The Formative Years - Bolt Thrower

Claiming that Bolt Thrower is an influential death metal band would be an understatement par excellence as with their own brand of  their uncompromising, grim sound, there is a myriad of bands that have been influenced by them.

Bolt Thrower was one of the metal bands that instantaneously clicked with me due to them being as much inspired by early crust punk as by Bay Area thrash and Black Sabbath, thereby seamlessly bridging the divide between scenes with their hectic, refreshingly chaotic energy and confrontational onslaughts.

Their early emissions on Earache Records differed from the other cliché-ridden apolitical death metal acts on the label’s roster as Bolt Thrower lyrically focussed on politics and frustrations with the status quo, along with thinly hidden Warhammer fantasy worship, rather than gory and satanic themes that started to become en vogue.

Apart from their punk mentality and ethos, especially their early recordings from their Peel Sessions sound like they started off as band in the vein of Discharge, before they evolved with their classic and unique sounding album In Battle There Is No Law from 1988, which constituted a release that still honoured their punk roots but infused them with the frenzy and speed that should later on become the trademark of grind core without ever running danger of losing their groove.

Realm Of Chaos from 1989 is an album that saw Bolt Thrower getting darker, dirtier and tighter – in essence more deliberate and clearly defined – as they seem to have grown comfortable with their own style and pace and it is an album that will always stand the test of time.

Water of Life – EtOh Spirits

Within the confines of this spirit-centric series, we have covered whiskies, gins, tequilas, mezcals and vodkas from all corners of this earthround yet if you think that the geographic location of the entity known as EtOh, i.e. Denmark, is the most exotic thing about their operations, think again.

Having set out with the ambition to innovate and challenge the status quo of how the spirits industry has traditionally functioned, EtOh approaches the ageing of spirits scientifically by utilizing ultrasound along with a range of other techniques (e.g. heat and oxygen)  to artificially accelerate the process and condense the timeframe from years to days. 
Instead of barrels, EtOh uses a custom-built reactor, which allows them to calibrate the finer nuances in the creation of their interesting flavour profiles.

The result is that after a period of experimentation, EtOH is now able to create spirits from scratch in mere weeks rather than years.

Needless to say, I was both intrigued and sceptical as to the quality of the final product.

The first EtOh emission I tried was Arbejd, the nose of which won me over straight away with its peaty, slightly maritime and medicinal aromas, delicate coffee notes and the faintest hint of sherry.
What materialized on the top of the mouth was a delicious melange of charred wood, saline notes and stone fruits dancing against a backdrop of delicious smokiness, reminiscent of a young peated cask strength Bunnahabhain.

The medium finish reverberates with oaky flavours that culminate in an elegant smokiness flanked by slightly tart highlights, leaving one lusting for another dram.

Given the complexity of Arbejd, it is astonishing that it was created within less than two weeks and clocking in at 47% ABV, it is a delicious yet exotic expression that earns a place close to some of my beloved Islay whiskies. 

Next up was EtOh’s Hafnium, which takes us into territory that some would lovingly describe as characterized by detonated sherry bombs if it was a whisky, as upon approach the nostrils are tickled by aromas of sultanas and honeyed dates, accentuated by a hint of ginger and counterpointed by sweet coffee notes.

On the palate, orange marmalade is married with cinnamon, oak and maple syrup, dancing on a foundation of a bucketload of dried fruits.

The finish is dominated by milk chocolate, raisins, booming with sherried notes from all angles.

With the way EtOh manages to preserve the complexity, I would bet that in a blind tasting only the most seasoned would taste a difference in nuances between traditionally aged whiskies and EtOh’s mere days old spirits.

The Formative Years – Godflesh

I vividly remember when I was first introduced to the visceral sonic aggression that is being emitted once the needle hits Godflesh’s Streetcleaner debut album.

The way the album was mixed felt like a veritable wall of sound with the agitated, guttural growls and at times echoing vocals seamlessly blending in and becoming a mere enhancement of the instrumental onslaught.

Intentionally repetitive, stiff and artificial, the pounding rhythm section and drum machines are complemented by thudding bass lines  and lingering, jagged and nuanced doom metal guitars to create an industrial alienating yet meditative foundation on which samples are projected, the grand total atmosphere of which results in something much more than what the mere sum of the individual components would suggest.

The rhythm based Streetcleaner took the essence of what was perceived to be industrial and noise music in 1989 from bands like Whitehouse and Throbbing Gristle and mixed it with influences from bands like Black Sabbath, Big Black, et cetera, to create a new lane that was a continuation of post-punk in that they furthered the sounds of bands like Killing Joke to the extreme.

Thirty-three years on, the haunting masterpiece that is Streetcleaner has stood the test of time and remains a ridiculously heavy, monumental album that inspired a myriad of epigones and still manages to evoke vivid, perception altering nightmares.

Thus Let Us Drink Beer

7th Day Brewing

Needless to say that after having covered and thoroughly enjoyed the approachable and immensely sessionable quality brews of 7th Day Brewing before, I was excited when I got word about their occasionally blasphemous Making Waves series dedicating two releases to paying homage to a country known for its love of waffles, chocolate, French fries, and, most importantly, a vast diversity in beer. 

Being a huge fan of the highly carbonated and crisp Duvel, 7th Day Brewing’s fruity Sinner Belgian Blonde hits the spot with characteristics not entirely dissimilar to the Belgian triple style albeit drier and a tad more bitter.

