The follow-up to their well-received 2020 self-titled debut stays true to the Stygian Crown's sprawling doom template that also incorporates elements of classic metal and death metal. Tracked at five different studios from Los Angeles to Melbourne, Australia, with mixing duties falling onto Mark Kelson and mastering courtesy of Charles Elliott, the album occasionally drifts into traditional metal territory but largely keeps its boots on the ground in doom. Stygian Crown (who are comprised of vocalist/keyboardist Melissa Pinion, the guitar team of Nelson Miranda and Andy Hicks, bassist Eric Bryan and drummer Rhett Davis) benefitted from contributions from all band members. The process included the band tossing early songwriting ideas or re-writing them altogether. The Bargain was finally committed to tape after its third revision, while album standout Blood Red Eyes was originally a full band composition but ultimately scaled back to include vocals, piano and violin. Pinion's emergence on Funeral for a King cannot be understated. While she appeared comfortable on the self-titled debut, here, she is in command of songs that are unabashedly heavy and loaded with dynamics. Funeral for a King's lyrics tackle a recurring theme for Stygian Crown: the nature of monsters and how they are defined. The album features cover art from the hailed Kris Verwimp, who discussed a multitude of ideas with Davis before the drummer landed on the Funeral for a King title while practicing Rainbow songs in his home drum room. It proved to be the perfect tie-in to the band's mythological themes and their love of classic metal. The beauty of Funeral for a King lies not only with the craftsmanship of its songs but also with the shared experiences of the members of Stygian Crown. All five have been in a variety of bands before Stygian Crown, but none have quite gotten the creative satisfaction until now. Doom coming from an honest place like this is hard to deny.
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