October 26th, 2024 - The Lauder Day Brewers' Snake Church

 

Hello and hails evil-doers, thrashers, and craft beer freaks!  The Meista here pairing Ringworm's killer "Snake Church" album and a very bold, rich, roasty, and boozy LDB Barrel Project #1 Imperial Stout from my friend Dwight at Gossorino Brewing in collaboration with the Lauder Day Brewers!  Hells yeah! 

Album Info:

• Artist: Ringworm
• Title: "Snake Church"
• Recorded: 2016 at Spider Studios in Cleveland, Ohio
• Release date: July 29th, 2016 (7th studio album by Ringworm)
• Record company: Relapse Records
• Production: Ringworm
• Album cover art: Human Furnace (artwork) and Jacob Speis (layout)
• Personnel: James "Human Furnace" Bulloch (vocals), Matt Sorg (guitars), Ryan Steigerwald (drums), Ed Stephens (bass), and Mark Witherspoon (guitars)
• Musical style: Thrash metal with elements of metalcore, hardcore punk, and death metal
• Sound: Characterized by wonderfully aggressive and violent riffs, soaring guitar solos, machine gun fine drumming, driving bass lines, and the Human Furnace's searing vocal attacks, the tracks on "Snake Church" are diametrically brutal and melodic! 
• Major themes: The occult, evil, darkness, insanity, fear, terror, violence, destruction, etc.  
• Tracks:  

1. "Snake Church"
2. "Brotherhood Of The Midnight Sun"
3. "Fear The Silence"
4. "The Black Light Of A Living Ghost"
5. "Destroy Or Create"
6. "Shades Of Blue"
7. "Innocent Blood"
8. "The Apparition"
9. "Believer"
10. "The Razor And The Knife"
11. "Angel Of War"
12. "Temple Of The Wolves"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Gossorino Brewing (Ogden, Utah) in collaboration with the Lauder Day Brewers (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://gossorinobrewing.com/ and https://www.lauterdaybrewers.org/
• Brew: LDB Barrel Project #1 Imperial Stout
• Style: Imperial Stout
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV 8.0%
• IBUs: 60
• Ingredients: Imperial stout aged in a local bourbon barrel
• Pour: The LDB Barrel Project #1 Imperial Stout pours a deep, dark brown (almost ink black) color with a creamy, 1-finger, mocha head with good retention and sticky, sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is roasty, toasty, malty, chocolaty, and slightly boozy.  There are aromas of dark chocolate syrup, cocoa, dark toasted bread, roasted malts, dark roasted coffee beans, oak, bourbon, vanilla beans, and burnt toffee.
• Taste: The taste of the LDB Barrel Project #1 Imperial Stout follows the nose with notes of espresso, dark chocolate, cocoa, rich bourbon, vanilla, black licorice, and hints of bittersweet toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with low carbonation, the mouthfeel of the LDB Barrel Project #1 Imperial Stout is velvety smooth, thick, and creamy with a dry, slightly bitter, and boozy finish.

Overall pairing:  The LDB Barrel Project #1 Imperial Stout is a bold, dark, and richly complex brew... perfect for the darkened heavy metal onslaught of Ringworm's "Snake Church"!  'Nuff said!

Make sure to check out my interview from a couple of years ago with Ringworm guitarist Matt Sorg here: https://youtu.be/oWI18sKCEr4

Cheers and hails!!