April 26th, 2024 - A Dank Little Thing Falls Into the Realm

 

Hello and happy Friday metal maniacs and hop freaks!  The Meista here getting the weekend off to the right start with a pairing of "Into The Realm", the killer debut album by Castle Rat and a punchy Dank Little Thing IPA from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Castle Rat
• Title: "Into The Realm"
• Recorded: 2022 through 2023 at The Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Release date: April 12th, 2024 (1st full-length studio album by Castle Rat)
• Record company: King Volume Records
• Production: Thomas Johnsen
• Album cover art: Olivia Cummings (layout and formatting), Ronnie Lanzilotta III (photography), and Riley Pinkerton (band logo)
• Personnel: Henry Black aka The Count (lead guitars and backing vocals), Ronnie Lanzilotta III aka The Druid (drums), Riley Pinkerton aka The Rat Queen (rhythm guitars and lead vocals), and Joshua Strmic aka The Plague Doctor (bass)
• Additional musician: Rafferty Jennings Swink (wizardry, synth, and additional mystical sounds)
• Musical style: Doom metal, stoner rock, hard rock
• Sound: Heavy, sludgy, yet wonderfully melodic, the sound on "Into The Realm" is a fantastic tapestry of doom metal and stoner rock.  Pinkterton's vocals lend themselves well to the heavy hitting, thunderous power of the band's music!
• Major themes: Fantasy, sword and sorcery, death, desire, magic, quests, darkness, violence, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Dagger Dragger"
2. "Feed The Dream"
3. "Resurrector"
4. "Red Sands"
5. "The Mirror"
6. "Cry For Me"
7. "Realm"
8. "Fresh Fur"
9. "Nightblood"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (Chico, California)
• Website: https://sierranevada.com/
• Brew: Dank Little Thing IPA 
• Style: Hazy India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 7.5%
• IBUs: 40
• Ingredients: Munich, Oats, Two-row Pale, and Wheat malts with Amarillo, Chinook, CTZ, and Mosaic hops, and Ale yeast
• Pour: The Dank Little Thing pours a foggy, golden yellow / orange hue with a frothy, eggshell white, 1+ finger head with great retention and lots of sticky, intricate lacing
• Nose: Like the name says, the nose is dank, as well as citrusy, herbal, floral, and malty.  There are aromas of resinous cannabis, wet pine needles, cedar, grapefruit rind, orange peel, herbal tea, fresh garden herbs, wildflowers, white pepper, and soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Dank Little Thing follows the nose with lots of citrusy, resinous, and malty flavors.  There are notes of pine, orange pith, pink grapefruit juice, tangerine, black tea, grassy hops, bready malt, and light toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is thick, yet crisp and refreshing with a dry, bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The Sierra Nevada Dank Little Thing is a delightfully hoppy brew... a great beer for the wonderful, heavy-duty doom / stoner rock sensibility of Castle Rat and their killer debut album, "Into The Realm"!  'Nuff said!

Cheers and hails!!

April 25th, 2024 - Following the Reaper Into a Limited Release

 

