February 6th, 2015 - Doryman's Shallow Life

Happy beer Friday!  Your pal the Meista here today pairing Lacuna Coil's "Shallow Life" with a Doryman's Ale from Pelican Pub and Brewery!

Album Info:

• Artist: Lacuna Coil
• Title: "Shallow Life"
• Recorded: NRG Studios, Los Angeles, California
• Release date: April 21st, 2009 (5th studio album by the band)
• Record company: Century Media, EMI
• Personnel: Marco "Maus" Biazzi (guitar), Andrea Ferro (vocals), Cristiano "Pizza" Migliore (guitar), Cristiano "Criz" Mozzati (drums), Cristina Scabbia (vocals), and Marco Coti Zelati (bass and keyboards)
• Album cover art: Stefan Wibbeke, Media Logistics GmbH
• Musical style: Hard rock/alternative metal/gothic metal/progressive metal
• Sound: Heavy with lots of groove metal elements and the incredible vocal range of Cristina Scabbia.  Of the album's sound, she stated that "Shallow Life" feels "more rock" and is a "perfect mixture between our old European sound and something more modern...some of its very heavy. The most amazing this is, we've been able to improve everything about Lacuna Coil without taking away anything good or doing something that doesn't belong."
• Major themes: Concept album exploring superficial lifestyles, self-preservation, inner strength, and survival in a shallow world.
• Tracks:

1. "Survive"
2. "I Won't Tell You"
3. "Not Enough"
4. "I'm Not Afraid"
5. "I Like It"
6. "Underdog"
7. "The Pain"
8. "Spellbound"
9. "Wide Awake"
10. "The Maze"
11. "Shallow Life"
12. "Unchained"

  Brew Info:

• Brewery: Pelican Pub and Brewery
• Website: http://www.yourlittlebeachtown.com/pelican
• Brew: Doryman's Ale
• Style: American-Style Brown Ale
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 6.2%
• IBUs: 42
• Ending gravity: 14 Plato
• Ingredients: Caramel, Chocolate, Pale, and White Wheat malts along with Cascade, Magnum, and Mt. Hood hops, and pure ale yeast
• Pour: The Doryman's Ale pours a deep brown with copper-red highlights and a thick, creamy, tan head that shows good retention and intricate lacing throughout.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by a nice blend of roasted and sweet malt aromas along with more bitter hop notes and some nice nutty aromas as well.
• Taste: The flavor is characterized by nice bready, biscuity malt notes well-balanced with walnut, hazelnut, and grassy hop notes.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-light body with a good carbonation and a nice, rich, yet smooth texture.  The finish is clean with just a slight nutty lingering note. 

Overall pairing: The rich complexity and refreshingly drinkability goes great with the mix of musical influence on Lacuna Coil's "Shallow Life"!  The rich, roasted notes accompany Scallia's vocal range perfectly, while the more bitter notes work well with the heavier tracks.

Salute!!