BravePicks 2024 - CRYPT SERMON's The Stygian Rose #4
December 27, 2024, 3 days ago
In 1994, BraveWords & Bloody Knuckles magazine was born and here we stand 30 years later celebrating the past 12 months of music on our anniversary! What an incredible ride it has been and it's far from over! And during the past three decades, we've literally seen/heard thousands of releases and this is the time of the season when we crown the finest! The BraveWords scribes have spoken, so join us each day this month as we count down to the BravePick of 2024!
Remember, everybody has an opinion and it’s time for ours! Stay tuned at the end of December for BraveWords' writers’ individual Top 20s (new studio albums ONLY), Top 5 Brave Embarrassments (a fan favorite!), What/Who Needs To Stop In 2024? and Metal Predictions For 2025.
BravePicks 2024
4) CRYPT SERMON - The Stygian Rose (Dark Descent)
One of the most exciting newer acts is Crypt Sermon – the Philly act caught much attention with 2019’s The Ruins Of Fading Light with their epic doom stylings. The Crypt opened up once again in 2024 with the all-important third album. The Stygian Rose is based on a unique concept inspired by Paschal Beverly Randolf, an early American spiritualist and sex magician.
It’s a topic often explored lyrically, but the meat of the matter is the rich textures and huge sound Crypt Sermon hammers through the speakers, resulting in an awe-inspiring, impressive album from start to finish. They have cemented themselves as one of the best the world has to offer as The Stygian Rose blooms at #4.
Scribe Rich Catino gave the album a golden score of 10; an excerpt of his review:
Yes, Sermon are described as epic doom, and that they are, but the arrangements are colored with charging tempos and riff changes, and these beautiful melodic parts, as in this first song. And the solo section is full of excellent purposeful choices in notes. With only six songs on the album and an average of five plus to seven minutes it takes talent to hold one's attention. Something Crypt Sermon have no problem achieving.
Second track "Thunder (Perfect Mind)" is like a lost Lefay song, with a deep strong projected voice behind the music even includes some melodic (slow) black metal leads accents. Keys start "Open The Hollow" into a catchy mid pace riff and rhythm, while video track "Heavy Is the Crown Of Bone" chugs along with movement, seamless proggy changes amongst drum and bass patterns. These guys are talented. Spooky keys pose a melancholy tone for "Scrying Orb" where singer Brooks Wilson uses his smoother singer side too. And the title track is eleven minutes of darkness and doom wrapped into the album artwork.
BravePicks 2024 Top 30
5) KERRY KING - From Hell I Rise (Reigning Phoenix)
6) BORKNAGAR - Fall (Century Media)
7) SEBASTIAN BACH - Child Within The Man (Reigning Phoenix)
8) GRAND MAGUS - Sunraven (Nuclear Blast)
9) IOTUNN - Kinship (Metal Blade)
10) NILE - The Underworld Awaits Us All
11) EVERGREY - Theories Of Emptiness (Napalm)
12) THE CROWN - Crown Of Thorns (Metal Blade)
13) NECROPHOBIC - In The Twilight Grey (Century Media)
14) DJEVEL - Natt Til Ende (Aftermath)
15) INTRANCED - Muerte y Metal (High Roller)
16) KITTIE - Fire (Sumerian)
17) BLACKTOP MOJO - Pollen (Cuhmon Music Group)
19) RIOT V - Mean Streets
20) PORTRAIT - The Host
21) ROTTING CHRIST - Pro Xristou (Season Of Mist)
22)SAXON - Hell, Fire And Damnation (Silver Lining)
23) ULCERATE - Cutting The Throat Of God (Debemur Morti Productions)
24) POWERWOLF - Wake Up The Wicked (Napalm)
25) ENSIFERUM - Winter Storm (Metal Blade)
26) OPETH - The Last Will And Testament (Reigning Phoenix Music)
27) DARK TRANQUILLITY - Endtime Signals (Century Media)
28) MORGUL BLADE - Heavy Metal Wraiths (No Remorse)
29) THE DEAD DAISIES - Light 'Em Up (Independent)
30) MÖRK GRYNING - Fasornas Tid (Season Of Mist)
