January 6th, 2018 - Leo V. Ursus And The Art Of Self Defense

Good evening!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here tonight getting heavy and aggressive with a pairing of The Art Of Self Defense", the debut album of High On Fire and a Leo V. Ursus: Adversus!

Album Info:

• Artist: High On Fire
• Title: "The Art Of Self Defense" (2012 Re-release)
• Recorded: 1999 at Sharkbite Studio in Oakland, California and 
• Release date: March 7th, 2000 (1st studio album by High On Fire)
• Record company: Man's Ruin Records / Tee Pee Records (2001 re-release) / Southern Lord Records (2012 re-release
• Production: Billy Anderson and High On Fire
• Album cover art: Aaron D.C. Edge (design) and Arik Roper (illustration)
• Personnel: Des Kensel (drums), Matt Pike (guitars and vocals), and George Rice (bass)
• Musical style: Stoner metal / rock
• Sound: Heavy, aggressive, raw, and unapologetic, "The Art Of Self Defense" is one of those albums that grabs hold of you from note 1 and doesn't let go!  Riff-driven, the sound is akin to the heaviness of Pike's other band Sleep, but this is much faster, much more aggressive, much angrier.  The rhythm section is a thunderous juggernaut... the perfect foil for Pike's crunching guitar onslaught and his glass, gravel, and spit vocals!
• Major themes: Power, might, time, violence, darkness, death, knowledge, religion, mythology, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Baghdad"
2. "10,000 Years"
3. "Blood From Zion"
4. "Last"
5. "Fireface"
6. "Master Of Fists"
7. "Steel Shoe" (2001 7 Inch)
8. "The Usurper" (2001 7 Inch - Celtic Frost cover)
9. "Blood From Zion" (1999 demo)
10. "10,000 Years" (1999 demo)
11. "Master Of Fists" (1999 demo)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Company (Paso Robles, California)
• Website: http://www.firestonebeer.com/
• Brew: Leo V. Ursus: Adversus
• Style: Double India Pale Ale (DIPA) / Imperial IPA (IIPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 8.2%
• Ingredients: Pacific Northwest hops and Pilsner malt
• Pour: It pours a cloudy golden peach hue with a frothy, 2-finger, white head with sticky and intricately layered and sustained lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Leo V. Ursus: Adversus is chalk full of tropical and citrus fruit along with earthy and dank notes and biscuity malt.  There are hop-forward aromas of stone fruit (peach and apricot), mango, grapefruit rind, pineapple, pine resin, bitter herbs, white pepper, crackery biscuit, and light caramel.
• Taste: The taste is dank, citrusy, piney, earthy, spicy, and crackery.  There are notes of pine, black tea, herbs, grapefruit, pineapple, mango, sourdough bread, pepper, and very light caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Leo V. Ursus: Adversus is crisp, bitter, very hoppy, and very dry with a dry and bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The Leo V. Ursus: Adversus from the fine folks at Firestone Walker is a bold and an intense and dank double IPA... perfect for the hard-rockin' aggression and stoner might of High On Fire's debut album "The Art Of Self Defense"!  'Nuff said!

Hails!!