TEN FROM THE TOMB is a weekly feature in the form of a themed list devoted to grouping together albums of similar interest that I missed throughout the year 2019. These albums were overlooked for review for any number of reasons with the most common reason being constraint of time. I have a policy of covering 99% of everything I receive in some form, be it mini-review or full-feature, so don’t hesitate to send anything and everything my way.

Here I present a ten album sampler of requests for review direct from the bands/projects themselves, mostly albums from the first half of 2019. Consider it a very small look at a globe’s worth of DIY, independent, and well, a lot of bands that didn’t get around to promoting their stuff ’til post-release. Most of these albums made it here to Ten From the Tomb because I couldn’t manage the time for a long-form review or because I really didn’t have more than a paragraph or two worth of insight beyond banal description. If you’re not into the selection this week, relax! This’ll be back every 7 days with 10 more albums from different styles, genres, themes, etc.

Hey! Don’t dive in thinking this will all be shit just because I am not doing full reviews for these releases! I always have some quality control in mind and look for expressive, meaningful, or just damn heavy releases that hold value without gimmickry or bland plagiarism. This weeks picks come directly from my e-mail inbox [grizzlybutts@hotmail.com] but every other week the subject comes from a poll on PATREON where patrons vote on the sub-genre or subject of the list. Next week’s subject is up for voting now. Thank you! I am eternally grateful for the support of readers and appreciate the friendly and positive interactions I’ve had with all thus far. Think my opinions are trash and that I suck? Want to totally tell me off, bro? Click away and let’s all live more sensible lives full of meaningful interactions. I’m too old and bored with people to care.

Artist	Mechanimal
Title [Type/Year]	White Flag [7″ EP/2019]
Rating [3.5/5.0]	BUY & LISTEN on Bandcamp!

Producer/artist Giannis Papaioannou [Γιάννης Παπαϊωάννου] has been active in the Greek electronic music biosphere since the early 90’s but he’d originally gotten his start in the 80’s as a key member of post-punk group Rehearsed Dreams (check out ‘Repulsion‘ circa 1985). By 1996 he’d had his own empires to tend to within the freedom of electronic music, probably best known for his work as ION. Mechanimal is somewhat more collaborative, often incorporating visual art, various vocalists, and such under Papaioannou‘s direction. As such both songs from this latest single feature characteristic collaborations and are accompanied by music videos. Freddie Faulkenberry‘s vocals are a deep vibe on these sweaty darkwave inspired pieces, effortless in their sardonic-but-danceable movement. “White Flag” feels like it could serve as a montage for a heist film’s preamble to violence, or corporate espionage. Catchy as it is, it is never so ‘obvious’ in motion that you might get up and dance but, you might end up whipping your shirt off for effect. “Red Mirror” is no less memorable and perhaps even darker and more of a groove than the first side. If you’re not so easily seduced by danceable, throaty hump music then at least consider it a very successful mood and composition/lyrics with a hundred appreciable layers to peel.

Artist	Goatskullt
Title [Type/Year]	Kinahmia [EP/2019]
Rating [2.75/5.0]	BUY & LISTEN on Bandcamp!

Don’t let that dramatic electro intro track fool you this is punk-fucked second wave Finnish black metal, almost to a fault. The programmed drums are loud as Hell, the vocalist generally matches the intensity of the fairly standard riffing throughout and most of ‘Kinahmia’ blazes by like a later Impaled Nazarene sort of affair. The vocal lines are intense and illustrative, full of over the top personality that make up for the demo quality drum mix and I felt the guitar work flitted between moments of genius and fairly rote motions. It definitely feels like they’ve achieved the intended intensity but the wall of sound that comes with the (I assume) DIY production/mixing etc. almost gets in the way of conveying just how spirited the performances are. If they could get these songs on tape with a live drummer (again, the programming is assumed) and more of a focus on the weight of the guitar tone this’d be pretty exciting for the generally packed orthodoxy of Finnish black metal today. I see plenty of potential here with this style, especially the vocalists wild presence, just needs proper sound design and implementation.

Artist	Klynt
Title [Type/Year]	This is Revenge [EP/2019]
Rating [2.5/5.0]	BUY & LISTEN on Bandcamp!

Graz, Austria based power/thrash metal band Klynt clue you into their whole gig within about 1-2 songs deep into ‘This is Revenge’, they’re more or less 75% Manowar and the other 25% late 80’s Testament. Sure, that is a bit reductive but you’re getting fiery power/thrash pushers that rely on fairly simple thrash riffing and then almost too pure 80’s rockers like “Bloodstained and Driven”. It all gets a bit weird around “Berzerk Prayer” with its Amon Amarth-esque rhythms and the vocalist seems more suited for a gothic rock band when his phrasing gets out of control but, the glue of it all is that spirit of classic heavy metal. ‘This Is Revenge’ is unique in motion, the vocals have a very odd tonality for power metal and the skittering take on traditional heavy metal never really lands upon actual thrash metal but the sum of these parts feels inspired by its own version of the classics. I suppose this is a tough one to pick apart because it is clear they’re in it to have fun and write songs that are fun to play live, I’m more of a serious-faced dweeb so I didn’t manage to take Klynt too seriously. I think if they cranked the songwriting up to the level of say, Dream Tröll, the ‘fun’ vibe of the music would probably be more effective for my taste.

