Are you a fan of beer and heavy metal? Like drinking ryes with your riffs? Bocks with your black metal? Marzens with your Maiden? Double IPAs with your doom?

Beer and metal have been inseparable ever since the first heavy riffs were forged by the gods (read: Tony Iommi) eons ago. And given the close relationship between the two, devoting a blog to both just makes sense.

I recently became a contributor to IRON HOPS, which is exactly that blog. The blog is about a month and a half old, and I was brought to the team this past week. We explore the depths of heavy metal and extreme music and the nuances of the craft beer world.

http://ironhops.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iron-Hop ... 85?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ironhops

Bands who would like to submit stuff for reviews: You can email me directly at john@ironhops.com or use our contacts page to get in touch with someone. I know C. Rex and Spencer are cool with receiving unsolicited review requests, dunno about the others.

Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and watch this thread for updates.

ALBUM REVIEWS

Stranglion Rot - Rotten Heart of Evil (Fatal Judgement Records)
Fast-paced thrashy Finndeath. Solid stuff.
Review by John

Northless/Light Bearer split (Halo of Flies)
Atmosludge.
Review by C. Rex

BEER REVIEWS

Bare Hands Brewery Double Thai.p.a., Dry-Hopped 574 DIPA, and Scottish Strong Ale
3-for-1 review of an extremely small brewery's batch of beers: a spicy/punkiny IPA, a piny DIPA for hop heads, and a fruity Scottish strong.
Reviews by C. Rex

Eel River Brewing Company Raven's Eye Imperial Stout
Medium-bodied stout that goes down smooth for a 9.5% ABV beer. From the first USDA-certified organic brewery in the USA.
Review by Tom

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout
2010 vintage of a powerful stout (between 15-20% ABV) from one of the biggest, most well-respected craft breweries in the country.
Review by Spencer

SPECIAL FEATURES

Interview with Sonance

Featured blog: Brew Science, a lab scientist's blog about homebrewing, detailing his experiments with the craft.

ALBUM REVIEWS

Indian Handcrafts - Civil Disobedience For Losers
Power-duo heavily influenced by the Melvins.
Review by C. Rex

Black Table - Sentinel
Experimental/post-black with similarities to Krallice and The Atlas Moth.
Review by C. Rex

BEER REVIEWS

Long Trail Brewing Co. Harvest
A crisp, very sessionable brown ale that goes down easy.
Review by John

Knee Deep Brewing Co. Hoptologist DIPA
A light-bodied, crystal-clear copper DIPA that is extremely refreshing. Won the 12th Annual Bistro Double IPA Festival, beating out Stone Ruination and Russian River Pliny the Elder.
Review by Tom

SPECIAL FEATURES

Album of the Day 1/3/13: The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute, as picked by C. Rex

ALBUM REVIEWS

Vattnet Viskar - Vattnet Viskar
A band hailed by many as the culmination of everything the USBM scene has ever done, but ultimately misses the mark.
Review by Brandon

Chapel - Satan's Rock 'N' Roll
Riffy, no-frills black/speed in the vein of Speedwolf and Midnight. Riffs, booze, Satan.
Review by John

Tree of Sores - A Cry of Despair
Post black metal with depressive tinges that includes nods to Deafheaven, Neurosis, Russian Circles, and Xasthur.
Review by C. Rex

BEER REVIEWS

Avery Dugana IPA
A clean, crisp, and incredibly well-balanced double IPA with a strong but not overpowering hop presence.
Review by Spencer

Berkshire Brewing Co. Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale
A slightly sweet, somewhat floral, and extremely delicious golden pale ale that is (sadly) unknown outside of western New England.
Review by John

SPECIAL FEATURES

Man Versus Machine: Richard states his extreme distaste for a $6,000 automatic beer brewing machine.

IRON HOPS IS LOOKING FOR AN ALBUM REVIEWER

...Err, not anymore we're not. Should openings pop up, they will be posted in this thread.

