April 16th, 2025 - Volume VI

 

Good evenin' evil-doers, metal maniacs, and craft beer freaks! The Meista here tonight getting heavy and aggressive with the infernal metal juggernaut that is Sacrifice's latest offering, "Volume Six" and a bold and delicious VI Barrel-Aged Anniversary Ale from the fine folks at UTOG Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Sacrifice
• Title: "Volume Six"
• Recorded: Spring 2024 at Phase One Studios in Toronto, Canada
• Release date: January 24th, 2025 (6th full-length studio release by Sacrifice)
• Record company: Cursed Blessings / High Roller Records
• Production: Rob Urbinati
• Album cover art: Todd Kowalski
• Personnel: Joe Rico (guitars), Gus Pynn (drums and percussion), Rob Urbinati (guitars and vocals), and Scott Watts (bass)
• Guest musicians: Brian Taylor (backing vocals) and Raven Urbinati (backing vocals)
• Musical style: Thrash metal
• Sound: Fast-paced, aggressive, vicious, yet wonderfully complex and thoughtful, "Volume Six" definitely packs a metal punch!  It is pure, high-octane thrash, filled with killer riffs and lots of fist-pumping rhythms.  It also displays the bands sophisticated songwriting and musical prowess.  The 16-year wait was well worth it... Sacrifice is not only back, but back with a vengeance!
• Major themes: Anger, rage, death, destruction, terror, pain, conflict, anxiety, rebellion, insanity, isolation, death, etc.
• Tracks:

1. "Comatose"
2. "Antidote Of Poison"
3. "Missile"
4. "Underneath Millenia"
5. "Your Hunger For War"
6. "Incoming Mass Extinction"
7. "Lunar Eclipse"
   
8. "Explode"
9. "Black Hashish"
10. "We Will Not Survive"
11. "Trapped In A World" (Direct Action cover)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: UTOG Brewing Company (Ogden, Utah) in collaboration with Ogden’s Own Distillery (Ogden, Utah)
• Website: https://www.utogbrewing.com/
• Brew: VI Barrel-Aged Anniversary Ale
• Style: Imperial Red Ale
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 10.3%
• IBUs: 90
• Ingredients: UTOG Red Eye Imperial Red Ale aged in Outlaw Distillery white oak barrels
• Pour: The VI Barrel-Aged Anniversary Ale pours an opaque, deep mahogany red with a creamy and firm, 1-finger, light mocha head with great retention and lots of sticky and intricate spider web lacing.
• Nose: The nose is malty, herbal, boozy, slightly citrusy, woody, and spicy.  There are aromas of freshly baked wheat bread, roasted walnuts and hazelnuts, roasted malts, strong herbal tea, oak, rich whiskey, black cherries, and a hint of black pepper.
• Taste: The taste of the VI Barrel-Aged Anniversary Ale is malty, herbal, slightly citrusy, and boozy.  There are notes of roasted malts, hazel nuts, orange peel, lemon zest, black tea, bitter herbs, robust bourbon, clover honey, and sweet toffee. 
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is thick, sticky, and smooth, yet punchy and slightly citrusy with a slightly boozy and bitter, dry finish.

Overall pairing: The UTOG VI Barrel-Aged Anniversary Ale is a bold, complex, and punchy brew... great for the metal intensity that is Sacrifice's amazing "Volume Six"!  Those bold, roasty malt notes go great with overall power and intensity of the album while the sweeter notes go great with the soaring guitar work!  'Nuff said!

Make sure to check out my 2023 interview with Sacrifice drummer Gus Pynn here: https://youtu.be/igVU9W4o7pU  and my 2021 interview with Sacrifice bassist Scott Watts here: https://youtu.be/58NlP9IieRo

Cheers!!  Hails!!