I’m back again! I was thrilled to see this post available for the taking this week because I’m actually heading to the beer mecca that is Burlington, Vermont for the weekend (actually, by the time this posts I’ll probably be multiple Heady Toppers deep already). So in honor of this weekend getaway, let’s talk about… something other than beer! Long story short, I’m mixing it up a bit because I was recently recommended a couple of bourbons at a modest price point, and as a result I felt an immediate need to restock my supply. So yeah! As it goes with these things, when trying new booze, why not talk about it? After scrolling through the promo options this week I landed on Requiem for Eir​ê​nê, the latest from Isenordal. I don’t exactly know how to categorize their take on doom metal, but it felt a good match for the 8 Year Old Bourbon from Calumet Farm all the same.

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The Tunes: Isenordal — Requiem for Eir​ê​nê

Full disclosure: Despite enjoying Shores of Mourning when it was released in 2017, I have failed to return to that full-length debut ever since, nor I have I listened to literally anything else from Isenordal until now. I know. That’s a misstep. And I’m confident in that statement because Requiem for Eir​ê​nê is awesome. I said up top that I have no idea where this falls in the doom metal spectrum, and after a few rotations I still don’t. This album introduces plenty of different ideas and evokes so many emotions… and I am fully here for every ounce of it. There are some seriously haunting funeral doom vibes throughout, emphasized by the use of somber organ and string passages and a well-executed interplay between chilling clean vocals and the resonating, echoing weight of growls. But what I appreciate above absolutely everything else is how the cadence and energy regularly transitions to some notably vicious black metal without apology or hesitation, even directly from the calmer moments that border on stillness. Each track, with an average length of over 10 minutes I might add, covers all of this ground with purpose. Isenordal find a way create and resolve tension both within each track, and across the album, culminating in “Saturnine Apotheosis”, my favorite of the bunch — a deliberate, consistent march forward that evolves into some of the most addictingly melodic passages on the album… before pushing it further still for the closing couple of minutes. Requiem for Eir​ê​nê is complex, and it’s definitely intense. Most importantly it is. So. Damn. Good.

Wait. Apparently there’s some overlap with Dead to a Dying World in this project. That explains SO much. Needless to say, I’m sold.

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The Booze: Calumet Farm 8 Year Old Bourbon

When dooming, I prefer whiskey to beer. Red wine would also work. That said, interestingly, I don’t often explore the bourbon world. But the Calumet 8 Year came recommended, so let it be done. And I gotta say, this is a pretty tasty beverage. As one who most often reaches for a rye, I appreciate some of the drier, more peppery notes I’m getting here. Bourbons tend to fall on the sweet side for me, but this doesn’t give me quite the same reaction. It’s got some heat both on the nose and at first taste, but it softens out nicely as it lingers and I really dig how the flavors seem to change as well. On that note, just for fun, I poured a second on the rocks just for the sake of comparison. Seems like the flavor profile is on the complicated side, so why not try to explore a little more of it? Also, well, because hi it’s me. And it made a difference! The sweeter notes are way more prominent, and I’m really into the hints of caramel that I mostly missed before. But at this point I will say that if it came across any sweeter it would probably go a bit too far for me. All the same, I dig it. So I guess the only thing I need to do from here is get my hand on the 10 year next. Let it be done.

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A couple winners tonight! This Isenordal, especially, has earned a spot in the rotation going forward. I snagged Requiem for Eir​ê​nê simply because I recognized the project from several years ago, but not a minute of the actual music. Now, I’m obsessed. The bourbon definitely enhanced the listening experience, to be clear. Equally as complex, a steady sipper that demands your attention like the music. But most importantly, confirmation that dooming is still better with whiskey.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb