claiming that Paul McCartney died and was replaced by a doppelganger. The chorus where they repeatedly yell "Paul McCartney's really dead" gives it away.

"Sinful Messiah" starts with another sound clip, which is a brief and comical respite from the onslaught of riffs. This song also briefly uses a brighter toned guitar riff, which contrasts from the guitar tone of the rest of the song. "Dyatlov Pass Incident" features two proficient guitar solos amid even more riffs. The solos are noteworthy because while there are a lot of riffs on this album, not all of the songs have a guitar solo. The fifth song is "Nine Eleven." This song demonstrates how the vocal phrasing matches the tempo changes between the different parts of the song structure.

Overall, I recommend this album to death metal fans of all varieties. It is a fun album with a lot of great riffs. Also, I highly recommend reading the lyrics and learning about the conspiracy theories behind the songs.