February 6th, 2022 - We Of Grievance And Scorn

 

Hello and happy Sunday craft beer freaks and my metal brethren!  The Meista here today with a sermon of grievance and scorn.  I'm pairing Shed The Skin's kickass "We Of Scorn" and a bold and boozy Grievance Scotch Ale from SaltFire Brewing!  Hell yeah!

  
Album Info: 

• Artist: Shed The Skin
• Title: "We Of Scorn"
• Recorded: 2018 at Severn Studios, Frequenscream Studios, and Mercinary Studios
• Release date: July 27th, 2018 (2nd full-length studio album by Shed The Skin)
• Record company: Hells Headbangers Records
• Production: Dan Swanö and Shed The Skin
• Album cover art: James "Human Furnace" Bulloch 
• Personnel: Kyle Severn (drums), Matt Sorg (guitars), Ed Stephens (bass), and Ash Thomas (guitars and vocals)
• Guest musicians: Brian Boston (keyboards on "Forever"), Damon Conn (violin on "From Tortured Remains"), and Dan Swanö (backing vocals on "Serpentspawn Upheaval") 
• Musical style: Death metal
• Sound: Blending straight-forward traditional death metal with elements of thrash and doom, with "We Of Scorn", Shed The Skin displays not only their vast musical prowess, but provides a richly textured and powerful musical statement! 
• Major themes: Death, evil, darkness, the occult, violence, gore, horror, insanity, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "From Tortured Remains"
2. "We Of Scorn"
3. "Treppaning Sanity"
4. "Tetrachy Pact"
5. "Legion Of The Scorpion"
6. "Luminous Transgression"
7. "Serpentspawn Upheaval"
8. "A Stone Awoke The Titans"
9. "Remonstrating The Preserver" (Hetsheads cover)
10. "Forever"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: SaltFire Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://www.saltfirebrewing.com/
• Brew: Grievance Scotch Ale 
• Style: Scotch Ale (aged 10 months in Laird's Applejack Brandy barrels) 
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 8.9%
• Pour: The Grievance pours a slightly hazy, caramel bronze hue with a half-finger, off-white head that dissipates fairly quickly leaving a thin cap.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by bready, malty, fruity, and boozy aromas.  There are notes of toasted sweet bread, apple, raisin, black cherry, sweet caramel/toffee, and brandy.
• Taste: The taste of the Grievance is malty, sweet, fruity, and slightly boozy.  There are notes of roasted malts, toasted hearty bread, apple, fig, dates, brown sugar, brandy, and sweet caramel/burnt toffee. 
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is thick and very smooth with a dry, boozy finish.

Overall pairing: SaltFire's Grievance Scotch Ale's bold and intricate flavors and aromas go so great with the aggression and intensity of "Days Before The World Wept"!  The fiery and soaring guitar work of Sorg and Thomas shines even brighter with the sweeter notes of the brew, while that boozy punch is right in line with the guttural vocals of Thomas and the sweet and hearty malt backbone is great for Severn's thunderous drumming and Stephens' intricate bass work!

Cheers and hails!!