September 5th, 2025 - You'd Better Spend Your Night Indoors My Friends... Because the Carnage Casts Shadows Tonight!

 

Hello and happy Friday craft beer freaks and my metal brethren!  The Meista here today with another killer pairing for ya... I'm pairing Shed The Skin's latest kickass album, "The Carnage Cast Shadows" and a bold and chocolaty Night Indoors Imperial Stout from the fine folks at Helper Beer!  Hells yeah!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Shed The Skin
• Title: "The Carnage Cast Shadows"
• Recorded: 2025 at Severn Studios, Mercinary Studios, and Frequenscream Studios in Ohio 
• Release date: May 16th, 2025 (5th full-length studio album by Shed The Skin)
• Record company: Hells Headbangers Records
• Production: Noah Buchanan and Shed The Skin
• Album cover art: Justin Meyers 
• Personnel: Kyle Severn (drums), Matt Sorg (guitars), Ed Stephens (bass), and Ash Thomas (guitars and vocals)
• Musical style: Death metal with elements of thrash metal, black metal, and traditional metal
• Sound: Blending straight-forward traditional death metal with elements of thrash and doom, with "The Carnage Cast Shadows", Shed The Skin once again displays not only their vast musical prowess, but provides a richly textured and powerful musical statement... their best yet in my humble opinion! 
• Major themes: lyrical content on the album includes death, evil, darkness, the occult, demonism, paganism, mythology, violence, insanity, power, rage, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "The Carnage Cast Shadow"
2. "Crook Of The Sacred Skies"
3. "Ice Hearted Herald"
4. "Henge Tomb"
5. "The Mind's Vermin"
6. "Scion Of Nyx"
7. "Formorian Hordes"
8. "Ancient Flames of Ablution"
9. "Swarm And Talons"
10. "Ravenous Rage"
11. "Stolen From The Storm God"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Helper Beer (Helper, Utah)
• Website: https://www.helperbeer.com/
• Brew: Night Indoors Imperial Stout
• Style: Imperial Stout
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 12.0% 
• Pour: The Night Indoors pours a deep, dark brown (almost ink black) with a thick and creamy, 2+ finger, mocha head with great retention and lots of sticky, intricate spider web lacing.
• Nose: The nose is rich, chocolatey, malty, and earthy.  There are aromas of baker's dark chocolate, cocoa, milk chocolate, loam, espresso beans, light pipe tobacco, oak, and burnt toffee. 
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste of the Night Indoors is bold, rich, earthy, and chocolatey.  There are notes of dark chocolate, dark roasted coffee, dark roasted malts, rye bread, light toffee, and rich bourbon. 
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with low carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Night Indoors is thick, velvety smooth, and boozy with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: Helper's Night Indoors Imperial Stout bold and intricate flavors and aromas go so great with the infernal aggression and intensity of "The Carnage Cast Shadows"!  These two ass-kickers were made for one another!  The fiery and soaring guitar work of Sorg and Thomas shines even brighter with the sweeter notes of the brew, while that dark, bitter punch is right in line with the guttural vocals of Thomas, and the rich and hearty malt backbone is great for Severn's thunderous drumming and Stephens' intricate bass work! I highly recommend this fantastic album and this tasty brew!  'Nuff said!

Cheers and hails!!