ALBUM REVIEWS

Vitandus - Macabre Incarnate
Black/death with a punky trad. heavy metal feel that proves that catchiness in metal is a good thing.
Review by John

Dead Empires - Waiting in Waves
Intricate instru-prog metal that defies formula.
Review by C. Rex

ALBUM REVIEWS

Wight - Through The Woods Into Deep Water
Bluesy psychedelic doom metal that rocks hard and isn't ashamed of it.
Review by John

Code Orange Kids - Love is Love//Return to Dust
Hateful, passionate hardcore that delves into sludge, doom, and post-rock territory.
Guest review by LeAnna Quartuccio

Torture Chain - Time Is But A Doorway to The Incinerator
Harsh, blasting black metal with punky bits and mangled guitar solos.
Review by Brandon

BEER REVIEWS

Pipeworks Brewing Company Ninja vs. Unicorn
An absolute hop-bomb of a double IPA. Lacking in complexity.
Review by C. Rex

Dark Horse Brewing Company Tres Blueberry Stout
Chocolate and coffee flavors are dominant, with actual blueberry flavor (not fake/candy/cough syrup blueberry) underneath. Great example of a properly-done fruit beer.
Review by Richard

Rogue Chipotle Ale
A chile beer that is too complex for its own good. Warms the chest briefly with jalapeno flavor.
Review by C. Rex

SPECIAL FEATURES

Interview with Matt Faragher of Tree of Sores

A series by Tom about wild fermentation:
Part I: A Brief History and Science
Part II: A General Guide of Sours and Wild Brews

ALBUM REVIEWS

A fuckload of stuff involving Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
A massive review of a Mars Volta album, two Omar Rodriguez-Lopez solo albums, and an album by the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez group.
Reviews by C. Rex

Aluk Todolo - Occult Rock
A spellbinding mixture of black metal and krautrock. Masterful control of atmosphere.
Review by John

It's Not Night: It's Space - Bowing Not Knowing to What
Instrumental psychedlic/stoner doom with influences that Clayton has trouble pinpointing.
Review by C. Rex

BEER REVIEWS

Three Floyds Mutiny & The Mollusk
An English stout by the people behind the infamous Dark Lord stout. Tastes of roasted malts, with coffee and oyster notes. Could be stronger.
Review by Spencer

Green Flash Double Stout
A decent, but unspectacular double stout. Roasted malt flavor with chocolate and coffee notes is thrown off by a soy sauce element.
Review by Spencer

SPECIAL FEATURES

Interview with Black Table

Interview with In Her Rotten Cheek

ALBUM REVIEWS

Vuota - Eroguro Neurosis
A gothic, gloomy mish-mash of black metal, synths, and 80's drum machines.
Review by Brandon

Corsair - Corsair
Very catchy Thin Lizzy-inspired rock/proto-metal with proggy twists, psychedelic atmosphere, and plenty of guitar harmonies.
Review by John

Vorum - Poisoned Void
Fantastic blackened Finndeath that could very likely make several year-end lists.
Review by John

BEER REVIEWS

Ska Brewing Company Modus Hoperandi
While not the hoppiest IPA around, it is incredibly well-balanced and overall fantastic.
Review by C. Rex

Eel River Brewing Organic Porter
An award winning porter that differentiates itself from other common American porters by being much lighter and easy to drink.
Review by Tom

Schmaltz Brewing Jewbelation 15
A powerhouse 15% ABV strong ale with roasty, coffee, and chocolate flavors. Originally very harsh with the alcohol, this particular one was cellared for a year before drinking, taking the edge off.
Review by Tom

SPECIAL FEATURES

Interview with Dead Empires, an instrumental prog metal band (read C.s review of Waiting in Waves)

ALBUM REVIEWS

Centurian - Contra Rationem
Old-school Morbid Angel-inspired death metal from the band that changed their name to Nox in 2003, released the tech death masterpiece Ixaxaar in 2007, and changed their name back to Centurian in 2011. This is kickass stuff.
Review by John

BEER REVIEWS

Shipyard Brewing Co. Pugsley's Signature Series Barleywine
A rich, fruity, slightly nutty beer. Has the honor of being the first barleywine ever reviewed on Iron Hops.
Review by John

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales Noel de Calabaza
A tart (but not too tart) Belgian strong ale that tastes of plums and raisins. A good introduction to sour beers.
Review by Tom

The Iron Hops crew would like to welcome Steve Henn to the team!

