Receiving the Evcharist is our weekly feature where I don’t just talk about a new metal album, I also consume and talk about alcohol! Sometimes they pair up nicely, sometime they don’t. My cup of heresy runneth over this week with: Foreverglade from Worm and Ukiyo from Breakaway Beerworks.
The Tunes: Worm – Foreverglade
MORE WORM COVERAGE (but different.) Alright, so I didn’t necessarily intend to grab another 20 Buck Spin release for this post, nor did I intend to dive into literally the same album as Ian… but I’m also very glad I did. I have zero prior familiarity with the project, so I’m sure our impressions will contrast enough. For starters, Foreverglade is everything I could hope from a Floridian death/doom project. Unsurprisingly, the six tracks on this album that eat up 45 minutes are crammed with monolithic, sludge-filled riffs that effortlessly blend from one to another, while occasionally yielding to leads and rhythms that are deliciously precise. It’s dense and it beats the shit out of you, but it’s also… fun? Basically, the complexity that exists within this record is very much appreciated and make this thing pretty easy to get lost in. But what makes this album absolutely soar for me are the more ambient, cosmic passages that create a bit of a haunting undertone at times. I didn’t necessarily expect to be taken to a similar place as, say, something in the Spectral Voice category… but I am 100% here for it. I know it’s not uncommon to hear a doom album described as “enveloping” or “captivating,” but I need to use those terms regardless. Structurally there is more than enough going on, stopping just short of unnecessary, which conveniently happens to be just the right amount of ambitious! So, yes, time just melts away and there really isn’t a minute wasted on Foreverglade. The production hits that mark where the cavernous weight and darkness of these riffs make their presence known, but there is still the right level of clarity to allow the more intricate moments to leave their mark as well. Add on the incredible artwork you see before you, and you have yourself a great album to crush a few beers to. Speaking of…
The Booze: Breakaway Beerworks’ Ukiyo
Generally speaking, I feel like the craft beer industry is inundated enough with New England IPAs. They hit peak trendy a few years ago, everyone makes them now (some better than others… some MUCH better than others), and it can be hard to differentiate between many of them. That said, a good NEIPA still offers that perfectly delicious combination of hoppy and refreshing. As a result, I still find myself exploring a new take on the style every so often. Enter: Breakaway Beerworks’ Ukiyo. I am all too aware that there is no shortage of awesome IPAs in my region of New England, and this, simply put, is another one to add to the pile. But damn does this thing go down easy at 6.5%. The balance of hazy citrus and piney dryness is spot on, making it hard to leave too much time in between sips. Each flavor note that defines a NEIPA is present, but nothing is overpowering. Truthfully, it had been a bit since I last had a true New England IPA, but I sure am glad I did tonight. Distance makes the heart fonder kinda thing? Is that even how that saying goes? Sure. Anyway, yeah, this is just the right level of complex and familiar… huh, I guess this does pair relatively well with the latest from Worm. I’m kinda drafting this on the fly since I haven’t done a Evcharist in awhile and I’ve been on the literal other side of the country for the past week, so let’s file this one in the happy accident category… Beer!
“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb
Nine Circles 
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