It’s a saying we’ve heard time and time again: The sequel is never as good as the original. Nine times out of ten, this age old adage proves true. And then you’ll come across a release like Crypt Sermon’s Saturnian Appendices, which is the exception to the rule. Despite 2025 flying by at an alarming pace, I’m convinced that those with even the most shot attention spans vividly recall Crypt Sermon’s last full length, The Stygian Rose. As one of the creative triumphs of 2024, The Stygian Rose didn’t just break new ground for Crypt Sermon as a band, but epic doom as a whole, further expanding the sonic possibilities of this subgenre within a subgenre.
The band’s latest EP, Saturnian Appendices, proliferates this concept with four songs, three originals and a cover, that build upon the foundation of The Stygian Rose, while subsequently paving the way for what a potential fourth Crypt Sermon has in store. Or perhaps by the time we get there, the band will have completely 180’d, surprising us as they always do with something completely different. Considering this is an outfit who has spoken openly about scrapping entire albums worth of music, one never knows what to expect when diving into a Crypt Sermon release, which makes them all the more exciting in today’s age of formulaic slop.
The first two cuts, “Only Ash and Dust” and “A Fool to Believe”, were conceived as part of The Stygian Rose‘s narrative, but were ultimately left off the final release to give it a stronger cohesive flow. That said, don’t dismiss these as songs left on the cutting room floor, but rather a companion piece, equally as compelling and forceful as the piece it accompanies. With its virtuosic guitarwork and venomous vocals, “Only Ash and Dust” boasts that Savatage meets Candlemass approach so prevalent on the last album, and really comes to life with an explosive doom-thrash outburst towards the end, reminiscent of early Trouble. “A Fool to Believe”, on the other hand, lies squarely in the epic doom camp, highlighting the plodding riffage and dragging tempo that were staples of Crypt Sermon’s earliest output.
“Lachrymose”, a song that was composed after the fact, is unique for many reasons. For one, keyboardist Tanner Anderson’s eerie piano stylings are front and center, giving the composition a real melodramatic, nearly pomp metal flair in the vein of ’80s Ozzy and, again, Savatage. Yet whereas the Savatage influence on other Crypt Sermon cuts recalls the USPM savagery of Sirens (1983), “Lachrymose” sounds like a lost cut from the Edge of Thorn (1993) days. Rounding it all out is an epic doom rendition of Mayhem’s legendary “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas”. Because a mere copy-paste cover would scream laziness, Crypt Sermon goes full Vanilla Fudge mode on this one, meaning they’ve completely flipped this black metal classic on its head, crafting a completely new song while maintaining the essence of the original in the process. Call it blasphemy (Isn’t that black metal’s M.O.?), but I’m digging this more than the original!
Much like the album it compliments, Saturnian Appendices is an all killer, no filler EP and another jewel in the Crypt Sermon crown. Like the album it compliments, it is an epic doom release in spirit alone, but showcases a band capable of being even more while never losing sight of their purpose. In other words, if terminology like “progressive” and “ambitious” scare you away because of the potential for completely over-bloated dreck (and your concerns would be legitimate), fear not! Saturnian Appendices is anything but, and a worthwhile addition to your collection.
9 out of 10
Label: Dark Descent Records
Genre: Epic Doom Metal
For fans of: Savatage, Candlemass, Trouble