ALBUM REVIEWS

Riverside - Shrine of New Generation Slaves
Possibly the best album ever recorded by these Polish prog rock/metallers. The culmination of every influence the band has ever used.
Review by John

Aum - Of Pestilence
Derivative but nonetheless enjoyable Hong Kong black metal. Very reminiscent of Immortal, with tinges of Deathspell Omega.
Review by John

National Sunday Law - Festival of the Horned God
Prog/doom/sludge that comes highly recommended by members of Intronaut.
Review by C. Rex

BEER REVIEWS

Sierra Nevada Ovila Belgian-style Golden Ale
A dry, peppery Belgian-style ale that tastes better chilled.
Review by Steve

New Holland Cabin Fever
A cleaner, crisper brown ale with caramel, roast, and a hint of rye flavor.
Review by Steve

Kiuchi Brewery Hitachino Nest Extra High
A Japanese takes on a Belgian Strong Dark that tastes mainly of brown sugar with some oak and vanilla. Fails as a Belgian Strong Dark due to the lack of fruity flavors, but is otherwise a tasty brew.
Review by Spencer

Half Acre Big Hugs vs. MechaHugs
A completely opaque Imperial stout that, despite its unusual name, doesn't really stand out from other Imperial stouts.
Review by C. Rex

Flat 12 Bierwerks Nunmoere Black ABA
A very coffee flavored black ale with a combination of caramel and sweet maltiness with a strong but not unpleasant bitterness. Brewery described by the author as "Indiana's best-kept secret."
Review by C. Rex

Rivertown Hop Bomber
A sour/acidic pale ale with hints of toasty male flavor. Despite the name, this beer isn't actually that hoppy.
Review by C. Rex

SPECIAL FEATURES

Interview with Tethered to a Dying Animal, a noisy, grunge-influenced doom/sludge one-man-band.

Nice work on the blog. Metal and beer. Two of my favourite things ever. I'll have to check back regularly.

Thanks for the nice information in the post...

And thank you both for checking us out! If you haven't, you should like our Facebook page and/or follow us on Twitter to get updates to the blog as soon as they happen.

Question for those who view the thread: would you rather I update this thread on a frequent basis with smaller posts (as I did in the beginning), or do less frequent larger posts (like this one and the one before it)? Updating more frequently would keep the thread at the top of the forum and increase visibility, but I feel like the larger posts are more likely to attract clicks. Opinions?

Anyway, onto the posts....

ALBUM REVIEWS

Wartorn - Iconic Nightmare
Crusty hardcore band takes a metallic turn on their fantastic Southern Lord debut.
Review by C. Rex

Hellige s/t demo
Icy cold black metal from warm and sunny Buenos Aires. Sludge influences are heavily present as well.
Review by C. Rex

Grindcore Karaoke Roundup 1/28/13
Mini-reviews of notable Grindcore Karaoke releases: Inerds/Bestower, Sufferinfuck/Mangle, Weed Thief, and The Drip.
Reviews by C. Rex

Planks - Funeral Mouth
A complex and enthralling mix of black metal, darkwave, post-rock, and sludge.
Review by Brandon

BEER REVIEWS

Rivertown Helles Lager
It's probably a pretty good lager. Unfortunately, C. hates Lagers.
Review by C. Rex the lager-hater

Dogfish Head Theobroma
Chocolate and caramel balanced by spicy chili flavors in this Honduran entry to the Dogfish Head Ancient Ales series.
Review by Richard

Boulevard Rye-on-Rye: A Dueling Beer Review
While they agree it doesn't taste like a rye, opinions differ greatly on this brew from Boulevard Brewing Company.
Review by Richard and C. Rex

The Bruery 5 Golden Rings
A fruity, gingery, and very powerful Belgian strong pale ale.
Review by Spencer

SPECIAL FEATURES

Interview with National Sunday Law, a prog/doom/sludge band whose recent EP was reviewed by C.

Interview with Corey von Bohlen of Halo of Flies Records, home of Light Bearer, Malachi, Protestant, Cloud Rat, and Northless.

ALBUM REVIEWS

Ice Dragon - The Soul's Midnight
Droney, bleak, lo-fi stoner doom from Boston with a dark, ethereal atmosphere.
Review by John

Devourment - Conceived in Sewage
Brutal-as-fuck death metal, but it's Devourment so you knew that already.
Review by C. Rex

Stagnant Waters - Stagnant Waters
"A roomful of PCP-fucked mutants beating the shit out of a Commodore 64 with a clarinet." A completely uncomfortable album, which Brandon loves.
Review by Brandon

Been dealing with some issued updating the thread. Trying to play catch-up.

BEER REVIEWS

Anchorage Brewing Galazy White IPA
A lighter-bodied IPA with pineapple and herbal notes and a spicy, hoppy bite.
Review by Spencer

Ohio Brewing Company Verich Gold
A Kolsch that was not graded due to black flakes floating in the beer. (Those who read the Cellar Rats The Piper IPA review will remember that it was not graded because it was believed to be bad, and this bottle came from the same store.)
Review by C. Rex

North Coast Grand Cru
A 12.9% ABV ale brewed with Agave nectar and aged in bourbon barrels. Unsurprisingly, has a sweet bourbon flavor. Sweetness is lighter in the finish and the alcohol is hidden well.
Review by Steve

SPECIAL FEATURES

Interview with Stavros Giannopolos, guitarist/vocalist of The Atlas Moth who drinks PBR because he gets it for free.

