January 20th, 2013 - The Key To A Great Day Is "The Key" ... and Porter!!

Good afternoon friends!  The Meista here with another pairing for you!  Today I'm pairing progressive rock/metal band Amaze Knight from Turin, Italy and their album "The Key" with a bottle of Sea Legs Baltic Porter from Uinta Brewing Company.

Amaze Knight combines all the great elements of power metal and progressive rock to create a thing of beauty on "The Key."  There are strong elements of Dream Theater along with more subtle elements of bands like Marillion, Hammerfall, Yes, and even some '80s power metal, and yet they have created a very fresh, very original sound here.  Fabrizio Aseglio's vocals are reminiscent of Joacim Cans of Hammerfall, soaring and powerful!  Christian Dimasi's guitar work is just brilliant!  He displays elements of Steve Howe, John Petrucci, and Steve Rothery with incredible tone, skill, and finesse... really quite breathtaking!  Drummer Michele "Mik" Scotti along with bassist Matteo Cerantola create a wonderful rhythm section... with an equal balance of thunderous power and embracing warmth!  Guest keyboardist Max Tempia brings his own style of prog, jazz, rock, and funk to add depth and richness to Amaze Knight's sound.  From the epic 10+ minute opener, "Imprisoned (Shadows Past)" to the finale, "Liberation (A New Day)," all 5 tracks are musically and lyrically challenging, totally engaging, and brilliant works of progressive art!  "Restless Soul" is a powerful rocker in the tradition of Dream Theater.  "Hartless" is a beautiful and multi-layered slower track with heart-stopping, ethereal guitar work.  And "Liberation (The Reflection)" is a grandiose, prog-rock monster... as is the whole album!! 

For such a complex and rich album I thought we better go BIG!!  So I'm pairing this with a 22 oz., 8% ABV bottle of Sea Legs Baltic Porter from Uinta Brewing Company.  The newest ale from their Crooked Line beers, the Sea Legs Baltic Porter is Uinta's richly textured porter in the tradition of the bigger, full-bodied porters of the late 1700s.  The name Baltic Porter comes from the "stronger, more robust versions" that were shipped across the North Sea during the 18th century.  Brewed at a higher alcohol volume to sustain body and flavor during the cold crossing, these ales are known for their depth and complexity.  The Sea Legs pours a wonderfully deep mahogany (almost black) with a frothy, creamy, and mocha head that displays good spiderweb lacing throughout.  The nose is rich and earthy with notes of oak, dark coffee, and dark chocolate with ever so slight aromas of mellow vanilla.  With a medium to full bodied depth and perfect carbonation, the Sea Legs has great mouthfeel.  The flavor is as rich as the nose and as rich as "The Key."  Those oak barrel aged flavors really come out coupled with earthiness of the chocolate malts.  Sticky on the lips and tongue, bittersweet chocolate flavors abound along with a really nice, smooth smokiness on both the front and back of the palate.  The Sea Legs is quickly becoming a favorite porter of mine!

If you love progressive rock/metal like me, you NEED Amaze Knight's "The Key!"  You can check out Amaze Knight at http://www.amazeknight.com/ or http://www.facebook.com/AmazeKnight and even download their album for FREE at http://www.amazeknight.com/?/download/!!  And check out the Sea Legs Baltic Porter from Uinta Brewing Company at http://www.uintabrewing.com!

Cheers!!