April 2nd, 2020 - Spilling Blood Of The Unicorn In The Raven's Shadow

Good evening!  Check this out!  The Meista here getting heavy tonight with "The Raven's Shadow", the sophomore album by kickass blackened death metal band BLOODRED and a Blood Of The Unicorn Hoppy Red Ale from Pipeworks Brewing Company!  (So I actually had this beer a few weeks ago at a favorite watering hole prior to the bars shut down.)

Album Info:

• Artist: Bloodred
• Title: "The Raven's Shadow"
• Recorded: at Mastersound Studio in 
• Release date: Scheduled for release on May 18th, 2020  (2nd studio album by BLOODRED)
• Record company: Independent
• Production: Alexander Krull
• Album cover art: Stefan Heilemann
• Personnel: Ron Merz (vocals, guitars, and bass)
• Additional musicians: Joris Nijenhuis (drums)
• Musical style: Blackened death metal, melodic death metal
• Sound: Richly textured, wonderfully melodic, yet aggressive as hell, the sound on "The Raven's Shadow" is masterfully artistic and powerful.  With Krull as producer, there's definitely some Atrocity influence here, but the album stands on its own as a wonderful musical journey into darkness and violence.
• Major themes: Death, darkness, evil, mythology, Viking lore and history, war, isolation, fear, etc. 
• Tracks:  

1. "The Raven's Shadow"
2. "Immense Hall Of Agony"
3. "Hör Den Tod"
4. "Blood On Thy Hands"
5. "Raise The Mound"
6. "We Who Ruled The North"
7. "Shadow Warrior"
8. "Under This Sun"
9. "The Northstar Whispers"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Pipeworks Brewing Company (Chicago, Illinois)
• Website: https://pdubs.net/
• Brew: Blood Of The Unicorn Hoppy Red Ale
• Style: American Amber / Red Ale
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 6.5%
• Pour: The Blood Of The Unicorn pours a deep, red-bronze with a creamy, ivory-colored, 1-finger head with good retention and lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by citrusy, fruity, earthy, dank, and malty aromas.  There are notes of pine resin, grapefruit rind, orange peel, light pineapple and mango, herbal tea, doughy bread, and sweet caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Blood Of The Unicorn follows the nose with lots of piney, fruity, herbal, and sweet flavors.  There are notes of .  
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is rather thick and hearty, yet crisp and refreshing with a dry, bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The big, bold, yet crushable flavors and aromas of Pipeworks' Blood Of The Unicorn Hoppy Red Ale seem to have been specifically brewed for the powerful, punchy heaviness that is "The Raven's Shadow" by BLOODRED!  Those piney and citrusy hop notes go great with the aggressive, yet melodic approach this band takes to metal!   I highly recommend both the album and the brew!

Prost!!  And hails!!