Aaaaand this should get me all caught up.

ALBUM REVIEWS

Cloud Rat - Moksha
Grrrriiiiiiiind with fantastic lyrics, fantastic vocals, and fantastic production.
Review by C. Rex

Eight Bells - The Captain's Daughter
A complex, mostly instrumental mix of black metal, sludge, and post-rock that is delightfully cacophonous.
Review by C. Rex

BEER REVIEWS

Ommegang Three Philosophers
A complex Belgian-styled Quadrupel with cherries added. Not for everyday drinking, but delicious.
Review by C. Rex

North Coast Old Rasputin XV Anniversary Barrel Aged Stout
Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels, part of a four-part series of bourbon barrel-aged beer reviews by Spencer. Chocolate, oak, vanilla, roasted malt, espresso, dark fruit, and (of course) bourbon notes are present.
Review by Spencer

Hoppin’ Frog D.O.R.I.S. the Destroyer
Yet another review with no grade (see: Ohio Brewing Company Verich Gold and Cellar Rats The Piper IPA reviews). This one in particular tastes like soy sauce, and is believed to have suffered from autolysis due to sitting in a storeroom for too long.
Review by C. Rex

ALBUM REVIEWS

Manilla Road - Mysterium
It sounds like a Manilla Road album, and that's absolutely a good thing.
Review by John

Grayceon - Pearl and the End of Days
Dynamic, elegant, challenging music from the Bay Area's guitar-cello-drums prog-sludge trio.
Review by C. Rex

BEER REVIEWS

Founder's Backwoods Bastard
Part 2 of Spencer's bourbon barrel aged series. Wee Heavy with a stealthy bourbon flavor, with all of the sweetness you expect from a scotch ale.
Review by Spencer

Sun King Velvet Fog
Part 3 of Spencer's bourbon barrel aged series. A fruity, sweet quadrupel with a powerful-but-not-overbearing bourbon character.
Review by Spencer

Bell's Black Note
C.'s own stab at a bourbon barrel beer. Coffee flavors give way to a bourbon-y mid-mouth and an alcoholic finish, with a surprising chocolate aftertaste. Potentially a good candidate for aging.
Review by C. Rex

Magic Hat Pistil Dandelion Ale
A clean-tasting spiced ale. Decent, but not enough going on.
Review by John

ALBUM REVIEWS

Employed to Serve - Counting Crows
Two-song EP shows substantial growth for this post-hardcore/grind act. Riffs resemble doom metal mixed with Converge.
Review by C. Rex

Defeated Sanity - Passages Into Deformity
Brutal, technical death metal that will pummel you into oblivion. Which should come as no surprise, given Defeated Sanity's track record.
Review by C. Rx

BEER REVIEWS

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
The final part of Spencer's bourbon barrel series. A complex yet balanced blend of roasted malt, chocolate, burnt coffee, and strong bourbon flavors that lives up to its legendary status, even in the face of being bought by AB InBev.
Review by Spencer

Wychwood Brewery Hobgoblin Dark English Ale
Despite its fruity and syrupy smell, this brew is watery and bland.
Review by Steve

Short’s Bludgeon Yer Eye PA
A medium-light bodied, low ABV black IPA that doesn't taste very black.
Review by C. Rex

New Holland Night Tripper
A rich imperial stout with an overwhelming roasted malt flavor. Lacks that sweetness that Steve likes in stouts, but may be more enjoyable to other drinkers.
Review by Steve

SPECIAL FEATURES

A post on Grinding For A Cure, a 100-band grind compilation to raise proceeds for Alzheimer's research.

Free Download of the Day: The Harvest by Sea of Bones, a crushing sludgy doom act that comes recommended by Yob's Mike Scheidt.

Today, I am proud to unveil for you, for the very first time on Iron Hops...

INDIE LABEL SPOTLIGHT

A new, hopefully monthly feature on smaller indie labels putting out music worth your while.

The inaugural Indie Label Spotlight features Witch Hunter Records, a label from Nottingham "concentrating on limited runs of good looking releases, with an emphasis on d.i.y values and pay what you want downloads, catering to fans of hardcore, sludge, doom, stoner, punk and alternative music." They have a good deal of quality releases, and we recommend liking them on Facebook and/or following them on Twitter.

