April 3rd, 2025 - The Cosmic Dissonance of the Invaders

 

Hello and hails metal maniacs and hop freaks!  Happy Thursday!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here today rocking the hell out to "Invaders", the sophomore album by NWOBHM band Bitches Sin and a hoppy and juicy Cosmic Dissonance Hazy IPA from Mother Earth Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Bitches Sin
• Title: "Invaders"
• Recorded: 1986 at Linden Studio in Cumbria, England
• Release date: 1986 (2nd full-length studio album by Bitches Sin)
• Record company: King Klassic Records / 
• Production: Guy Forrester (producer), Phil Baker (executive producer), and Dennis Bergeron (executive producer)
• Album cover art: Steve Asma and Andrew Muchoney (artwork), and Melvin Bernales (art direction)
• Personnel: Mark Biddiscombe (drums), Mike Frazier (bass), Frank Quegan (vocals), Ian Toomey (guitars), and Peter Toomey (guitars)
• Musical style: NWOBHM, heavy metal, hard rock
• Sound: A fairly obscure NWOBHM act, Bitches Sin's second album "Invaders" is a little rough around the edges, but boy does it rock!  There's a lot going on here... killer hooks, some rippin' guitar solos (ex. "Out Of My Mind"), and some heavy duty melodies!  There's some influence from bands like Witchfynde and Tygers of Pan Tang, but their songs are unique and pull from classic hard rock and punk as well as the metal of the era.
• Major themes: Life, mystery, darkness, lust, desire, relationships, lies, destruction, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Ain't Life A Bitch"
2. "Invaders"
3. "Bitches Sin"
4. "No More Chances"
5. "Day In Day Out"
6. "Out Of My Mind"
7. "Heavy Life"
8. "Ice Angels"
9. "Round-A-Bout"
10. "Dawn Of Destruction"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Mother Earth Brew Company (Vista, California)
• Website: http://motherearthbrewco.com/
• Brew: Cosmic Dissonance Hazy IPA
• Style: New England India Pale Ale (NEIPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 7.2%
• IBUs: 25
• Ingredients: Pale 2-Row, Wheat malt, and oats with Galaxy, Simcoe, Sabro, and Superdelic hops
• Pour: The Cosmic Dissonance Hazy IPA pours a hazy, bright golden orange/yellow hue with a thin, off-white head with and light lacing.
• Nose: Fruit forward, the nose is tropical, citrusy, floral, and malty.  It is chalk full of notes of stone fruit (peach and apricot), passionfruit, pineapple, fresh mango, vanilla bean, ripe berries, very light pine resin, oats, soft caramel malt, and a hint of booze.
• Taste: The taste of the Cosmic Dissonance Hazy IPA follows the nose with tropical fruit and citrus, and lighter floral and dank hops, and sweet malt flavors.  There are big notes of orange juice and zest, mango, passionfruit, grapefruit juice, tangerine, peach, apricot, strawberry, light pine, and hint of booze with a strong, malty backbone.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Cosmic Dissonance Hazy IPA is crisp and juicy, yet soft and creamy with smooth finish.

Overall pairing: The crisp, hoppy, juicy, well-balanced and very drinkable flavors of Mother Earth's Cosmic Dissonance Hazy IPA make it a great beer for the power, might, and intensity of Bitches Sin!  The crispness of the brew is great for the dual guitar attack of the Toomey brothers, while the malty and citrusy notes work really well with the powerful rhythm section of Biddiscombe and Fraizer, and it is all tied together beautifully by powerful vocal prowess of Quegan!

Cheers!!  Hails!!

March 31st, 2025 - Boulder, Colorado's Greatest Hits

 

Hey there rockers, rollers, and hopheads!  Happy Monday!  Sometimes you just need a beer and some rock and roll after working a Monday... so, your drinkin' pal the Meista is here this evening pairing a couple of great ones from Boulder, Colorado, a crisp, citrusy, and hoppy West Coast Style IPA from Upslope Brewing Company and Firefall's "Greatest Hits"!  

