Good day! The Meista here pairing the wonderful "Heaven And Hell" by Black Sabbath and the equally wonderful Hell's Keep Belgian-Style Golden Ale from Squatters Brewery Reserve Series!
The Hell's Keep pours a hazy, golden peach hue with a 2-finger, rocky white head. As the frothy head slowly recedes, sustained spider web lacing is left behind. The nose earthy, spice, sharp, and brim full of estery yeast. There are strong notes of pineapple along with lemon, clove, nutmeg, pear, and leafy greens. Medium bodied, the mouthfeel is sharp and crisp... very dry. The flavor is marked by tartness and sweetness. There are notes of bready biscuits, Belgian yeast, white wine, pear, soft banana and pineapple and lingering spices: nutmeg, clove, cinnamon. The finish is very dry and somewhat tart. This is definitely a big beer with big, bold flavor! Hmmm... reminds me of an album...
Speaking of big and bold: released on April 25, 1980, "Heaven And Hell" is the 9th studio album by British heavy metal forefathers Black Sabbath, and the first to feature vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who replaced original vocalist Ozzy Osbourne in 1979. Guitarist Tony Iommi stated in an interview that he know with "Heaven And Hell" the bad was creating "something very special". And indeed they did!! "Heaven And Hell" is definitely on my list of one of the great heavy metal albums of all time! This album is a wonderful example of metal at its purest! Dio's magical and mythical lyrics coupled with his amazing vocal range make for an awe-inspiring experience. Iommi's guitar work is other-worldly... richly textured, at times ethereal, at times fiery, and always organic. Although troubled with bouts of alcoholism and personal tragedy, Bill Ward's drumming is big, bombastic, and thunderous. Also struggling with personal demons at the time, Geezer Butler's bass work is still solid, precise, and masterful. Each track is wonderfully crafted and perfectly executed! "Neon Knights," "Children Of The Sea," "Lady Evil," "Heaven And Hell," "Die Young," "Walk Away," and "Lonely Is The World" are definite classic Sabbath tracks, but with a new, fresh voice and lyrical creativity that would re-establish the band as masters of their craft at the time and inject new energy into the band as a whole.
Cheers and hails!!
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