An interview with label head Chris Kaye, wherein he details the history of the label and discusses the challenges of running a mainly-download indie label in the age of piracy.

Indie Label Spotlight Reviews:

Atragon - Volume 1
Two-song crushing stoner doom that pays homage to doom bands of the past. A bit derivative, but quite enjoyable nonetheless.
Review by John

Mage - Black Sands
Lots of BIG RIFFS to be found on this very Sabbathian piece of stoner doom.
Review by C. Rex

Limb - Limb
No-frills bluesy, punky sludge packed with riffs that leaves the listener wanting more.
Review by John

Seagraves - Weight of the World
D-beat crusty hardcore that harkens to the glory days of Agnostic Front and Cro-Mags.
Review by C. Rex

Lastly, a re-run of C. Rex's review of A Cry of Despair by Tree of Sores. It originally ran about a month ago and was reposted due to Tree of Sores being on Witch Hunter Records. We also reposted the interview with Matt Foragher from Tree of Sores, that was posted shortly after the review originally ran.

__________________________________________

Now, on to the rest of the blog...

ALBUM REVIEWS

Gatlin - Nights of Ire
Crusty, blackened, vicious and hateful hardcore, done quite well.
Review by John

Holy Grail - Ride the Void
Classic, straight-up heavy metal with good songwriting that is extremely fun to listen to.
Review by C. Rex

Nero di Marte - Nero di Marte
Technical, proggy, atmospheric metal that calls to mind Ulcerate, Gorguts, and Gojira, with an extremely versatile vocalist.
Review by C. Rex

Magic Circle - Magic Circle
NWOBHM-influenced epic doom metal chock full of unbelievable riffs, with vocals more powerful and emotive than most bands are capable of pulling off.
Review by John

Darsombra - Climax Community
Psychedelic, mellow drone, perfect for relaxing with a pint of beer at the end of the day.
Review by C. Rex

BEER REVIEWS

Anchorage Brewing Love Buzz
A complex brew that takes the traditional saison and turns it on its head, with marvelous results.
Review by C. Rex

Jolly Pumpkin Weizen Bam Biere
A very, very sour saison with some clove and nutmeg to it.
Review by Spencer

Allagash Dubbel Ale
A bit light for a dubbel, but complex and tasty, with slight fruitiness and roastiness with a surprisingly assertive hop bitterness.
Review by John

Boulevard Nommo Dubbel
Brewed with molasses and spices, this dubbel is sweet initially before giving way to the spiciness.
Review by Steve

Summit Brewing Co. Oatmeal Stout
A lighter but very balanced and drinkable stout with up-front maltiness and a chocolatey mid-mouth, finishing bitter.
Review by C. Rex

We at Iron Hops are proud to announce that LeAnna Quartuccio is now a full-time reviewer to the staff. Welcome aboard, LeAnna!

We are also proud to announce that we passed the 10,000 view mark yesterday after only a few months of existence. Thank you to all of our readers who are helping to put us on the map!

ALBUM REVIEWS

Wormed - Exodromos
Everything a fan of brutal tech-death could ever ask for from the first Wormed album in ten years.
Review by C. Rex

Ichabod - Dreamscapes in Dead Space
Bluesy, psychedelic doom metal with an angry, sludgy edge and a versatile vocalist.
Review by John

Portal - Vexovoid
Ugly, twisted misanthropy that "functions at a higher level than genre-fucking."
Review by Brandon

Cult of Luna - Vertikal
New album from the Finnish atmosludge masters sees them emphasize the use of electronics alongside their massive riffs.
Review by LeAnna

Bitter Peace/Esoterica/Krieg/The Many – New World Black Metal
A four-way-split of US black fucking metal that doesn't dick around with post-rock or shoegaze.
Review by C. Rex

Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused to Sing (and Other Stories)
80's neoprog influences, dark jazzy King Crimson-isms, and mellow Pink Floyd atmosphere are combined into another showcase of dark, gritty melancholy from that mastermind prog musicians and producer.
Review by John

Heavy Breath - Muddy Life
Noisy-but-melodic hardcore that is extreme infectious but, at three songs and 12 minutes long, would be far better if it were longer.
Review by C. Rex

Super Massive Black Holes - 2012 EP
Post/prog/jazz metal quartet that cites Necrophagist, Gentle Giant, Frank Zappa, and John Coltrane as influences, among others.
Review by C. Rex

