November 27th, 2021 - XIX, VII, XXV, XVII

 

Good after my metal brethren and beer drinking friends!  The Meista here with another killer pairing for ya!  This one is with a couple Utah originals...  Arsenic Addiction and their kick-ass album "XIX" and a dangerously tasty VII XXV XVII Wheatwine Ale from the fine folks at Level Crossing Brewing Company!  Hells yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Arsenic Addiction 
• Title: "XIX"
• Recorded: 2019 at Beast Recordings in Salt Lake City, Utah
• Release date: September 23rd, 2019 (3rd full-length studio album released by Arsenic Addiction)
• Record company: Independent
• Production: Randy Beasterfield and Arsenic Addiction
• Album cover art: Dylan Garrett Smith 
• Personnel: Lady Arsenic (vocals and keyboards), Ripper (guitars), Dylan Givens (bass), and Nate Dahlquist (drums) 
• Guest musician: Brian Medeiros (drums)
• Musical style: Gothic metal with elements of black metal and death metal 
• Sound: Wonderfully blending death and black metal elements with haunting gothic elements, the sound on "XIX" is a richly textured tapestry of beauty, darkness, intensity, complexity, and aggression!
• Major themes/lyrical content: Life, death, the occult, paganism, nature, natural elements, magic, etc.
• Tracks:

1. "As Above"
2. "Moon & Sun"
3. "Air"
4. "Tomb Of Sleep"
5. "Spirit"
6. "Summons"
7. "Ash Of The Earth"
8. "Water"
9. "Amethyst"
10. "Fire"
11. "Maleficium"
12. "Earth"
13. "So Below"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Level Crossing Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.levelcrossingbrewing.com/ 
• Brew: VII XXV XVII Wheatwine Ale
• Style: American wheat wine
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 10.5%
• Pour: The VII XXV XVII Wheatwine Ale pours a slightly hazy, copper-amber with a billowy, off-white head with great retention and soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by sweet, malty, fruity, and hoppy aromas.  There are notes of cracked wheat, lemon zest, dark fruits (raisins, figs, and dates), sweet caramel/toffee, and butterscotch.
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste of the VII XXV XVII Wheatwine Ale is a blend of sweet and resinous flavors.  There are notes of caramel, sweet malt, herbal tea, lemon juice and zest, orange pith, lemon drops candy, bitter hops, dark fruits, and a bit of an alcohol burn in the finish.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is somewhat syrupy with a dry, bitter, and boozy finish.

Overall pairing: The Level Crossing VII XXV XVII Wheatwine Ale is wonderfully complex and bold with a hearty backbone and loads of intense flavors that go great with the aggressive power and dark beauty of Arsenic Addiction!  Those sweeter flavors go great with the fiery guitars of Ripper and the bass riffs while the boozy bite is right in line with the intense drumming of Dahlquist and Medeiros, and the bitterness is great with Lady Arsenic's beautifully haunting clean vocals and her powerful harsh vocals!

Cheers!!  Horns raised!!

And if you haven't done so already, check out my interview with band from a few weeks ago: https://youtu.be/U6veN6KXeJY