Tales Of Mike — Human Review
Tales Of Mike, a heavy metal solo artist hailing from Germany, unveils their full-length debut, Human, on October 31st, 2025. The album is co-released through the vaults of Fetzner Death Records and Schattenpfade, marking a powerful alliance in the underground metal realm
Tales Of Mike, Human Review: This review will evaluate every aspect of the album, from its intricate musical composition to its production. Our analysis will provide valuable insights to help you determine if this album is worth adding to your collection.
The First Three Sins, The Summary
The Fourth Sin, Overall Discussion
Opening Invocation: The First Hymn Beckons
As soon as the listener presses that play button, the opening hymn, Nomen est Omen, greets the listener with an audio podcast, setting the tone for what’s about to come. Following suit is Nevermore, the second hymn, which deepens the gloom. It flows seamlessly into the other six hymns, each one adding layers to the story.
Sonic Alchemy: Epicus Meets the Mask
Human stretches out over thirty mintues, blending epicus with touches of thrash metal’s sharp edges with progressive twists and technical skill, all wrapped in a heavy doom metal shell. You feel the weight of it, like chains dragging through mud. At times, it sparks a blackened theatrical vibe, much like King Diamond‘s twisted tales. The energy surges with a bite, echoing Rob Halford’s piercing vocals from Judas Priest. Then there is this grand, epic atmosphere that echoes Candlemass, My Dying Bride‘s mournful depths, and the early, shadowy woods of Opeth. Yet, the band stamps it all with their own clear voice, making it fresh and personal.
The whole album floods your ears with themes of betrayal’s sting, shallow lies in daily life, and the hard fight to hold on to your true self amid fake social games. It digs into how people hide behind masks, losing touch with what makes them human.
The Masquerade Unmasked: A Shift in Sound
One hymn that stands out sharply is the fourth hymn, Human Masquerade. It served as a single, marking a big shift from the band’s first EP, “Landscape of Sorrow.” That earlier work drowned in epic doom’s slow waves, full of loss and heavy sorrow. But “Human Masquerade” leans into a heavier progressive style, with twists and turns that keep you guessing. This new sound threads through the album Human, mixed with epic doom touches. You hear it clearly in the fifth hymn, Ancient Mirror, where reverb-soaked guitars and thin, spaced-out arrangements stir deep thoughts. It feels like staring into a foggy past, pulling at old memories. The seventh hymn, Abandoned, carries that same weight, with its empty echoes of being left behind.
Production as Ritual: No Gloss, Just Grit
Human delivers a rough, heart-pounding sound built from real-life pain, and possible homemade recording tricks and a deep bow to doom metal’s roots. The band — in what feels like a full DIY approach to production — no big studio gloss here. They mixed it rough purposely, keeping the raw punch of feelings front and centre, ahead of any slick polish. Every note, vocal cry, and beat thumps out loud from your speakers, refusing to fade. It’s like the music claws its way into the room, demanding you feel it all.
It’s more than just a project — it’s a personal necessity, born from loss, fuelled by passion, and shaped by truth and depth.
This isn’t just some side gig. It’s a deep need, sparked by grief, driven by fire in the gut, and carved from honest truths. The band, Tales of Mike, infuses a devilish spark in their devilmanship that breathes life into every corner of the album. The songs’ build—both in instruments and overall flow—hits flawless marks, like a ripe piece of art born from sweat and soul.
Guitar Ceremony: Distortion as Devotion
Lead guitarist Michael Heß lays down the core, with Henrik Schaller adding extra guitar fire. They craft slow, crushing riffs straight from epic doom’s playbook, laced with sweet melodic lines and shaky tremolo waves that fill the air with haze. Their guitar sound drips thick distortion, but it stays warm and old-school, like vinyl crackle. It stirs up sorrow’s ache, a sense of massive spaces, and quiet inward stares.
Hymns like “Abandoned” and “Human Masquerade” shine with smart overlaps in sound and heartfelt bends in the melody. They shift from quiet builds to full storms, pulling you along.
