Band:	Crypt Sermon
Album:	The Stygian Rose
Style:	Doom metal
Release date:	June 14, 2024
Guest review by:	Blackcrowe

01. Glimmers In The Underworld
02. Thunder (Perfect Mind)
03. Down In The Hollow
04. Heavy Is The Crown Of Bone
05. Scrying Orb
06. The Stygian Rose

"Sunday Doomy Sunday."

It is winter here in the south of the world... It was a cold, cloudy Sunday. I was alone, listening to some music while reading a review about Crypt Sermon's latest record, The Stygian Rose, and with it I found just what I wanted: a brand new record from a band that I'm familiar with, presenting a great obscure show of dark heavy metal.

Crypt Sermon's first release, Out Of The Garden, was reminiscent of doom bands such as Candlemass or Trouble. However, with their second record, The Ruins Of Fading Light, the band's sound became more experimental, approaching bands like Metal Church's early records, Armored Saint, or classics like Grim Reaper.

Crypt Sermon, a band from Philadelphia, US, consists of Steve Jansson and Frank Chin on guitar, Brooks Wilson on vocals, Enrique Sagarnaga on drums, Matt Knox on bass, and Tanner Anderson on keyboards. They have been active since 2013 and are an excellent metal band that has released three albums so far.

So, my Sunday goes... listening to The Stygian Rose, transforming into a metamorphic version of Crypt Sermon.
The fusion of doom and traditional heavy metal forms the nucleus of the record, but the band effortlessly transcends these genres, from the intense guitar solos of "Glimmers In The Underworld" to the powerful rhythms of "Heavy Is The Crown Of Bone", the 'Zeppelinesche' sounds on "Thunder (Perfect Mind)", or the dark melancholia of "Scrying Orb". The Stygian Rose showcases the band's musical progression. Featuring outstanding guitar work both rhythmically and in solos, the vocals remind me of an early David Wayne (Metal Church), while great bass work, thunderous drums, and great atmospheric keyboards provide an impressive performance of classic heavy metal with a hint of doom. It transports you on a journey through epic, dark and spectral landscapes. The title track, an epic song about 11 minutes long, serves as a grand finale that showcases the band's musical evolution. The Stygian Rose firmly cements Crypt Sermon's position in the metal realm, setting a lofty benchmark for their future releases.

...It was a cold Sunday filled with great music just from the crypt. I feel that Crypt Sermon cannot be classified or confined to a particular metal style. With their great progression, Crypt Sermon is an excellent metal band, from their classic doom debut to the heavy metal prowess of The Stygian Rose: another great record for the rankings of 2024.