March 6th, 2019 - The Brut[al] Hops Where No Life Dwells Skål

God kväll headbangers and hopheads!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here rockin' the hell out to Unleashed's brilliant debut album, "Where No Life Dwells" and a seasonal Brut IPA from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company! 

Album Info:

• Artist: Unleashed
• Title: "Where No Life Dwells"
• Recorded: April 1991 at Woodhouse Studios in Dortmund, Germany
• Release date: May 1st, 1991 (1st full-length studio album by Unleashed)                            
• Record company: Century Media Records
• Production: Waldemar Sorychta
• Album cover art: Axel Hermann
• Personnel: Johnny Hedlund (bass and vocals), Fredrik Lindgren (guitars), Tomas Olsson (guitars), and Anders Schultz (drums)
• Musical style: Death metal
• Sound: Heavy, hard-hitting, yet very melodic and compelling, "Where No Life Dwells" is pure, raw, brutal death metal in the Swedish tradition!  
• Major themes: Themes on the album include darkness, death, war, isolation, anti-Christianity, Viking history and lore, desolation, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Where No Life Dwells"
2. "Dead Forever"
3. "Before The Creation Of Time"
4. "For They Shall Be Slain"
5. "If They Had Eyes"
6. "The Dark One"
7. "Into Glory Ride"
8. "...And The Laughter Has Died"
9. "Unleashed"
10. "Violent Ecstasy"
11. "Where Life Ends"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (Chico, California)
• Website: https://sierranevada.com/
• Brew: Brut IPA
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 6.2%
• IBUs: 25
• Ingredients: Ale yeast; 2-Row Pale, Wheat, and Acidulated malts; Simcoe, Comet, Crystal, and Chinook hops
• Pour: The Brut pours a clear golden-yellow hue with lots of tiny effervescent bubbles and a bright white, 2+ finger, frothy head with great retention and sticky, intricate, and layered lacing.
• Nose: The nose is  dank, bitter, citrusy, and slightly fruity.  There are aromas of grapefruit juice and rind, lemon zest, pineapple, pine resin, herbal tea, moldy wood, and bitter herbs.
• Taste: The taste of the Brut is dank, earthy, herbal, citrusy, and dry.  There are notes of grapefruit rind, pine, black tea, grassy hops, bitter herbs, and an ever-so-slight hint of booze.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Brut is very crisp, sharp, and refreshing with a very dry, bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The punchy, bitter, hoppy, dry, complex flavors and aromas of Sierra Nevada's Brute IPA goes great with the aggressive, heavy-duty death metal might of Unleashed's first album, "Where No Life Dwells"!  They are both bold, they are both engaging, and they are both the real deal!  And those very champagne-dry notes are perfect for the desolation themes!

Skål!!  Hails!!