May 1st, 2018 - Moonbathing With A Dark Swan

Good evening!  Your drinkin' pal the Meista here tonight pairing a Dark Swan Sour Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company and "Moonbathers" by Delain in anticipation of tomorrow night's concert (Kamelot, Delain, and Battle Beast)!!  This pairing goes out to my buddy Ian... a huge Delain fan!  Cheers my friend!!  See ya at the show!


Album Info:

• Artist: Delain
• Title: "Moonbathers"
• Recorded: 2016 at Mantis Audio, Wateringen, and Trypoul Studios in Neerkant, Netherlands
• Release date: August 26th, 2016 (5th studio album by Delain)
• Record company: Napalm Records
• Production: Martijn Westerholt
• Album cover art: Glenn Arthur
• Personnel: Merel Bechtold (rhythm guitar), Ruben Israel (drums), Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije (bass), Timo Somers (lead guitar and backing vocals), Charlotte Wessels (lead and backing vocals), and Martijn Westerholt (keyboards, orchestration, and backing vocals)
• Additional musicians: Guus Eikens (additional guitars), Mikko P. Mustonen (orchestration), Oliver Philipps (additional guitars and keyboards), and Alissa White-Gluz (guest vocals on "Hands of Gold")
• Musical style: Symphonic metal, melodic metal, gothic metal, pop metal
• Sound: Combining epic symphonic metal, melodic, emotive, and powerful vocals, and pop sensibility, Delain's "Moonbathers" is a wonderfully mesmerizing musical journey highlighting Wessels' soaring and beautiful vocals along with the maturing musical prowess of Westerholt, Bechtold, Schimmelpenninck van der Oije and Somers!
• Major themes: With inspiration from Neil Gaiman's The Sandman and Oscar Wilde's The Ballad of Reading Gaol, themes on the album include death, beauty, sorrow, isolation, rebellion, love, loss, pain, hope, etc. 
• Tracks:   

1. "Hands Of Gold"
2. "The Glory And The Scum"
3. "Suckerpunch"
4. "The Hurricane"
5. "Chrysalis - The Last Breath"
6. "Fire With Fire"
7. "Pendulum"
8. "Danse Macabre"
9. "Scandal" (Queen cover)
10. "Turn The Lights Out"
11. "The Monarch"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, California)
• Website: https://lagunitas.com/
• Brew: Dark Swan Sour Ale
• Style: American Wild Ale
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 8.7% 
• IBUs: 22.6
• Ingredients: Sour ale brewed with experimental hops and fermented with dark red Petite Sirah wine grapes
• Pour: The Dark Swan pours a deep, dark, and opaque purple with a thin, frothy, light lavender head with minimal retention and light, soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is tart, fruity, earthy, and hoppy.  There are aromas of red grapes, red wine, blueberries, oak, lemon, vinegar, and grassy hops.
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste of the Dark Swan is fruity, sour, woody, and hoppy.  There are notes of ripe grapes, wine, black cherries, vinegar, light lemon juice, vegetal hops, and oak.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and well carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Dark Swan is bubbly, frothy, crisp, and tart, and with a dry, sour, and slightly sweet finish.

Overall pairing: The Dark Swan Sour Ale from Lagunitas is delightfully surprising complex, tart, and fruity brew without being too sweet... perfect for the melodic power and dark beauty of Delain's "Moonbathers" album!  I cannot wait to see these songs performed live!!

Cheers and hails!!