August 4th, 2019 -Octane Twisted Bramble

Hello and happy Sunday!  The Meista here today pairing the brilliant live album "Octane Twisted" by Porcupine Tree with The Bramble from Bruery Terreux!

Album Info:

• Artist: Porcupine Tree
• Title: "Octane Twisted"
• Recorded: April 30th, 2010 at the Riviera Theater in Chicago, Illinois and October 14th, 2010 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England
• Release date: November 5th, 2012 (12th live album by Porcupine Tree)
• Record company: Kscope
• Production: Josh Dick, Steve Martin, and Neil Warnock
• Album cover art: Carl Glover
• Personnel: Richard Barbieri (keyboards and synthesizers), Colin Edwin (bass guitar), Gavin Harrison (drums and percussion), John Wesley (guitar and backing vocals), and Steven Wilson (lead vocals and guitars)
• Musical style: Progressive rock, progressive metal, experimental rock
• Sound: Very progressive, challenging, and engaging, yet also raw, aggressive, and emotional, the live "Octane Twisted" is a testament to the genius that was Porcupine Tree!  The band is tight, on point, and wonderfully brilliant!
• Major themes: Life, death, loss, isolation, dissolving relationships, hatred, anger, desolation, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Occam's Razor"
2. "The Blind House"
3. "Great Expectations"
4. "Kneel And Disconnect"
5. "Drawing The Line"
6. "The Incident"
7. "Your Unpleasant Family"
8. "The Yellow Windows Of The Evening Train"
9. "Time Flies"
10. "Degree Zero Of Liberty"
11. "Octane Twisted"
12. "The Séance"
13. "Circle Of Manias"
14. "I Drive The Hearse"
15. "Hatesong"
16. "Russia On Ice / The Pills I'm Taking"
17. "Stars Die"
18. "Bonnie The Cat"
19. "Even Less"
20. "Dislocated Day"
21. "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Bruery Terreux (Anaheim, California)
• Website: https://www.thebruery.com/
• Brew: The Bramble 
• Style: American Wild Ale
• Serving: 25 ounce bottle
• ABV: 8.7%
• Pour: The Bramble pours a deep red with a light pink, thick and frothy 1-finger head, which slowly fades to a thin ring with no lacing.
• Nose: The nose is fruity, tart, tangy, sweet, woody, and funky.  There are aromas of fresh raspberries, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, plum, fresh apricot and dried apricot, oak, horse blanket, and wet leather.
• Taste: The taste of The Bramble follows the nose, but a bit more pronounced.  There are big notes of raspberry, blackberry, lemon juice, lime juice, plum, dried apricot, and barnyard funk.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and well carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp, fizzy, very tart, and refreshing with a dry, lip-puckering finish.

Overall pairing: I feel the complex, tart, yet very inviting fruit flavors of this amazing brew from the fine folks at Bruery Terreux fit extremely well with the ethereal as well as powerful images and feeling that are conjured whilst listing to the mighty Porcupine Tree!!

Cheers!!