January 9th, 2022 - The Forbidden Arts Of The Wiccan Chicken

 

Hey there evil-doers and craft beer freaks!!  Happy Sunday!  The Meista here today get "religious" with a pairing of Shed The Skin's kickass "The Forbidden Arts" and a punchy and juicy Wiccan Chicken Double Hopped Double India Pale Ale from Illuminated Brew Works!  Hell yeah!

  
Album Info: 

• Artist: Shed The Skin
• Title: "The Forbidden Arts"
• Recorded: 2020 at Bad Back Studios in Cleveland, Ohio
• Release date: June 26th, 2020 (3rd full-length studio album by Shed The Skin)
• Record company: Hells Headbangers Records
• Production: Dan Swanö and Shed The Skin
• Album cover art: James "Human Furnace" Bulloch 
• Personnel: Kyle Severn (drums), Matt Sorg (guitars), Ed Stephens (bass), and Ash Thomas (guitars and vocals)
• Musical style: Death metal
• Sound: Blending straight-forward traditional death metal with elements of thrash, doom, and even a little punk, with "The Forbidden Arts", Shed The Skin displays not only their vast musical prowess, but provides a richly textured and powerful musical statement! 
• Major themes: Death, evil, darkness, the occult, violence, gore, horror, insanity, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Skeletal Firestorm"
2. "Archons Of The Final Creation"
3. "Trow Of Tragedy"
4. "Master Of Thralls"
5. "Necromantic Wellspring"
6. "Glorified In Bloodsmoke"
7. "The Laundress"
8. "Black Bile Of Ceres"
9. "The Moors, The Madness"
10. "Veins Of Perdition"
11. "Speculum In Blood"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Illuminated Brew Works (Chicago, Illinois)
• Website: https://www.ibw-chicago.com/
• Brew: Wiccan Chicken Double Hopped Double India Pale Ale 
• Style: Double India Pale Ale (DIPA) / Imperial IPA (IIPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 7.5%
• Ingredients: Rakau, Sabro, and Mosaic hops 
• Pour: The color of a fresh squeezed orange juice, the very hazy Wiccan Chicken 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 Wiccan Chicken 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 mouthfeel is crisp, juicy, yet smooth and almost creamy 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 "The Forbidden Arts"!  The fiery and dual guitar work of Sorg and Thomas shines even brighter with the sweeter notes, while that bitter and boozy hop punch is right in line with the brutal vocals of Thomas!  And that malt backbone is perfect for the might and power of Severn and Stephens!

Cheers and hails!!