Artist	Mirror of Deception
Title [Type/Year]	The Estuary [Full-length/2018]
Rating [3.5/5.0]	BUY & LISTEN on Bandcamp!

Although I’d been a follower of long-running cult doom metal band Mirror of Deception since the release of ‘Mirrorsoil’ (thanks to Miskatonic Foundation) I lost track of their releases after ‘Shards’ (2006) and had no idea they’d temporarily split up and reformed with a new line-up around 2014. ‘The Estuary’ doesn’t directly pick up where ‘Shards’ left off but it Mirror of Deception retain all of their personality regardless of which album you’ve landed upon. ‘The Estuary’ focuses on epic-yet-intimate arrangements with the bands trademark emotive, lofty vocal performances somewhere between Manilla Road‘s balladry, Isole‘s melodrama, and Warning‘s poetic presence. Though this was released back in November 2018 it is worth coming back to today as it was independently released and I’d say represents an exceptional next step for the project. They’ve updated their sound to be even more melodic but, never so post-music that it doesn’t come across as sincere traditional heavy/doom metal. Michael Siffermann is still a brilliant vocalist who somehow manages to sound even better than some of the band’s best work (such as my favorite, ‘Foregone’ in 2004). This should please fans of everything from Pallbearer to Revelation. The only reason I don’t rate it slightly higher is that it isn’t as memorable as some of their earlier albums, which I’m generally more attached to at this point.

Artist	Impavida
Title [Type/Year]	Antipode [Full-length/2019]
Rating [3.75/5.0]	BUY & LISTEN on Bandcamp!

The eleven years separating Impavida‘s two full-lengths represent a chasm of unspoken reticent loneliness more than they do an expected separation of eras. It feels as if an olden uncontrollable depression and inner malevolence has returned naturally, as if it were chemically inevitable to return to this low. ‘Antipode’ comes with a very light modernization beyond the 2008 spectrum of German depressive/atmospheric black metal that ‘Eerie Sceneries’ came from but, with that same level of quality and insight that made Impavida notable so long ago. In some ways the changes over time therein echo the growth Ván Records has experienced since 2008, having released ‘Eerie Sceneries’ on a very limited CD run at the time. ‘Antipode’ is essentially two 15-17 minute tracks that intertwine several movements into greater droning wholes, a captivating division between dark mythologies and each told with harrowing mania as the driver. It is unconditionally immersive and surely even more fragile than the somewhat adventurous prior album. ‘Antipode’ feels serious, somehow, from my own perspective and I found it all the more enjoyable for that feeling.

Artist	Barbarity
Title [Type/Year]	Keeper of Oblivion [Full-length/2019]
Rating [3.25/5.0]	BUY & LISTEN on Bandcamp!

Though it is an average death metal album with some brutal death and deathgrind influences throughout, and it came out in late 2018, I wanted to cover this sixth full-length from Kostroma, Russia death band band Barbarity because it not only represents their best work to date but it introduces fledgling Russian extreme metal label Careless Records. If you’re a fan of early Polish death metal (the stuff beyond death/thrash of the late 80’s) that was often heavily influenced by Deicide and Cannibal Corpse (Bloodlust, Hate, Monastyr, Mortify etc.) then the general style of ‘Keeper of Oblivion’ will feel familiar. Brutal and fairly simple in execution, Barbarity throw in a few ideas to change things up in terms of grind riffs and the occasional keyboard section but this is definitely one for the more traditionally minded in terms of pure death metal. I was really into it in the moment but there isn’t much about ‘Keeper of Oblivion’ that stands out in my mind. Good straight up death metal.

Artist	Enfire
Title [Type/Year]	Juniper Landing [Full-length/2019]
Rating [3.25/5.0]	BUY & LISTEN on Bandcamp!