Supuration - CU3E
Oddball French death metal with a penchant for weird melodies and dissonant chords mixed with old-school Swedish death metal. Despite its weirdness, it's extremely catchy.
Review by John

BEER REVIEWS

Russian River Redemption
An easy-to-drink Belgian single blonde ale with a yeasty tang and just a bit of bitterness in the finish.
Review by Tom

Moylan's Kilt Lifter
One of the most widely-distributed Scotch Ales/Wee Heavies on the market, this award-winning beer tastes very clean with some smokey notes and a bit of alcohol burn. Despite its reputation, it doesn't really "wow" the drinker.
Review by Tom

Dogfish Head/Birra Del Borgo My Antonia
Originated brewed in Italy as a collaboration between Dogfishe Head's Sam Calagione and Birra Del Borgo's Leonardo DiVencenzo. This is Birra Del Borgo's version of the sweet, malty Imperial pilsner.
Review by Spencer

Slumbrew Trekker Trippel
A sweet-but-powerful offering from a small, up-and-coming, and very impressive Massachusetts brewery.
Review by John

Brasserie Grain d’ Orge-Belzebuth
A strong Belgian blonde that pushed the envelope for big, strong beers. Alcohol is very much present, but the overall flavor is lacking.
Review by Tom

SPECIAL FEATURES

Interview with Nick Thornbury of Vattnet Viskar, wherein he discusses his band's quick rise from buzzed-about underground darlings to Century Media-signed SXSW performers on the verge of breaking huge. Also, homebrewing talk.

Metal for People who Don't Like Metal Vol. 1: Ancient VVisdom - Deathlike
Guest writer Británny Herrada, a newbie to the metal scene, gets lost in the atmosphere of Ancient VVisdom's instrumental arrangements.

ALBUM REVIEWS

Batillus - Concrete Sustain
The sophomore album from these NYC doom peddlers is even doomier, more industrial, and full of incredible melodies.
Review by C. Rex

The Great Old Ones - Al Azif
Dark, moody, atmospheric Lovecraftian post-black metal that is another fantastic entry to the French scene.
Guest review by Cory Willard

Lycosa - Lycose
Five-song EP from a mainly hardcore band that occasionally tries to cover too much ground stylistically.
Review by C. Rex

Jess and the Ancient Ones - Astral Sabbat
Two new songs and a cover from the Finnish occult rock act, one of which is a 15-minute monster that is among the best material the band has done to date.
Review by John

BEER REVIEWS

Bell's Hopslam
A round-table review of the highly-regarded seasonal DIPA. Piney and fruity, and sweeter in general (though still bitter) than last year's batch.
Review by C. Rex, Spencer, and Tom

SPECIAL FEATURES

Heavy Planet’s “Bong Hits From The Astral Basement” was our Free Download of the Day for Feb. 27. A compilation of over 60 unsigned/independent doom, stoner, and sludge bands.

Paralysis Vol 1., another large compilation, was our Free Download of Feb. 28. 51 tracks of pissed-off sludge.

Dopesmoker covered on cello, bass, and drums by a trio of college students.

Black Pyramid's new video for "Onyx and Obsidian". Video was originally entitled "Metachaos" by Alessandro Bavari, and was re-used with permission as the promo video for the single. Black Pyramid's new album Adversarial will be out in April.

Iron Hops is proud to welcome Cory Willard as a permanent addition to the writing crew! He will be focusing mainly on black metal releases and will contribute an occasional beer review as well.

ALBUM REVIEWS

Light Bearer - Silver Tongue
Extremely ambitious and aggressively anti-theist proggy post-metal that may very well be C. Rex's album of the year.
Review by C. Rex

Grindcore Karaoke Roundup, Vol. 2
C. explores a damn good release from Scum Guilt, a solid one from Total Fucking Destruction, and disappointing ones from Human Trade, Girls Names, and Mutwawa/Seal Team 666.
Reviews by C. Rex

General Lee - Raiders of the Evil Eye
Loud, abrasive, angry French post-hardcore that is exhausting to listen to in the best way possible.
Review by C. Rex

Primitive Man - Scorn
Absolutely ugly, brutal, hate-filled sludge/doom without a single moment of respite.
Review by C. Rex

Sodb – Don Seantalamh a Chuid Féin
Irish black metal with a unique spin on the genre. The bass is unusually high in the mix, which creates some interesting grooves and sounds.
Review by Cory

Teith – Humboldt Park
Side project of Pelican's Trevor de Brauw, resembling what a post-metal band founded by Peter Hook might sound like. Electronic and danceable at times, noisy and spacey at others, with melodies driven mainly by the bass.
Review by C. Rex

