December 31st, 2025 - Like the Grinch, Erebos Has All the Tender Sweetness of a Seasick Crocodile

 

Hello and happy New Year metal maniacs, and craft beer lovers!  The Meista here with one last 2025 holidays pairing for ya... "Erebos" by the indelible Venom Prison and a tart and spicy Seasick Crocodile from Prairie Artisan Ales!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Venom Prison
• Title: "Erebos"
• Recorded: 2021 at Grindstone Studios in Ipswich, United Kingdom 
  Release date: February 4th, 2022 (4th full-length studio album by Venom Prison)
• Record company: Century Media Records
• Production: Scott Atkins 
• Album cover art: Eliran Kantor 
• Personnel: Joe Bills (drums), Ash Gray (guitars), Mike Jefferies (bass), Larissa Stupar (vocals), and Ben Thomas (guitars)
• Musical style: Death metal, melodic death metal, metalcore
• Sound: Blending old school death metal with more modern melodic death and metalcore elements, the sound on "Erebos" is 
• Major themes: With lyrics exploring socio-political subject matter, themes on the album include misogyny, feminism, chaos, vengeance, violence, war, death, loss, sorrow, mythology, etc.
• Note: I think the album cover art is probably the most hauntingly compelling and disturbing pieces Mr. Kantor has produced.... absolute genius!
• Tracks:  

1. "Born From Chaos"
2. "Judges Of The Underworld"
3. "Nemesis"
4. "Comfort Of Complicity"
5. "Pain Of Oizys"
6. "Golden Apples Of the Hesperides"
7. "Castigated In Steel And Concrete"
8. "Gorgon Sisters"
9. "Veil Of Night"
10. "Technologies Of Death"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales (Oklahoma)
• Website: https://prairieales.com/
• Brew: Seasick Crocodile
• Style: Fruited Sour Ale
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 6.3%
• Ingredients: Sour ale brewed with cranberries, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg
• Pour: The Seasick Crocodile pours a very cloudy, muted deep ruby hue with a frothy, 1-finger bright pinkish white head that slowly dissipates to a thin ring with little lacing.
• Nose: The nose is tart, fruity, and spicy.  There are aromas of freshly sliced ginger, cranberry juice, lime and lemon juice and zest, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a hint of honey.
• Taste: The taste of the Seasick Crocodile follows the nose with fruity, spicy, and tart flavors.  There are notes of ginger beer, , and very subtle graininess.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium in body and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is very effervescent, spicy, and crisp, as well as juicy and refreshing, yet smooth with a spicy and tart finish.

Overall pairing: The Prairie Seasick Crocodile is a bright, spicy, tart, and crushable brew that works well as a foil to the unbridled rage that is Venom Prison's excellent fourth album "Erebos"!  Those complex fruit flavors work well with the intricate guitar work, while those spicy notes go great with the blast beats, the overall aggression, and Stupar's stellar vocals!

Cheers and hails!!  Be safe out there!