August 14th, 2019 - Lullabies For The Dormant Mind Haze

Good evening metal heads and hop heads!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here with tonight pairing "Lullabies For The Dormant Mind", the sophomore album by Canadian extreme metal band The Agonist and a tasty Mind Haze from Firestone Walker Brewing Company!  Hell yes!!

Album Info:

• Artist: The Agonist
• Title: "Lullabies For The Dormant Mind"
• Recorded: 2008 at Studio Garage in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Release date: February 20th, 2009 (2nd full-length studio album by The Agonist) (1969-04-16)
• Record company: Century Media Records
• Production: Christian Donaldson
• Album cover art: Natalie Shau
• Personnel: Chris Kells (bass and backing vocals), Danny Marino (guitars), Simon McKay (drums and percussion), and Alissa White-Gluz (lead vocals)
• Additional musicians: Avi Ludmer (violin), Youri Raymond (vocals on "...And Their Eulogies Sang Me To Sleep"), and Melina Soochan (additional instruments)
• Musical style: Extreme metal, metalcore, death metal with elements of symphonic metal
• Sound: Wonderfully emotional, honest, choatic, aggressive, unique, the sound on The Agonist's "Lullabies For The Dormant Mind" is, in a word, intense!  Every note, every riff, every intention is brutally honest and mesmerizing!  The guitar work of Marino is , Kells bass work is a thunderous and passionate assault, McKay's drumming is machine gun fire intensity, and Alissa's vocal performance is mind-blowingly intense, unique, and powerful!
• Major themes: Pain, life, death, suffering, isolation, knowledge, power, aggression, anger, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "The Tempest (The Siren's Song; The Banshee's Cry)"
2. "...And Their Eulogies Sang Me To Sleep"
3. "Thank You, Pain"
4. "Birds Elope With The Sun"
5. "Waiting Out The Winter"
6. "Martyr Art"
7. "Globus Hystericus"
8. "Swan Lake (A Cappella)"
9. "The Sentient"
10. "When The Bough Breaks"
11. "Chlorpromazine"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Company (Paso Robles, California)
• Website: https://www.firestonebeer.com/
• Brew: Mind Haze
• Style: New England India Pale Ale (NEIPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 6.2%
• IBUs: 40
• Indgedients: 2-Row, White Wheat, Torrified Wheat, Munich, and Golden Naked Oats malts; Cashmere, Mandarina, El Dorado, Idaho 7, Azacca, and Mosaic hops
• Pour: As the name suggests, the Mind Haze pours a very hazy golden amber with a frothy, bright white, 1+ finger head with great retention and lots of intricate spider web lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Mind Haze is fruity, citrusy, hoppy, earthy, and grainy.  There are aromas of pineapple juice, grapefruit rind, orange juice, tangerine, mango, peach, lemongrass, pine resin, and light grains.
• Taste: The taste is fruity (citurs and tropical fruit), sweet, and hoppy.  There are notes of orange juice, lemon zest, grapefruit, mango, melon, guava, pineapple, bitter herbs, pine, pepper, light grains, and a hint of caramel (especially as it warms).
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Mind Haze is crisp, smooth, and refreshing with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The aggressive hop and fruit flavors of the Mind Haze is perfect for the extreme metal intensity and artistic integrity of The Agonist!  'Nuff said!

Cheers and hails head bangers!!