Dark heavy metallers Crypt Sermon recently unveiled details for their bewitching new album, The Stygian Rose, out June 14 on Dark Descent. Today, they've returned with the premiere of the album's opening track "Glimmers in the Underworld" — a song that epitomizes the band's musical and conceptual prowess.
Vocalist Brooks Wilson comments, "'Glimmers In The Underworld' gives both a broad overview of the musical palette contained in the album beyond, while also introducing the lengths to which our unnamed protagonist will go in order to find spiritual fulfillment as they engage in a fictionalized Abremelin ritual."
The Stygian Rose follows a character inspired by Paschal Beverly Randolf, an early American spiritualist and sex magician. In The Stygian Rose, the unnamed character seeks to reconnect with his now maybe dead, definitely lost (though intentionally left vague) idealized female, embodying the Sophia/Shakti/Persephone divine wisdom/feminine concept. This lost love is believed to be waiting for him, calling for him from 'the hollow.' Conceived by Wilson, the protagonist's harrowing jaunt starts with "Glimmers In The Underworld" and ends naturally with the title track. The story, as unfurled in the lyrics, is directly connected to the album's artwork and booklet, painstakingly painted and illustrated by Wilson. Clearly, The Stygian Rose and its lyrical and artistic regalia were thought through from the onset.
Featuring guitarist Steve Jansson (Daeva, Unrest), vocalist Brooks Wilson (Unrest), drummer Enrique Sagarnaga (Daeva, The Silver), guitarist Frank Chin (Daeva), bassist Matt Knox (Horrendous, The Silver), and keyboardist Tanner Anderson (Obsequiae, Majesties), the Philadelphia-based sextet parlayed their time away into a grander, more mysterious Crypt Sermon. The interflow of doom and heavy metals underpins The Stygian Rose, but these boundaries are effortlessly transcended. "We feel unrestrained now," Wilson says. "We thought, if the word 'epic' in doom metal means anything, it's without constraint. What's more vast than being unconstrained?" Sagarnaga continues, "There's a lot of variety on the album, and I think that's not just because we get bored easily—which we do, actually—but rather this is who we are."
The songwriting for The Stygian Rose started in late 2022. Sagarnaga says, "This is the most prepared our band has been, especially going into the studio. It's about respect for each other's time. We were more patient with one another regarding how we expressed musical ideas. We committed to practicing on a regular schedule—that was important. And as we get older, we hopefully have become better musicians. 'The Stygian Rose' is also the longest time we've had with Arthur Rizk in the studio. Every little detail you hear in the final result of the record is very deliberate."
Crypt Sermon tracked The Stygian Rose at Redwoods in Philadelphia. Arthur Rizk produced, mixed, and mastered, and Aidan Elias (Blood Incantation, Wayfarer) engineered. Since the band and Rizk had previous history, they dialed in sounds quickly and got to work. In contrast to the sporadic two-month process of their last album, The Ruins of Fading Light, Crypt Sermon had just over a week to capture their The Stygian Rose. "We knew we wanted an aggressive sound," says Wilson. "'The Stygian Rose' has way more depth than anything we've done before."
"I didn't want to feel burdened by heavy metal tropes," reveals Wilson. "I wanted to be able to use them but not be bound by them.” Jansson continues, "We wanted The Stygian Rose to scratch a lot of itches that aren't being scratched. That's my goal when I make music. I want to make things that I don't hear other people doing or at least don't hear others doing all in one package. I agree, it also has to have staying power and replay value. That addictive feeling you had when you listened to records as a teenager."
Preorder at the Dark Descent Records webshop.
Artwork by Brooks Wilson:
Tracklisting:
“Glimmers In The Underworld”
“Thunder (Perfect Mind)”
“Down In The Hollow”
“Heavy Is The Crown Of Bone”
“Scrying Orb”
“The Stygian Rose”
"Glimmers In The Underworld" visualizer:
“Heavy Is The Crown Of The Bone” video:
Crypt Sermon live:
May
10 – Seattle, WA – Northwest Terror Fest
22 – Baltimore, MD – Maryland Deathfest Pre-Show
June
14 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
15 – Washington, DC – Pie Shop
August
31 - Philadelphia, PA - Brooklyn Bowl
(Photo – Scott Kincade)
