February 9th, 2024 - Are You Afraid of the Dark Parade?

 

Hello and happy Friday metal maniacs and craft brew lovers!  Your drinkin' buddy the Meista here rocking the hell out today to "Dark Parade", the latest kick-ass album by the mighty Cirith Ungol and a dark and delicious Are You Afraid Of The Dark? Dark Porter from the fine folks at Ogden Beer Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Cirith Ungol
• Title: "Dark Parade"
• Recorded: 2023 at Captain's Quarters in Ventura, California 
• Release date: October 20th, 2023 (6th studio album by Cirith Ungol)
• Record company: Metal Blade Records
• Production:  Armand John Anthony and Jarvis Leatherby 
• Album cover art: Robert Garven (design and layout) and Michael Whelan (artwork)
• Personnel: Tim Baker (lead vocals and whistle), Jimmy Barraza (guitars and backing vocals), Robert Garven (drums, percussion, and backing vocals), Jarvis Leatherby (bass), and Greg Lindstrom (guitars)
• Musical style: Heavy metal, power metal, doom metal, progressive metal
• Sound: Characterized by fantasy-based lyrics and a fast-paced, aggressive, and epically doomy musical assault, Cirith Ungol's tunes are a hybrid between late 1970s hard rock and early 1980s heavy metal, very much in the vein of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) bands like Angel Witch, early Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Tygers of Pan Tang, yet wonderfully fresh and timeless.  The songs are monstrous rock classics... powerful, epic, and heavy as hell!
• Major themes: Fantasy, mythology, sword and sorcery, good vs. evil, life and death, power, destruction, darkness, nightmares, the future and the past, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Velocity (S.E.P.)"
2. "Relentless"
3. "Sailor On The Seas Of Fate"
4. "Sacrifice"
5. "Looking Glass"
6. "Dark Parade"
7. "Distant Shadows"
8. "Down Below"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Ogden Beer Company (Ogden, Utah)
• Website: http://www.ogdenbeercompany.com/
• Brew: Are You Afraid Of The Dark? Dark Porter (on nitro)
• Style: Porter
• Serving: 32 ounce crowler can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Pour: The Are You Afraid Of The Dark? Dark Porter pours an opaque ink black hue with a thin, mocha head that dissipates to a thin ring with only trace lacing.
• Nose: The nose is a characterized by roasty, toasty, and malty aromas.  There are aromas of dark toasted bread, toasted barley, dark roasted malts, dark roasted coffee beans, bready dough, and soft caramel/burnt toffee.
• Taste: Very well-balanced, the Are You Afraid Of The Dark? Dark Porter has a nice blend of roasty, toasty, bready, and malty flavors.  There are notes of dark roasted malts, dark toasted bread, soft caramel, a hint of liquid smoke, and rich espresso.
• Mouthfeel: Medium in body and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp and somewhat smoky, yet very smooth and creamy.  The finish is very dry and slightly bittersweet. 

Overall pairing: Along with the obvious album title and beer name coupling, the Ogden Beer Company Are You Afraid Of The Dark? Dark Porter is a malty, roasty, toasty and flavorful, yet very drinkable brew... perfect for the hard-rockin' power and might of the legendary Cirith Ungol!  Those darker elements of the beer go great with the heaviness and dark lyrics, while the sweeter elements great with the soaring guitar work of Barraza and Lindstrom!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!  Rock on!!