August 4th, 2018 - An E And Some Oak In The Orchard

God kveld!  Your pal the Meista here tonight pairing "E", the wonderful album by the innovative Norwegian metal band Enslaved and an Oak And Orchard from Epic Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Enslaved
• Title: "E"
• Recorded: April 2016 through March 2017 at Duper & Solslottet Studios, Conclave & Earshot, and Peersonal Sound in Bergen, Norway 
• Release date: October 13th, 2017
• Record company: Nuclear Blast
• Production: Grutle Kjellson, Ivar Bjørnson, and Iver Sandøy
• Album cover art: Truls Espedal
• Personnel: Cato Bekkevold (drums), Ivar Bjørnson (guitars, synthesizer, FX, piano, and backing vocals), Ice Dale (guitars and backing vocals), Grutle Kjellson (bass, double bass, bass pedals, FX, and lead and backing vocals), and Håkon Vinje (organ, keyboards, and lead and backing vocals)
• Additional musicians: Daniel Måge (flute), Kjetil Møster (saxophone), Iver Sandøy (drums and effects), Einar Kvitrafn Selvik (vocals)
• Musical style: Progressive metal, progressive black metal, Viking metal, doom metal
• Sound: Like it's predecessor, "E" is steeped in the tradition of progressive metal and blended with black metal.  The sound is atmospheric, dark, brooding, and very melodic with intricate rhythms and time changes.  Like all of Enslaved's works, "E" is a brilliant, emotional, and mesmerizing musical journey! 
• Major themes: Viking history and lore, Norse mythology, paganism, ancient Nordic spirituality, nature, death, "the whole concept of relationships and positive dependency", etc.  Of the album's lyrics, Bjørnson stated: "Everything we do and create are imitations of nature; as we evolved from nature, that is how it must be — yet modern man thinks he and she is independent of nature, that we somehow are so superior that we do not have to take nature into consideration other than as a backdrop for shitty movies. Or festivals. Losing touch with nature is basically to lose touch with being human."
• Tracks:   

1. "Storm Son"
2. "The River's Mouth"
3. "Sacred Horse"
4. "Axis Of The Worlds"
5. "Feathers Of Eohl"
6. "Hiindsiight"
7. "Djupet" (bonus track)
8. "What Else Is There" (bonus track - Röyksopp cover)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Epic Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://www.epicbrewing.com/
• Brew: Oak And Orchard 
• Style: American Wild Ale / Barrel-Aged Sour
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 6.9%
• Pour: The Oak And Orchard pours a very hazy golden peach hue with fleck of pink and a thin, bright white head that dissipates quickly leaving only a thin, bubbly ring.
• Nose: The nose is fruity, very sour, woody, earthy, and a little funky.  There are aromas of fresh picked strawberries, rhubarb, lemon juice, plum, apple cider vinegar, cherry juice, a hint of bubblegum, damp oak, and a little barnyard funk.
• Taste: The taste of the Oak And Orchard is sharp, tart, fruity, woody, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of lemon juice, plum, strawberries, rhubarb, cherry, oak, and a hint of port wine.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium in body and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is very tart, very crisp, and very refreshing with a dry, lip-puckering finish.

Overall pairing: The Oak And Orchard earthy, rustic, and complex aromas and flavors make it the perfect brew for the musical genius that is Enslaved's "E"!  The two combined make for a really perfect evening!

Skål!!  Hails!!