June 8th, 2025 - Bellum Regiis, Umbra Imperatrix

 

Dobry wieczór my infernal metal and craft beer brethren!  The Meister here today with another great pairing for ya.  I'm pairing "Bellum Regiis", the latest, kick-ass album from Polish blackened death metal band Hate and a bold and flavorful Shadow Empress Imperial Stout, a new brew from the fine folks at the Ogden Beer Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Hate
• Title: "Bellum Regiis"
• Recorded: March through August 2024 at Heinrich House Studio in Legionowo, Poland, Efektura Studio in Warsaw, Poland, and Gröndahl Studio in Stockholm, Swede
• Release date: May 2nd, 2025 (13th full-length studio release by Hate)
• Record company: Metal Blade Records
• Production: David Castillo and Hate
• Album cover art: Daniel Rusiłowicz
• Personnel: Domin (lead guitars), Nar-Sil (drums), Perun V. (rhythm and acoustic guitars, and vocals), and Tiermes (bass)
• Additional musicians: Eliza Sacharczuk (vocals) and Michał Staczkun (synthesizers and samples)
• Musical style: Blackened death metal
• Sound: Wonderfully blending the chaotic speed of black metal, and the brutal heaviness of death metal, on "Bellum Regiis", Hate lays down a face-melting musical journey of darkness, aggression, and rage!  The melodies are dark and mesmerizing, the drumming is machine gun fire blast beat intensity, the guitars are fast, fiery, and infernal, and the vocals are deep, guttural, and steeped in old-school death metal brutality!
• Major themes: Death, desolation, the occult, mythology, ritual, Slavic pagan folklore, evil, darkness, etc
• Tracks:

1. "Bellum Regiis"
2. "Iphigenia"
3. "The Vanguard"
4. "A Ghost Of Lost Delight"
5. "Rite Of Triglav"
6. "Perun Rising"
7. "Alfa Inferi Goddess Of War"
8. "Prophet Of Arkhen"
9. "Ageless Harp Of Devilry"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Ogden Beer Company (Ogden, Utah)
• Website: http://www.ogdenbeercompany.com/
• Brew: Shadow Empress Imperial Stout
• Style: Imperial Stout
• Serving:12 ounce can
• ABV: 9.5%
• Pour: The Shadow Empress pours a deep, dark black hue with 2+ finger, mocha, creamy head with great retention and lots of sticky, intricate lacing.
• Nose: The nose is a characterized by roasty, toasty, earthy, sweet, and malty aromas.  There are aromas of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, dark roasted coffee beans, roasted malts, hints of vanilla beans, a hint of oak, soft caramel, and burnt toffee.
• Taste: Very well-balanced, the Shadow Empress has a nice blend of earthy, bittersweet, roasty, and malty flavors.  There are notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, espresso, dark toasted bread, light vanilla, dark roasted malts, light cream, and burnt toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with low carbonation, the mouthfeel is very smooth, creamy velvety, and thick with dry, finish. 

Overall pairing: Along with the name, the Ogden Beer Company Shadow Empress is a great brew to pair with the dark and intense "Bellum Regiis" album for the simple fact that it they both kick ass!  The Shadow Empress is full-flavored, complex, boozy, and very drinkable stout ... a great beer to sip whilst banging your head and pumping your fists to the might and infernal power that is Hate!!  And how well does that album artwork and beer label work together?!  As if they were made for each other!

Dziękuję!!  Hails!!