April 8th, 2023 - Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness Of The Mysterious Something

 

 

Hey there evil-doers and artisan brew freaks!  The Meista here today pairing "Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness Of Decay" by the legendary Cradle Of Filth and a very unique and tasty Mysterious Something from the fine folks at Fisher Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Cradle Of Filth
• Title: "Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness Of Decay"
• Recorded: December 2016 through April 2017 at Grindstone Studios in Suffolk, England
• Release date: September 22nd, 2017 (12th studio album by Cradle Of Filth)
• Record company: Nuclear Blast
• Production: Scott Atkins
• Album cover art: Arthur Berzinsh 
• Personnel: Dani Filth (lead vocals), Daniel Firth (bass), Lindsay Schoolcraft (narration), Richard Shaw (guitars), Martin 'Marthus' Škaroupka (drums, keyboards, choir vocals, and orchestration), and Marek 'Ashok' Šmerda (guitars) 
• Additional musicians: Martin Franze (choir and baritone vocals, and choir artistic leader), Jakub Herzan (choir and tenor vocals), Petr Janovsky (choir and bass vocals), Liv Kristine (vocals on "Vengeful Spirit"), Lucie Korinkova (choir, and alto and soprano vocals), Miloš Makovský (choir vocals), Ivan Nepivoda (choir and tenor vocals), Linda Nepivodova (choir and alto vocals), Vit Starka (choir and bass vocals), and Dana Toncrová (choir and soprano vocals)
• Musical style: Symphonic black metal, extreme gothic metal
• Sound: As with all COF albums, "Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness Of Decay" is bombastic, complex, dark, and richly textured. 
• Major themes: Occultism, paganism, death, the supernatural, mythology, dark romance, lust, horror, etc.  Of the album, Dani Filth described it as... "deeply infused with Victorian gothic horror and thus the title is a reflection of that. 'Cryptoriana' implies the Victorians' infatuation with the supernatural, the grave and the ghoulish. And the subtitle, 'The Seductiveness Of Decay', further cements this attraction to death and the glittering lengthy process of self-annihilation."
• Tracks: 

1. "Exquisite Torments Await..."
2. "Heartbreak And Seance"
3. "Achingly Beautiful"
4. "Wester Vespertine"
5. "The Seductiveness Of Decay"
6. "Vengeful Spirit"
7. "You Will Know The Lion By His Claw"
8. "Death And The Maiden"
9. "The Night At Catafalque Manor"
10. "Alison Hell" (Annihilator cover)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Fisher Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.fisherbeer.com//
• Brew: Mysterious Something 
• Style: Belgian-Style Ale
• Serving: 25-ounce crowler can
• ABV: 7.7% 
• Ingredients: "Partially fermented with a yeast strain from a Trappist brewery, then finished with a blend of Brettanomyces" 
• Pour: The Mysterious Something pours a hazy, copper-amber hue with an off-white head, thin, yet frothy head that dissipates fairly quickly, leaving only a light ring with very little lacing.
• Nose: The nose is fruity, herbal, spicy, and slightly funky and boozy.  There are aromas of banana, pear, spiced apple, cloves, lemon zest, and hints of wet leather and horse blanket. 
• Taste: The taste of the Mysterious Something follows the nose with lots of fruity, spicy, earthy, and slightly funky flavors.  There are notes of spices (cloves and nutmeg), pear juice/syrup, soft banana, orange peel, lemon zest, a little barnyard funk, booze, and soft toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp, spicy, bubbly, yet very smooth with a dry, slightly funky and boozy finish.

Overall pairing: The complex and bold, yet very crushable, very drinkable tastiness of Fisher's Mysterious Something is perfect for an evening of the dark complexity Cradle Of Filth's wonderful musical journey that is "Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness Of Decay"!  The fruitier esters and flavors go great with Dani's infernal vocals, while the more herbal, spicy, and funky notes go great with the richly textured musical passages and themes, as well as the soaring guitars, orchestral and choral elements.  'Nuff said!

Cheers and hails!!