June ,29th 2025 - A Mercyful Fate Under the Shadow of the Oros

 

Hey there evil-doers, metalheads, and craft beer freaks!  Today I'm pairing the wonderful self-titled debut EP by horror metal pioneers Mercyful Fate and a tasty and hoppy Oros West Coast IPA from the fine folks at Offset Bier Company!  Hell yeah! 

Album Info: 

• Artist: Mercyful Fate
• Title: "Mercyful Fate" EP
• Recorded: September 1982 at Stone Sound in Roosendaal-Holland, The Netherlands
• Release date: November 8th, 1982 (1st EP by Mercyful Fate)
• Record company: Metal Blade Records / Rave-On Records
• Production: Jac. Hustinx
• Album cover art: Olé Poulsen
• Personnel: Michael Denner (guitars), Timi Grabber (bass), King Diamond (lead vocals), Kim Ruzz (drums), and Hank Shermann (guitars)
• Musical style: Heavy metal, progressive metal, hard rock
• Sound: Classic Mercyful Fate!  This is the real deal... Denner's and Shermann's guitar work alone will melt your face!  But coupled with the King's insane vocals and the classic line-up of Grabber and Ruzz... that's all you need for a killer night!!
• Major themes: Evil, darkness, the occult, death, the undead, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "A Corpse Without A Soul"
2. "Nuns Have No Fun"
3. "Doomed By The Living Dead"
4. "Devil Eyes"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Offset Bier Company (Park City, Utah)
• Website: https://offsetbier.com/
• Brew: Oros West Coast IPA
• Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 50
• Ingredients: NZ Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, and Ekuanot hops 
• Pour: The Oros pours a fairly clear, bright golden-yellow hue with a very thin, bright white head that dissipates fairly quickly. 
• Nose: The nose is citrusy, floral, herbal, and malty.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, tangerine, lemon zest, lime zest and juice, light mango, light pineapple, wildflowers, wet pine needles, and bready malts.
• Taste: The taste is like the nose: citrusy, hoppy, and earthy.  There are notes of lemon zest, lime, orange juice, pink grapefruit juice, light mango, pine resin, herbal tea, and soft toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Oros is very crisp, somewhat sharp and bitter, yet smooth with a clean, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: Both the complexity of flavors and the overall drinkability of Offset's tasty Oros West Coast IPA work perfectly with the aggression, musical prowess, and metal integrity of Mercyful Fate's killer debut EP!  As with the brew, the album provides its audience with very complex notes and artistry.

Skal and hails!!