Philadelphia's purveyors of dark heavy metal and doom are back (finally!) with their new album for Dark Descent Records, titled The Stygian Rose. While their debut Out of the Garden back in 2015 was a killer doom record, their follow-up The Ruins of Fading Light in 2019 was more of a straight classic metal affair, so for this third release the band have combined the two, giving us one of 2024's most compelling metal releases. At the forefront are the excellent vocals of Brooks Wilson, who is like a cross between Messiah Marcolin and Warrel Dane, along with the killer guitars of Steve Jansson & Frank Chin, who provide plenty of amazing riffs and blazing leads. Rounding out the line-up is Tanner Anderson on keyboards, bassist Matt Knox, and drummer Enrique Sagarnaga.
"Glimmers in the Underworld" opens, and it's a snarling, powerful metal track, the vocals, the guitars, the drums, all top-notch on this memorable doomy metal anthem. "Thunder (Perfect Mind)' uses subtle keys to give atmosphere to an otherwise dramatic epic slab of heavy metal, while "Down in the Hollow" is more fast-paced and furious. Pump thy fist up to the heavens for the chugging "Heavy Is the Crown of Bone" (I'm reminded of more recent Candlemass as well as Solitude Aeturnus here), and "Scrying Orb" is another steamroller of a track, filled with melancholy, but those soaring vocals and blazing lead guitars are so, so good. The title track closes, 11-minutes of brooding, epic doom, flavors of Savatage, Nevermore, and Candlemass permeate throughout, the riffs crushing, the lead work sizzling, and the vocals so powerful
Crypt Sermon are now three albums into their career, and all three I can safely say are outstanding releases for anyone who favors classic heavy metal and doom. The Stygian Rose however might be their magnum opus, and it's one of 2024's more noteworthy metal albums. Don't miss it!
Track Listing
1.
Glimmers in the Underworld 08:13
2.
Thunder (Perfect Mind) 05:53
3.
Down in the Hollow 06:30
4.
Heavy is the Crown of Bone 05:08
5.
Scrying Orb 07:54
6.
The Stygian Rose 11:09
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