June 26th, 2015 - In The City Of Heroes

Good afternoon!  The Meista here pairing the wonderful "City Of Heroes" by Kiske / Somerville and an Expo 58 Belgian-Style Golden Pale Alefrom Ninkasi Brewing Company!  This one goes out to Brittany and her excellent beer suggestions at the Beer Bar... cheers Britt!
 
Album Info:

• Artist: Kiske / Somerville
• Title: "City Of Heroes"
• Recorded: early 2015
• Release date: April 17th, 2015 (2nd studio album by Kiske / Somerville)
• Record company: Frontiers Records
• Production: Jacob Hansen and Mat Sinner
• Personnel: Michael Kiske (lead vocals) and Amanda Somerville (lead vocals) with Magnus Karlsson of Primal Fear (guitars and keyboards), Veronika Lukešová (drums), and Mat Sinner of Primal Fear (bass and backing vocals)
• Musical style: Melodic metal / hard rock, progressive metal, power metal
• Sound: Wow, what can you say about the vocal coupling of Michael Kiske and Amanda Somerville?!  And then throw in the talent of Karlsson, Lukešová, and Sinner!!  It is like early Helloween meets Trillium meets Primal Fear... breathtaking!!  The vocals soar, the guitars soar, and the precise and fierce bass and drums make you want to move!
• Major themes: Love and support, desire and passion, temptation, independence, self-reliance, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "City Of Heroes"
2. "Walk On Water"
3. "Rising Up"
4. "Salvation"
5. "Lights Out"
6. "Breaking Neptune"
7. "Ocean Of Tears"
8. "Open Your Eyes"
9. "Last Goodbye"
10. "After The Night Is Over"
11. "Run With A Dream"
12. "Right Now"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Ninkasi Brewing Company (Eugene, Oregon)
• Website: http://www.ninkasibrewing.com
• Brew: Expo 58 Belgian-Style Golden Pale Ale
• Style: Belgian Pale Ale
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 20
• Original gravity: 1048
• Ingredients: Carapils and Pilsner malts, Belgian yeast, and Hallertau and Saaz hops
• Pour: Clear, light straw-gold with a frothy 1-finger head that holds its form well and leaves good lacing throughout.
• Nose: The nose of the Expo 58 is spicy, biscuity, fruity, and floral.  There are aromas of Belgian yeast, soft banana, cloves, nutmeg, light apple, and English biscuits.
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste of the Expo 58 is characterized by spicy, fruit ester, floral, and biscuity flavors.  There are notes of wild yeast, banana, white grape juice, lots of warm spices (nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, white pepper, etc.), light apple, and biscuit.   
• Mouthfeel: Well-carbonated and light in body, the mouthfeel of the Expo 58 is crisp, bubbly, frothy, and spicy with a fairly dry finish.  

Overall pairing:  The spicy, yeasty, and fruit ester flavors of the Expo 58 characteristic of Belgian ales goes great with the complexity and soaring vocals and guitars of Kiske / Somerville's "City Of Heroes", while the drier and tarter notes work well with the emotional elements of the album.

Prost!!