Though I refuse to type their name as intended (“EnFire“), this debut full-length from Christchurch, New Zealand stoner/doom metal band Enfire is a solid-but-gaseous psychedelic exploration of structurally defiant and less-than predictable movements. Is that a good thing? Well shit, I haven’t been stoned in a good 7-8 months and I still had fun following their jammed and punchy grooves. The trio have been bumming around the Christchurch area since 2012 and though they could use the boost of a label to rub over some of their rough edges there is a curious appeal to their sometimes hard to follow trains of thought. I love that the whole thing plays out like a live-in-studio set where songs often bleeding together with ringing feedback. ‘Juniper Landing’ feels alive in this sense, moving slow and easy without forcing their lax state of mind upon anyone. The big riffs do come (“Skegs”, especially), and they often feel pulled straight from mid-to-late 90’s stoner metal from the greater Los Angeles area (and perhaps the Scandinavians they’d influence). The pieces all fit together nicely but I think with a cohesive theme, or an actual fully ‘live in studio’ performance, surrounding their next set of songs could take their sharp grasp of the loaded-bong boogie to a new level. The big moment here that makes up for the bland nothing (“Marilyze Legajuana”, “Bonglord”) at the end comes with “Silvercomb (Haunted)” which features the undernoticed talent of Nicole Schaap (Moonflower) on vocals, her soulful-yet-foreboding crooning really sets off the album’s farewell moments. It is a big enough moment that I’d wanted to see what the rest of the album might sound like with her voice. A couple of small bumps in the road but a good debut overall.

Artist	Ninth Realm
Title [Type/Year]	Gates of Tythorin [EP/2019]
Rating [4.0/5.0]	BUY & LISTEN on Bandcamp!

Maryland crossover trio Ninth Realm waste very little time leaning into their roaring take on Power Trip-esque (well, lets say Cro-Mags) style as they chunk out four rippers that are generally influenced by death/thrash and even some 80’s power metal (see: “The Burning Wanderer”). The vocalist here straight pukes his lungs hard throughout the EP, to the point that it’d be taxing on a full-length to go that hard but it works really well in this shorter format. Bursts of late 80’s hardcore riffs characterize much of ‘Gates of Tythorin’ but at no point does it veer towards the metalcore side of things thanks to a healthy push of thrash influence and some English Dogs fantasy-crossover vibes. If Ninth Realm can find a meaningful balance of crossover/thrash and their true heavy metal/hardcore punk hybridization they’ll be onto something cool as hell. The missing piece of the puzzle is some kind of harmonized guitar work, or melody, that works alongside the ultra-effective shouted performance. The concept doesn’t have to go -that- far but I fel like “The Burning Wanderer” was a real flash of brilliance that should be encouraged!

Artist	Oenos
Title [Type/Year]	Noir II [Full-length/2019]
Rating [3.5/5.0]	BUY & LISTEN on Bandcamp!

A post-metallic progressive solo project from a Suomi gentleman out of London, England the verve of Oenos is one of inebriated meditation. ‘Noir II’ is the debut of this generally avant-garde post-music oozing brooding set of capsular musical moments from Sami Tuohino who, for the love of wine and dark music, enjoys a bottle of wine whilst creating each song then names the piece after the vintage itself. As a creative method this is a bit like painting quickly until the colors dry, you might not get the most well-thought out piece but then again you’ll never suffer from an overwrought idea. ‘Noir II’ opens almost as a mood piece that eventually growls into some djent-esque downtuned guitar chugging, reaching a point of annoyance at the mid-point of the album with “Tao”. Despite some repetitive guitar work and some brief annoyance with it, I did find the second half of the album increasingly musty, loose, almost angered ’til the reverb buzzing acoustic guitar piece that ends “Cancellus” had me wanting to re-examine the bigger picture a few more times. I wouldn’t say that Oenos is ultra-deep in its musical statement but as a conceptual piece that allows Tuohino to explore many interests and moods it is nicely varied and most often tasteful in the modest timbres employed. I see great potential for this both in terms of liver damage and the expansion of Oenos‘ abilities where these singular pieces will aggrandize as Tuohino‘s studio/recording and vocal capabilities move beyond their reasonably high standard at present.

Artist	Phantom Hymn
Title [Type/Year]	A Story of Days to Come [EP/2019]
Rating [3.25/5.0]	BUY & LISTEN on Bandcamp!

Ruddy bass-driven crust/hardcore punk from Portland, Oregon is always in order and solo act Phantom Hymn manage to stand out here in the midst of 2019 even after huge records from some of Sweden’s best melodic crust acts in recent months. The B-side “The Other Side of Paradise” feels downright post-blackened with its maudlin melodic narrative but my own excitement lies in Side A with “Crucifixion Awaits”, a rousing and electrically charged bass clanking number that has seeds of old melodic hardcore, archetypal crust and modern blackened hardcore all forming a piece that is at once traditional in feel and musically satisfying all the same. The production of this thing is PC-geared mud, the bass needs some serious clank or brighter tonality to it to clear up the murk, but none of this gets in the way of these carefully written songs.

Did I miss your favorite 2019 album? Send me an e-mail and tell me about it. It is always worthwhile to speak up for the lesser known stuff. Please remember you can contribute to my Patreon @ only $1 USD per month ($12 a year) to help keep me in front of the computer writing about metal. Thanks.