July 29th, 2019 - Touching The Infinity Of Outer Darkness

Καλησπέρα!  The Meista here tonight gettin' a little dark and a little heavy with a pairing of "Touching Infinity" by the mighty Greek power/doom metal band Sorrows Path and an Outer Darkness Russian Imperial Stout from Utah Brewers Cooperative (Squatters Brewery)! 


Album Info:

• Artist: Sorrows Path
• Title: "Touching Infinity"
• Recorded: 2017 at Fragile Studios in Athens, Greece
• Release date: September 22nd, 2017 (3rd full-length studio album by Sorrows Path)
• Record company: Iron Shield Records
• Production: Sorrows Path and Vangelis Yalamas
• Album cover art: Nikos Marko
• Personnel: Stavros Giannakos (bass guitar), Angelos Ioannidis (lead and backing vocals), Fotis Mountouris (drums), Kostas Salomidis (guitars), and George Vichos (guitars)
• Additional musicians: Thiago Oliveira (guitar solo on "My Chosen God") and Vangelis Yalamas (synthesizer, backing vocals, and additional instruments)
• Musical style: Power metal, progressive metal, doom metal with NWOBHM influence
• Sound: Heavy and doomy, yet very melodic with soaring power metal guitar elements and incredible vocals.  Think: Candlemass/Pentagram meets Hammerfall/Fates Warning!  The guitar work alone of Salomidis and Vichos is really quite brilliant and one of many reasons to check out this great band!  But also the vocal depth and power of Ioannidis along with the driving rhythm section of Giannakos and Mountouris is really, really rich, powerful, and spellbinding!
• Major themes: Philosophy, morality, life and death, beauty, knowledge, solitude, mythology, truth, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Intro To Infinity"
2. "Fantasies Will Never Die"
3. "Leneh"
4. "My Chosen God"
5. Metaphysical Song"
6. "The Subconscious"
7. "Beauty"
8. "Forgiveness"
9. "Revival Of Feminine Grandeur"
10. "Touching Infinity"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Utah Brewers Cooperative (Squatters Brewery) (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.utahbeers.com/
• Brew: Outer Darkness Russian Imperial Stout
• Style: Russian Imperial Stout
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 10.5%
• IBUs: 65
• Pour: It pours black (a hellishly ink black) with a thick, frothy, 2-finger, dark mocha head with great retention and sustained, sticky and layered lacing.
• Nose: The nose is earthy and rich with a strong coffee aroma.  There are notes of dark chocolate and dark fruits like dates, prunes, and figs along with a little cream and dark booze.
• Taste: The initial flavor of this bold brew is equally rich, intense, and strong... like Columbian coffee with big notes of dark chocolate, raisin, licorice root, aged bourbon or cognac, and toasted malty goodness... and a touch of smokiness.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with low carbonation, the mouthfeel is thick and sticky, but with a lovely, creamy, velvetiness and a dry, slightly boozy finish.

Overall pairing: After only a few swigs of Squatters Outer Darkness Russian Imperial Stout you know you've got a profoundly big brew in your hands.  This is a bold, complex stout in the Russian tradition that demands attention and respect... and METAL!  It is absolutely perfect for the metal brilliance that is Sorrows Path's "Touching Infinity"!

Γεια and hails!!  Keep it metal... and keep it craft!!