Hey there hellions and hopheads!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here with another killer pairing for ya!  I'm going with "Follow The Reaper", the wonderful 3rd album by Children Of Bodom and a crisp and hoppy Limited Release India Pale Ale from the fine folks at Kiitos Brewing Company!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Children Of Bodom
• Title: "Follow The Reaper"
• Recorded: August through September 2000 at Abyss Studios in Sweden
• Release date: October 30th, 2000 (3rd full-length studio album by Children Of Bodom)
• Record company: Spinefarm Records 
• Production: Peter Tägtgren and Children Of Bodom
• Album cover art: Sami Saramäki 
• Personnel: Henkka T. Blacksmith (bass), Alexander Kuoppala (rhythm guitars), Alexi Wildchild Laiho (lead guitars and lead vocals), Jaska Raatikainen (drums), and Janne Warman (keyboards) 
• Musical style: Melodic death metal with elements of power metal, progressive metal, and speed metal
• Sound: In the tradition of fellow countrymen Arch Enemy, Children Of Bodom's sound combines soaring power metal elements with Swedish death metal.  The guitar work is immediately grabbing... it combines soaring solos and crunching riffs!  Combine that with the soaring keys, thunderous rhythms, and Laiho's aggressive vocals, well, you've got yourself a kick-ass album!
• Major themes: Death, darkness, Lake Bodom, anger, aggression, hate, sanity, etc.
• Tracks:   
1. "Follow The Reaper"
2. "Bodom After Midnight"
3. "Children Of Decadence"
4. "Everytime I Die"
5. "Mask Of Sanity"
6. "Taste Of My Scythe"
7. "Hate Me!"
8. "Northern Comfort"
9. "Kissing The Shadows"
10. "Hate Me!" (single version bonus track)
11. "Hellion" (W.A.S.P. cover bonus track)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Kiitos Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://kiitosbrewing.com/
• Brew: Limited Release India Pale Ale
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 7.0% 
• Pour: The Kiitos Limited Release India Pale Ale pours a clear, pale straw yellow hue with a frothy, 1-finger, bright white head with great retention and lots of soapy lacing throughout.
• Nose: The nose is citrusy, fruity, herbal, floral, and grainy.  There are aromas of orange juice and zest, tangerine, freshly cut pineapple, grapefruit rind, flowery soap, crackery malt, and light caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Limited Release India Pale Ale is fruity, citrusy, and herbal.  There are notes of orange juice, grapefruit juice, tangerine, pineapple, peach, mango, light melon, light pine, floral and grassy hops, and light caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Limited Release India Pale Ale is very crisp and somewhat sharp, yet smooth with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The Kiitos Limited Release India Pale Ale is delightfully crisp and very crushable brew... perfect for the fast-paced, upbeat melodic death/power metal stylings of Children Of Bodom on their killer 3rd album "Follow The Reaper"!  Those sweeter fruit and malt notes go great with the soaring guitars while the slightly bitter hop bite is great for Laiho's more aggressive vocal approach and darker lyrical content!  

Hails!!  Skål... Helan går!

April 24th, 2024 - It's A Drk Szn When A Spider's On The World

Hey there headbangers and craft brew lovers!  Your drinking buddy the Meista is here today rocking the hell out with another great pairing for ya... I'm headbanging to "Spider On The World", the latest, kick-ass album by the mighty Ravage and a dark and tasty Drk Szn Black Pilsner from the fine folks at Lumberbeard Brewing!  Hell yeah!  

Album Info:

• Artist: Ravage
• Title: "Spider On The World"
• Recorded: 2023 through early 2024
• Release date: April 19th, 2024 (4th full-length studio album by Ravage)
• Record company: Thrash With Power Records
• Production: Pete Rutcho
• Album cover art: Andreas Marschall
• Personnel: Toni Belchior (drums), Eli Firicano (guitars), Tommy G (bass), Nick Izzo (guitars), and Al Ravage (vocals)
• Musical style: Heavy metal, speed metal, power metal
• Sound: Characterized by wonderfully crushing guitar riffs, soaring solos, thunderous drums and bass, and Al Ravage's district and powerful vocals, the sound on "Spider On The World" is pure, traditional, kick-ass American metal!
• Major themes: Destruction, darkness, global warming, threats to mankind, the end of the world, power, invasion, greed, corruption, violence, etc.
• Tracks: 
1. "Manmade Ice Age"
2. "The Call To Order"
3. "Sign Of The Spider"
4. "Amazon Burning"
5. "The Obelisk"
6. "World War Four"
7. "Ravage Part 2: Ravage The Earth"
8. "Ravage Part 3: Ravage In Peace"
9. "From The Mouth Of Pain"
10. "Without A Trace"
11. "Corruption Of Blood"
12. "It Crawls From Space"
13. "Spider On The World"
14. "Face Of Infamy"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Lumberbeard Brewing (Spokane, Washington)
• Website: https://lumberbeardbrewing.com/
• Brew: Drk Szn Black Pilsner
• Style: Schwarzbier
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 4.9%
• Pour: The Drk Szn pours an opaque, very dark brown (almost black) hue with a light mocha, 1-finger head that slowly dissipates to a thin ring with sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Drk Szn is toasty, roasty, slightly fruity, and malty.  There are aromas of dark toasted white bread, light roasted coffee beans, hints of dark chocolate, light plum, and burnt toffee.
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste is roasty, toasty, grainy, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of cacao, light roasted coffee, dark fruits (plum and raisin), and sweet caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Drk Szn is crisp and very smooth with a dry, clean finish.

