January 24th, 2014 - Of Mud And Plague

Good evening!!  The Meista here with another killer metal and beer pairing for ya my friends! Iced Earth just released "Plagues Of Babylon" this week, which I picked up from the Heavy Metal Shop ( www.heavymetalshop.com).  I'm pairing this ass-kicking album with a Mississippi Mud Black & Tan from Mississippi Brewing Company tonight!  This pairing goes out to my fellow Iced Earth fan and friend Jeff... cheers buddy!!

"Plagues Of Babylon" is the 11th studio album by power metal monsters Iced Earth.  It was released just 3 days ago on January 21st, 2014 and I've been listening to it nonstop since that day!!  According to guitarist and band leader Jon Schaffer, half of the album is stand alone, individual songs, the other half is a continuation on his "Something Wicked" concept (see the Iced Earth albums "Something Wicked This Way Comes", "Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1", and "The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2".)  The album also includes a cover of Jimmy Webbs' "Highwayman" (made famous by the country super group The Highwaymen).  As with other Iced Earth albums, this is heavy, melodic, powerful, and aggressively wonderful music, combining multiple styles including progressive, thrash, and power metal.  Of their musical style, Schaffer stated, "We're a metal band. That's what we are. We have every dynamic from Pink Floyd to Slayer and everything in between."  And that is what you will find on "Plagues Of Babylon"... dynamic musicianship and songwriting!  And as with their previous album "Dystopia", vocalist Stu Block proves once again that he is worthy successor of the legendary Matt Barlow!  Personnel on the album include Jon Schaffer (rhythm guitars, acoustic guitars, lead guitars, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Highwayman"), Stu Block (lead and backing vocals), Troy Seele (lead guitars), new member Luke Appleton (bass guitars), and guest drummer Raphael Saini.  Guest vocalists include Michael Poulsen (Volbeat), Russell Allen (Symphony X), and Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian).  Here's the amazingly powerful full track list:

1. "Plagues Of Babylon"
2. "Democide"
3. "The Culling"
4. "Among The Living Dead"
5. "Resistance"
6. "The End?"
7. "If I Could See You"
8. "Cthulhu"
9. "Peacemaker"
10. "Parasite"
11. "Spirit Of The Times"
12. "Highwayman"
13. "Outro"

Mississippi Brewing Company's Mississippi Mud Black & Tan is a pre-blended, packaged brew combining a darker porter and a lighter pilsner (thus the "black" and "tan").  (This style was made popular by bars and taverns, but is "layered" when ordered, as opposed to this blended version.)  The Mississippi Mud pours a dark brown amber (like a cola) with a thin, mocha head that dissipates quickly, leaving only trace lacing.  The nose is malty and nutty.  There are notes of hearty, full-grain bread, hazelnut, sweet caramel, and subtle aromas of dark chocolate and coffee.  The mouthfeel is crisp and refreshing from the pilsner.  There's a nice sharpness from higher carbonation and hops.  The flavor is a nice blend of the chocolate/coffee notes from the porter and hoppier/wheatier notes from the pilsner.  There are notes of roasted malts, dark chocolate, and grassier hops along with some sweeter toffee notes.  At only 5% ABV, the Mississippi Mud Black & Tan goes down easy and finishes clean.  The black and tan style of beer is a really good place for the novice to craft brews to start just as "Plagues Of Babylon" is a great place for a new listener to start with Iced Earth!

Cheers and hails!!