Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. / Mahrs Bräu – Oktoberfest (2016)

sierran nevada oktoberfest 2016

Oktoberfests seem to be brewed in July so they can be shipped to every liquor store and supermarket shelf in the western world by October. Most American Oktoberfest beers are simply caramel-flavored American lagers unpleasantly bumped up in flavor and alcohol. By making everything extremely loud, nothing truly stands out and what results is usually some tomato-tasting malt flavor with either too much or too little hops and and a warming alcohol finish rather than anything resembling the traditional märzen style. Sierra Nevada avoids this by partnering with a different traditional German brewery every year to brew what is annually one of the best American examples. For 2016’s version, Sierra Nevada teamed up with Mahrs Bräu to produce a simple, well-hopped pale lager. As the beer hits the tongue, the spiciness of the Germanic hops take hold and lead into a doughy, slightly chewy body of toasted white bread that finishes with a spicy hop finish and a slight note of warming alcohol. The warming finish and palette fatigue prevent the subsequent consumption of multiple bottles but Sierra Nevada’s 2016 brew thankfully avoids the grapefruit and mango IPAs for women trend to produce a decent, inoffensive drinking beer with well-developed simple flavors that can be savored while still letting you think about whatever else it is that you’re doing without having to pander to Panera Bread “crafted” bullshit such as pineapple phenol scented specialty Okinawan hops mixed with smoked habanero peppers in a stout that tastes like the fruity candy you leave for the annoying relatives you despise in a box of chocolates.

Quality: ***/*****
Purchase: ***/*****

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Demoncy – Faustian Dawn Reissue Out August 15th

Demoncy early 90s

Nuclear War Now! Productions announced that their remastered version of Demoncy’s Faustian Dawn demo from 1993 will be out on CD August 15th with LP two months later on October 15th. The sound was remastered by Ixithra himself and a new cover created by Chris Moyen. Expect a review from our staff shortly too.

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Cirith Ungol – Paradise Lost Reissue

cirith ungol paradise lost reissue

Cirith Ungol’s final and worst album, Paradise Lost is finally being reissued for the first time since its release in 1991. Metal Blade Records was unable to secure the rights to the album back when they released the first CD versions of the rest of the Cirith Ungol catalog in 1999. The CD, LP, and merchandise may be preordered from Metal Blade’s website and the band posted a press release their Facebook page:

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The Difficulties of Folk Metal: Part II

Skyforger_16127_Cernunnos_Fest_11

Article by Johan P.

This text is a continuation of the previously published article, The Difficulties of Folk Metal. As stated in Part I, the threefold aim of this multi-part article is, in rough terms, to: 1. Give a short introduction to the subject, 2. Point out some of the difficulties connected with integrating folk music into metal and finally, 3. Provide alternative methods of integration. Part II will be dedicated to the second part of this quest.

Naturally, there are limits regarding the scope of my endeavor – the most obvious demarcation being that the article primarily focuses on Swedish folk music. In my view, the critique of folk metal is an ongoing project, and this article should not be seen as an exhaustive treatment of the subject at hand.

So, if someone else out there finds the subject interesting, you are more than welcome to make contributions. It could be in the form of additional material (metal or folk related) and complementary ideas to enhance the project. For example, the depth and applicability of the arguments presented below would surely benefit if the scope could be expanded to include other forms of traditional music.

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Incantation – Unholy Massacre Demo Compilation Released

incantation - unholy massacre
Necroharmonic Productions has released a two CD compilation of Incantation’s early demos. Fans may be interested but Necroharmonic has a certain “history” of poor customer relations so buyer beware.

Disc 1 : Contains the original mix of “Demo # 1 – 1990 ” featuring Will Rahmer from Mortician on vocals and a live soundboard recording with Will on vocals, which was recorded in Buffalo,NY, in late 1990. This CD also features the 1st live recording with members of Profanatica from early 1990. Also included is the 1st rehearsal demo of Incantation with Paul Ledney on vocals in its uncut format.
CD contains 14 Tracks.

Disc 2 : Contains an unreleased 2 song demo from 1990 with Craig Pillard on vocals and a live soundboard from New Jersey. as well as previously unreleased pre- “Onward to Golgotha” line up rehearsals from early 1991.
CD contains 17 tracks.

incantation - unholy massacre track list

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Five Budget Bourbons

eagle_rare_bourbon

The bourbon market has seen an incredible expansion over the past 10 years. Major distillers have added new brands to their portfolio and the proliferation of craft/artisan distillers has exploded. And with demand at an all time high, prices have become exorbitant, making many good types of bourbon out of reach for the average consumer.

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