March 9th, 2025 - An Eternal Curse in a Dark Season

 

Hey there headbangers and craft brew lovers!  Happy Sunday!  Your drinking buddy the Meista is here today rocking the hell out with another great pairing for ya... I'm headbanging to "Eternal Curse", the brand new, just released, kick-ass 6th album by the mighty Claymorean and a dark and tasty Drk Szn Black Pilsner from the fine folks at Lumberbeard Brewing!  Hell yeah!  

Album Info:

• Artist: Claymorean
• Title: "Eternal Curse"
• Recorded: 2024 in Lazarevac, Serbia
• Release date: February 17th, 2025 (6th full-length studio album by Claymorean)
• Record company: Stormspell Records
• Production: Boris Šurlan and Claymorean
• Album cover art: Anton Atanasov
• Personnel: Dejana Betsa Garčević (lead vocals), Goran Garčević (bass and backing vocals), Vladimir "Vlad Invictus" Garčević (guitars and backing vocals), Marko Novaković (drums and backing vocals), and Vladimir Novaković (guitars and backing vocals)
• Guest musician: Srđan Bilić (lead guitar on "Wind Before The Storm")
• Musical style: Heavy metal, power metal with elements of doom metal
• Sound: Bold, bombastic, and heavy as hell, the sound on Claymorean's "Eternal Curse" blends epic power metal with doom metal, and even a little thrash.  The tracks are characterized by soaring guitars, thunderous bass and drums, and Dejana's amazing vocal performances!
• Major themes: Sword and sorcery, valor, good vs. evil, dark fantasy, mythology, history, horror, vampires, war, etc.
• Tracks
1. "Overture 1914"
2. "By This Sword We Rule"
3. "Under The Sign Of The Cross"
4. "Battle Born"
5. "300"
6. "Wind Before The Storm"
7. "Eternal Curse"
8. "Bannockburn"
9. "The Oath" (Kiss cover)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Lumberbeard Brewing (Spokane, Washington)
• Website: https://lumberbeardbrewing.com/
• Brew: Drk Szn Black Pilsner
• Style: Schwarzbier
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 4.9%
• Pour: The Drk Szn pours an opaque, very dark brown (almost black) hue with a light mocha, 1-finger head that slowly dissipates to a thin ring with sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Drk Szn is toasty, roasty, slightly fruity, and malty.  There are aromas of dark toasted white bread, light roasted coffee beans, hints of dark chocolate, light plum, and burnt toffee.
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste is roasty, toasty, grainy, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of cacao, light roasted coffee, dark fruits (plum and raisin), and sweet caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Drk Szn is crisp and very smooth with a dry, clean finish.

Overall pairing: The Lumberbeard Drk Szn is a very crushable, dark, and flavorful brew that is a perfect companion to the rockin' metal onslaught that is the mighty Claymorean!  Those dark notes go great with the darker thematic elements of the album's lyrics and rhythms, while the lighter, crisper elements go great with the fiery guitars and soaring vocals!  What a fantastic album... I highly recommend picking up a copy!  Order a copy here: https://stormspell.bigcartel.com/product/claymorean-eternal-curse-cd

Cheers and hails!!  Rock on!!

And if you haven't done so already, check out my interview from last May with Dejana and Vlad Garčević!  You can access it here: https://youtu.be/TlKXFjl2JSg