July 21st, 2018 - A Totalitarian Senile Animal

Good afternoon!  Your drinking buddy the Meista is here today getting heavy and dark with a pairing of "(A) Senile Animal" by the Melvins and a Totalitarian Imperial Russian Stout from Stone Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Melvins
• Title: "(A) Senile Animal"
• Recorded: July 1st through the 14th, 2006 at West Beach Recorders in Hollywood, California
• Release date: October 10th, 2006 (17th full-length studio album by the Melvins)
• Record company: Ipecac Recordings
• Production: Melvins
• Album cover art: Mackie Osborne
• Personnel: King Buzzo (guitar and lead vocals), Dale Crover (drums and vocals), Jared Warren (bass guitar and vocals), and Coady Willis (drums and vocals)
• Musical style: Sludge metal, doom metal, stoner rock
• Sound: Heavy and aggressive, "(A) Senile Animal" may be the most straight-forward album by the Melvins, but that doesn't mean it isn't still wildly complex. With the addition of 2 drummers, their sound is that much bigger!  "Of the album, King Buzzo stated: "This record is one of my favorites and I think we're just scratching the surface of what we can do with these guys."
• Major themes: Surrealism, life, death, emotions, human interaction, cause and effect, anger, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "The Talking Horse"
2. "Blood Witch"
3. "Civilized Worm"
4. "A History Of Drunks"
5. "Rat Faced Granny"
6. "The Hawk"
7. "You've Never Been Right"
8. "A History Of Bad Men"
9. "The Mechanical Bride"
10. "A Vast Filthy Prison"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Stone Brewing Company (Escondido, California)
• Website: https://www.stonebrewing.com/
• Brew: Totalitarian Imperial Russian Stout
• Style:  Imperial Russian Stout
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 10.6%
• IBUs: 70
• Ingredients: Flaked oats, Belma hops
• Pour: The Totalitarian pours an ink black with a firm, creamy dark mocha head with good retention and lacing.
• Nose: The nose is roasty, chocolatey, earthy, and fruity.  There are aromas of dark chocolate, espresso, dark fruits (plum, black cherry, black currant, raisins), toffee, vanilla bean, and roasted malts.
• Taste: The taste of the Totalitarian is very rich and complex with lots of chocolaty, coffee, dark fruit, and roasted malt flavors.  There are notes of dark chocolate, dark roasted coffee, marshmallow, cream, vanilla, black currant, plum, graham cracker, caramel/toffee, and spiced rum.    
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with low carbonation, the mouthfeel is velvety, smooth, and silky with a dry, bittersweet finish that lingers.

Overall pairing: The Stone Totalitarian Imperial Russian Stout is a beast of a brew!  And a beast of a brew deserves a beast of an album... thus "(A) Senile Animal" by the mighty Melvins!  Need I say more?

Cheers and hails!!