Evenin' head-bangers and craft beer lovers! The Meista here with an intensely heavy pairing for you tonight... I'm going with a Nugget Nectar Imperial Amber from Tröegs Brewing Company from Hershey, PA and the "Unblessing The Purity" EP by Bloodbath! This pairing goes out to my buddy Rick, with whom I shared this lovely brew and to my buddy John Forgach, who graciously introduced me to the brutality of Bloodbath! Cheers my friends!!
Recorded in June 2007 at Fascination Street in Örebro, Sweden and released on March 10th, 2008, "Unblessing The Purity" is the 2nd EP by Swedish death metal super-group Bloodbath. The band at the time consisted of Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth) on vocals, Martin "Axe" Axenrot (Opeth) on drums, Anders "Blakkheim" Nyström (Katatonia) on guitar, Per "Sodomizer" Eriksson (Katatonia) on lead guitar, and Jonas Renkse (Katatonia) on bass. Although only a short, 4-track EP, "Unblessing The Purity" packs a monstrous punch, much like the Nugget Nectar! This is very big, very powerful, very intense, and very pure death metal! Bloodbath channels the music Death and Morbid Angel while still sounding fresh and new. The brilliance of this band for me really lies in Åkerfeldt's growling vocal performance and Eriksson's unearthly guitar tones as well as the speed with which the entire band delivers each and ever track. "Blasting The Virginborn" is sheer metal brilliance! "Weak Aside" has a very Morbid Angel "feel". "Sick Salvation" sounds like Chuck Schuldiner's Death. And "Mouth Of Empty Praise" feels very Opeth/Katatonia to me. Bloodbath's "Unblessing The Purity" is a must-own for any true death metal fan!
The Nugget Nectar Imperial Amber from Tröegs Brewing Company is an infernal beast of an ale! Essentially a red IPA, the Nugget Nectar is a very hop forward amber ale. It pours a wonderfully rich deep copper-amber with a generously foamy head that leaves very good lacing. The nose is a nice blend of citrus and malty sweetness. Aromas of orange, tangerine, grapefruit, and caramel abound with a hint of pine. Medium bodied, the mouthfeel is quite smooth, yet packs a nice, bitter punch. The flavor is characterized by a blend of initial maltiness and biting and bitter hops. There are notes of burnt toffee, freshly baked bread, and hops, hops, hops! Big citrus and pine flavors do unspeakable things to your taste buds! The finish is dry, bitter, and biting... like sinking your teeth into an orange peel... or having Eriksson's guitar licks melt your face!
Skål and hails my metal brethren!! Raise those glasses... and horns!! Goodnight!!
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