January 12th, 2019 - Double Existential Void Skull Doppelbock Guardian

Good afternoon kiddies!!  The Meista here with another killer metal and craft brew pairing for ya... "Existential Void Guardian" by doom metal monsters Conan and a Double Skull Doppelbock Lager from Epic Brewing Company!  Hells yeah!!     

Album Info:

• Artist: Conan
• Title: "Existential Void Guardian"
• Recorded: 2018
• Release date: September 14th, 2018 (4th full-length studio album by Conan)
• Record company: Napalm Records
• Production: Chris Fielding
• Album cover art: Tony Roberts
• Personnel: Jon Davis (guitars and vocals), Chris Fielding (bass), and Johnny King (drums)
• Musical style: Doom metal, stoner metal, sludge metal, "caveman battle doom"
• Sound: Thick and heavy with massive riffs and lots of fuzz pedals, the sound on "Existential Void Guardian" is menacing, thunderous, and hard-hitting!  This album kicks ass!
• Major themes: War, battles, heroes and villains, Vikings, Norse mythology and lore, death, etc.
• Tracks:  
1. "Prosper On The Path"
2. "Eye To Eye To Eye"
3. "Paincantation"
4. "Amidst The Infinite"
5. "Volt Thrower"
6. "Vexxagon"
7. "Eternal Silent Legend"
8. "Total Conquest" (live)
9. "Satsumo" (live)
10. "Foehammer" (live)
11. "Hawk As Weapon" (live)

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Epic Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://www.epicbrewing.com/
• Brew: Double Skull Doppelbock Lager
• Style: German Doppelbock
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 8.4% 
• Ingredients: Muntons Maris Otter, Weyermann Pilsner, Briess Bonlander Malt, Munich Malt, Briess Aromatic Malt, Weyermann Cara Munich II, and Carafa III, along with Premiant, Tettnang, and Perle hops to balance out the heavy malts
• Pour: The Double Skull Doppelbock pours a .
• Nose: The nose is malty, roasty, and sweet.   There are aromas of dark fruit (raisin and plum), banana bread, sweet caramel, light cocoa, toasted bread aromas, a hint of booze, and even notes of grassy herbs.
• Taste: The taste of the Double Skull Doppelbock is rich, sweet, and very malty.  There are notes of banana bread, hints of raisin and plum, light cocoa, and lots of sweet caramel.  The flavor is all about the malt.  Upfront, the Double Skull is a bit aggressive, but it smooths as you delve deeper.  Huge notes of baked bread and sweet biscuit... this is hearty stuff my friends... as is Conan's "Existential Void Guardian"!
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is somewhat thick and sticky with a dry, slightly boozy finish.

Overall pairing: The Epic Double Skull Doppelbock is a bold, bready, and sweet brew with lots of complexity and balance... a great beer to sip whilst listening to the thunderous doom metal onslaught that is Conan's "Existential Void Guardian"!  Those big, bready malts go great with the sludgy backbone of the album while the boozier notes are great for the subject matter and aggressive vocals!

Cheers and hails headbangers!!