Stygian Love is a one-man black metal band from Belgium and this is his second album.
Containing 44 minutes of material, Flowers Fade mixes together atmospheric, depressive, and post-black metal into a compelling vision of blackgaze darkness.
The music is warmly expressive and filled with depressive feelings of loss and heartache. This is not an album of hooks and instant-appeal, but rather a mood-focused collection of hymns to melancholy and loss. Nor is it an aggressive album of harsh textures and brutal intent. No, Flowers Fade is all about the atmosphere, and the crafting of luscious melancholic soundscapes, and in this it succeeds most agreeably.
There’s beauty here within the misery, and the music is emotive and rich. The songs are awash with bright melodies that seem to carry the listener away on waves of pain and anguish. While the music has many assets, including airy synths, it’s the vivid melodies that are the prime focus of the music in my opinion. The rest of the music is no slouch, but its melodic appeal is frequently captivating.
The depressive-style vocals are low in the mix and used as just another instrument, consolidating the artist’s atmosphere-first approach to music. This works well, and leads to an album that’s achingly easy to just sink into and become absorbed by.
The artist behind Stygian Love has produced a work of blackened emotion that’s satisfyingly immersive. If you’re a fan of the style then the eloquent suffering of Flowers Fade should definitely on your list to explore.
Highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 