Adorned by can art courtesy of the much lauded illustrator Biffy Bretano, this copper hued golden blonde little number tickles the nostrils with a melange of sweet and funky notes reminiscent of wet hay, which seamlessly transitions to the top of the mouth where light sweetness, spices and low to medium fruity ester flavours are married with sugary, almost caramelly notes, tinged with hints of light floral components that are somewhat similar to jasmine.

Clocking in at an ABV of 6.7%, sinning with this Belgian makes it a sessionable affair.

Taking things up a notch or four is 7th Day Brewing’s take on the Belgian quadruple style, i.e. the Belgian Quad Saint, which greets the nose with aromatic esters of winey, fruity raisins and clean clove spicy, slightly tropical nuances. 

Flavour-wise, we got a veritable tour de force in terms of piquant richness:

On the palate this dark brown beauty unfolds nicely calibrated flavours of cinnamon, ginger flavoured biscuits and a sweetness reminiscent of the creamy middles from a stack of French toast, further accentuated by a distinct maltiness, molasses and spiced rum highlights.

I can only hope that 7th Day Brewing will start sinning in Double and Triple IPA territory soon.

Otherside Brewing

Sometimes you have to create what you want to be part of: Founded in one of the most remote parts of this earthround, i.e. Fremantle in Western Australia,  Otherside was started by a conglomerate of mates who set out to brew straightforward quality, preservative free beers that they wanted to drink with the best of ingredients available.

Centred around their approachably and fun-loving ethos, it did not take long until Otherside’s liquid emissions became loved and sought after by craft beer loving communities both on terra australis and internationally to an extent that necessitated for Otherside’s game to be stepped up and for their operations to be upscaled significantly, culminating in the establishment of their own brewery.

Apart from a solid and extremely sessionable core line-up comprised of classic expressions like a Teutonic styled Helles to musically themed IPAs, my interest was piqued by their experimental Pilot series, which set out to push the envelope in terms of creativity and seasonality.

Informed by a playful approach and the endeavour to give back to the community, the Pilot series cans feature artwork from local artists to further accentuate and give those expressions an idiosyncratic note.

One of the aforementioned releases that blew me away from the get go is Otherside’s tour de force in the realm of tropical notes, i.e. the aptly named Headliner DIPA. 

Resting on a foundation of Pavlovian-response evoking deliciously dank resinous flavours, sweet, tart and bitter nuances are married with honeydew and cantaloupe before culminating in a crisp finish that leaves one lusting for more. The fact that the can is artfully designed by Melbourne-based artist Maegen Brown only adds to the holistic appeal.

Otherside’s Redliner DIPA is a seasonal, annual release, whose name not only hints at its crimson hue but is flavour-wise firmly rooted in juicy, moderately bitter territory, backed by caramel, toffee and a dark fruity malt character which is carefully calibrated so that hints of hops, mangos and peaches still manage to shine through.

If you harbour a remote interest in this beer-centric series, it should not come as a surprise that I am partial of a great Boilermaker.  Otherside’s Shift Brewers’ NZ Double IPA proved to be the ideal partner to a dram of Octomore 6.3 with its aromatic, weedy New Zealand aromatic hops, which dance against a backdrop of  intense lime, lemon zest, anise, lemongrass and tropical fruit notes. 
Much more refreshing than traditional IPAs courtesy of its delicate dryness, this subtle little number is an example par excellence for a well-calibrated, balanced and therefore dangerously moreish sipper. 

Last not least, Liquid Noise does exactly what the name alludes to in terms of upping things to eleven when it comes to over-the-top haziness, which is accentuated by bright tropical characters of pineapple, pine, and passion fruity nuances courtesy of Vic Secret hops, earthy blueberry and berry medley aromas derived from Mosaic hops and potently unique stone fruity flavours with faint elements of resiny pine and black tea derived from Idaho 7 hops being part of the mix.

With each of the four Pilot expressions I have had so far the chance to sample being a winner, I cannot wait for future Otherside releases.

The Formative Years – Discharge

I vividly remember the first time I was exposed to Discharge’s masterpiece and piece de resistance, i.e. their Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing album.

In equal measure, it was minimalist, heavy, aggressive, political, raw, had barked vocals, distinct drumming and songs that sounded like the sonic equivalent of a targeted assault. 

I was hooked straight away and could not believe that such a well-calibrated melange of metal and punk was conceived as early as 1982. 

With an unrivalled intensity, confronting immediacy and well-timed sub two minute songs that were stripped of all ornaments, it eclipsed literally all other punk bands in terms of intensity I had heard before.

Needless to say, Discharge’s iconic and distinct aesthetic comprised of confronting black and white imagery along with what became the patented studded leather jacket style along with coining a drum beat that was not only named after them but became synonymous for a whole genre, helped to further set them further apart. They quintessentially forged what was become known as crust core.

If you listen to early Discharge today, it is nigh impossible to not become instantaneously aware of how much they have influenced and created the foundation and template for generations of not only punk, hardcore but also metal bands, especially in the more extreme realms of the genre such as grind-, death- and even black metal.

While Discharge’s evolution and discography took some interesting turns, e.g. a detour into hair metal territory with their album Grave New World, which was not exactly badly done but understandingly not well received by their punk followership of the time, it is one of the bands whose emissions have stood the test of time.

If you are into hardcore punk and for whatever strange reason have so far evaded the majesty that is early Discharge, do yourself a favour and check out Discharge’s early releases or peep their most recent live incarnation at the Hellfest Festival which is testament to the timelessness of their legacy.