Overall pairing: The Lumberbeard Drk Szn is a very crushable, dark, and flavorful brew that is a perfect companion to the rockin' metal onslaught that is the mighty Ravage!  Those dark notes go great with the darker thematic elements of the album's lyrics and rhythms, while the lighter, crisp elements go great with the fiery guitars and soaring vocals!  'Nuff said!

Cheers and hails!!  Rock on!!

And if you haven't done so already, check out my interview with the very cool Al Ravage!  You can access it here: https://youtu.be/wJ7kukDRq6c

April 22nd, 2024 - The Roha Raven That Refused to Sing

 

Good evening!  The Meista here tonight pairing a very crushable The Raven Blackberry Wheat from Roha Brewing Project and Steven Wilson's wonderful "The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories)"!  This one goes out to my brother Dain-o!!  Cheers bud!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Steven Wilson
• Title: "The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories)"
• Recorded: East West Studios, Los Angeles September 15th through 21st, 2012
• Release date: February 25th, 2013 (3rd solo studio album by Steven Wilson)
• Record company: Kscope
• Album cover art: Hajo Mueller
• Personnel: Steven Wilson (lead vocals, mellotron, keyboards, guitars, production, and bass guitar on "The Holy Drinker") with Nick Beggs (bass guitar, Chapman Stick on "The Holy Drinker", and backing vocals), Guthrie Govan (lead guitar), Adam Holzman (keyboards, Hammond organ, piano, and Minimoog), Marco Minnemann (drums and percussion), and Theo Travis (clarinet, flute, and saxophone)
• Additional musicians: Jakko Jakszyk (additional vocals on "Luminol" and "The Watchmaker"), Alan Parsons (haw-haw guitar on "The Holy Drinker"), and strings arranged by Dave Stewart and performed by the London Session Orchestra
• Musical style: Progressive rock, art rock, hard rock, jazz-fusion
• Sound: With the inventive and melodic tenacity of bands like Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and Yes along with the rock and roll sensibility of The Beatles, Steven Wilson's "The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories)" is a profoundly breathtaking experience.  The guitar work of Govan alone is worthy of a pairing!
• Major themes: A concept album in the sense that each song's subject matter is based in the supernatural, but analogous to the despair, mistakes, memories, pain, love, etc. that we all face in life.  (See more below in the track descriptions.)
• Tracks (with Steven Wilson's descriptions of the subject matter/themes of each song): 

1. "Luminol" - "somebody could be a ghost in life, as well as a ghost in death, somebody who’s completely ignored even in their lifetime – it hardly makes a difference; and death doesn’t make a difference, either; it doesn’t break the routine."
2. "Drive Home" - "about a couple driving along in a car at night, very much in love; the guy is driving, and his partner – his wife or girlfriend or whoever she is – is in the passenger seat, and the next minute she’s gone." The ghost of the woman eventually returns, "saying, ‘I’m going to remind you know what happened that night.’ There was a terrible car accident, and she died, etcetera, etcetera – again, the idea of trauma leading to a missing part of this guy’s life. He can’t deal with the reality of what happened, so he blocks it out – like taking a piece of tape and editing a big chunk out of it."
3. "The Holy Drinker" - "a guy who’s very pious, very religious, preachy and self-righteous. I’m thinking of TV evangelist-types – guys who are prepared to tell people that they’re living their lives wrong and that they’re missing something because they don’t believe in God or whatever it is." The man is an alcoholic and unwittingly challenges the Devil to a drinking competition.   "Of course, you can’t beat the Devil at a drinking competition – you can’t beat the Devil at anything – and so he loses. ... He gets dragged to Hell."
4. "The Pin Drop" - "the concept that you can be with someone because it’s comfortable and convenient, not because there’s any love or empathy.  The song is basically sung by the wife. She’s dead, she’s been thrown in the river by the husband, and she’s floating down in the river while singing this song – from beyond death, beyond the grave, as it were.  The idea... that sometimes in a relationship there can be so much tension, so much unspoken resentment and hatred, that the tiniest thing can set off a violent episode, and in this case, one that ends in tragedy. The sound of a pin dropping on a floor can be the thing that instigates the fury."
5. "The Watchmaker" - "the story of the watchmaker, the guy who is meticulous about his craft, but he never has any kind of emotional outburst, nor does he express violence or any extreme emotions whatsoever." He's been married for "50 years or more, purely because it was convenient and comfortable.  The watchmaker ends up killing his wife and burying her under the floorboards of his workshop. But, of course, she comes back, because she’s been with him for 50 years; she’s not going to leave him now.  The wife comes back to take him with her, which is another classic ghost story, in a way."
6. "The Raven That Refused To Sing" - "an old man at the end of his life who is waiting to die. He thinks back to a time in his childhood when he was incredibly close to his older sister. She was everything to him, and he was everything to her. Unfortunately, she died when they were both very young." He believes a raven in his garden is "a symbol or a manifestation of his sister. The thing is, his sister would sing to him whenever he was afraid or insecure, and it was a calming influence on him. In his ignorance, he decides that if he can get the raven to sing to him, it will be the final proof that this is, in fact, his sister who has come back to take him with her to the next life."

