October 29th, 2021 - The Big Bad Baptist's Diabolical Conquest In The Rye

 

Hey there evil-doers, headbangers, and craft brew freaks!  The Meista here today getting the Halloween weekend off to the right start with a heavy-duty pairing of the brutal "Diabolical Conquest" by death metal legends Incantation and a very tasty, bold, and boozy Big Bad Baptist In The Rye from Epic Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!  This pairing goes out to my oldest friend, John, who I met in pre-school!  Cheers and thanks for the beers brother!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Incantation
• Title: "Diabolical Conquest"
• Recorded: November through December 1997 at Mars Studio in Cleveland, Ohio
• Release date: April 28th, 1998 (3rd full-length studio album by Incantation)
• Record company: Relapse Records
• Production: Bill Korecky and Incantation
• Album cover art: Miran Kim (artwork) and Bill Venner (logo)
• Personnel: Daniel Corchado (bass, guitars, and vocals), John McEntee (guitars), and Kyle Severn (drums)
• Musical style: Death metal with elements of death/doom
• Sound: This album, this short-lived incarnation of the band delivers the sound, purpose, and attitude that truly is and should be the definition of death metal!  With crushing rhythms, truly insane and infernal guitar work, and brutally guttural vocals, Incantation provides an album that is as mesmerizing as it is soul-crushing! 
• Major themes: Lyrical themes on the album include death, darkness, evil, blasphemy, anti-religion, violence, suffering, mythology, the occult, hell, etc.  
• Tracks:  
1. "Impending Diabolical Conquest"
2. "Desecration (Of The Heavenly Graceful)"
3. "Disciples Of Blasphemous Reprisal"
4. "Unheavenly Skies"
5. "United In Repugnance"
6. "Shadows Of The Ancient Empire"
7. "Ethereal Misery"
8. "Unto Infinite Twilight / Majesty Of Infernal Damnation"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Epic Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://www.epicbrewing.com/
• Brew: Big Bad Baptist In The Rye
• Style: Imperial Stout
• Serving: 25 ounce bottle
• ABV: 11.5% 
• Ingredients: Marris Otter, 2-Row, Light Munich, Chocolate Malt, Black Malt, and Roasted Barley with Nugget, Chinook, and Cascade hops, and aged exclusively in rye whiskey barrels
• Pour: The Big Bad Baptist In The Rye pours an opaque, black as hell/very deep, deep dark brown with a creamy, half finger, light mocha head with good sustain and sticky, sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by roasty, toasty, chocolaty, earthy, peppery, and boozy elements.  There are aromas of baker's dark chocolate, milk chocolate, dark roasted malts, freshly ground dark roast coffee, espresso, peppery rye, burnt toffee, sweet caramel, fresh cream, marshmallow (especially as it warms), loam, oak, a hint of soy sauce, and rich bourbon.
• Taste: The taste of the Big Bad Baptist In The Rye follows the nose with big notes of dark chocolate, coffee, and bourbon with more subtle flavors of hearty rye bread, cream, marshmallow, and sweet caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with low carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Big Bad Baptist In The Rye is very thick, velvety, creamy, and smooth, with a very dry, slightly bitter, and boozy finish.

Overall pairing: Epic's Big Bad Baptist In The Rye is a very complex and flavorful brew that demands your full attention... a perfect companion to the death metal doomy onslaught that is the mighty Incantation!  Those big, bold, and malty notes go great with the more doomy elements of the album, while the bitterness and boozy bite go great with the more aggressive, chaotic, and infernal dimensions!  I highly recommend both the album and the brew... but these are definitely not for the faint at heart... both will knock you down and kick the shit outta ya!  :)

Cheers and hails headbangers!!  Keep it craft and keep it heavy!