STYGIAN CROWN is a doom metal band from LA, California.  They formed in 2018 so they are a very young band with just a demo under their belt until now, their self titled first full length album.  It feels weird to speak of them as a young band because STYGIAN CROWN's debut consists of a natural maturity in song writing.  I was blown away when I discovered this is their first release and I think most other people will feel the same.

There are two main elements to this album that make it so damn impressive.  First, is the pure sonic excess.  I've been writing for years now and I'm not real sure that I can accurately describe how dense these seven tracks are.  Even for a genre such as doom, this is heavy to the point of being near beyond reason. The tone in the guitars and bass is thick as reinforced concrete—listen to this with headphones and you'll soon find yourself completely encompassed by these riffs.  Not only are the guitars/bass oppressive in their assault but they also cut right through you.  It isn't often that I hear riffs this heavy that also have such an aggressive bite. Nelson, Andy, and Jason are a three man demolition team that can fill up a room with their sound and playing. In essence, this album is so massive that it is the musical equivalent of being crushed by a wall of bricks after being hit by a train right before a 757 lands on your face.

Much of the same can be said of Rhett's drumming—every hit on his kit sounds like it might be the last one he will ever make.  Will his drum set make it through the entire album?  Did it?  How many did he go through? Regardless of the answers to those questions, he does so much more than just provide solid rhythm because without his performance, the album would sound just as different as if one of the guitars or bass were removed. So what is another standout on an album that is full of nothing but great moments?  Vocalist Melissa.  Her vocal performance is pure fire and brimstone—unlimited energy pulled up from the depths of who knows what.  Melissa is loud, clear, powerful and sounds like she is singing from atop of the world to us puny mortals.  Her expressive range reminds me of the classic heavy metal/doom bands or even legends like HALFORD or DICKINSON.  If she keeps this up, I am confident she will be regarded as one of the greats in modern doom/metal history.

The album opens with the forgettable intro "The Hall of Two Truths."  Fortunately, every song afterwards is on point.  The first proper track is "Devour The Dead," a song that is immediately crushing and about as subtle as beating someone to death with a pillow case full of hammers.  The drums hammer in the riffs further into the skull, setting up a nice little opening for Melissa to make her presence known.  Seriously, her voice is the epitome of power to be able to sing above such sweltering doom.  A little over halfway through the song, the band throws in some melodic leads that show that even the most abrasive doom can still surprise you.

"Through Divine Rite," spends the opening minute showcasing the vocals and bass, a highly effective and emotional combo among the clean guitars. The drums throw in a curve ball around the four minute mark and get atmospheric alongside some lite synths elements, which perfectly highlight the riffs that creep in. "When Old Gods Die," is one of my favorites because it is damn near perfect.  The first minute or so is bass that moves with purpose and builds the framework for the rest of the song.  Melissa pulls out all the stops on this song, her voice soaring high and dropping strikes of lighting down.  The various tempo changes throughout are a reminder that doom doesn't have to be slow all the time.  Finally, the guitar solo is out of the world, the final, epic touch on this amazing song.

The band saves the best for last with the final track, "Two Coins For The Ferryman," a mini odyssey that is riff focused but uses synths in small but expertly placed locations to help compliment the vocals and raise the whole song up.  A quarter of the way through, the guitars just jam out riff after riff while the drums bring down a rumbling barrage of quake inducing attacks.  The drums remain the highlight throughout the rest of the song, always there to support the guitars or make the guitars work a bit harder.

The only major complaint I have is some of the songs stretch out a little longer than need be but, as I said before, all of them will destroy your senses because each song is like a miniature invading army and all the soldiers have battering rams.  This album is no doubt one of the heaviest albums of the year, regardless of genre.  If you love doom and great musical performances, I don't see why this shouldn't be added to your collection.