March 2nd, 2025 - A Time & a Place Called Tomorrow

 

Hello and happy Sunday proggers, rockers, rollers, and craft beer lovers!  The Meista here on this sunny, lazy day paring Pangaea's excellent 3rd album "A Time & A Place" and a hoppy and tasty Tomorrow Pale Ale from Equilibrium Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Pangaea
• Title: "A Time & A Place"
• Recorded: August 1999 at Soundtek Studios in Campbell, California
• Release date: 2002 (3rd studio album by Pangaea)
• Record company: Hargadein Music Group Records / Musea Records
• Production: Robert Berry
• Album cover art: Rainer Kalwitz (artwork) and Mattias Norén (logo)
• Personnel: Robert Berry (bass and backing vocals), Maurice Bettaglio (bass and backing vocals), Darrell Masingale (lead and backing vocals, and lead guitar), Andi Schenck (drums and percussion), and Corey Schenck (keyboards and guitars)
• Musical style: Progressive rock with elements of classic rock, classical, heavy metal, and world music
• Sound: Building off their approach to song structure and execution from the first two excellent albums, with "A Time & A Place", Pangaea presents another inspirational and richly textured collection of tracks!  As with their other albums, there are elements of their music that reminds me of Marillion, Rush, Spock's Beard, and Yes, while other elements remind me of Blue Oyster Cult, Journey, and Styx.  However, it is original and unique.  It is also very passionate, emotive, and honest... an absolute joy to hear!  There're even some really cool world music vibes on "The Panther".
• Major themes: Life, humanity, contemplation, introspection, solitude, isolation, relationships, love, the passing of time, seeking knowledge, etc.
• Tracks:

1. "Something Happened Yesterday"
2. "The Journey I. Oasis (Tranquility)"
3. "The Journey II. Oasis Of Seclusion"
4. "The Journey III. Tierra Del Fuego"
5. "Hollow Life"
6. "The Panther"
7. "Time"
8. "Beyond The Prism"
9. "(When the Sun Sets in a Cold) November Sky"
   
10. "Myth"
11. "The Human Condition Pt. I One Man"
12. "The Human Condition Pt. II One World (Anthem)"
13. "Oasis In You" (Mingo Mix)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Equilibrium Brewing Company (Middletown, New York)
• Website: https://www.eqbrew.com/
• Brew: Tomorrow Pale Ale
• Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 4.0%
• Ingredients: Citra and Mosaic hops
• Pour: The Tomorrow Pale Ale pours a very hazy, pale yellow with a frothy, bright white, 2+ finger head with great sustain and lots of sudsy, sticky, and layered lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by citrusy, tropically fruity, grainy, grassy, and more subtle sweetness.  There are aromas of orange juice, tangerine, peach, apricot, pineapple, lemon zest, mango, crackery grains, grassy hops, and soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Tomorrow Pale Ale follows the nose with lots of citrus, tropical fruit, stone fruit, grassy and more subtle bready flavors.  There are notes of tangerine, orange juice and zest, pineapple, peach, light berry, crackery biscuit, and softer toffee notes.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp, refreshing, and juicy, yet smooth and a bit creamy with a dry, slightly bitter, yet clean finish.

Overall pairing: The Tomorrow Pale is a wonderfully flavorful and complex, yet crushable brew that works perfectly well with the sonic storytelling and musical mastery of Pangaea's unique style of progressive rock!  Those complex flavors as well as the can label really work well with Pangaea's quintessential sound and visual presentation of the stellar "A Time & A Place" album cover art! 

Cheers!!