November 1st, 2019 - Totenritual Chilebeso For Día de Muertos

Guten abend and happy Día de Muertos evil-doers and craft beer drinkers!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here getting a little evil, a little spicy, raising my horns, and banging my head to the infernal "Totenritual", the latest album by Austrian blackened death metal monsters Belphegor and a spicy and delicious Cerveza Chilebeso from Great Basin Brewing Company!  Hells yeah!!  

Album Info:

• Artist: Belphegor
• Title: "Totenritual"
• Recorded:  2017 at Stage One Studios in Germany and .  The live tracks were recorded at the Inferno Festival at Rockerfeller Music in Osia, Norway April 15th, 2017
• Release date: September 15th, 2017  (th full-length studio album by Belphegor)
• Record company: Nuclear Blast Records
• Production: Belphegor
• Album cover art: Seth Siro Anton
• Personnel: Helmuth (guitars and vocals), Serpenth (bass), and Simon "BloodHammer" Schilling (drums)
• Additional musicians: Kramatach (samples)
• Musical style: Blackened death metal, death metal, black metal
• Sound: Incredibly heavy, chaotic, aggressive, and intense, the sound on "Totenritual" is the embodiment of Austrian blackened death metal!  Helmuth's vocal prowess is mesmerizing... his brutal vocals are matched perfectly with his guitar wizardry (fast, furious, and intricate), and the combined juggernaut power of the Serpenth/BloodHammer rhythm section!    
• Major themes: The occult, Satan, evil, darkness, death, terror, anti-religion, lust, blasphemy, sadomasochism, perversion, aggression, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Baphomet"
2. "The Devil's Son"
3. "Swinefever - Regent of Pigs"
4. "Apophis - Black Dragon"
5. "Totenkult - Exegesis of Deterioration"
6. "Totenbeschwörer"
7. "Spell Of Reflection"
8. "Embracing A Star"
9. "Totenritual"
10. "Stigma Diabolicum" (live)
11. "Gasmask Terror" (live)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Great Basin Brewing Company (Sparks, Nevada)
• Website: https://www.greatbasinbrewingco.com/
• Brew: Cerveza Chilebeso
• Style: Chile Beer / Kölsch-style Ale
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 5.5%
• Pour: The Cerveza Chilebeso pours a clear, golden yellow with a bright white, firm, half-finger head that dissipates slowly and leaves a nice, foamy cap with soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is vegetal, spicy, fruity, and crackery.  There are big aromas of freshly cut jalapeños along with more subtle notes of crackery biscuit, wild summer grass, wild flowers, light apple, and cereal grain.
• Taste: The taste, like the nose is characterized by bright, spicy, grassy, and grainy flavors.  There are notes of spicy, fresh jalapeños, cracked wheat, grassy hops, and a hint of apple. 
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium in body and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Cerveza Chilebeso is crisp, quite spicy, yet smooth and easy drinking with a clean and crisp finish.

Overall pairing: The spicy, yet inviting flavors and aromas of Great Basin's Cerveza Chilebeso is perfect for the power and aggressive energy of Belphegor!  Those big, fresh jalapeño notes are great for the straightforward rocking aggression, while the crisper malt notes are great for the devilishly fast rhythms!

Prost, Salud, and hails!!!