October 11th, 2020 - A Waxing Moon Over Utgard

 

God kveld!  Your pal the Meista here tonight pairing "Utgard", the wonderful new album by the innovative Norwegian metal band Enslaved and a Waxing Moon Sage Agave Cream Ale, the latest offering from the fine folks at Rooster Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Enslaved
• Title: "Utgard"
• Recorded: 2019 through 2020 at Duper & Solslottet Studios, Conclave & Earshot, and Peersonal Sound in Bergen, Norway 
• Release date: October 2nd, 2020 (15th studio album by Enslaved)
• Record company: Nuclear Blast
• Production: Iver Sandøy, Ivar Bjørnson, and Grutle Kjellson
• Album cover art: Truls Espedal
• Personnel: Ivar Bjørnson (electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, piano, electronics, effects, sequencer, percussion, and backing vocals), Arve Isdal (lead guitars), Grutle Kjellson (bass, mouth harp, electronics, effects, and lead and backing vocals),Iver Sandøy (drums and backing vocals), and Håkon Vinje (keyboards and lead and backing vocals)
• Additional musicians: Martin "Bellhammer" Horntveth (percussion, synthesizers, glockenspiel, tubular bells, rototoms, and programming), Inger Sunneva Peersen (backing vocals on "Distant Seasons"), and Sonja Elisabeth Peersen (backing vocals on "Distant Seasons")
• Musical style: Progressive metal, progressive black metal, folk metal, Viking metal, doom metal
• Sound: Like it's predecessor, "Utgard" is steeped in the traditional progressive metal and blended with black metal and folk metal.  The sound is atmospheric, dark, brooding, and very melodic with intricate rhythms and time changes.  Like all of Enslaved's works, "Utgard" is a brilliant, emotional, and mesmerizing musical journey! 
• Major themes: Viking history and lore, Norse mythology, paganism, ancient Nordic spirituality, nature, death, winter, etc. 
• Tracks:   

1. "Fires In The Dark"
2. "Jettegryta"
3. "Sequence"
4. "Homebound"
5. "Útgarðr"
6. "Urjotun"
7. "Flight Of Thought And Memory"
8. "Storms Of Utgard"
9. "Distant Seasons"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Roosters Brewing Company (Ogden, Utah)
• Website: http://roostersbrewingco.com/ 
• Brew: Waxing Moon Sage Agave Cream Ale 
• Style: Cream Ale
• Serving: 32 ounce crowler can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Ingredients: Sage and agave
• Pour: The Waxing Moon pours a clear golden-yellow with a thin, yet creamy bright white head with good sustain and lacing.
• Nose: The nose is earthy, herbal, sweet, bready, and grassy.  There are aromas of freshly baked bread, subtle sage, light corn, summer grass, sweet agave, and sweet caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Waxing Moon follows the nose with sweet, bready, herbal, and earthy flavors.  There are notes of crackery biscuit, doughy bread, sweet agave, caramel/toffee, and light sage.
• Mouthfeel: Light in body and moderately-carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp, very smooth, and very creamy with a somewhat dry and slightly sweet, yet clean finish.

Overall pairing: The Waxing Moon's earthy, rustic, and sweet aromas and flavors make it the perfect brew for the musical genius that is Enslaved's "Utgard"!  The two combined make for a really perfect evening!  'Nuff said!

Skål!!  Hails!!