April 24th, 2024 - It's A Drk Szn When A Spider's On The World

Hey there headbangers and craft brew lovers!  Your drinking buddy the Meista is here today rocking the hell out with another great pairing for ya... I'm headbanging to "Spider On The World", the latest, kick-ass album by the mighty Ravage and a dark and tasty Drk Szn Black Pilsner from the fine folks at Lumberbeard Brewing!  Hell yeah!  

Album Info:

• Artist: Ravage
• Title: "Spider On The World"
• Recorded: 2023 through early 2024
• Release date: April 19th, 2024 (4th full-length studio album by Ravage)
• Record company: Thrash With Power Records
• Production: Pete Rutcho
• Album cover art: Andreas Marschall
• Personnel: Toni Belchior (drums), Eli Firicano (guitars), Tommy G (bass), Nick Izzo (guitars), and Al Ravage (vocals)
• Musical style: Heavy metal, speed metal, power metal
• Sound: Characterized by wonderfully crushing guitar riffs, soaring solos, thunderous drums and bass, and Al Ravage's district and powerful vocals, the sound on "Spider On The World" is pure, traditional, kick-ass American metal!
• Major themes: Destruction, darkness, global warming, threats to mankind, the end of the world, power, invasion, greed, corruption, violence, etc.
• Tracks: 
1. "Manmade Ice Age"
2. "The Call To Order"
3. "Sign Of The Spider"
4. "Amazon Burning"
5. "The Obelisk"
6. "World War Four"
7. "Ravage Part 2: Ravage The Earth"
8. "Ravage Part 3: Ravage In Peace"
9. "From The Mouth Of Pain"
10. "Without A Trace"
11. "Corruption Of Blood"
12. "It Crawls From Space"
13. "Spider On The World"
14. "Face Of Infamy"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Lumberbeard Brewing (Spokane, Washington)
• Website: https://lumberbeardbrewing.com/
• Brew: Drk Szn Black Pilsner
• Style: Schwarzbier
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 4.9%
• Pour: The Drk Szn pours an opaque, very dark brown (almost black) hue with a light mocha, 1-finger head that slowly dissipates to a thin ring with sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Drk Szn is toasty, roasty, slightly fruity, and malty.  There are aromas of dark toasted white bread, light roasted coffee beans, hints of dark chocolate, light plum, and burnt toffee.
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste is roasty, toasty, grainy, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of cacao, light roasted coffee, dark fruits (plum and raisin), and sweet caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Drk Szn is crisp and very smooth with a dry, clean finish.

Overall pairing: The Lumberbeard Drk Szn is a very crushable, dark, and flavorful brew that is a perfect companion to the rockin' metal onslaught that is the mighty Ravage!  Those dark notes go great with the darker thematic elements of the album's lyrics and rhythms, while the lighter, crisp elements go great with the fiery guitars and soaring vocals!  'Nuff said!

Cheers and hails!!  Rock on!!

And if you haven't done so already, check out my interview with the very cool Al Ravage!  You can access it here: https://youtu.be/wJ7kukDRq6c