Rhythm & Ritual: Bass and Drum Communion
The bass lines hold steady under the guitars, grounding the harmonies during the slower passages. Its tone rolls deep and full, like a low rumble from the earth. Drums come from programmed beats or live hits, likely handled by Michael Heß or Gonzalo Civita. They plod at doom’s steady pace, broken by quick double-kick bursts and deep tom rolls that echo like distant thunder. The mix gives them room to breathe—organic and wide—fitting the album’s slow, ceremony-like rhythm. It all feels like a rite, unfolding step by step.
Vocal Invocation: Voices from the Shadows
Gonzalo Civita takes the main vocal reins across “Human.” His voice pours out grief, bold pushback, and quiet reflection. He switches from clean, sad lines to guttural growls from the chest, staying raw and true. Effects layer his calls with echoes, ramping up the drama, as if voices rise from shadows. Bernhard “Doomchild” Tischler, fresh from his role in “Seeds of Doom’s — The Misery Show” provides the spoken words on Nomen Est Omen.
His gravelly tone works like a dark spell, kicking off the album’s dive into who we are, the bite of loss, and the will to fight back
Lyrical Spine: Myth and Memory
Shannon Heß authored the lyrics, weaving personal experiences and old myths to knit a tight tale of release. Her words form the spine of this emotional ride, guiding you through the hurt toward light.
“Nomen est Omen”—it calls on names, fate, and self, where sorrow meets an end in “Nevermore.” “Money Tree” rips into rot and fake riches that poison the soul. “Human Masquerade” twists identity under social veils, answered by “Ancient Mirror’s” gaze back at roots and kin echoes. “Hourglass” ticks with time’s rush and life’s big questions. “Abandoned” sinks into aloneness and heart’s slow rot. It all closes with “Swan Song,” a final breath of ascent and peace.
Ritual Arc: From Name to Silence
No single force makes this music pulse—each hymn claims a face of its own, rhythm, and throb. They spark to life one by one, yet together they ignite the whole. A ritual path arcs from the opening call in “Nomen Est Omen” to the quiet end in “Swan Song,” tracing a soul’s trek through dark woods. This goes beyond records on a shelf. It’s pure fruit of art, forged in fire and raw emotion.
Benediction: The Final Hymn Folds
As the album closes with the final hymn “‘Swan Song’”, the music folds like swan wings — graceful, solemn, and ceremonial. Yet, it remains alive, pulsing with emotional weight, tethered to the listener long after silence returns. We extend our deepest gratitude to Fetzner Death Records for allowing us to ritualise and review Human by Tales of Mike.
The Fifth Sin, The Memorabilia
For me, Where does one begin? This is more than mere music — it’s a heartfelt, passionate journal etched in sound. A literary vessel of sorrow, emotion, and profound melancholy. Each hymn bears a burden of its own: weight, grief, and ache. And this heaviness isn’t heard through the ears alone — it’s felt in the chest, in the heart, where the music truly lives.
The Sixth Sin, The Artwork
The artwork captures the album’s lyrical concept and emotional theme in full.
The Seventh Sin, Disrelish
There is nothing to dislike in the musical offerings of Tales of Mike and their debut, Human. Each hymn carries weight — grief, sorrow, and truth — not just heard, but felt in the chest. This is more than music; it’s a ritual carved from loss and lit by passion.
With that, we close this review — a passage through shadow and sound. Thank you for walking this path with us. We invite you to explore the work of Tales of Mike, and honour the labels that brought this to life: Fetzner Death Records and Schattenpfade.
The Hymns
01. Nomen est Omen
02. Nevermore
03. Money Tree
04. Human Masquerade
05. Ancient Mirror
06. Hourglass
07. Abandoned
08. Swan Song
Tales Of Mike
Michael ”Mike” Heß — All Instruments
Gonzalo Civita — Guest Vocals
Henrik Schaller — Guest Guitar Solos
Shannon Heß — Lyrics
spoken words by Bernhard ”Doomchild” Tischler, from Seeds of Doom – The Misery Show