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1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Stygian is a black metal band from Italy, born out of a deep need to confront the spiritual decay of modern civilization. We blend elements of black metal and crust punk to create something both raw and emotionally evocative. Our music reflects resistance to religious dogma, ecological destruction and cultural homogenization. Each of us comes from a different background in extreme music, and Stygian grew naturally from our shared roots in the underground scene of our city, Ravenna.
2. You have your first full length coming out in July, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
Our first full-length will be released in July through Time To Kill Records, and it represents the core of what Stygian is all about. Musically, it’s rooted in black metal, but we bring in a strong crust punk and hardcore influence not just in rhythm and tone but in attitude. Expect harsh tremolos, blasting fury and moments of haunting atmosphere. The lyrics carry a ritualistic and introspective depth but musically we keep it raw and direct, avoiding over-produced or polished elements.
3. All of the band members also have experience working with other styles of metal with different bands, how would you compare the musical style of 'Stygian' to other musical genres, you have worked with in the past or present?
Stygian feels like a return to something more primal. In previous bands, we’ve explored technical death metal, sludge, doom, hardcore but with Stygian we focus on raw emotional power rather than complexity. It's less about precision and more about channelling a visceral, almost spiritual, force. There’s an urgency and directness here that cuts deeper than our other projects.
4. A lot of your lyrics cover Paganism and Occultism themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?
We are deeply drawn to pre-Christian, nature-based spiritual traditions. Paganism, to us, represents a worldview where human beings are part of the natural order not above it. It’s about balance, reverence and connection. The occult, on the other hand, deals with the unseen forces that shape reality, and our lyrics often explore that liminal space between the material and the spiritual. In both cases it’s a form of rebellion against the control and repression enforced by monotheistic religions.
5. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Stygian'?
The name refers to the River Styx from Greek mythology: a boundary between the world of the living and the dead. “Stygian” evokes darkness, the underworld and the unknowable. We chose it because it perfectly represents the atmosphere and themes that deals with death, transition, mystery and the hidden aspects of human experience.
6. Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The album cover shows crumbling cathedrals, decaying relics of human arrogance and spiritual domination. They symbolize the fleeting and fragile nature of man-made dogmas constructions that once aimed to impose order, now being reclaimed by time. This imagery speaks directly to one of the core themes of the album: the inevitable collapse of systems built in defiance of nature.
In contrast, the booklet artwork reveals a lush forest seen from within dense, alive and enveloping. It represents the eternal dominion of nature over mankind. While the cover depicts the downfall of artificial authority, the interior artwork offers a vision of what persists beyond that fall: a return to the primordial, to the sacred and untamed. Together, the two visuals form a symbolic arc from ruin to rebirth.
7. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We’ve played a few underground gigs that really captured the energy we aim for small venues, no barriers, smoke, strobes, raw intensity. Our live shows are immersive and confrontational. We don’t just perform songs we invoke something. It’s meant to feel like a ritual, where the audience becomes part of the experience. It's not about entertainment, it's catharsis.
8. Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Actually, we’re waiting for responses from a few booking agencies we’ve contacted. Things are not easy, the underground circuit is shrinking and it's becoming harder each year to find space for bands like ours, especially if you don’t fit neatly into trends or commercial formats. But we’re not giving up. We’ll keep pushing, keep supporting the scene, and keep playing wherever there’s a floor and an audience willing to feel something real. This music was born in basements and squats and that’s still where its heart beats strongest.
9. On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of extreme metal, hardcore and crust punk?
We’re still at the beginning, but the response so far has been encouraging. People who are into raw and honest forms of extreme music seem to connect with what we’re doing. We’ve had good feedback from the local scene and some interest starting to grow abroad through our social channels and word of mouth. It’s a slow process, but we believe in building something with substance rather than chasing hype.
10. What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Our vocalist Emi is also active with Triceratopo, a band that blends stoner, sludge metal, and hardcore punk. Their music is characterized by a provocative attitude and lyrics that oscillate between irony and social critique.
Our drummer Rolando is younger and extremely active, he's involved in several bands like Sedna, who need no introduction and are currently working on their new album, Burning Dogma, and Cremisi, bringing his energy and versatility to each.
As for the rest of us — Paolo, Lucio, and myself (Mirko) — we’ve been friends for a long time and were previously members of Angerdome. Right now, we’re fully focused on Stygian.
11. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We want to push the contrast even further harsher aggression alongside deeper atmospheres. There might be more ritualistic elements, maybe even folk instrumentation but still grounded in an extreme punk and black metal foundation. Conceptually, we’re exploring new mythologies and historical narratives that resonate with our worldview. We don’t want to just get heavier we want to get more profound.
12. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
We all grew up listening to early forms of extreme music: from hardcore punk to the first waves of death, black, thrash, crust and grindcore and that background naturally shaped the way we write and play. Those roots are still very present in our sound and attitude. Naming specific bands would be reductive because what shaped us is a broader culture and spirit that ran through the underground scenes we grew up in.
Lately, we’ve been listening to bands like Mgła, Uada, Full Of Hell, Svartkonst, Wormwitch, Cult Leader, probably the more well-known names among the newer bands we follow. But we also keep an eye on what’s happening in our own territory. Italian bands like Sedna, The End of Six Thousand Years, and Hierophant continue to push boundaries and carry forward a vision that feels close to our own. It's inspiring to see how even the local scene remains vital and full of substance.
13. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for the space. We’ll keep doing what we do and supporting the underground scene that shaped us.
At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about: having fun, sharing something real, supporting each other and giving space to voices and themes the mainstream tends to ignore.
See you at the shows.
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