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Roha Brewing Project (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://rohabrewing.com/
• Brew: The Raven Blackberry Wheat
• Style: Fruited Wheat Ale
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Pour: The Raven pours a hazy pinkish amber with a bubbly, thin, light pink head with good retention and lacing.
• Nose: The nose is malty, bready, fruity, and slightly sweet.  There are aromas of cracked wheat, toasted bread, freshly picked blackberries, a hint of blackberry jam, light toffee, and crackery biscuit.
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste of The Raven is a well-balanced blend of very light earthy hops, tart berries, and sweet, toasty malts.  There are notes of toasted wheat bread, sweet biscuit, light blackberry juice and jam, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Light-bodied and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is very crisp and smooth with a dry, clean finish with very low bitterness. 

Overall pairing: The stellar musicianship and writing of the brilliant Steven Wilson requires a tasty brew with subtle, yet complex flavors and aromas... thus The Raven Blackberry Wheat from Roha Brewing Project!  'Nuff said!

Cheers to you!

April 21st, 2024 - Chocolate Raspberry Stout & Other Endless Forms Most Beautiful

 

Hello and happy Sunday!  The Meister here pairing "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" (2-Disc Mediabook), the latest from Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish and a rich and tasty Chocolate Raspberry Stout from the fine folks at Kiitos Brewing Company!  This pairing goes out to my buddy David Jimenez... cheers bro!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Nightwish
• Title: "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" (2-Disc Mediabook)
• Recorded: August through September 28th, 2014 at Röskö Campsite in Eno, Finland and October 2014 in London
• Release date: March 31st, 2015
• Record company: Nuclear Blast/Roadrunner
• Album cover art: Janne & Gina Pitkänen
• Personnel: Troy Donockley (uilleann pipes, low whistle, bodhran, bouzouki, lead vocals (on tracks 6 and 8), and backing vocals (on tracks 3, 6, 8, 9, and 10), Marco Hietala (bass guitar, lead vocals (on tracks 2, 4 and 11), acoustic guitars, and backing vocals (on tracks 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8), Tuomas Holopainen (keyboards and piano), Floor Jansen (lead vocals), and Emppu Vuorinen (guitars)
• Additional guest musicians: Richard Dawkins (narration in "Shudder Before the Beautiful" and "The Greatest Show on Earth"), Kai Hahto (drums), Metro Voices (choir), James Shearman (Conductor), and Pip Williams (orchestral arrangements)
• Musical style: Symphonic metal, power metal, folk metal, gothic metal, progressive metal
• Sound: Bombastic, cinematic, heavy, symphonic - just a few of the terms used to describe the sound of Nightwish.  Jansen's first album with the band is a triumph.  Her huge vocal range is both beautiful and mesmerizing.  The band is as tight as ever and Donockley's addition as a full-time member is very welcome.  He brings a wonderful depth and originality to the already amazing and brilliant line-up of Hietala, Holopainen, and Vuorinen! 
• Major themes: A loose concept album inspired by the writings of naturalist Charles Darwin, Holopainen states that themes include "beauty of life, the beauty of existence, nature, science".  He adds, "The previous album was a tribute to the power of imagination. Endless Forms Most Beautiful would be an equal tribute to science and the power of reason."
• Tracks: 