Sannhet - Known Flood
Instrumental post-black metal with electronic flourishes, recorded by Colin Marston.
Review by C. Rex

Tribulation - The Formulas of Death
A monolithic death metal album that departs heavily from The Horror by adding black metal tinges and complex, progressive song structures.
Review by Cory

Crōn - Low And Drowning
His Hero Is Gone-esque hardcore-sludge that is likeable and fresh but often very same-y throughout the album.
Review by Brandon

Cloak of Altering - Ancient Paths Through Timeless Voids
Tense electronic black metal from Mories of Gnaw Their Tongues fame that pushes and pulls its atmosphere through tempo changes and unhinged vocals.
Review by Brandon

BEER REVIEWS

Stone Enjoy By 04.01.13
A very piney-followed-by-fruity imperial IPA. But you only have three more weeks to drink it, so if it's available in your area, better get to it quick!
Review by Spencer

Abita Andygator
A very sweet doppelbock that is sadly unimpressive, like Van Halen post-David Lee Roth, or Genesis with Phil Collins.
Review by Steve

SPECIAL FEATURES

Interview with Steve Worrell of Nero di Marte, wherein Steve discusses Nero di Marte's songwriting process, recording gear, and bemoans the lack of a small brewery scene in Italy.

These are good reviews, you should tell him to add them here

Haha, I have actually thought about posting mine here. Dunno who among the other writers have accounts, though, or whether they'd be interested.

Ask them and see, add yours if you want to.

So I have been painfully neglecting to update this thread. Which means I have a crapload of catching up to do.

For this last week of March, we are happy to announce the second installment of our Indie Label Spotlight series. This month's Spotlight will be shone on Captcha Records. Look for updates towards the end of the week!

ALBUM REVIEWS

Old Wounds - From Where We Came is Where We’ll Rest
The first proper full-length from this hardcore/powerviolence trio that we first examined during our previous Indie Label Spotlight. 24 punishing minutes of harsh, feral hardcore.
Review by C. Rex

Intronaut - Habitual Levitations: Instilling Words With Tones
A fantastic continuation of the sound first explored on Valley of Smoke. Melodic, jazzy prog metal that is technical but not overtly flashy.
Review by John

Vuyvr – Eiskalt
Promising Swiss black metal that mixes some non-traditional riffs with the traditional black metal hostility. Well-produced and shows the band members' hardcore roots.
Review by Cory

Baptists - Bushcraft
Vicious, Kurt Ballou-produced Southern Lord hardcore that doesn't let up.
Review by C. Rex

Dreamshade – The Gift of Life
Swiss melodeath that manages to breathe a some life into a dead, stale genre.
Review by C. Rex

Darkthrone - The Underground Resistance
Darkthrone go heavily 80's-inspired on their best album since The Cult is Alive. Possibly one of the finest things Darkthrone have ever done.
Review by C. Rex

Nails - Abandon All Life
The already-vicious Nails ramp up the intensity on their sophomore album. Violent, hateful crusty hardcore full of barbaric riffs.
Review by John

Eyeconoclast - Drones of the Awakening
Breakneck-paced futuristic death/thrash with complex but memorable songs.
Review by C. Rex

BEER REVIEWS

Harpoon Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
A special limited-edition brew that just isn't thick or flavorful enough for a stout.
Review by John

Duchesse de Bourgogne
A Flanders red that starts faintly sweet, and hits hard with sourness in the mid-mouth before finishing with more sweetness. More complex than the nose lets on.
Review by C. Rex

Three Floyds & Mikkeller’s Boogoop
A collaborative wheatwine that tastes more like an English barleywine. Floral, citrusy, and a bit hoppy, with some brown sugar-maltiness as well.
Review by Spencer

Sixpoint 3Beans
A delicious malty-sweet Baltic porter with hidden dark fruits, espresso bean, milk chocolate, and a decent hop kick.
Review by Spencer

Three Floyds In The Name of Suffering
A coffee-tasting, not-very-bitter, and overall bland black IPA. Carries the Eyehategod name on it, but does not live up to their musical reputation.
Review by C. Rex

Magic Hat Pistil Dandelion Ale
Steve's take on a beer I previously reviewed, which he found to be much more enjoyable than I did. Light and citrusy with a clean finish.
Review by Steve

Goose Island Night Stalker
An opaque Imperial stout tasting of coffee and unsweetened chocolate. Surprisingly light for a stout, but still very tasty.
Review by C. Rex

That's it for tonight. I'll get to the rest of the neglected posts tomorrow and will update at the end of the week following the Indie Label Spotlight.

