October 26th, 2026 - A Dark, Damp Asylum

 

Hello there metal heads and artisan beer freaks!  I took the day off of work, so here's a pairing!  The Meista here today rocking out to "Dark Asylum", the most recent album from the mighty Kamelot and a tasty and crushable Damp 26.05 Fresh Hop West Coast Pils from Offset Bier Company!  Hell yeah!!  

Album Info:

• Artist: Kamelot
• Title: "Dark Asylum" 
• Recorded: 
• Release date: August 28th, 2026 (14th studio album by Kamelot)
• Record company: Napalm Records
• Production: Sascha Paeth and Kamelot
• Album cover art: Péter Sallai
• Personnel: Tommy Karevik (vocals), Alex Landenburg (drums), Oliver Palotai (keyboards), Sean Tibbetts (bass), Thomas Youngblood (guitars)
• Additional musicians: Clémentine Delauney (vocals on "Sanctuary"), Ignacia Fernández (vocals on "Ashen World" and "Sanctuary"), Lea-Sophie Fischer (violin on "Beneath the Moon (Tunglið)"), Kiara Huber (vocals on "Dark Asylum"), Billy King (backing choir vocals), Sólveig Sara Leupold (vocals on "Beneath the Moon (Tunglið)"), Miro (strings on "Ivy, My Dear"), Sascha Paeth (additional guitars), Kobra Paige (vocals on "Ivy, My Dear"), Tobias Sammet (vocals on "One Last Masquerade"), and Rannveig Sif Sigurðardóttir (vocals on "Beneath the Moon (Tunglið)")
• Musical style: Melodic power metal, progressive metal, symphonic metal, gothic metal
• Sound: Emotive, bombastic, complex, polished, and totally engaging, Kamelot's latest album continues the evolution of the band's sound with singer Karevik.  Youngblood's fiery guitar work tears and shreds, Palotai's keys soar, Tibbetts and Landenburg hammer out a rhythm of tribal power, and Kaverik's amazing vocal acrobatics just get better and better with each album!  The guest vocals of the amazing Delauney, Fernández, Paige, and Sammet add another level of depth and power!
• Major themes: A concept album of sorts with songs about imprisoning oneself, themes on "Dark Asylum" include darkness, insanity, fear, emotional torture, sorrow, pain, deception, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Sanctorium"
2. "Ashen World"
3. "Dark Asylum"
4. "Sanctuary"
5. "Nocte Veritas"
6. "One Last Masquerade"
7. "Ivy, My Dear"
8. "Godlike Alchemy"
9. "The Sleeping Mind (Orphic Paradigm)"
10. "Kaleidoscope"
11. "Enigma (Think of Me)"
12. "Cassandra’s Disease"
13. "Beneath the Moon (Tunglið)"
14. "The Puppet King"
15. "Sanctum Requiem"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Offset Bier Company (Park City, Utah)
• Website: https://offsetbier.com/
• Brew: Damp 26.05 Fresh Hop West Coast Pils
• Style: Fresh Hop West Coast Pilsner
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Ingredients: Cryo Fresh Krush and Manilita hops from Freestyle Farms and Simcoe hops from TV hops
• Pour: The Damp 24.05 pours a clear, bright golden-yellow hue with a frothy, bright white, 1+ finger head with good sustain and lots of sticky, intricate spider web lacing. 
• Nose: The nose is citrusy, fruity, grassy, and bready.  There are aromas of kiwi, fresh green hops, light pine resin, and light, crackery biscuit.
• Taste: The taste is like the nose: fruity, citrusy, hoppy, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of kiwi, orange peel and pith, dank pine, grassy, green hops, light tart berry, and crackery malts.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Damp 26.05 is very crisp, yet soft and smooth with a dry, clean, and slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The Damp 26.05 is a complex, punchy, and delicious brew... perfect for the power, intensity, intricacies, and overall depth of Kamelot's amazing "Dark Asylum"!  Those bright, fresh hop notes make a great foil to the dark themes and feel of the album, while the lighter biscuit notes go great with the wonderful vocals, soaring guitars, and keys!

Cheers and hails!!