Album Info: 

• Artist: Firefall
• Title: "Greatest Hits"
• Recorded: 1976 through 1983 at various studios
• Original release date: September 1st, 1992 (compilation album by Firefall)
• Record company: Atlantic Records / Rhino Records
• Production: various
• Album cover art: Geoff Gans (art direction)
• Personnel: Mark Andes (bass and backing vocals), Jock Bartley (lead guitar, slide guitar, Bigsby Palm Pedal guitar, acoustic guitar, and backing vocals), Larry Burnett (electric and acoustic rhythm guitars, and lead vocals), Michael Clarke (drums), George Hawkins (bass and backing vocals), Tris Imboden (drums and percussion), David Muse (piano, clavinet, synthesizers, flute, tenor saxophone, and harmonica), Rick Roberts (acoustic guitars and lead vocals), Kim Stone (bass), etc.
• Additional musicians: Ken Faulk (trumpet on "Mexico"), Jim Keltner (drums), Joe Lala (congas, timbales, shakers, tambourine, and finger cymbals), Laura Taylor (backing vocals), etc.
• Musical style: Rock, yacht rock, country rock with elements of folk, blues, R&B, and jazz
• Sound: Blending swinging rock and roll licks with emotive country rock vibes, with great harmonies in the style of CSN, Firefall's songs define the '70s contemporary rock movement!   The songs are wonderfully well-crafted with honest lyrics and perfectly executed musicianship. This collection of songs is a time capsule of my childhood.  
• Major themes: Life, love, relationships, heartbreak, deception, loss, , etc. 
• Tracks: 

1. "Livin' Ain't Livin'"
2. "Cinderella"
3. "You Are The Woman"
4. "Mexico"
5. "It Doesn't Matter"
6. "Just Remember I Love You"
7. "So Long"
8. "Someday Soon"
9. "Strange Way"
10. "Goodbye, I Love You"
11. "Sweet And Sour"
12. "Love That Got Away"
13. "Headed For A Fall"
14. "Stay With It"
15. "Break Of Dawn"
16. "Always"
17. "Runaway Love"
18. "Run Run Away"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Upslope Brewing Company (Boulder, Colorado)
• Website: https://www.upslopebrewing.com/
• Brew: West Coast Style IPA
• Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 6.5% 
• IBUs: 60
• Pour: The West Coast Style IPA pours a hazy, bright golden yellow hue with a very frothy, 2+ finger, bright white head with great sustain and lots of intricate, sticky spider web lacing throughout.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by lots of citrus, floral, dank, herbal, and malty notes.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, tangerine, wet pine needles, bitter herbs, herbal tea, wildflowers, cannabis, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Taste: The taste is citrusy, earthy, and malty.  There are notes of pink grapefruit, tangerine, orange zest, juicy mango and candied pineapple, along with black tea, pine resin, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the West Coast Style IPA is very crisp and hoppy with a dry and slightly bitter, but clean finish.

Overall pairing: The West Coast Style IPA from the fine folks at Upslope Brewing Company is very hop-forward, crisp, and crushable brew... perfect for an evening of kickin' back with the mellow, but complex rock and roll goodness of Firefall!  'Nuff Said! 

Cheers!!  Rock on!!

March 30th, 2025 - The Regis of Ronnie's Trinity

 

Guten abend and happy Sunday night my hard rocking friends and beer lovers!  You pal the Meista here again with another killer brew and killer album pairing for ya!  I'm rocking out to the wonderful "Trinity", the third solo album by Pretty Maids vocalist Ronnie Atkins and a crisp and tasty Regis Select Helles Lager from Helper Beer!  Hell[es] yeah!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Ronnie Atkins
• Title: "Trinity"
• Recorded: 2023
• Release date: October 13th, 2023 (3rd solo studio album by Ronnie Atkins)
• Record company: Frontiers Records
• Production: Chris Laney
• Album cover art: Kai Brockschmidt
• Personnel: Ronnie Atkins (lead vocals) with Pontus Egberg (bass), Linnéa Vikström Egg (backing vocals), Chris Laney (guitars and keyboards), Allan Sörensen (drums), and Marcus Sunesson (guitars)
• Guest musicians: John Berg (guitar solo on "Godless"), Oliver Hartmann (guitar solos on "Ode To A Madman" and "Paper Tiger"), Pontus Norgren (guitar solo on "Raining Fire"), Anders Ringman (acoustic guitar and keyboards on "Soul Divine"), and Marcus Sunesonn (guitar solos on "Via Dolorosa", "Shine", "Sister Sinister", and "What If")
• Musical style: Hard rock, heavy metal, AOR
• Sound: Well-rooted in classic rock and metal, the tracks are richly textured and wonderfully produced!  The overall sound on "Trinity" is at times melodic and heartfelt, and at time in-your-face rockin' intensity!  Of the album, Atkins stated: "Likely the heaviest of the three albums I've released so far but nevertheless it's very melodic and lyrically present."
• Major themes: Of the album's lyrics, Atkins stated: "Lyrically it’s pretty much about what’s going on in the world today and that’s what inspires me. A lot of the songs are pretty personal too and I’m trying to squeeze in a bit of optimism into it as well."  Themes include life, death, power, honesty, survival, hope, etc.
• Tracks:  