Just a reminder that our second Indie Label Spotlight has started today. Read our interview with Captcha Records head Benjamin Funke, where he discusses the history of his eclectic label, why he releases such a diverse array of music, and the challenges of running an indie label. Check back at the end of the week for a recap and reviews from various Captcha Records releases.

Aaaaand back to playing catchup.

ALBUM REVIEWS

Lithotome - Lithotome
A crusty, filthy blend of various forms of extreme metal with Imperial from Krieg on vocals. Will please fans of Portal and Dragged Into Sunlight.
Review by C. Rex[/url]

Maladie – [i]Plague Within
German black metal with prog/experimental tendencies that is able to seamlessly blend furious black metal, crushing doom, and a variety of other influences.
Review by C. Rex

KEN mode – Entrench
The Season of Mist debut from KEN mode is a leap forward for the noisy, chaotic hardcore band, but at times suffers from a lack of focus.
Review by Brad

Guttural Secrete – Nourishing the Spoil
Brutal death metal that C. should hate for being completely derivative and unremarkable, but which he enjoys anyway.
Review by C. Rex

BEER REVIEWS

Trappistes Rochefort 10
A rich, thick, complex Belgian quad with a big foamy head. Booziness and hop bitterness are perfectly balanced by dark, fruity maltiness in this centuries-old brew.
Review by Brad

Jolly Pumpkin Oro De Calabaza
An 8% ABV Biere de Garde that features the trademark Jolly Pumpkin sourness. Doesn't taste that much like a Biere de Garde, but is still quite tasty.
Review by Spencer

Bell's Hell Hath No Fury
A surprisingly-bitter Belgian strong dark that is overall disappointing.
Review by C. Rex

This month's edition of the Indie Label Spotlight has been completed. Again, here is our interview with label head Benjamin Funke.

INDIE LABEL SPOTLIGHT

Glitter Wizard - Hunting Gatherers
A fantastic mix of glam-era David Bowie, the bluesier works of Black Sabbath, a bit of Jethro Tull, and extremely dank weed.
Review by C. Rex

Zath - Shit Pig
Badass thrash metal with proggy song structures that is very traditionalist and authentic-sounding while not being straightforward. Should please fans of Morbid Saint and Celtic Frost; this isn't Municipal Waste re-thrash garbage.
Review by John

Running - Asshole Savant
Noise punk that should appeal to grind fans.
Review by C. Rex

Ga'an - Black Equus
Dark, spacey, haunting, hypnotic minimalist prog that borrows from Magma, Ash Ra Tempel, and Cynic.
Review by John

----------------

Other stuff from this week:

ALBUM REVIEWS

Deathcult - The Test of Time
A "one man black/thrash attack spawned from the sewers of Chicago" that fits somewhere between Aura Noir, Midnight, and Toxic Holocaust in terms of sound.

Clutch - Earth Rocker
It's Clutch and it fucking rocks.
Review by Brad

BEER REVIEWS

Anchorage Brewing The Tide and Its Takers
A 9% ABV tripel with notes of lemon, white grap, straw, and Brett hops. A very tasty and unique take on the beer, though the brewery has produced better.
Review by Spencer

Muskoka Brewery Dark Ale
A smooth English dark from Ontario with up-front coffee and roast flavors with dark chocolate and cola in the finish. Not the boldest or most flavorful of the style (nor the best from the brewery), but a very pleasant drinker and a respectable offering.
Review by Cory

Hey everyone.

Sadly, due to a variety of reasons mostly involving time constraints, our editor-in-chief C. Rex has decided to shut down Iron Hops. Needless to say, all of us are sad to see it go, and we thank all of the readers, bands, labels, and brewers who helped make this blog special.

Ownership of the domain name will expire in November, so until then the blog will remain up. I have all of my reviews saved on my computer and I will probably upload them here on the Archives at some point, so they will survive in some form after the blog shuts down; I have no idea what the other writers plan to do with their work.

On a lighter note, I recently began writing for Echoes and Dust, so if you still want to submit something to me personally, you can do so by using my Iron Hops email address (which, as far as I know, will remain active) or by PMing me here on Metal Archives. I may start a thread for my work there, but the Echoes and Dust team is much larger and focuses on a much wider variety of music, so I don't know if I'll be posting the work of other writers for the sake of time and relevance.

Once again, thank you everyone for making it a wonderful ride. Keep drinking and keep headbanging \m/