The clamor of zhangu, taiko, ahuli, tabor—even the timpani in a modern orchestral context—the steady hammering of the battlefield finds a comfort, an attachment to the mallet metronome of such simple instruments. In memory of sorrow, the rhythm of death metal through one of its most bass-rumbling pioneers, Bolt Thrower, finds that war-like march not just in pounding kicks but also weighted guitar harmonies and bass-throttled grooves that stir the warrior’s heart. Stygian Crown in their idiosyncratic expression of the metal arts embodies in part that low-end fueled, sword-rattling thunder. But as the title Funeral for a King may imply, and as the Steel One himself has explored before, Stygian Crown doesn’t just riff, they doom. Oh, do they doom!
And yes, that doom remains in the Candlemassive framing as prior, though Stygian Crown’s inherent aggression allows songs to propel in a way that the epic legends never quite achieved. Leif Edling came close a few times with his offshoot project Krux and the two Candlemass EPs with Mats Levén1 at the helm, but even then the heavier drive in those albums comes from bluesy rock with modern kicks. Funeral for a Crown feeds on the fervor of death metal in a way that remains understated against lurching guitar grooves, letting martial double-kick runs rumble tension separate from doom surroundings (“The Bargain,” “Beauty and Terror”). And, of course, what would this monolithic style be without a singer whose presence stands mountainous? Mic mistress Melissa Pinion belts through every number not like the extended-note runners in other projects but rather with a vibrato that warbles just on the edge of breaking in its power, akin to the polarizing wail of the charismatic Blaze Bayley. What would a great album be without a little controversy?
Funeral for a King by Stygian Crown
Controversy cracks the formula, after all. Though Stygian Crown wears their influences proudly, Funeral reigns anointed with smatterings of thoughtful embellishments to what is, at its base, an uncomplicated endeavor. Pinion steadies her lines atop creeping, distorted harmonies in a fashion that often rises, rises, and rises more. This shift from the more predictable rise and fall of her older performances allows her to find sonic nooks not serviced by the thick sounds of bandmates and encourages exploration into screeching falsetto (“The Bargain”) and heart-grasping ballad accompanied by her own piano work and a guest violinist. This guest—a performer by the name of Ann Hackman whose credits remain a mystery—also provides the discordant, tension-building “Let Thy Snares Be Planted” which allows the tectonic groove of “The Bargain” to rumble a magnitude higher. Even when Stygian Crown plays to their most Bolt Riffing tendencies (“Where the Candle Always Burns,” “Beauty and Terror”), they know how to slow the assault with a carefully injected doom verse that Pinion owns with an unmatched pride.
Pride in attack and fullness in tone, keeps Funeral from ever shifting too far down one lane long enough to get stuck. Breaking ice from the get with a titular intro, which functions similarly to a no-nonsense hailing like “The Ides of March”(Iron Maiden, Killers) or “War” (Bolt Thrower, For Victory), Stygian Crown works to rip the doors open. Sure, the proceeding “Bushido” slices fine with its own hefty bass tussle, but just as a king upon a grand throne, this style needs a dose of chest-pounding to maintain its atmosphere. Conversely, lead guitarist Nelson Tomas Miranda never lets his solos overstay their waning scrawl, his concise bars instead serving as a crackling bridge with his longest scratch on “Where the Candle…” filling a thematic role in its extra duty. And when Stygian Crown does decide to indulge for the drawn-out closer “Strait of Messina,” they subvert their own grandeur with a speedy Maiden-like coda and commanding shout of “Yeah!”
Stygian Crown has used the time between their debut and this successful sophomore outing to carve an image that reflects their mammoth goals in totality. And in a manner that often evades the execution of “x + y” acts, Funeral for a King lands as a synthesis, an homage, and a reflection of the voice of its creators, proof that iteration matters. Doom with a raiding pulse, death metal with swords raised high, Stygian Crown unites both with a triumphant bellow—a cry for the riff and a cry for glory.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Cruz del Sur Music | Bandcamp
Websites: facebook.com/stygiancrown | stygiancrown.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: February 23rd, 2024
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