So, if you've been reading this blog for a while now, you probably have a good sense that I'm just making it up as I go! :) Sometimes my pairings make sense and sometimes they don't... even to me! Tonight's pairing is of the latter... for some reason pairing Uriah Heep's 1972 classic "Demons And Wizards" and a Lindemans Framboise from Brouwerij Lindemans just made sense. Maybe it is the refreshing and complex flavor of both the album and the brew that compliment each other... or maybe it is just the whacky workings of my brain. Who knows? At any rate, this is good stuff on both accounts!
Low in alcohol content, hops, and malts, lambics are traditionally very fruity and light ales. The same can definitely be said of the Lindemans Framboise (raspberry). It pours a deep wine red with a frothy, pink head that dissipates quickly leaving only traces of lacing. The nose is an explosion of raspberry jam and raspberry syrup aromas with hints of tart lemon. Along the same lines, the flavor is a fusion of sweet and tart... a blast of raspberry on the tongue from start to finish with a tart kiss at the end. The Lindemans Framboise is brewed with local Belgian barley, unmalted wheat, and wild yeast (giving it that tartness). After natural and spontaneous fermentation, whole raspberries are added to the mash, creating a secondary fermentation. The mouthfeel is very frothy and sharp with a dry and crisp finish. The Lindemans Framboise isn't something I would drink a lot of, but definitely a refreshingly tasty brew that goes down easy... great for the rockin' tunes of Uriah Heep!
"Demons And Wizards" is the 4th studio album (and probably my favorite of the Heep) released by British proto-metal band, Uriah Heep. With this album, the classic line-up of the insanely talented members was solidified by the additions of Lee Kerslake on drums and the late Gary Thain on bass. The rest of the band was made up of Mick Box (guitars, vocals), David Byron (vocals), Ken Hensley (acoustic, electric and slide guitar, vocals, keyboards, percussion). (Mark Clarke played bass guitar and provided lead vocals on "The Wizard" before he left the band.) Uriah Heep's "Demons And Wizards" was and still is a game changing album! Not only was this the album the launched the band into super-stardom, but also changed the musical approach of hard rock bands... with a refreshing fusing of heavy rock and progressive rock, which was rather novel at the time. The depth of character, musical integrity, songwriting prowess, and delivery is really quite extraordinary! With Byron's theatrical and intensely powerful vocals, Hensley's keyboard/guitar acrobatics, Box's richly textured and explosive guitar work, and the powerhouse rhythm section of Kerslake and Thain, songs like rockin' super-hit "Easy Livin'," "Traveler In Time," "Rainbow Demon," and the epic "Paradise/The Spell" are all perfectly executed and timeless masterpieces! From start to finish, every note, every chord, every lyric is breathtaking! The albums cover designed by artist Roger Dean (famous for his album cover work for Yes) contains a (not-so) hidden erotic image.
And on that note, I bid you adieu for the evening!! Cheers my friends!!
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