August 2nd, 2013 - How The Gods Drink Beer

And now for something a little darker... Danzig's "Danzig III: How The Gods Kill" and a San Miguel Cerveza Negra Dark Lager!  This pairing goes out to my buddy Todd Boyd!  Todd and I drove to Boise, Idaho in a blizzard back in 1993(?) rocking out to this killer album... cheers buddy!!

Released in 1992, "Danzig III: How The Gods Kill" is the third album by metal monsters Danzig (led by ex-Misfits vocalist Glenn Danzig.)  "Danzig III: How The Gods Kill" may be the band's best... it was most definitely their most successful and has influenced a slew of modern metal bands. As Allmusic put it in their review of the album, "arguably the definitive Danzig album."  With his recognizable Orbison-like crooning, Glenn is joined on "Danzig III: How The Gods Kill" by Eerie Von on bass, John Christo on guitars, and Chuck Biscuits on drums.  Characterized by a more doomy and gothic approach, this album is pure metal goodness with a good dose of the Delta blues to give it balance.  Thematically, the lyrics examine the corruption of organized religion, the search for knowledge, pain, suffering, death, and the darkness within us all.  Oddly enough, the album received a Parental Advisory sticker, despite the total lack of an profanity.  Huh??  Way to keep us safe from the "evils" of Danzig American Records... damned fools!  Sorry... off my soapbox now.  You probably recognize the album cover art work.  It is, of course, H.R. Giger's amazing 1976 painting Meister und Margeritha (Master and Margarita). Giger modified the original painting slightly for the album cover, refinishing "the Master's" (ahem) member with a dagger bearing the famous Danzig skull symbol.

Like the imagery and sound of "Danzig III: How The Gods Kill," San  Miguel Cerveza Negra Dark Lager is dark and complex.  It pours an almost jet black mahogany with a creamy tan head.  The nose is a blend of dark fruits, malts, and syrups.  There are notes of raisin, dates, dark toffee, maple syrup, and molasses.  The flavor follows suit.  There are rich notes of roasted and nutty malts and grains, sweet breads, plump raisin, fig, plums, and creamy caramel.  Full-bodied, San  Miguel Cerveza Negra is a rich and sludgy brew that is very smooth and goes down easy, but with enough bite to make for a very good pairing with "Danzig III: How The Gods Kill"!

Cheers and good night my friends!