February 2nd, 2024 - Never Fear... Nothingface is on the Job!

 

Hello and hails rock and rollers and craft brew lovers!  Happy Friday!  Your drinkin' buddy the Meista here today getting the weekend off to the right start by rocking out to "Nothingface" by Voivod and a tasty and hoppy On The Job Pale Ale from Prodigy Brewing Company!  Oh, yes!

Album Info:

• Artist: Voivod
• Title: "Nothingface"
• Recorded: 1989 at Victor Studio in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Release date: October 13th, 1989 (5th studio album by Voivod)
• Record company: MCA Records / Real Gone Music
• Production: Glen Robinson
• Album cover art: Away and Ioannis
• Personnel: Michel Langevin aka Away (drums and interludes), Jean-Yves Thériault aka Blacky (bass), Denis D'Amour aka Piggy (guitars), and Denis Bélanger aka Snake (vocals)
• Musical style: Progressive thrash metal with elements of hardcore punk
• Sound: Although still very heavy and aggressive (from their influence from American hardcore punk and NWOBHM), "Nothingface" marked a bit of a change musically for Voivod.  In the tradition of early '70s prog bands like Yes and Genesis, Voivod found inspiration and influence from classical composers, specifically in the ballet and orchestral concert "The Rites Of Spring" by Igor Stravinsky.  This is most prevalent in the song "Pre-Ignition".  To further this progressive direction, the band covered Pink Floyd's psychedelic masterpiece "Astronomy Domine", which helped make the album their biggest seller.  But don't let the progressive influence fool you... this is still very heavy and powerful metal!  Songs like the title track, the Alice Cooper-esque "Missing Sequences", "X-Ray Mirror", "Inner Combustion", "Into My Hypercube", and "Sub-Effect" are all head-banging monster rockers!  The music is very challenging, manic at times, and above all, kick ass!  This album rocks hard and is brilliantly crafted as well! 
• Major themes: Science, science fiction, technology, the future, introspection, doom, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "The Unknown Knows"
2. "Nothingface"
3. "Astronomy Domine" (Pink Floyd cover)
4. "Missing Sequences"
5. "X-Ray Mirror"
6. "Inner Combustion"
7. "Pre-Ignition"
8. "Into My Hypercube"
9. "Sub-Effect"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Prodigy Brewing Company (Logan, Utah)
• Website: https://prodigy-brewing.com/
• Brew: On The Job Pale Ale
• Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 36 
• Pour: The On The Job Pale Ale pours a hazy, bronze-amber hue with a billowy, half-finger, off-white head with good retention and soapy lacing.
• Nose: Hop-forward, the nose is citrusy, earthy, and malty.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, orange zest, lemon zest, tangerine, wet pine needles, wildflowers, herbal tea, light onion, crackery biscuit, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Taste: The taste of the On The Job Pale Ale follows the nose with floral, herbal, and citrusy hop flavors along with bready malts.  There are notes of grapefruit juice, tangerine, pine resin, black tea, Pale male, roasted barley, and soft caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the On The Job Pale Ale is hearty, yet crisp and with a dry, slightly bitter, yet smooth finish.

Overall pairing: The Prodigy On The Job Pale Ale is a punchy, hop-forward, yet crushable and tasty brew... great for the intense and progressive grooves and chord changes of Voivod's inventive, inspirational, heavily influential, and very intense "Nothingface"!  'Nuff said!

Cheers and hails!!