November 20th, 2019 - There's A Fresh Haze As The Stages Burn

Good evening evil-doers!!  The Meista here tonight rocking the hell out with a pairing of Arch Enemy's kickass live album/film "As The Stages Burn!" and a very crushable Fresh Haze IPA from Deschutes Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!

 

Album Info:

• Artist: Arch Enemy
• Title: "As The Stages Burn!"
• Recorded: live at Wacken, Germany in 2016 and Tokyo, Japan in 2015
• Release date: March 31st, 2017 (3rd live album by Arch Enemy)
• Record company: Century Media Records
• Production: Arch Enemy
• Director: Patric Ullaeus
• Album cover art: Costin Chioreanu 
• Personnel: Michael Amott (lead and rhythm guitars), Sharlee D'Angelo (bass guitar), Daniel Erlandsson (drums), Jeff Loomis (lead and rhythm guitars), and Alissa White-Gluz (vocals)
• Musical style: Melodic/progressive death metal with elements of progressive metal and power metal
• Sound: The sound on "As The Stages Burn!" is a wall of high energy, crushing sonic intensity!  White-Gluz's ultra-aggressive vocals coupled with the battery ram power of the band demands your full attention!  This is the type of album that reaffirms my love for all things metal!
• Major themes: Aggression, death, destruction, violence, knowledge, honesty, regret, revenge, truth, corruption, believing in oneself, power, evil, etc.
• Tracks: 

CD:

1. "Khaos Overture" (live at Wacken 2016)
2. "Yesterday Is Dead And Gone" (live at Wacken 2016)
3. "War Eternal" (live at Wacken 2016)
4. "Ravenous" (live at Wacken 2016)
5. "Stolen Life" (live at Wacken 2016)
6. "My Apocalypse" (live at Wacken 2016)
7. "You Will Know My Name" (live at Wacken 2016)
8. "Bloodstained Cross" (live at Wacken 2016)
9. "Under Black Flags We March" (live at Wacken 2016)
10. "As The Pages Burn" (live at Wacken 2016)
11. "Dead Eyes See No Future" (live at Wacken 2016)
12. "Avalance" (live at Wacken 2016)
13. "No Gods, No Masters" (live at Wacken 2016)
14. "We Will Rise" (live at Wacken 2016)
15. "Nemesis" (live at Wacken 2016)
16. "Fields Of Desolation" (live at Wacken 2016)

DVD:

1. "Khaos Overture" (live at Wacken 2016)
2. "Yesterday Is Dead And Gone" (live at Wacken 2016)
3. "War Eternal" (live at Wacken 2016)
4. "Ravenous" (live at Wacken 2016)
5. "Stolen Life" (live at Wacken 2016)
6. "My Apocalypse" (live at Wacken 2016)
7. "You Will Know My Name" (live at Wacken 2016)
8. "Bloodstained Cross" (live at Wacken 2016)
9. "Under Black Flags We March" (live at Wacken 2016)
10. "As The Pages Burn" (live at Wacken 2016)
11. "Dead Eyes See No Future" (live at Wacken 2016)
12. "Avalance" (live at Wacken 2016)
13. "No Gods, No Masters" (live at Wacken 2016)
14. "We Will Rise"(live at Wacken 2016)
15. "Nemesis" (live at Wacken 2016)
16. "Fields Of Desolation" (live at Wacken 2016)
17. "Outro" (live at Wacken 2016)
18. Wacken 2016: Behind the Scenes
19. "Tempore Nihil Sanat" (live in Tokyo 2015)
20. "Never Forgive, Never Forget" (live in Tokyo 2015)
21. "Bury Me An Angel" (live in Tokyo 2015)
22. "Taking Back My Soul" (live in Tokyo 2015)
23. "Burning Angel" (live in Tokyo 2015)
24. "The Day You Died" (live in Tokyo 2015)
25. "No More Regrets" (live in Tokyo 2015)
26. "Silverwing" (live in Tokyo 2015)
27. "War Eternal" (official video)
28. "You Will Know My Name" (official video)
29. "No More Regrets" (official video)
30. "Stolen Life" (2015 version)
31. "Stolen Life" (2016 version)
32. "Time Is Black" (official video)

    
Brew Info:

• Brewery: Deschutes Brewing Company (Portland, Oregon)
• Website: https://www.deschutesbrewery.com/
• Brew: Fresh Haze IPA
• Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 6.5%
• IBUs: 45
• Ingredients: Unmatled wheat, malted wheat, Munich malt, C-15 malt, Pale 2 Row malt, and flaked barley along with Northern Brewer, Cashmere, Mandarina Bavaria, and Amarillo hops
• Pour: The Fresh Haze pours a very hazy and bright golden-orange hue with a 1-finger, firm and frothy, off-white head with great retention and sticky, sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is citursy, tropical, floral, and bready. There are aromas of freshly squeezed orange juice, orange peel, tangerine, grapefruit rind, mango, pineapple, light pine resin, wild flowers, soft caramel, and soft malt.
• Taste: With loads of citrusy hop flavors, the taste of the Fresh Haze follows the nose with citrus, tropical fruit, and soft sweet malt flavors.  There are notes of .freshly squeezed orange juice, tangerine, juicy pink grapefruit, mango, guava, crackery biscuit, and light toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is crisp.

Overall pairing: The hoppy, citrusy, and punchy flavors and aromas of the Deschutes Fresh Haze IPA just works so perfectly well with the aggression and live intensity of "As the Stages Burn!"!  The soaring guitar work of Amott and Loomis shines even brighter with the fruit notes of the brew, the pounding rhtyhm section of D'angelo and Erlandsson is eaven meatier with the sweet, malty notes, while that hoppy bite is right in line with the brutal vocals of Ms. White-Gluz!  'Nuff said!

Prost and hails!!  Helan går!!