Later this year, Los Angeles traditional doom metallers Stygian Crown will release their second LP through Cruz Del Sur Music. In early March, the five-piece traveled to Germany to perform at the vaunted Hell Over Hammaburg Festival alongside Morne, Brutus, Wheel, Sanhedrin and others. Their making the trip comes almost three full years after the June 2020 arrival of their self-titled debut, from which songs like “Devour the Dead” and “Up Through the Depths” are taken, and between the two records is certainly a tumultuous stretch of time. Nonetheless, Stygian Crown‘s doom is resilient, strident, and forceful in its metal-stud-accoutrements homage to Candlemass and Dio-era Sabbath, and conveyed with due presence through the vocals of Melissa Pinion and the riffs of guitarists Andy Hicks and Nelson Miranda and the steady roll/periodic shove — looking at you, “Flametongue” — from bassist Eric Bryan and drummer Rhett Davis (ex-Morgion).

If you heard the album — and I’m sure you did because it’s not like there was anything else going on that spring/summer — you already know it’s a work of stately heavy metal, with Pinion at the fore melodically over fist-pump-worthy progressions like that of closer “Two Coins for the Ferryman.” The keyboard lines in the studio version of that album-finale and the other cuts are absent from the live renditions here, and while Pinion contributed in that regard in the studio, it makes sense watching the video that, as she conquers either side of the stage, or the middle for that matter, she might not necessarily want to be tethered to a keyboard instead. Lose some flourish, gain raw impact. These are the tradeoffs one makes in deciding how to bring material to life, but it does nothing to hold Stygian Crown back, either for “Two Coins for the Ferryman” or anywhere else, and it raises curiosity as to how “Where the Candle Always Burns” and “Scourge of the Seven Hills” might be embellished when the new LP arrives.

I don’t know when that will be, mind you, but there’s a lot of 2023 left and always room for doom. In the interim, the 43-minute video serves well as a bridge leaving behind one full-length and embarking on the next, and I find in watching that I remain a sucker for the ubiquity of concert videos. Especially being a pro-shot, multi-camera, soundboard-audio example of the form, it’s enough to make me feel old remembering a time when such things were the treasures of bootleg hunters rather than something to be dialed up in a matter of seconds. You might find a VHS at somebody’s merch table or in some distro somewhere, or trade through the mail if that was your thing, but even then, you’d be dumb lucky to stumble on something of this kind of quality for a band with only one record out. I could go on, but again, it makes me feel old. Not exclusive in that, these days.

Don’t let me keep you. Doom awaits, and more to come with the next record before the end of the year.

In advance of that, please enjoy:

Stygian Crown, ‘Live From Hell Over Hammaburg 2023’ premiere

Stygian Crown Releases “Live From Hell Over Hammaburg” Video

Los Angeles epic doom band Stygian Crown has released a video of their full set from the March 3-4 festival “Hell Over Hammaburg” in Hamburg, Germany.

“Live from Hell Over Hammaburg” showcases the band’s set from the sold-out festival at the Markthalle Hamburg. The two-day fest also featured artists including Sanhedrin, High Spirits and The Ruins of Beverast.

“There is no substitute for actually being at Hell Over Hammaburg, but we think this is the next best thing,” said singer Melissa Pinion. “We are extremely grateful to the festival promoters for accommodating the Visual Evidence camera crew so we can share this unforgettable experience with the world.”

Stygian Crown’s set:

Devour the Dead
Up From the Depths
Scourge of the Seven Hills
Two Coins for the Ferryman
Where the Candle Always Burns
Flametongue

The set featured four songs from the self-titled debut and two new songs, including the world premiere of “Where the Candle Always Burns,” which is expected to be on the new release, along with “Scourge of the Seven Hills.”

The new album is expected to drop in 2023 through Cruz Del Sur Music.

STYGIAN CROWN:
Melissa Pinion – Vocals, Synth
Nelson Tomas Miranda – Lead Guitar
Eric Bryan – Bass Guitar
Andy Hicks – Lead Guitar
Rhett A. Davis – Drums

Stygian Crown, Stygian Crown (2020)

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Stygian Crown on Bandcamp

Stygian Crown linktr.ee

Cruz Del Sur Music on Facebook

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Cruz del Sur Music website

The ongoing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the varied responses of publics and governments worldwide, and the disruption to lives and livelihoods has reached a scale that is unprecedented. Whatever the month or the month after or the future itself brings, more than one generation will bear the mark of having lived through this time, and art, artists, and those who provide the support system to help uphold them have all been affected.

In continuing the Days of Rona feature, it remains pivotal to give a varied human perspective on these events and these responses. It is important to remind ourselves that whether someone is devastated or untouched, sick or well, we are all thinking, feeling people with lives we want to live again, whatever renewed shape they might take from this point onward. We all have to embrace a new normal. What will that be and how will we get there?

Thanks to all who participate. To read all the Days of Rona coverage, click here. — JJ Koczan

Days of Rona: Melissa Pinion of Stygian Crown (Los Angeles, California)

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How have you been you dealing with this crisis as a band? As an individual? What effect has it had on your plans or creative processes?

We all live in areas that are under lockdown, so we can’t rehearse as a group. Numerous shows and festivals we were scheduled to play have been canceled or postponed as a result of the pandemic. However, we have been keeping up our chops so we can come out strong when venues begin to reopen. This downtime has given us the chance to begin developing riffs, basic song structures and lyrics for a follow-up album.

How do you feel about the public response to the outbreak where you are? From the government response to the people around you, what have you seen and heard from others?

It’s hard to say without actually seeing the inside of hospitals, but based on statistics, it appears that the stay-at-home orders are actually working at the moment and our healthcare sector is handling our cases without having to turn away anyone else with critical needs. The initial panic that we saw in mid-March has vanished, and in its place has appeared an anticipation for the world around us to get back to “normal.” The problem is, no one really knows what that means.

What do you think of how the music community specifically has responded? How do you feel during this time? Are you inspired? Discouraged? Bored? Any and all of it?

There are two sides to this. Obviously, we feel badly for all the bands whose primary source of income comes from touring. Countless support staff in the entertainment industry have lost their jobs too. What many artists have done in the wake of this crisis is turned a negative situation into something positive. All of the live-streaming performances have been inspiring to see. And the money being raised by these artists for various causes shows us that listeners really care about the bands they follow.

Additionally, Germany’s “Keep It True” festival compiled hours and hours of past footage and presented it on YouTube to give fans something to enjoy on the weekend the festival was supposed to take place. We hope this positive vibe continues when the virus gets under control.

What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything? What is your new normal? What have you learned from this experience, about yourself, your band, or anything?

Stygian Crown will release its debut album amid a pandemic, but our passion to create and perform will not be stopped by the coronavirus. And with the support of the metal community, we’ll be back with a vengeance before you know it!

facebook.com/stygiancrown/
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cruzdelsurmusic.bandcamp.com/