December 15th, 2023 - The Cryo Ranger Is Testing For Echoes

 

Hello and happy Friday rockers, rollers, and hopheads!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here today pairing the wonderful and rather underrated "Test For Echo" by Canadian rock royalty, Rush and a hoppy Cryo Ranger IPA from New Belgium Brewing Company!  Oh yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Rush
• Title: "Test For Echo"
• Recorded: January through March 1996 at Bearsville Studios in Bearsville, New York and Reaction Studios in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Release date: September 10th, 1996 (16th studio album by Rush)
• Record company: Anthem
• Production: Peter Collins and Rush
• Album cover art: Hugh Syme
• Personnel: Geddy Lee (bass guitar, vocals, and synthesizers), Alex Lifeson (electric and acoustic guitars, and mandola), and Neil Peart (drums, cymbals, and hammer dulcimer)
• Musical style: Hard rock, progressive rock
• Sound: Wow, what the hell do you say about the sound of Rush on "Test For Echo" without sounding like a pretentious twit or a complete prat?!  It is wonderfully complex, wonderfully textured, and draws a little from their early '90s sound... specifically from "Presto".  As always, the musical prowess of these three gentlemen is beyond grasp... beyond amazing!!
• Major themes: Truth, honesty, knowledge, the influence of mass media, the pros and cons of technology, the haves and have-nots, social unrest, social criticism, hope, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Test For Echo"
2. "Driven"
3. "Half The World"
4. "The Color Of Right"
5. "Time And Motion"
6. "Totem"
7. "Dog Years"
8. "Virtuality"
9. "Resist"
10. "Limbo"
11. "Carve Away The Stone"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: New Belgium Brewing Company (Colorado)
• Website: https://www.newbelgium.com/ 
• Brew: Cryo Ranger IPA
• Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 7.8%
• IBUs: 33
• Ingredients: Amarillo, Centennial, Citra, Pahto, Strata, Sabro, and Idaho 7 hops along with Pale malt 
• Pour: The Cryo Ranger IPA pours a fairly clear, golden-yellow hue with a billowy and frothy, bright white, 1+ finger head with great retention and lots of sticky, intricate lacing.
• Nose: The nose is full of exotic tropical fruity, citrusy, minerally, and herbal notes.  There are aromas of wildflowers, grapefruit rind, tangerine, mango, pineapple, guava, light berry, apricot, light pine resin, and soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Cryo Ranger IPA follows the nose with lots of punchy, hop-forward, citrusy, tropical, and light stone fruit flavors.  There are notes of pink grapefruit juice, tangerine, peach, mango, guava, herbal tea, light pine, and caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied and moderately carbonated, the Cryo Ranger IPA's mouthfeel is very crisp and hoppy with a dry and slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The New Belgium Cryo Ranger IPA is a very bright, very flavorful, punchy, and crushable brew that is perfect for throwing back whilst enjoying the brilliant musical tapestry that is "Test For Echo"!  Those hoppy notes go great with Alex's guitars and Geddy's vocals while the grainier, maltier notes are great for the brilliant drumming of Neil and Geddy's powerful bass work!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!  Rock on!!