August 12th, 2019 - One Hour By The Concrete [Orchard]

God kväll... goedenavond!  The Meista here tonight pairing the brilliant album "One Hour by The Concrete Lake" by Swedish progressive metal band Pain Of Salvation with an Orchard Wit from Bruery Terreux!

Album Info:

• Artist: Pain Of  Salvation
• Title: "One Hour By The Concrete Lake"
• Recorded: Spring of 1998 at Roasting House Recording Studio in Malmö, Sweden
• Release date: July 21st, 1998 (2nd full-length studio album by Pain Of Salvation)
• Record company: InsideOut Music
• Production: Anders "Theo" Theander
• Album cover art: Patrik Larsson
• Personnel: Daniel Gildenlöw (guitars and lead vocals), Kristoffer Gildenlöw (bass and backing vocals), Johan Hallgren (guitars and backing vocals), Fredrik Hermansson (keyboards and sampling), and Johan Langell (drums and backing vocals)
• Additional musician: Katarina Åhlén (cello)
• Musical style: Progressive metal
• Sound: Wonderfully progressive, dark, challenging, honest, and engaging, with "One Hour By The Concrete Lake", Pain Of Salvation embraced a darker, heavier sound.  There are almost industrial tones incorporated into the guitar work, which is harsher than their first album.
• Major themes: Inspired by the true story of a lake that was filled with cement to protect the local residents from toxic and radioactive waste that had been dumped there, the album explores the war machine and one man's journey to redemption.  Themes include the destruction of nature, environmental and cultural damage, life and death, war, gun control, displacement, waste, loss, isolation, balance, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Spirit Of The Land"
2. "Inside"
3. "The Big Machine"
4. "New Year's Eve"
5. "Handful Of Nothing"
6. "Water"
7. "Home"
8. "Black Hills"
9. "Pilgrim"
10. "Shore Serenity"
11. "Inside Out"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Bruery Terreux (Anaheim, California)
• Website: https://www.thebruery.com/
• Brew: Orchard Wit 
• Style: Belgian Witbier
• Serving: 25 ounce bottle
• ABV: 5.7%
• Ingredients: Bavarian Wit, Belgian Wit and French Saison yeast
• Pour: The Orchard Wit pours a clear yellow-straw hue with a .
• Nose: The nose is fruity, tart, tangy, a little funky, woody, and spicy.  There are aromas of orange zest, fresh green apple, soft banana, lemon, coriander, clove, oak, and mild horse blanket and wet leather.
• Taste: The taste of the Orchard Wit follows the nose, but a bit more pronounced.  There are notes of lemon, orange zest, coriander, clove, nutmeg, green apple, pear, white grape, dried fruit, and barnyard funk.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Orchard Wit is very crisp, frothy, and tart with a dry, slightly tart finish.

Overall pairing: I feel the complex, yet very invitingly tart fruit flavors of this tasty brew from the fine folks at Bruery Terreux work really well with the dark, yet ethereal as well as powerful images and feeling that are conjured up whilst listing to "One Hour by The Concrete Lake"! 

Skål... prosit!!