Gott kvøld!! The Meista here getting heavy and aggressive (and visiting my Danish roots) with Týr's "Eric The Red" and getting bitter and refreshed (with my English roots) with a Hopulent IPA (Release #80) from Epic Brewing Company! This pairing goes out to 3 friends/fans of the page: my nephew Michael, buddy Jeff, and pal Erika! Skál!!
Released June 27th, 2003 "Eric The Red" is the 2nd full-length album by Viking folk metal band Týr (named for the Norse god of law and justice) from the Faroese Islands. Trilingual, frontman Heri Joensen (vocals/guitars) sings in Gøtudanskt/Danish, Faroese, and English. Of the bands musical style, Joensen has stated, "Týr's musical mission is to break down the walls that are erected between all the kinds of metal that have arisen over the years. Power-, doom-, black-, progressive-, gothic-, Viking-, folk-, ethnic- and epic metal. Walls and labels do nothing but fill people with prejudice." And Týr does just that! Along with Joensen, Terji Skibenæs provides intricate, heavy, and brutal guitar riffs whilst Gunnar H. Thomsen (bass) and Kári Streymoy (drums) provide the marching raider army rhythm section! The majority of Týr's lyrical subject matter revolves around the history, lore, and religious beliefs of the ancient Vikings. "Eric The Red" includes 3 traditional Faroese folk songs ("Regin Smiður," "Stýrisvølurin," and Ólavur Riddararós") and 1 Danish folk song ("Ramund Hin Unge"). In the tradition of Thin Lizzy, Týr also performs a rather fierce version of Irish folk song "The Wild Rover" on the album (and a GREAT drinking song too I might add). Along with these traditional folk songs reinvented in metal perfection, Týr performs 5 original and explosive metal monsters: "The Edge," "Dreams," "Rainbow Warrior," "Alive," and "Eric The Red." As Joensen was quoted above, Týr bridges multiple metal sub-genres with purpose, intensity, and finesse. (The 2006 re-release also features 2 bonus tracks: "God Of War" and "Hail To The Hammer.") Check out Týr at https://www.facebook.com/tyrband/!!
Now I realize, Vikings downed a mead or two rather than an IPA after a good raid, but I think if they had access to IPA, they would have been all in! The 8.5% ABV, aggressive, hop-forward wonderful bitterness of the Hopulent is perfect refreshment for kicking back after an afternoon of plundering and pillaging... or just banging your head! And it definitely goes well with the thunderous Viking metal stylings of Týr!! The Hopulent IPA (Release #80) is an "extremely limited release available only from the brewery." It showcases the experimental hop 02120, dubbed the "lemon drop" hop. Along with lemon drop, the Hopulent is brewed with Columbus, Chinook, Centennial, and Simcoe hops and Two Row Ultra Premium Maris Otter, Weyermann Munic malt Type 1 and Briess Caramel malt 20L. The Hopulent pours a very cloudy faded red-copper with flecks of gold. The head is billowy, rocky, and displays great retention with big, chunky lacing. The nose is a huge blast of pine, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, grass clippings, and a hint of white pepper. As I mentioned earlier, the flavor is very hop-forward from this 22-ounce bomber. There are notes of pine resin, grapefruit, orange zest, sourdough, and a hint of bitter spices like fennel and rye. Along with the hoppy bitterness, the Hopulent is malty and slightly sweet. It has an almost creaminess to the mouthfeel, but finishes very dry, very crisp, and bitter. Learn more about the Hopulent IPA from Epic Brewing Company at http://epicbrewing.com/the-beers/elevated-series/item/618-hopulent-ipa!
Skál!!! Góða ferð!!!
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