August 20th, 2021 - Insect Politics Will Eat The Grains To Your Brain

 

Hello and happy Friday metal maniacs and craft beer freaks!  The Meista here with another kick-ass pairing for ya today to the get the weekend off to the right start, and this one includes two locals of mine: the killer "Insect Politics" album by Salt Lake thrash metal band Deathblow and the punchy citrus flavors of Desert Edges Brewery's From Grain To Brain (Feed Your Head) India Pale Ale, another tasty offering from my main man Master Chad!  Hell yeah!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Deathblow
• Title: "Insect Politics"
• Recorded: 2020 at Archive Recordings
• Release date: December 23rd, 2020 (2nd full length album by Deathblow)
• Record company: Sewer Mouth Records 
• Production: Deathblow
• Album cover art: Axel Hermann 
• Personnel: Grob (drums), Paulie Gunk (bass), Holger the Horrible (guitars and vocals), and Smelltron (guitars)
• Musical style: Thrash metal
• Sound: With a thrash style in the vein of Havok and Warbringer, Deathblow is a wonderfully fun and aggressive punch in the earholes!  These guys rock and rock hard with smart and funny lyrics... great stuff! 
• Major themes: Socio-politically charged, lyrics on the album include themes of corruption, deception, the media, dirty politics, the environment, death, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Brain Bugs"
2. "Accelerated Decrepitude"
3. "Nefarious Ends"
4. "Insect Politics"
5. "Convert or Die!"
6. "Through The Eyes Of Delusion"
7. "Agent Zero"
8. "Behind Closed Doors"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Deseret Edge Brewery at the Pub (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://desertedgebrewery.com/ 
• Brew: From Grain To Brain (Feed Your Head) India Pale Ale
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 7.0%
• IBUs:65 
• Ingredients: Idaho 7, Amarillo, Mosaic, and Citra hops with Pale, Munich, Wheat, and Crystal 45 malts 
• Pour: The From Grain To Brain IPA pours a very hazy golden amber with a thick and creamy, 2+ finger, off-white head with great retention and lots of intricate sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is a wonderful blend of citrusy, dank, floral, and malty aromas.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, orange peel, tangerine, pineapple, wild flowers, barley, crackery biscuit, black tea, pine resin, and soft caramel.
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste of the From Grain To Brain IPA is citrusy, herbal, and malty.  There are notes of zesty grapefruit, tangerine, mango, black tea, pine, crackery biscuit, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the From Grain To Brain IPA is very crisp and juicy, yet smooth with a dry, bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The very crushable, yet wonderfully complex and flavorful Desert Edge 
From Grain To Brain (Feed Your Head) India Pale Ale makes a great companion to the metal aggression of Deathblow's "Insect Politics"!  The citrusy hop notes really pop when you've got Deathblow blasting from your speakers!  I highly recommend both the album and brew!  Make sure to grab a copy of "Insect Politics" at the Heavy Metal Shop: http://www.heavymetalshop.com/!  'Nuff said!

Cheers and hails!!