December 29th, 2020 - Prime Evil Brony

 

Hey there evil-doers and craft beer freaks!!  The Meista here today enjoying my winter break from work with a pairing of Venom's very underrated and kickass "Prime Evil" and a punchy Brony Double Hopped Double India Pale Ale from Illuminated Brew Works!  Hell yeah!  

  
Album Info: 

• Artist: Venom
• Title: "Prime Evil"
• Recorded: 1989 at Lynx Studio in Newcastle, England
• Release date: October 9th, 1989 (6th studio album by Venom)
• Record company: Under One Flag
• Production: Kevin Ridley and Nick Tauber 
• Album cover art: Venom 
• Personnel: Anthony "Abaddon" Bray (drums), Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan (bass and vocals), and Jeff "Mantas" Dunn (lead guitar)  
• Additional musicians: Al Barnes (rhythm guitar)
• Musical style: Thrash metal, speed metal, heavy metal
• Sound: Steeped in the tradition of Motorhead, NWOBHM, and a bit of English punk, the sound on "Prime Evil" is a wonderfully heavy, aggressive, and furious sonic attack!  The crunching rhythms are foot-stomping and fist shaking fun, while the riffing is catchy, fiery, and full of piss and vinegar!  And I adore the Demolition Man's vocal punch! 
• Major themes: evil, darkness, the occult, sex, lust, heavy metal, violence, insanity, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Prime Evil"
2. "Parasite"
3. "Blackened Are The Priests"
   
4. "Carnivorous"
5. "Skeletal Dance"
6. "Megalomania" (Black Sabbath cover)
7. "Insane"
8. "Harder Than Ever"
9. "Into The Fire"
10. "Skool Daze"
11. "Live Like An Angel - Die Like A Devil" (re-recorded)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Illuminated Brew Works (Chicago, Illinois)
• Website: https://www.ibw-chicago.com/
• Brew: Brony Double Hopped Double India Pale Ale 
• Style: Double India Pale Ale (DIPA) / Imperial IPA (IIPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 7.0%
• Ingredients: Huell Melon, Motueka, Citra, and Rakau hops 
• Pour: The color of a fresh squeezed orange juice, the very hazy Brony displays a half finger, frothy, bright white head with good retention and sticky, sudsy lacing.
• Nose: A big, citrusy, and tropical aromatic punch, the nose with a nice balance of sweeter malts, there are notes of orange juice, orange peel, grapefruit rind, mango, strawberry, pineapple, guava, herbal tea, and sweet caramel/toffee. 
• Taste: With loads of juicy citrus and tropical fruit flavors, the Brony is characterized by notes of orange, tangerine, pink grapefruit, mango, melon, pineapple, guava, and a well-balanced and semi-sweet malt backbone. 
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the Brony's mouthfeel is crisp, juicy, yet smooth with a dry, slightly bitter, and slightly boozy finish.

Overall pairing: The bright, juicy, and citrusy flavors and aromas work great as a foil to the aggression and intensity of "Prime Evil"!  The fiery and soaring guitar work of Mantas shines even brighter with the sweeter notes, while that bitter and boozy hop punch is right in line with the brutal vocals of the Demolition Man!

Cheers and hails!!