March 7th, 2021 - Battle Cry Of The Battlestar

 

Good evening and hails metal and hop maniacs!  The Meista is here tonight with another great pairing for ya... "Battle Cry", the most recent live album from the metal gods themselves, Judas Priest and a hoppy and delicious Battlestar IPA from Crux Fermentation Project!  This pairing goes out to my buddy Jeff Baxter... thanks for the beers brother!!  Cheers!!


Album Info:

• Artist: Judas Priest
• Title: "Battle Cry"
• Recorded: August 1st, 2015 at Wacken Festival, Germany
• Release date: March 25th, 2016 (6th live album by the Priest)
• Record company: Columbia Records / Epic Records
• Production: Tom Allom and Jack Ruston
• Album cover art: Meghan Foley, Ross Halfin and Oliver Halfin
• Personnel: Richie Faulkner (guitars), Rob Halford (vocals), Ian Hill (bass guitars), Glenn Tipton (guitars), and Scott Travis (drums)
• Musical style: Heavy metal
• Sound: Robust, gigantic, powerful... a few adjectives that only scratch the surface of a live Priest show!  I had the great pleasure of seeing the mighty Metal Gods on this very tour and it was spellbinding!!  Halford's vocals are as impressive and vast as they've ever been, Hill and Travis are a thunderous rhythm juggernaut, and Faulkner and Tipton shred the hell out of those guitars!!  LOVE IT!!!
• Major themes: Metal, power, aggression, lust, mythology, good and evil, rebellion, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "(Intro) Battle Cry"
2. "Dragonaut"
3. "Metal Gods"
4. "Devil's Child"
5. "Victim Of Changes"
6. "Halls Of Valhalla"
7. "Redeemer Of Souls"
8. "Beyond The Realms Of Death"
9. "Jawbreaker"
10. "Breaking The Law"
11. "Hell Bent For Leather"
12. "The Hellion"
13. "Electric Eye"
14. "You've Got Another Thing Coming"
15. "Painkiller"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Crux Fermentation Project  (Bend, Oregon)
• Website: https://www.cruxfermentation.com/
• Brew: Battlestar IPA
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 7.8%
• IBUs: 65
• Ingredients: Galaxy and Mosaic hops
• Pour: The Battlestar IPA pours a very hazy honey-gold hue with a frothy, 1+ finger, off-white head that holds its form well and leaves some nice lacing.
• Nose: The nose is earthy, citrusy, and fruity with more subtle malt notes.  There are aromas of pine resin, wet pine needles, grapefruit rind, tangerine, mango, guava, papaya, ripe peach, light melon, doughy bread, and soft caramel.
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste of the Battlestar IPA is a hop-forward blend of fruity and earthy flavors.  There are notes of pine, tangerine, mango, peach, apricot, light melon, herbal tea, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Battlestar is both crisp, juicy, and smooth with a fairly dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The Battlestar IPA from Crux is an outstanding example of the American IPA style... piney, citrusy, tropical, and punchy... and as such, makes for a perfect pairing with the metal might that is Judas Priest's "Battle Cry"!!  The hoppy, punchy, slightly boozy flavors go with everything that is Priest while the drinkability of the brew is great for the foot-stomping, fist-pumping accessibility of the songs! 

I picked up "Battle Cry" from my buddy Kevin at the Heavy Metal Shop in Salt Lake City, Utah!  You should too!  Check it out: www.heavymetalshop.com!!

Massive cheers and hails!!