January 17th, 2015 - A Dark Erdentempel In Munich

Guten tag! You drinking buddy the Meista here with a pairing for our friends in Deutschland... today I'm pairing "Erdentempel" by German folk metal band Equilibrium and a Munich Dark Lager from Bohemian Brewery!

Album Info:

• Artist: Equilibrium 
• Title: "Erdentempel"
• Recorded: 2013-2014 at Helion Studios
• Release date: June 10th, 2014 (4th studio album by the band)
• Record company: Nuclear Blast Records
• Album cover art: Skadi van Terror
• Personnel: René Berthiaume (guitar, keyboard, clean vocals, and production), Robert "Robse" Dahn (vocals), Tuval "Hati" Refaeli (drums), Sandra Van Eldik (bass), and Andreas Völkl (guitar) with guest musicians Charly (vocals) and Andre Rosch (e'schrei)
• Musical style: Folk metal/symphonic/progressive black metal
• Sound: Richly textured, bombastic, and epic in tone, "Erdentempel" blends big symphonic sound with traditional German folk music. 
• Major themes: Germanic folk tales and mythology
• Notes: "Erdentempel" is the first album by Equilibrium to feature a song ("The Unknown Episode") with lyrics in English.  All other lyrics on in German. Unfortunately, "Erdentempel" is the last album to feature founding members Van Eldik and Völkl, who both left the band prior to release of the album.
• Tracks:

1. "Ankunft"
2. "Was Lange Währt"
3. "Waldschrein"
4. "Karawane"
5. "Uns'rer Flöten Klang"
6. "Freiflug"
7. "Heavy Chill"
8. "Wirtshaus Gaudi"
9. "Stein Meiner Ahnen"
10. "Wellengang"
11. "Apokalypse"
12. "The Unknown Episode"
13. "Aufbruch" (Bonus Track)

  Brew Info:

• Brewery: Bohemian Brewery
• Website: http://www.bohemianbrewery.com/Bohemian_Brewery_%26_Grill/Home.html
• Brew: Munich Dark Lager
• Style: Munich Dunkel Lager
• Serving: pint glass off the tap
• ABV: 4%
• Pour: Dark chocolate-brown with ruby hues and a frothy, 1-finger mocha head with good retention and sustained, intricate lacing.
• Nose: Malty, bready, and sweet (with a hint of bitterness), the nose is characterized by aromas of freshly baked bread, hearty dough, light spices, toffee, and bitter hops.
• Taste: Rich, smooth, and complex, the Munich Dark Ale is characterized by hearty and bready notes.  There are flavors of sweet bread, caramel, toffee, and bitter hops and spices.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied, the mouthfeel is hearty, smooth, and creamy.
• Finish: The finish is fairly clean with some subtle lingering sweetness.
• Note: Bohemian Brewery only brews lagers and does so by the German Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot). 

  Overall pairing:  The hearty yet refreshing flavor of the  Munich Dark Lager is a great companion to the bold and complex sound of "Erdentempel".  The darker elements of the lager go great with the more aggressive vocals while the sweeter elements of the beer go great with the soaring guitar work.

Prost!!  Zum wohl!!