Disc 1:

1. "Shudder Before The Beautiful"
2. "Weak Fantasy"
3. "Élan"
4. "Yours Is An Empty Hope"
5. "Our Decades In The Sun"
6. "My Walden"
7. "Endless Forms Most Beautiful"
8. "Edema Ruh"
9. "Alpenglow"
10. "The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula"
11. "The Greatest Show On Earth"

Disc 2:

1. "Shudder Before The Beautiful" (instrumental)
2. "Weak Fantasy" (instrumental)
3. "Élan" (instrumental)
4. "Yours Is An Empty Hope" (instrumental)
5. "Our Decades In The Sun" (instrumental)
6. "My Walden" (instrumental)
7. "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" (instrumental)
8. "Edema Ruh" (instrumental)
9. "Alpenglow" (instrumental)
10. "The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula" (instrumental)
11. "The Greatest Show On Earth" (instrumental)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Kiitos Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: kiitosbrewing.com/
• Brew: Kiitos Chocolate Raspberry Stout
• Style: Irish Stout
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0% 
• IBUs: 24
• Pour: The Kiitos Chocolate Raspberry Stout pours an opaque and deep mahogany chestnut brown with a creamy and billowy mocha, 1-finger head with good sustain and lots of sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is roasty, toasty, chocolaty, fruity, nutty, and earthy.  There are aromas of semi-sweet baker's chocolate, milk chocolate, cocoa, freshly picked raspberries, raspberry jam, fresh brewed dark roasted coffee, vanilla bean, and toffee.
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste is sweet, malty, and chocolaty.  There are notes of sweet milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and cocoa, along with rich roasted malts, tart raspberry jam, vanilla, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with lower carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Kiitos Chocolate Raspberry Stout is smooth and creamy with a dry, sweet finish.

Overall pairing: The sweet, rich, fruity, and chocolaty flavors and aromas of the Kiitos Chocolate Raspberry Stout are perfect for the introspective, honest, wonderfully melodic, bombastic, and beautiful symphonic metal stylings of Nightwish's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful"!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!

"There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved."  - Charles Darwin

April 20th, 2024 - Bleeding Out from an Attempted Murder

 

Hello, hails, and happy Saturday rockers, metalheads, and craft beer freaks!  The Meista here with another killer brew and killer album pairing for ya my friends!  Today, I'm rocking out to Within Temptation's most recent album, "Bleed Out" along with a bold and tasty Attempted Murder Vanilla Cinnamon Imperial Stout from Bombastic Brewing!  Oh, hell yeah!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Within Temptation
• Title: "Bleed Out"
• Recorded: 
• Release date: October 20th, 2023 (8th studio album by Within Temptation)
• Record company: Music On CD
• Production: Daniel Gibson, Mathijs Tieken, and Within Temptation, Martijn Swier (executive producer) 
• Album cover art: Anato Finnstark 
• Personnel: Mike Coolen (drums), Sharon den Adel (vocals), Stefan Helleblad (guitars), Ruud Jolie (guitars), Martijn Spierenburg (keyboards), Jeroen van Veen (bass guitar), and Robert Westerholt (guitars)
• Additional musicians: Daniel Gibson (backing vocals), Rudi Schwarzer (vocals on "Shed My Skin"), and Christoph Wieczorek (vocals on "Shed My Skin")
• Musical style: Alternative rock/metal with elements of symphonic metal, gothic metal, pop, electronic, and industrial influence
• Sound: Steeped in complex and dark symphonic and gothic elements, the sound on "Bleed Out" is a mix of classic Within Temptation with more modern and aggressive elements. It is probably their heaviest and most aggressive album (both musically and lyrically) to date.
• Major themes: War, violence, death, life, vengeance, darkness, anger, rage, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "We Go To War"
2. "Bleed Out"
3. "Wireless"
4. "Worth Dying For"
5. "Ritual"
6. "Cyanide Love"
7. "The Purge"
8. "Don't Pray For Me"
9. "Shed My Skin"
10. "Unbroken"
11. "Entertain You"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Bombastic Brewing (Hayden, Idaho)
• Website: https://www.bombasticbrewing.com/
• Brew: Attempted Murder Vanilla Cinnamon Imperial Stout 
• Style: Imperial Stout
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 10.5%
• IBUs: 47
• Pour: The Attempted Murder pours an opaque, deep, dark brown (almost black) hue with a billowy and creamy, 1+ finger, mocha head with great retention and lots of sticky, sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is earthy, malty, chocolaty, spicy, and boozy.  There are aromas of dark chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla beans, espresso, oak, and rich bourbon. 
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste of the Attempted Murder is rich, roasty, malty, chocolaty, and boozy.  There are notes of bittersweet dark chocolate, burnt toffee, creamy vanilla, roasted walnuts, and rich bourbon.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with low carbonation, the mouthfeel is silky, velvety, and thick and chewy with a dry, bittersweet, and boozy finish.

