December 20th, 2015 - Thor's Equinox Is The Ale Of Kings

Alright my metal brethren of brews... put on your Viking helmets, grab your goblets or horns, and cozy up to the hottest Valkyrie you can find... 'cause the Meista is channeling his Scandinavian bloodlines and taking you on a Viking voyage!  I'm pairing German/Norwegian symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes' newest album, "King Of Kings" and Thor's Equinox Limited Release Belgian-Style Dark Ale from Odin Brewing Company!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Leaves' Eyes
• Title: "King Of Kings"
• Recorded: Throughout 2015 at Mastersound Studio in Steinheim, Germany; Øfsedrøpa in Bergen, Norway; Angel Studios in London, UK; Orehus Studio in 's-Graveland, The Netherlands; Beats and Noises in Cologne, Germany; Cloud Studios in Hinwil, Switzerland; and Vlad Kovaliov Studio in Minsk, Belarus
• Release date: September 11th, 2015 (6th studio album by Leaves' Eyes)
• Record company: AFM Records / Nuclear Blast
• Production: Alexander Krull
• Album cover art: Stefan Heilemann
• Personnel: Thorsten Bauer (bass and guitars), Liv Kristine (lead vocals), Alexander Krull (vocals, keyboards, samples and production), Joris Nijenhuis (drums), and Pete Streit (guitars)
• Guest musicians: Elvya Dulcimer (Hammer Dulcimer), Lindy-Fay Hella (vocals on "Blazing Waters"), Knuth Jerxsen (drums and percussion), Janna Kirchhof  (Nyckelharpa ), Christoph Kutzer (cello), London Voices (choir ensemble), Oliver Palotai (piano on "The Waking Eye), Christian Roch (flute, Uillean pipes, and whistle), Kathrin Schlumpf (harp), Simone Simons (vocals on "Edges of Steel"), and Sophie Zaaijer (violin)
• Musical style: Symphonic metal, gothic metal, folk/pagan metal, Viking metal
  Sound: Ambitious, challenging, engrossing, epic, yet very accessible, Leaves' Eyes' "King Of Kings" is a near perfect musical journey from beginning to end!  The music is bombastic and wonderfully intricate.  And Liv Kristine's vocals are as wonderfully beautiful and mesmerizing as ever.  Her range is truly amazing! 
• Major themes: The majority of songs by Leaves' Eyes explore Norse mythology and the Viking Age lore and history.  "King Of Kings" is a concept album that centers around the legendary sagas of Norway's first king, Harald Fairhair (Harald Hårfagre) who ruled Norway and Iceland from approximately c. 850 to c. 930.  Themes include power, glory, vengeance, unification, and hope.
• Tracks:  

1. "Sweven" (Prelude)
2. "King Of Kings"
3. "Halvdan the Black"
4. "The Waking Eye"
5. "Feast of the Year" (Interlude)
6. "Vengeance Venom"
7. "Sacred Vow"
8. "Edge Of Steel"
9. "Haraldskvæði"
10. "Blazing Waters"
11. "Swords In Rock"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Odin Brewing Company (Seattle, Washington)
• Website: https://odinbrewing.wordpress.com/
• Brew: Thor's Equinox Limited Release Belgian-Style Dark Ale 
• Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 9.0%
• IBUs: 20 
• Ingredients: Pale, CaraMunich, Pale Chocolate malts, and Dark Candi Sugar with Nugget and Styrian Goldings hops
• Pour:  It pours a deep burgundy with a frothy, stick-to-your beard, off-white head that leaves strong, snowdrift lacing. 
• Nose: The nose is a co-mingling of dark fruits, brown sugar, and light bourbon aromas with a hint of vanilla.  There are aromas of raisins, dates, and figs along with rum, molasses, etc.
• Taste:  The flavor is all dark malts, raisins, and soft toffee.  There are also some soft banana notes and a boozy kick... like thump from Thor's Mjölnir or Nijenhuis' bass pedal! 
• Mouthfeel: Sweet and sticky, the body is thick and full and makes its presence known.

Overall pairing:  The dark and engrossing character of Thor's Equinox is perfect for the complexities, boldness, and explosiveness of the power that is Leave's Eyes!  Those sweet dark fruit and malt flavors go wonderfully well with the soaring music and haunting vocals of Liv Kristine while the boozier more aggressive flavors are great for Krull's growls and Streit's guitars!

Skål and hails!!