March 22nd, 2025 - The Infernal Chocolate Banana Storm of the Big Bad Baptist

Hello and happy Saturday metal hellions and artisan brew fanatics!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here today with a killer pairing for ya... "The Infernal Storm", the kick-ass 4th album by death metal legends Incantation and a Big Bad Baptist Chocolate Banana Imperial Stout from Epic Brewing Company!  Hell yes!!  And behold the amazing beauty of the vinyl!!   \m/  \m/

Album Info:

• Artist: Incantation
• Title: "The Infernal Storm"
• Recorded: November through December 1999 at Mars Studios in Cleveland, Ohio
• Release date: May 9th, 2000 (4th full-length studio release by Incantation)
• Record company: Relapse Records
• Production: Bill Korecky and Incantation
• Album cover art: Miran Kim (artwork) and Bill Venner (band logo)
• Personnel: John McEntee (guitars), Mike Saez (guitars and vocals), and Robert Yench (bass)
• Guest musician: Dave Culross (drums)
• Musical style: Death metal
• Sound: Aggressive, heavy as hell, and a bit sludgy, the sound on "The Infernal Storm" is classic Incantation!  More than an album, it is a sonic experience of the highest degree!  From the opening notes of "Anoint The Chosen" to the final of "Nocturnal Kingdom of Demonic Enlightenment", this album grabs you by the collar, slams you against the wall, and demands your attention!
• Major themes: Death, destruction, rage, evil, darkness, the occult, mythology, anti-Christianity, blasphemy, Satan, misery, violence, etc.
• Tracks: 
  
1. "Anoint The Chosen"
2. "Extinguishing Salvation"
3. "Impetuous Rage"
4. "Sempiternal Pandemonium"
5. "Lustful Demise"
6. "Heaven Departed"
7. "Apocalyptic Destroyer Of Angels"
8. "Nocturnal Kingdom of Demonic Enlightenment"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Epic Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.epicbrewing.com/
• Brew: Big Bad Baptist Chocolate Banana
• Style: Imperial Stout
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 10.0%
• Ingredients: Marris Otter, 2-Row, Light Munich, Chocolate Malt, Black Malt, and Roasted Barley malts, with Nugget, Chinook, and Cascade hops, aged in whiskey barrels with cacao nibs, banana creme pie flavor, and cocoa flavor added
• Pour: The Big Bad Baptist Chocolate Banana pours a beautiful black... black as hell, black as the night sky, black as mud with a 1-finger mocha head that slowly dissipates to thin layer with good retention and lots of sticky lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by aromas of freshly peeled bananas, banana cream pie, bittersweet cooking chocolate, rich planting soil, dark roasted espresso beans, rich vanilla, oak, and rich bourbon, along with sweet toffee and hints of black licorice. 
• Taste: The flavor is characterized by huge notes of chocolate dipped banana, banana cream pie, dark and milk chocolate, vanilla extract, freshly whipped cream, and rich bourbon, with more subtle notes of dark toasted bread, burnt toffee, and molasses.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with minimal carbonation, the Big Bad Baptist Chocolate Banana's mouthfeel is sticky, velvety, and chunky.  The finish is nice and chewy and velvety smooth with a dry mocha goodness that lingers.

Overall Pairing: Admittedly, I wasn't so sure about this brew when I first came across Epic's Big Bad Baptist Chocolate Banana Imperial Stout, but those bold, rich, and very unique flavors are perfect for the aggression, fiery riffs, and killer hooks of this kick-ass Incantation album!  The more bitter flavors are great for the lyrics and Saez's powerful vocals, while the brighter, sweeter flavors go great with the amazing dual guitar attack of McEntee and Saez!  And those bolder malt notes are prefect for the thunderous drumming and bass onslaught of Yench and Culross! 

Cheers and hails!!