Overall pairing: The rich and complex flavors and aromas of the Attempted Murder are the perfect beer for an evening of rocking out to Within Temptation's wonderful "Bleed Out" album!  The boozier, more bitter notes are great for the aggressive machine gun fire guitars and drums, while the sweeter malt aromas and flavors are a great companion to Sharon den Adel's beautiful vocals and the soaring keys!

And make sure to check out my interview with Within Temptation guitarist Ruud Jolie here: https://youtu.be/qbD4PE3vvs4 

Proost!!  Rock on!!

April 19th, 2024 - Noshing on Some Nunslaughter & Blood

 

Hello and hails metal maniacs, evil-doers, and hop freaks!  Happy Friday!  Your pal the Meista here rockin' out to the kick-ass, untitled Nunslaughter / Blood split with a tasty and very crushable Hazy Nosh IPA from the folks at Uinta Brewing Company!!  Hell yeah!!  

Album Info:

• Artist: Nunslaughter / Blood
• Title: "Nunslaughter / Blood Split"
• Recorded: 2021 at Mercinary Studios in Avon, Ohio and Kohlekeller Studio in Seeheim, Germany 
• Release date: May 27th, 2022 (split album by Nunslaughter and Blood)
• Record company: Hell Headbangers Records
• Production: Nunslaughter and Blood
• Album cover art: Thomas "Necromaniac" Westphal
• Personnel: Nunslaughter: Detonate (bass), Don of the Dead (vocals), Tormentor (guitars), and Wrath (drums), and Blood: Chuck (guitars), Destroyer Eisen (guitars), Satanic Taki (bass), Ventilator (drums), and Martin Witchskinner (vocals) 
• Musical style: Death metal, thrash metal
• Sound: Fast, furious, and full of piss and vinegar, the sound on is pure death metal... infernal blast beats, fiery riffs, and intrepid vocal attacks!  
• Major themes: Evil, darkness, the occult, anti-Christianity, violence, death, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Free From Christ" (Nunslaughter)
2. "This Cross Was Built For You" (Nunslaughter)
3. "Leave Me In My Grave" (Nunslaughter)
4. "Imperator" (Blood)
5. "Parasite" (Blood)
6. "Be Doomed" (Blood)
7. "Sadist" (Blood)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Uinta Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: www.uintabrewing.com      
• Brew: Hazy Nosh IPA
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 45
• Pour: The Hazy Nosh IPA pours a hazy goldenrod color with a half-finger, frothy eggshell white head that leaves a nice ring and spotty lacing.
• Nose: The nose is citrusy, and juicy with a more subtle malt backbone.  There are aromas of freshly squeezed orange juice, orange and tangerine zest, lemon zest, mango, freshly cut pineapple, wildflowers, and soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste is tangy, fruity, tart, and hoppy.  There are big notes of tangerine and orange, pineapple, and mango with more subtle notes of doughy bread, and toffee/caramel malt notes in the finish.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp, very refreshing and juicy, yet very smooth with a dry, tangy, and sweet finish.

Overall pairing: The deserves a brew of exceptional character, crushability, and drinkability... thus the wonderfully juicy and tasty Hazy Nosh IPA from our friends at Uinta Brewing Company!  'Nuff said! 

Make sure to check out my interview with Nunslaughter vocalist and founding member Don Crotsley (aka Don of the Dead) here: https://youtu.be/LIiLMLo_Nzo

Cheers and hails!!