What happens when you take a rather prolific drummer/guitarist/vocalist/songwriter from two of the most successful post-punk/grunge bands in modern history and have him team up with his favorite metal singers of all-time? You get 2004's Probot, the heavy metal side project of ex-Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl... that's what!! And what happens when you pair Probot with Uinta Brewing Company's brand new 20th Birthday Suit Sour Brown? Perfection! Oh, and this pairing goes out to my metal brother-in-arms, Jerm!! Cheers buddy!!
Featuring the talents of such metal icons as Cronos (Venom), Max Cavalera (Sepultura/Soulfly/Cavalera Conspiracy), Lemmy Killmeister (Motorhead), Mike Dean (C.O.C.), Kurt Brecht (D.R.I.), Lee Dorrian (Napalm Death), Tom Warrior (Celtic Frost), Snake (Voivod), and King Diamond (Mercyful Fate), Grohl's metal brainchild is a thing of underrated metal genius and aggressive beauty! Grohl provides all of the guitars, drums, bass, and backing vocals. Kim Thayil of Soundgarden fame plays on two tracks. (Cronos and Lemmy play bass on their tracks. Wino plays guitar on his track. There's also a hidden track, "I Am the Warlock" featuring Jack Black on vocals and guitar.) Of the concept, Grohl was quoted as stating, "I came up with my wish list of all of my favorite singers from this era which is '82 to '89 underground metal, and all the bands I listened to at the time: Eric Wagner from Trouble, Snake from Voivod, Cronos, Lemmy, and Wino. We started making phone calls trying to find all these people." Combining pure metal, thrash, death metal, doom metal, and crossover thrash, Probot is a breathtaking exploration and homage to underground metal. Each song is performed in the style of the singer's band. This album is at once a classic. There is nothing sublte about it. It is straight-ahead, in-your-face, metal brutality! And with this vocal lineup, it is sure to quench the metal thirst of any blue-blooded metal head. (Regrettably, Grohl had also approached Chuck Schuldiner of Death, but Chuck died from brain cancer only weeks before he was to contribute to the project.)
For something as original and engaging as Probot, I decided to go with the very original and delicious 20th Birthday Suit Sour Brown from Uinta Brewing Company. The sharpness of this beer is great for the heaviness of Probot's fierce attack. From Uinta's press release regarding this ale: "Birthday Suit Sour Brown is a limited, single release brand, only 2,000 cases were produced for distribution. This bottled conditioned American Style Sour Brown Ale flaunts significant acidity balanced by flavorful Abbey and Chocolate malts and a modest amount of hops. A distinct tartness on the palate combines with notes of toffee and earthiness. 20th Birthday Suit Sour Brown Ale has an ABV of 7.4%." The Birthday Suit Sour Brown pours a dark, clover-honey amber with a creamy head that dissipates quickly. The nose is mellow with subtle notes of dark fruit and citrus. The mouthfeel is very tart with light carbonation. Distinctly and initially punchy and lemony, the flavor combines elements of a funky farmhouse sour with the smoothness of a brown ale. There are notes of apple, lemon, and mellow caramel. As you get deeper into your glass/bottle, the Birthday Suit Sour Brown Ale "warms" and those earthier, more toffee-like notes emerge. It goes down easy (maybe too easy with the fury of Probot in my ears) and has a nice sweet finish with a lingering sour undertone bite.
Happy pairing my friends! Turn it up, pour it slow, and share it with someone you love (or at least someone hot!) ;) Cheers!
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