November 11th, 2023 - As Gomorrah Burns, The River Runs Black

 

Greetings headbangers and craft beer freaks!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here rocking the hell out with a pairing of "As Gomorrah Burns", the latest kick-ass, death metal beast by the mighty Cryptopsy and a tasty and roasty Černá Reka from Bob Magnale Artisans Brasseurs in collaboration with Épitaphe!  This pairing goes out to my buddies Stéph Dèls and Matt McGachy.  Thanks very much for the beer, Stéph and thanks for hanging out with me and my wife, Matt... à votre santé and hails!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Cryptopsy
• Title: "As Gomorrah Burns"
• Recorded: 2023 Montreal 
• Release date: September 8th, 2023 (8th studio album by Cryptopsy)
• Record company: Nuclear Blast Records
• Production: Christian Donaldson 
• Album cover art: Paolo Girardi (artwork) and Flo Mounier (logo) 
• Personnel: Christian Donaldson (guitars), Matt McGachy (vocals), Flo Mounier (drums), and Olivier Pinard (bass)
• Musical style: Brutal death metal, technical death metal
• Sound: Aggressive, heavy as hell, and wonderfully brutal, the sound on "As Gomorrah Burns" is classic Cryptopsy death metal, yet fresh and new!  From the opening notes of "Lascivious Undivine" to the finale of "Praise The Filth", this beast of a collection grabs you by the collar, slams you against the wall, and demands your attention!
• Major themes: Death, sickness, evil, darkness, the occult, blasphemy, misery, mutilation, horror, gore, insanity, violence, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Lascivious Undivine"
2. "In Abeyance"
3. "Godless Deceiver"
4. "Ill Ender"
5. "Flayed The Swine"
6. "The Righteous Lost"
7. "Obeisant"
8. "Praise The Filth"

 Brew Info:

• Brewery: Bob Magnale Artisans Brasseurs (Acton Vale, Québec, Canada) in collaboration with Épitaphe (Québec, Québec, Canada)
• Website: https://bobmagnale.com/en/
• Brew: Černá Reka 
• Style: Dark Czech Lager
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 4.5% 
• Pour: The Černá Reka pours a deep, dark brown (almost ink black) with a frothy and billowy, half finger, light mocha head with sustained retention and sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is toasty, roasty, nutty, and malty.  There are aromas of dark roasted malts, toasted bread, walnuts, roasted hazelnuts, a hint of coffee, light burnt toffee, oak, and light smokiness.
• Taste: The taste of the Černá Reka follows the nose with lots of roasted and toasted malt flavors.  There are notes of dark roasted malts, well toasted hearty bread, a hint of liquid smoke, soft caramel/toffee, with light bitterness.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Černá Reka is very crisp and smooth with a dry, fairly clean finish.

Overall pairing: The Černá Reka from Bob Magnale Artisans Brasseurs is a dark and complex, yet very crushable brew with lots of roasty and toasty flavors, which makes it a great beer to throw back to the complex intensity of the fiery riffs, brutally growling vocals, and thunderous rhythm section on the mighty Cryptopsy's "As Gomorrah Burns"!  'Nuff said! 

Make sure to check out my interview with Cryptopsy vocalist Matt McGachy here:  https://youtu.be/-uoPmHbw_ws

Cheers and hails!!