March 7th, 2015 - A 15th Anniversary Infliktion

Good evening!  The Meista here pairing "Inflikted" by the bad-ass Cavalera Conspiracy and a 15th Anniversary Imperial Brown Ale from Tenaya Creek Brewery!
 
Album Info:

• Artist: Cavalera Conspiracy
• Title: "Inflikted"
• Recorded: July 2007 at Undercity Studios
• Release date: March 24th, 2008 (debut album by Cavalera Conspiracy)
• Record company: Roadrunner Records
• Personnel: Joe Duplantier (of Gojira fame) - bass guitar and rhythm guitar on "Inflikted", "Black Ark" and "Ultra-Violent", and co-lead vocals on "Black Ark" and "Ultra-Violent"; Igor Cavalera (of Sepultura fame) – drums and percussion; Max Cavalera  (of Sepultura and Soulfly fame) – lead vocals and rhythm guitars; and Marc Rizzo (of Soulfly fame) – lead guitars and backing vocals on "Sanctuary"
• Additional musicians: Ritchie Cavalera (of Incite fame) - vocals on "Black Ark" and Rex Brown (of Pantera and Down fame) - bass guitar on "Ultra Violent"
• Musical style: Groove metal, thrash metal, death metal, hardcore punk
• Sound: This isn't for the faint at heart!  Incredibly fast, incredibly aggressive, incredibly heavy... this is what metal is all about!  Igor Cavalera is a powerhouse of drumming insanity while Rizzo's guitar work will strip the paint off the walls!  The bass work of Duplantier works wonderfully with Igor's incredible drumming and is a force in itself!  And of course Max's vocals are as brutally wonderful as always!
• Major themes: Violence, war, destruction, power, aggression, injustice, etc.
• Notes: Of the album Max Cavalera stated,  "This was a stripped-down album that took me and Igor to our metal roots. It's like thrash, death metal and hardcore punk all rolled up, and it was easy because that's the stuff we like. It's the very heart of what Igor and I are about. The passion of metal and punk will never die. It was a new start for me and Igor - our first music together for 12 years and such a positive and emotional experience. We got over those nerves, and ended up having a great time making that album. Sometimes Igor would play so hard his wife wondered if he was on coke... It has a quality that is pure Max and Igor, not Soulfly or Sepultura or anything else out there."
• Tracks:

1. "Inflikted"
2. "Sanctuary"
3. "Terrorize"
4. "Black Ark"
5. "Ultra-Violent"
6. "Hex"
7. "The Doom Of All Fires"
8. "Bloodbrawl"
9. "Nevertrust"
10. "Hearts Of Darkness"
11. "Must Kill"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Tenaya Creek Brewery (Las Vegas, Nevada)
• Website: http://tenayacreek.com/
• Brew: 15th Anniversary Imperial Brown Ale
• Style: Imperial American Brown Ale
• Serving: pint glass off the tap
• ABV: 8.9%
• Pour: Rich, cloudy dark caramel hue with a dirty, off-white head that clings to the glass with thick and intricately layered lacing with good retention.
• Nose: Characterized by bold yet inviting malty and nutty aromas, the 15th Anniversary Imperial Brown Ale's nose has notes of hazelnut, walnut, almond, toffee, caramel malt, freshly baked multi-grain bread, grassy hops, and a hint of aged booze.
• Taste: Roasty and toasty with lots of sweet toffee, toasted bread, notes... delicious!
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very smooth and velvety with a slightly hoppy and boozy finish.

Overall pairing: While I think an Imperial IPA would probably have been a better choice for this pairing, the bold and hearty flavors of the 15th Anniversary Imperial Brown Ale along with the amped up ABV works well with the brutal intensity that Cavalera Conspiracy embraces and unleashes on their killer debut album, "Inflikted"!! 

Saude and hails!!