December 17th, 2021 - A Naked Baptist Upon The Throne Of Apocalypse

 

Good evening evil doers, headbangers, and craft brew freaks!  Happy Friday!  The Meista here today getting the weekend (and my two-week vacation) off to the right start with a heavy-duty pairing of the brutal "Upon The Throne Of Apocalypse" by death metal legends Incantation and a very tasty, bold, and boozy Big Bad Baptist Naked Baptist Imperial Stout from Epic Brewing Company!  And I cannot wait to see Incantation live on tour in support of Nile here in Utah on February 21st!!  Hell yeah!!  

Album Info:

• Artist: Incantation
• Title: "Upon The Throne Of Apocalypse"
• Recorded: March 1994 at Excello Recording Studios in Brooklyn, New York
• Release date: August 1st, 1995 (3rd full-length studio album by Incantation)
• Record company: Relapse Records
• Production: Incantation
• Album cover art: Wes Benscoter (cover art), Miran Kim (artwork) and Bill Venner (logo)
• Personnel: Dan Kamp (bass), John McEntee (guitars), Craig Pillard (guitars and vocals), and Jim Roe (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, relentless bass and drums, and brutally guttural vocals, Incantation provides yet another great 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, horror, the occult, hell, etc.  
• Tracks: 
1. "Abolishment Of Immaculate Serenity"
2. "Blissful Bloodshower"
3. "The Ibex Moon"
4. "Nocturnal Dominium"
5. "Essence Ablaze"
6. "Iconoclasm Of Catholicism"
7. "Emaciated Holy Figure"
8. "Demonic Incarnate"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Epic Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://www.epicbrewing.com/
• Brew: Big Bad Baptist Naked Baptist Imperial Stout
• Style: Imperial Stout
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 13.1% 
• 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 Naked Baptist 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, and boozy elements.  There are aromas of baker's dark chocolate, dark roasted malts, freshly ground dark roast coffee, espresso, burnt toffee, sweet caramel, loam, oak, a hint of soy sauce and Worchester sauce, and rich bourbon.
• Taste: The taste of the Naked Baptist follows the nose with big notes of dark chocolate, coffee, and bourbon with more subtle flavors of hearty bread, cream, black pepper, and sweet caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with low carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Naked Baptist is very thick, velvety, creamy, and smooth, with a very dry, slightly bitter, peppery, and boozy finish.

Overall pairing: Epic's Naked Baptist 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 doomier 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 tear out your blackened soul!  

Cheers and hails headbangers!!  Keep it craft and keep it fucking HEAVY!