July 26th, 2020 - The Theogonia Of The Unicorn Fight Dungeon

καλησπερα and happy Sinday evil-doers and craft brew freaks!  Your drinking pal the Meista here getting heavy and and a little evil with Rotting Christ's "Theogonia" and the Unicorn Fight Dungeon from the fine folks at Proper Brewing Company!  This pairing goes out to my buddy Bob Witmer who got me into this amazing band... cheers and hails my friend!

Album Info:

• Artist: Rotting Christ
• Album: "Theogonia"
• Recorded: Autumn 2006 at S.C.A. Studio in Athens, Greece
• Release date: January 22nd, 2007 (9th studio album by Rotting Christ)
• Record company: Season Of Mist
• Production: Sakis Tolis
• Album cover art: Jérôme Cros
• Personnel: Andreas Lagios (bass), Sakis Tolis (vocals, guitars, and keyboards), and Themis Tolis (drums)
• Additional musicians: Christos Antoniou (choir arrangements), Giorgos Bokos (lead guitar on Helios Hyperion), and Magia (vocals on Nemecic) 
• Musical style: Melodic black metal with elements of symphonic metal, progressive metal, and Greek and Middle Eastern folk music
• Sound: Bombastic, dark, atmospheric, and hauntingly poetic, with "Theogonia", Rotting Christ provides a unique and infernal musical journey blending black metal elements with symphonic metal, death metal, and progressive metal, along with traditional Greek folk phrases and concepts.  It is this blending of styles makes "Theogonia" such a fascinating and mesmerizing album.  Each track is completely floors me! 
• Major themes: Mythology, darkness, evil, the occult, death, folklore, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Χάος γένετο (The Sign Of Prime Creation)"
2. "Keravnos Kivernitos"
3. "Nemecic"
4. "Enuma Elish"
5. "Phobos' Synagogue"
6. "Gaia Tellus"
7. "Rege Diabolicus"
8. "He, the Aethyr"
9. "Helios Hyperion"
10. "Threnody"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Proper Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.properbrewingco.com/
• Brew: Unicorn Fight Dungeon
• Style: Helles Lager
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Pour: The Unicorn Fight Dungeon pours a slightly hazy amber with pinkish hues and a frothy, 1 finger, bright white head that dissipates to a thin ring with soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is fruity, citrusy, tart, yet bready.  There are aromas of cranberry juice, lime peel, lime juice, freshly baked bread, spicy German hops, and light honey.
• Taste: The taste follows the nose with lots of fruity, bready, tart, and slightly spicy.  There are notes of doughy bread, crackery biscuit, cranberry, lime, grassy hops, a touch of honey, and a hint of pepper.
• Mouthfeel: The Unicorn Fight Dungeon is very crisp, slightly tart, and a very crushable brew with a dry, clean finish.

Overall pairing: Along with the great name, the Unicorn Fight Dungeon is a uniquely complex, punchy, and fruity, yet very drinkable brew... a wonderful foil to the dark, complex, intricate bombast of the mighty Rotting Christ!  Those bright, citrusy flavors and aromas work great with dark beauty found on the tracks of "Theogonia" and the imagery found on the album cover and the beer label make for an interesting fusing of mythologies!  'Nuff said!

Yasou!!  Hails!!