April 22nd, 2022 - The Paradox Of Imaginos

 

Hello and happy Friday hop heads and metal heads!  Today, I present to you a battle between good and evil, hops and malts, a cosmic conspiracy of epic proportions!  The Meista here pairing the very complex and wonderful "Imaginos" album by the mighty Blue Öyster Cult (BÖC) and a tasty Paradox Pale Ale from the fine folks at Fisher Brewing Company!!  Hell yeah!! 

Album Info:

• Artist: Blue Öyster Cult
• Title: "Imaginos"
• Recorded: 1981 through 1988 at Kingdom Sound Studios in Long Island, New York, Boogie Hotel Studios in Port Jefferson, New York, and Alpha & Omega Studios in San Francisco, California
• Release date: July 1988 (11th studio album by BÖC)
• Record company: CBS / Columbia Records
• Production: Sandy Pearlman and Albert Bouchard
• Album cover art: Arnold Levine 
• Personnel: Eric Bloom (lead vocals), Albert Bouchard (guitars, percussion, and lead and backing vocals), Joe Bouchard (keyboards and vocals), Alan Lanier (keyboards), and Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitars and vocals)
• Session and additional musicians: Kenny Aaronson (bass), Marc Biedermann (lead guitars on "I Am The One You Warned Me Of" and "In the Presence Of Another World"), Kevin Carlson (guitars), Joey Cerisano (backing vocals), Phil Grande (guitars), Robby Krieger (lead guitars on "Magna Of Illusion" and "Blue Öyster Cult")Daniel Levitin (guitars), Tommy Morrongiello (guitars), Aldo Nova (guitars), Thommy Price (drums), Jack Rigg (guitars), Jon Rogers (backing vocals), Joe Satriani (lead guitar on "The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria"), Jack Secret (backing vocals), Shocking U (backing vocals on "In the Presence Of Another World"), and Tommy Zvoncheck (keyboards)
• Musical style: Hard rock, heavy metal
• Sound: Arguably BÖC's "heaviest" and most complex album, with "Imaginos", the band created a wonderfully imaginative and very rockin' soundscape.  It is powerful, engaging, mysterious, dark, and very heavy.  I absolutely adore it! 
• Major themes: A concept album based on Sandy Pearlman's The Soft Doctrines of Imaginos, the "Imaginos" album is a horror fantasy tale in the tradition of H.P. Lovecraft dealing with a secret history of how the modern world was manipulated by interdimensional beings and their shape-shifting pawn, Imaginos.  Though the lyrics are sometimes obscure and mysterious, themes include history, astrology, socio-political manipulation, life and death, war, violence, vengeance, evil, darkness, villainy, deception, the occult, magic, etc.
• Tracks:  

1. "I Am The One You Warned Me Of"
2. "Les Invisibles"
3. "In the Presence Of Another World"
4. "Del Rio's Song"
5. "The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria"
6. "Astronomy"
7. "Magna Of Illusion"
8. "Blue Öyster Cult"
9. "Imaginos"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Fisher Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.fisherbeer.com//
• Brew: Paradox Pale Ale
• Style: West Coast-style American Pale Ale (APA)
• Serving: 25-ounce crowler can
• ABV: 5.0% 
• Ingredients: Amarillo, Chinook, Citra, and Mosaic hops 
• Pour: The Paradox pours a slightly hazy, deep copper-amber hue with a frothy, off-white head, 1+ finger head with great retention and lots of sticky, spider web lacing.
• Nose: The nose is very hoppy, floral, citrusy, and malty.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, tangerine, orange zest, fresh mango, toasted barley, toasted malts, herbal tea, light pine resin, wildflowers, and soft caramel/toffee. 
• Taste: The taste of the Paradox follows the nose with lots of hoppy, citrusy pith, and earthy flavors.  There are notes of pink grapefruit juice, tangerine, orange, lemon zest, crackery biscuit, toasted bread, light pine, and burnt toffee in the finish.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is very crisp, somewhat bitter, yet very smooth and well-balanced with a dry, clean finish.

Overall pairing: "Imaginos" is a bold, complex, and an imaginatively and sonically intense album!  As such, it deserves an impressive and hop-forward brew exploding with flavor... thus, the wonderful Paradox Pale Ale from Fisher Brewing Company!!

Cheers and hails!!

And if you haven't done so already, check out my interview with former BÖC member, the amazing Albert Bouchard here: https://youtu.be/iSjthzODqRo