Receiving the Evcharist is our weekly feature where we pair choice albums with our favorite libations. Drink from the cup of heresy. This week’s offering: Void Tendril’s Ensnaring the Demiurge and San Fernando Brewing Company’s Imperial Death Star Stout.
The Metal: Void Tendril’s Ensnaring the Demiurge
It’s pretty rare these days to find a demo that sounds as confident as Ensnaring the Demiurge. Demos are traditionally a vehicle for bands to try on different hats and see which ideas fit and which get canned, but Void Tendril come swinging out of the gate with a clear vision, and one that sets their sound squarely in a category of its own. Perhaps it helps that the two members of the band were friends first before becoming bandmates, and share incredibly similar tastes in music (although contentions about which Morbid Angel album is the best threaten the fabric of this alliance). Whatever the inspiration is, there’s no denying that Ensnaring the Demiurge is the sound of a band that knows what they want. Each of the album’s four tracks are the perfect blend of sinister doom and muscular black metal, topped off with some of the most chilling vocals I’ve heard in a long time. Void Tendril own everything that they are, from the inspirations they draw from classic acts, to the unique and sometimes unorthodox (but always enjoyable) touches they put into their craft, and that confident attitude coming from a young act is inspiring. This is going to be a band you’ll want to pay attention to.
The Booze: San Fernando Brewing Company’s Imperial Death Star Stout
I know who I am and what I’m about. I’ve been a Star Wars fan since I was maybe 5 years old and my parents threw A New Hope on for my brother and I to keep us quiet while we ate lunch, and at 27 years old there is no possible way I would pass up the opportunity to buy a Star Wars themed beer. San Fernando Brewing Company’s Imperial Death Star stout lives up to any expectations I could have. From the bittersweet chocolate and coffee notes, to the hefty ABV, to the rich body, this hits every facet I could want from a stout, and wrapping it up in a package that pays homage to one of my longest standing obsessions is icing on the cake.
That about wraps up this week, doesn’t it? Hopefully this was a nice end to your week and the start of a few days of relaxation. Find something cool to get into, and I’ll see you next time.
Cheers, and be good to each other,
– Vincent
Nine Circles 