April 20th, 2023 - This World Circus For Your Monkey Mind

 

Hey there thrashers, rebels, and craft beer fiends!  The Meista here with the kick-ass album "World Circus" by New York thrash metal band Toxik and a very crushable Monkey Mind Double Dry-Hopped IPA from Red Rock Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Toxik
• Title: "World Circus"
• Recorded: 1987 at Morrisound Recordings in Tampa, Florida
• Release date: December 19th, 1987 (1st full-length studio album by Toxik)
• Record company: Roadrunner Records 
• Production: Tom Morris
• Album cover art: Ed Repka
• Personnel: Brian Bonini (bass), Josh Christian (guitars), Tad Leger (drums), and Mike Sanders (vocals)
• Guest musician: Chuck Schuldiner (backing vocals)
• Musical style: Thrash metal, technical thrash metal
• Sound: Blending incredibly fast, high octave riffing and precision drumming with raw power and energy, Toxik helped pioneer and usher in a new, more technical thrash sound in the late 1980s.
• Major themes: Thoughtful and critical, themes on "World Circus" include rebellion, anger, social injustice, corruption, social unrest, suffering, violence, freedom, etc.
• Tracks:  
1. "Heart Attack"
2. "Social Overload"
3. "Pain And Misery"
4. "Voices"
5. "Door To Hell"
6. "World Circus"
7. "47 Seconds Of Sanity / Count Your Blessings"
8. "False Prophets"
9. "Haunted Earth"
10. "Victims"

 Brew Info:

• Brewery: Red Rock Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://redrockbrewing.com/ 
• Brew: Monkey Mind Double Dry-Hopped IPA 
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0% 
• Ingredients: Sabra, Mosaic, Cashmere, and Citra hops
• Pour: The Monkey Mind pours a slightly cloudy golden-yellow hue with frothy and billowy, 1-finger, bright white head with great retention and lots of sticky, soapy, intricate lacing.
• Nose: The nose is citrusy, fruity, floral, and malty.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, orange zest, tangerine, pineapple, wildflowers, light herbal tea, crackery grains, and soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste of Monkey Mind follows the nose with big notes of pink grapefruit juice, orange, tangerine, mango, lemon zest, pale malt, and sweet toffee/caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Monkey Mind is very crisp and juicy, yet smooth with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The Monkey Mind Double Dry-Hopped IPA from Red Rock is very crushable, yet a very punchy and flavorful brew ... a perfect beer to accompany the angry and throught-provoking riffs and themes of Toxik's killer "World Circus" album!  'Nuff said!  

And make sure to check out my interview with Josh Christian here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWj5pQjUQXk 

Cheers and hails!!