November 1st, 2020 - Depths Of Decay Straight Under The Stratum

 

Good afternoon and hails evil-doers, and hop-heads!  Your drinking buddy the Meista getting heavy and aggressive with another great pairing tonight... "Depths Of Decay," the debut and sadly, the only album by Virginian death metal band Rotting Obscene along with a crisp and hoppy Straight STRATA Pale Ale from TF Brewing Company!  

Album Info:

• Artist: Rotting Obscene
• Title: "Depths Of Decay"
• Recorded: 2015 at the Basement Studio in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Release date: March 22nd, 2016 (1st full-length studio album by Rotting Obscene)
• Record company: Transcending Records 
• Production: Jamie King and Rotting Obscene 
• Album cover art: Mark Cooper 
• Personnel: Eric Conrad (guitars and vocals), Jonathan Fralick (guitars and vocals), Chris Hylton (drums), and Andrew Mathews (bass) 
• Musical style: Death metal, technical death metal
• Sound: Combining brutal death metal with more technical aspects of the sub-genre, Rotting Obscene is characterized by a relentless sonic attack of insane riffing, brutal blast beats, and Lovecraftian growls and shrieks!
• Major themes: Death, decay, horror, violence, the occult, anti-religion, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Audient Void"
2. "Cataclysmic Advent"
3. "Depths Of Decay"
4. "Nightmares Of The Forlorn"
5. "The Awakening"
6. "Paths Of Deception"
7. "Abhorrent Reprisal"
8. "Temporal Diminishment"
9. "Metamorphic Transcendence"
10. "Absence Of Light"
11. "Warstorm"
12. "Defacing Divinity"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: TF Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://www.tfbrewing.com/
• Brew: Straight STRATA Pale Ale 
• Style: American Pale Ale (APA) 
• Serving: 32 ounce crowler can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Pour: The Straight STRATA Pale Ale pours a fairly clear bright golden yellow with a frothy,1+ finger, bright white head with good sustain and lacing.
• Nose: The nose is dank, herbal, earthy, and citrusy.  There are aromas of pine resin, cedar, light onion, grapefruit rind, bitter herbs, black tea, and hints of soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Straight STRATA Pale Ale is a wonderfully balanced blend of citrusy, earthy, and herbal/botanical flavors.  There are notes of pine, grapefruit juice, orange pith, black tea, bitter herbs, light caramel, and black pepper in the finish. 
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is crisp and sharp with a dry, slightly bitter, peppery finish.

Overall pairing: The complex, punchy, dank, hop-forward flavors and aromas of TF Brewing's Straight STRATA Pale Ale are a great companion to the brutal insanity and intensity that is "Depths Of Decay"!  Those bitter hop notes really work well with the aggression, musical prowess, and lyrical content.  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!  Raise your horns and pints!!