Rising from the ashes of the former deathcore heavyweight Defiants is Stygian, a blackened deathcore four-piece from the Bay Area, California. Holding down the fort are vocalist Dakota Brown, guitarist Dave Candelas-Almada, bassist Donnie Kimbrel, and drummer Andrew Miranda. The quartet wasted zero time in writing their debut EP, Ruinous Pantheon, released January 31st, 2025, through Slam Worldwide. While producing music is important, the group has also stepped back into live performances after being away from the stage for six years. They have performed alongside acts like Broken Glass Sanctuary, 13 Thrones, One Vote for Violence, Thrownout, and many more. They aren't a few young bucks; rather, they are veterans of the scene coming back to pay homage to their roots while embracing the new waves of heavy music.
On October 28th, 2024, Stygian's first single, "The Great Conspirator" was released through Slam Worldwide. The overall responses from commenters and returning fans were the same: this band is unleashing a new wave of technical extreme metal that the scene has needed for years. Exactly a month later, on November 28th, they unveiled "Lord of Excess", a second single again through Slam Worldwide, which too received high praise. Both tracks are equally crushing and over the top insane, but also stand separately, which is a quality you will hear more and more of on this EP. The remaining tracks consist of the blisteringly fast and devastating "Cruel Fate", the eerie and trudging "Extraterrestrial Insemination", and to finish it all off, "Skulls For The Skull Throne", a monster of a final track that covers all the bases that make up the influences and formula that make up Stygian. It is a well-rounded and devastating track that balances the worlds of tech death and black metal with deathcore. I'll be blunt: its a ripper and has set a new bar for anyone seeking to pursue this tier of music.
California is an entity that is a constant supplier of phenomenally incredible music, from the raw levels of punk and hardcore to the ferocious and plethora of death metal, slam, deathcore, and other various heavy or progressive genres. Stygian may be a new name, but the faces within the band are not; their contributions to the scene continue with this new chapter in their careers. They aren't here to play around; instead, they are gearing up to bulldoze their way through the industry, leaving a new foundation in their wake.
Artwork by: Holo Dreamz Designs
Music recorded, mixed & mastered by: Nick Loiacono of Fang Studios
FFO: All Shall Perish, The Black Dahlia Murder, Fit For An Autopsy, Dimmu Borgir
