Friday, April 24, 2015

April, 24th, 2015 - Gnarly Scenes From A Dream Theater



Friday night!! The Meista here tonight helping you get the weekend going with a pairing of Dream Theater's brilliant concept album "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory" and an Olde GnarlyWine from Lagunitas Brewing Company!!  Hell yeah!!
 
Album Info:
  • Artist: Dream Theater
  • Title: "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory"
  • Recorded: BearTracks Studios in Suffern, New York
  • Release date: October 26th, 1999 (5th studio album by Dream Theater)
  • Record company: Elektra Records
  • Album cover art: Dave McKean
  • Personnel: John Myung (bass), James Labrie (lead vocals), John Petrucci (guitar, background vocals, programming (track 7), and production), Mike Portnoy (drums, background vocals, and production), and Jordan Rudess (keyboard, choir arrangement, and conducting)
  • Additional backing vocals and speaking parts: Dave Bottrill, Terry Brown, Clarence Burke Jr., Mary Canty, Carol Cyrus, Shelia Slappy, Jeanette Smith, Mary Smith, Dale Scott, and Theresa Thomason  
  • Musical style: Progressive rock/metal
  • Sound: With influence from such classic prog albums as Genesis's "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway", Marillion's "Misplaced Childhood", Pink Floyd's "The Wall", Rush's "2112", Yes' "Close To The Edge", and Frank Zappa's "Joe's Garage", Dream Theater's "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory" was their most ambitious and traditionally progressive rock album at the time.  The sound is big, intricate, bold, bombastic, and intense!  The band is on fire and LaBrie's vocals are incredible!  Along with their own unique voice, Dream Theater includes nuances of Fates Warning, King Crimson, Megadeth, Queen, and Queensrÿche. 
  • Major themes: "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory" is a concept album telling the story of a mentally disturbed man going through past life regression therapy.  He learns he was the victim of a murder in a past life.  Simply put, the major themes of the album include: love, murder, lust, infidelity, revenge, and deception.  (Apparently the album's concept was partially inspired by the film "Dead Again".)
  • Notes: The album is the sequel to the song "Metropolis—Part I: "The Miracle and the Sleeper", which was a track recorded on the 1992 album "Images and Words".
  • Tracks:   
  1. "Scene One: Regression"
  2. "Scene Two: I. Overture 1928"
  3. "Scene Two: II. Strange Deja Vu"
  4. "Scene Three: I. Through My Words"
  5. "Scene Three: II. Fatal Tragedy"
  6. "Scene Four: Beyond This Life"
  7. "Scene Five: Through Her Eyes"
  8. "Scene Six: Home"
  9. "Scene Seven: I. The Dance Of Eternity"
  10. "Scene Seven: II. One Last Time"
  11. "Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On"
  12. "Scene Nine: Finally Free"

    Brew Info:
  • Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, California)
  • Website: https://lagunitas.com/
  • Brew: Olde GnarlyWine
  • Style: American Barleywine
  • Serving: 22 ounce bottle
  • ABV: 10.7%
  • IBUs: 69
  • Pour: Clover honey red-amber with a thin, dull-tan head that dissipates quickly, leaving only a small off-white cap.  However, lacing is layered and sustained.
  • Nose: The aromas of the Olde GnarlyWine are earthy, citrusy, sweet, and slightly hoppy.  There are notes of subtle pine, lemon, orange, toffee, and a hint of booze.
  • Taste: The flavor is initially sweet and somewhat boozy with bursting caramel/toffee malt and bourbon notes followed by that piney hoppiness Lagunitas is known for in their brews.  There are notes of orange rind, lemon zest, black tea, and pine.  As the bottle label states: "The first sip is for thirst, the second one for pleasure. The third is for romance, and the fourth for pure madness."
  • Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and surprisingly fairly well-carbonated for a barleywine, the mouthfeel is very smooth, sticky, and somewhat tingly with some dry bitterness in the finish and a little boozy kick.
Overall pairing: The huge, robust flavor of the Olde GnarlyWine is very much like "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory".  They both are bold, insanely complex, wonderfully crafted, and demand your full attention!  With each sip, of the Olde GnarlyWine, I discover a new flavor.  With each listen of "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory", I find a new element, a new sound.  You definitely gotta sit down for both the brew and the album!

Cheers!!

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