The circularly milling maw of our narrator splays with spittle-flinging enthuse as a second tale of apocalyptic death-sorcery and possession hails from the chittering lips and hundred-eyed stare of San José, Costa Rica-based necromantik stoner/doom metal trio CRYPT MONARCH as they incant this sophomore full-length album. Set two centuries beyond the events of their first record ‘Codex Pestilentia‘ follows the determination of a battalion in search of the titular tome which bears the power to seal their antagonist, a malevolent warlock, and his ruthless command of the dead the world over. From armageddon toasted lands and across a vast continent spanning desert their own brand of morbid psychedelic doom and (now) gruff sludge-tempered delivery convey heroic sojourn through bleakest unreal realms unto an above average result.

Crypt Monarch formed back in MMXX between folks known for sludge/doom metal bands Age of the Wolf, VoidOath, and Deplorable as well as death metal group Candarian with a dark high fantasy themed admixture of stoner, sludge and traditional doom metal ideas in mind. Their debut LP (‘The Necronaut‘, 2021) arrived sans any precursory releases with a sort of Sleep-meets-Electric Wizard affected sound, raw and loosely swung with plenty of feedback crushed swells and raring delivery which folks expect from this style beyond the late 90’s/early 2000’s. In review I’d loved its surreal Sabbath groove while carrying a “rehearsal room fresh” sense of jammed movement, additionally commenting that it was a typical first album, a decent sub-genre entry point rather than anything to fully freak out over. Still the theme was cool, their overall sound design was immersive and I was left confident they’d return with some manner of amplified iteration sooner or later. That is the case with album number two.

‘Codex Pestilentia‘ does well to address most of those general criticisms through refined audio-visual experience, boasting more distinct sonic characterization and a better looking/sounding record overall. An increase in audio fidelity in concert with shorter song lengths (compared to ‘The Necronaut‘ and its 10-15 minute epics) doesn’t render Crypt Monarch unidentifiable here so much as fittingly evolved in voice and render per the four years since their last. The distant haze of their prior work is reduced almost entirely here, creating a directness which pits the performance and listener in well-shortened distance with a front row seat to a series of oft shouted and slow hammered lunges. The second half of the LP is probably more representative in this sense, particularly the two-part closer “Eaten by the Castle of Flies (Pt.1 Acid Chambers/Pt.2 Dark Dawn Scythe)”.

The increasingly doomed saga unfolding within these five pieces calls for something different and Crypt Monarch‘s shift to a stronger level of contrast between their dual-vocal approach stands out the most up front via opener “Terror From Above” and its flow between clean-sung, shouted, and kinda growled temperament. The harder shouted passages alongside some more melodic singing should more than likely read as late 90’s sludge inspired to the long standing fan but the actual riffs and grind-through still links up with psychedelic doom metal movement. This creates a similar feeling for the duration for Side A where the repetitive slow-burn and languish of “Cultus Solis Aeterni” offers their most notable linkage from past to present on the full listen.

On the flipside “War of the Gargantuan (Aquadome)” is the full hybridization on display, sure, but also the personality behind Crypt Monarch spiking up in ways which aren’t so typical. Gang-shouted verses, at least one notable tempo shift, and slow-burnt riffcraft create tension within what should be a dry ~10 minute plod in their hands and this’d consistently been one of the more fixated pieces for my taste on each run through. With the main riffs on Part I of closer “Eaten by the Castle of Flies” echoing too closely with the piece that’d preceded I’d found the whole of Side B melted together. The whole of the second half will probably appeal to folks who wanted just a bit more traditional doom edge in early releases from Conan or Horn of the Rhino, not the same dynamic but not unrelated either.

Any fan of kinda aggro sludge/doom metal given to the buzzing, stoney realm of psychedelia induced exaggeration will be more than comfortable following the tale of ‘Codex Pestilentia‘ by vibes and sonic lustre alone…. but the lore/world building suggested here is inspired enough that my experience with this album held it above-average. Better looking, better sounding and altogether put together in a way that carried more of its own personae in hand the major triumph of the Crypt Monarch‘s second time around ends up being greater distinction from their related projects as their work tells an entertaining story and keeps it heavy, or, active throughout in a way that is never cheaply cinematic or given to too-broad gesturing. A moderately high recommendation.

NOTE: Things From Beyond (vinyl – USA), Heavy Threads (vinyl – UK/EU), Cognitive Discordance Records (CD), and Violence Records (cassette).

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