October 20th, 2023 - Mind Bullets of Phylogenesis

 

Hello and happy Friday evildoers, headbangers, and craft brew lovers!  The Meista here today with a pairing of the brutal and kick-ass "Phylogenesis" album by killer death metal band Abysmal Dawn and a very tasty, bold, tart, and hoppy Mind Bullets Sour IPA from Drekker Brewing Company!  Hells yes!

Album Info:

• Artist: Abysmal Dawn
• Title: "Phylogenesis"
• Recorded: 2020 
• Release date: April 17th, 2020 (5th full-length studio album by Abysmal Dawn)
• Record company: Season Of Mist
• Production: Mike Bear and Charles Elliot
• Album cover art: Pär Olofsson 
• Personnel: James Coppolino (drums), Charles Elliot (lead and rhythm guitars, soundscapes, and lead vocals), Eliseo Garcia (bass and additional vocals), and Vito Petroni (lead guitar)
• Guest musician: Fredrik Folkare (lead guitar on "Soul-Sick Nation")
• Musical style: Death metal with elements of death/doom and thrash metal
• Sound: With crushing rhythms, infernal guitar work, and brutally guttural vocals, 
• Major themes: Death, evolutionary development, existence, science fiction, deception, etc.
• Tracks: 
1. "Mundane Existence"
2. "The Path Of The Totalitarian"
3. "Hedonistic"
4. "A Speck In The Fabric Of Eternity"
5. "Coerced Evolution"
6. "True To The Blind"
7. "Soul-Sick Nation"
8. "The Lament Configuration"
9. "Flattening Of Emotions" (Death cover)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Drekker Brewing Company (Fargo, North Dakota) 
• Website: https://drekkerbrewing.com/
• Brew: Mind Bullets Sour IPA
• Style: Sour India Pale Ale (SIPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 7.1% 
• Ingredients: 2-Row, Oats, Carafoam, Spelt, and Lactose Sugar malts; Magnum, Huell Melon, Mosaic, Hallertau Blanc hops; Lactobacillus Culture and House IPA Yeast
• Pour: The Mind Bullets Sour IPA pours a hazy, bright yellow hue with a billowy and sustained, 1-finger, bright white head with soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by tart, citrusy, tropical, melon, herbal, and sweet notes.  There are aromas of tart lime and lemon juice and zest, grapefruit juice, orange juice, tangerine, papaya, pineapple, melon, soft peach, light pine resin, herbal tea, bready malts, and sweet toffee.
• Taste: The taste of the Mind Bullets Sour IPA follows the nose with lots of fruit (citrus, tropical, and melon), herbal, and soft malty flavors.  There are notes of lime juice, candied lemon, ripe cantaloupe, tangerine, tart orange juice, mango, pineapple, apricot, herbal tea, a hint of vanilla, and sweet, bready malts.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Mind Bullets Sour IPA is juicy crisp, and tart, yet also creamy and smooth, with a very dry, slightly bitter, and boozy finish.

Overall pairing: The Drekker Mind Bullets Sour IPA is a very complex and flavorful brew that demands your full attention... a perfect companion to the crushing death metal juggernaut that is the mighty and infernal Abysmal Dawn!  Those big, bold, tart, and juicy notes go great with the lyrical content and fiery guitar elements of the album, while the hoppy bitterness and boozy bite go great with the more aggressive, chaotic, and dark dimensions!  I highly recommend both the album and the brew... but these are definitely not for the faint at heart!

Cheers and hails headbangers!!  Keep it craft and keep it heavy!