1. "Trinity"
2. "Ode To A Madman"
3. "Paper Tiger"
4. "Soul Divine"
5. "Via Dolorosa"
6. "Godless"
7. "Shine"
8. "If You Can Dream It"
9. "Sister Sinister"
10. "Raining Fire"
11. "The Unwanted"
    
12. "What If"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Helper Beer (Helper, Utah)
• Website: https://www.helperbeer.com/
• Brew: Regis Select Helles Lager 
• Style: German-style Helles / Lager
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0% 
• Pour: The Regis pours a clear, bright golden yellow with a billowy, 1+ finger, bright white head with great retention and lots of soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is bready, grainy, musty, sweet, and grassy.  There are aromas of pale grains, cereal grains, crackery biscuit, light apple, summer grass, and soft caramel. 
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste of the Flötzinger Hell is grainy, grassy, yeasty, and semi-sweet.  There are notes of barley grain, light apple, light corn, and soft caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium in body with lots of bubbly carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp and smooth with a rather clean, slightly sweet finish.

Overall pairing: The crisp, grainy, and sweet flavors and aromas of the Helper Regis Select Helles Lager is the perfect crushable brew for the power and hard rockin' depth of the fantastic tracks on Ronnie Atkins' fantastic "Trinity" album!  The grassy and grainy notes are great for the more aggressive guitars, while the sweeter fruit ester aromas and flavors really compliment Atkins' vocal range and the overall performance of the music!  I highly recommend this wonderful gem of an album! 

Prost!!  Rock on!!

March 30th, 2025 - Lita's Blueberry Boyfriend

 

Hey there rockers, rollers, and craft brew lovers!  Happy Sunday!  The Meista here rocking out with "Lita", the 3rd studio album by Lita Ford and a tart and tasty Blueberry Boyfriend from Prairie Artisan Ales!  Rock on!

Album Info:

• Artist: Lita Ford
• Title: "Lita"
• Recorded: 1987 at Record One in Los Angeles, California
• Release date: February 2nd, 1988 (3rd full-length album by Lita Ford)
• Record company: RCA Records
• Production: Mike Chapman
• Album cover art: Moshe Brakha (photography) and Ria Lewerke (art direction)
• Personnel: Lita Ford (guitars and vocals) with David Ezrin (keyboards), Don Nossov (bass guitar), and Myron Grombacher (drums)
• Additional and guest musicians:  Mike Chapman (backing vocals), Craig Krampf (additional drums and percussion), Llory McDonald (backing vocals), and Ozzy Osbourne (duet vocals on "Close My Eyes Forever")
• Musical style: Hard rock, heavy metal, glam metal
• Sound: Lita's most commercially successful album, "Lita" is riff-driven, energetic, and steeped in '80s bombast!  It highlights her talent as not only a great guitarist and songwriter, but a versatile vocalist as well. 
• Major themes: Rock and roll, sex, desire, love, partying, loss, rebellion, the heavy metal lifestyle, etc.
• Tracks: 
  

1. "Back To The Cave"
2. "Can't Catch Me"
3. "Blueberry"
4. "Kiss Me Deadly"
5. "Falling In And Out Of Love"
6. "Fatal Passion"
7. "Under The Gun"
8. "Broken Dreams"
9. "Close My Eyes Forever"

 Brew Info:

• Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales (Oklahoma)
• Website: https://prairieales.com/
• Brew: Blueberry Boyfriend
• Style: Fruited Sour Ale
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 5.4%
• Ingredients: Sour ale brewed with blueberries and lemon zest
• Pour: The Blueberry Boyfriend pours a very murky, deep plum color with a frothy, 1+ finger, bright pinkish white head that dissipates slowly, leaving a thin ring with soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is fruity, sweet, and rather tart.  There are aromas of freshly sliced blueberries, blueberry juice, blueberry jam, lemon juice and zest, and a hint of honey.
• Taste: The taste of the Blueberry Boyfriend follows the nose with juicy, fruity, tart, and sweet flavors.  There are notes of blueberry juice, blueberry jam, lemon juice and zest, cranberry juice, a hint of red wine vinegar, a splash of honey, and very subtle graininess.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium in body and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is very tart and crisp, juicy and refreshing, yet smooth with a dry, slightly sweet, and lip-puckering finish.

Overall pairing: The fun, fast-paced, hard rock sound of "Lita" deserves a bright and crushable brew... thus the delightfully tart and sweet Blueberry Boyfriend from the fine folks at Prairie Artisan Ales!  Those sweeter notes work great with Ms. Ford's sultry vocals, soaring guitars, and the lyrical content while the fruity tartness goes great with the rock and roll punch!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!! 

March 29th, 2025 - Beowulf Vs. the Blizzard Wizard

 

Hey there craft brew and heavy rock fans!  Happy Saturday!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here today pairing the brilliant 4th album "Beowulf" that marked the return of the amazing Texas / Oklahoma progressive rock band Pangaea and a tasty and hoppy Blizzard Wizard Hazy Pale Ale from Proper Brewing Company!  Oh yeah!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Pangaea
• Title: "Beowulf"
• Recorded: July through August 2022 at Soundtek Studios in Campbell, California
• Release date: 2024 (4th studio album by Pangaea)
• Record company: Hargadein Music Group Records / Musea Records
• Production: Robert Berry
• Album cover art: Rainer Kalwitz (artwork) and Mattias Norén (band logo)
• Personnel: Darrell Masingale (lead guitars and backing vocals), Steve Osborn (lead vocals and rhythm guitars), Ron Poulson (bass and backing vocals), Andi Schenck (drums and percussion), and Corey Schenck (keyboards and guitars, and backing vocals)
• Musical style: Progressive rock with elements of classic rock, classical music, heavy metal, Americana, country, and world music
• Sound: Building off their approach to song structure and execution from the original first three excellent albums, with "Beowulf", Pangaea returned to the music industry with an inspirational and richly textured collection of sonic gems!  As with their other albums, there are elements of their music that reminds me a little of Marillion, Rush, Spock's Beard, and Yes, while other elements remind me of Blue Oyster Cult, Journey, and Styx.  However, it is original and unique.  It is also very passionate, uplifting, emotive, and honest... an absolute joy to hear! 
• Major themes: Life and death, humanity, contemplation, introspection, solitude, fantasy, mythology, knowledge, loss, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Necromancer"
• i. "Home"
• ii. "The Threshold"
• iii. "The Return Home"
• iv. "The Unknown"
2. "Show Me The Way"
3. "Masquerade"
4. "Wasape"
• i. "Vision Quest"
• ii. "The Awakening"
5. "Tomorrow Will Come"
6. "Without You"
7. 'A Month Of Sundays"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Proper Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.properbrewingco.com
• Brew: Blizzard Wizard Hazy Pale Ale 
• Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Pour: The Blizzard Wizard pours a slightly hazy golden-yellow with a 1+ finger, frothy and creamy, bright white head with good retention and lots of soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Blizzard Wizard is very floral, earthy, herbal, citrusy, malty, and slightly spicy.  There are aromas of light pine resin, wildflowers, grapefruit rind, tangerine, lime, lemon zest, light pineapple, toasted caramel, and a hint of white pepper. 
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste of the Blizzard Wizard is citrusy, herbal, earthy, and malty.  There are notes of grapefruit juice, tangerine, pine, flowery hops, biscuit, caramel/toffee, and a little pepper in the finish. 
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp and slightly bitter with a dry, fairly clean finish.

Overall pairing: The crisp, floral, punchy, hop-forward flavors of the Blizzard Wizard from the fine folks at Proper Brewing is perfect for the soaring, brilliant textures of Pangaea's music, while the citrusy elements make for a great companion to Osborn's amazing vocals and the overall progressive vibe!  And Kalwitz's stellar album cover art looks great with the beer label!

And make sure to check out my recent interview with Andi and Corey Schenk here: https://youtu.be/B6_ryAM0tNI

Cheers!!  Rock on!!

March 26th, 2025 - A Little Kölsch for ProgPower

 

Hello and good evening metal heads and craft beer freaks!  Your pal the Meista here pairing today "Live At ProgPower USA XXI", the wonderful live album by metal band Seven Spires and a tasty and crushable Kölsch from Bewilder Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Seven Spires
• Title: "Live At ProgPower USA XXI"
• Recorded: June 2022 live at ProgPower USA in Atlanta, Georgia
• Release date: March 17th, 2023 (1st live album by Seven Spires)
• Record company: Frontiers Records
• Production: Seven Spires
• Album cover art: Junki Sakuraba 
• Personnel: Adrienne Cowan (lead vocals and orchestrations), Peter de Reyna (bass), Chris Dovas (drums), and Jack Kosto (guitars)
• Additional musicians: Roy Khan (vocals)
• Musical style: Symphonic metal, progressive metal with elements of melodic death metal, folk metal, jazz, and traditional metal
• Sound: Characterized by complex and bombastic compositions, soaring and fiery guitars, soaring vocals, a thunderous rhythm section, and intricate keys, the sound on "Live At ProgPower USA XXI" is a tour de force!  Cowan's vocals are powerful and melodic, perfectly complimenting the amazing sonic tapestry masterfully laid down by de Reyna, Dovas, and Kosto!  And the additional vocals of Roy Khan is a killer bonus! 
• Major themes: Life, death, mythology, loss, dreams, the passage of time, the ocean, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Wanderer's Prayer"
2. "Gods Of Debauchery"
3. "Ghost Of Yesterday"
4. "The Cabaret Of Dreams"
5. "Succumb"
6. "In Sickness, In Health"
7. "Bury You"
8. "Drum Solo"
9. "Oceans Of Time"
10. "Shadow On An Endless Sea"
11. "Dare To Live"
12. "This God Is Dead"
13. "Through Lifetime (Outro)"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Bewilder Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://bewilderbrewing.com/
• Brew: Bewilder Kölsch 
• Style: German-style Kölsch 
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 25
• Pour: The Bewilder Kölsch pours a clear golden-yellow with a half-finger, bright white, frothy head with great retention and lots of layered, sticky lacing.
• Nose: The nose is grainy, crackery, floral, and a little hoppy.  There are aromas of freshly baked sourdough bread, crackery biscuit, lemongrass, a hint of honey, and freshly cut wild grass.
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste is malty, crackery, and grassy.  There are notes of crackery biscuit, cracked wheat, lemongrass, a hint of lemon zest, an ever so slight hint of honey, grassy hops, and a little hoppy kick in the finish.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied and well carbonated, the mouthfeel is very crisp and refreshing with a dry, clean, yet earthy finish.

Overall pairing: With all the complexity, beautiful harmonies and melodies, nautical themes, and overall bombast, "Live At ProgPower USA XXI" is the perfect album to pair with the crisp and grainy flavors of Bewilder's delicious Kölsch!  And the album art and beer can label were made for one another!  'Nuff said!

Make sure to check out my interview with former Seven Spires' drummer Chris Dovas here: https://youtu.be/8IMonkV3wUc 

Cheers and hails!!

March 24th, 2025 - "The Reckoning": An Interview with Andi and Corey Schenck of Pangæa

 

Hey there rockers, rollers, and proggers!  Your pal the Meista here today with another great interview for you!  This one is with the very talented, forthcoming, and very friendly Schenk brothers, Andi (drums) and Corey (keyboards and guitars) of the fantastic prog rock band Pangæa!  We chatted about their highly anticipated upcoming album, "The Reckoning", reforming the band after an 18-year hiatus, the history of the Pangæa, their history as musicians in general, and much more!  Here's a link to that video interview: https://youtu.be/B6_ryAM0tNI

Enjoy!!

Make sure to check out Pangæa here:

• https://www.facebook.com/pangaearock
• https://pangaea.band/
• https://www.youtube.com/@pangaearock

Cheers!!  Rock on!!

*Special thanks to Jamie Winters for designing the Brews and Tunes logo, Jerry Howard for creating the Brews and Tunes intro video and to DiseNgaged for the use of their song "The Real Me" (copyright 2020)