December 28th, 2025 - Silent Echoes in a Granary

 

Hello and happy Sunday metal maniacs and craft beer freaks!  The Meista here with another kick-ass pairing for ya today... the killer "Silent Echoes" album by death metal monsters Gruesome and a hoppy and crushable Granary Live West Coast Style India Pale Ale from Proper Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Gruesome
• Title: "Silent Echoes"
• Recorded: 2025 at New Constellation RMP in Florida
• Release date: June 6th, 2025 (3rd full length album by Gruesome)
• Record company: Relapse Records 
• Production: Jarrett Pritchard
• Album cover art: Travis Smith
• Personnel: Dan Gonzalez (guitars), Matt Harvey (guitars and vocals), Robin Mazen (bass), and Gus Rios (drums) 
• Guest musician: Paul Masvidal (lead guitar on "Voice Within the Void (Astral Oceans)")
• Musical style: Progressive death metal
• Sound: An unapologetic tribute to the late Chuck Schuldiner's band Death, Gruesome's sound on this album is very much in the style of "Human".  It is progressive, complex, yet wonderfully aggressive and powerful, and a just a sheer joy to hear!  Harvey and Gonzalez lay down riff after killer riff whilst Mazen and Rios bring the thunder!  The band does a wonderful job of staying true to Death's sound while offering thoughtful and original music.  If you love Death's albums and early death metal in general, this album is for you! 
• Major themes: Freedom, knowledge, enlightenment, free speech, illusions, life, death, darkness, society, fear, etc.
• Notes: The album is dedicated to the memory of Sean Reinert and Chuck Schuldiner.
• Tracks: 

1. "Condemned Identity"
2. "A Darkened Window"
3. "Frailty"
4. "Shards"
5. "Silent Echoes"
6. "Voice Within the Void (Astral Oceans)"
7. "Fragments Of Psyche"
8. "Reason Denied
   

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Proper Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.properbrewingco.com
• Brew: Granary Live
• Style: West Cost Style India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 32
• Pour: The Granary Live pours a clear, bright golden-yellow hue with a frothy and creamy, bright white, thin head that dissipates to a thin ring with light, soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Granary Live is very citrusy, dank, floral, earthy, herbal, and malty.  There are aromas of pine resin, wildflowers, cannabis, grapefruit rind, tangerine, lime, lemon zest, light pineapple, toasted caramel, and a hint of white pepper. 
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste of the Granary Live is citrusy, herbal, earthy, and malty.  There are notes of pink grapefruit juice, tangerine, earthy pine, flowery hops, biscuit, light caramel/toffee, and a little black pepper in the finish. 
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp and slightly bitter with a dry, fairly clean finish.

Overall pairing: The very crushable, yet wonderfully complex, hoppy, and flavorful Granary Live from Proper Brewing makes a great companion to the progressive and aggressive death metal complexities of Gruesome's great "Silent Echoes" album!  The citrusy and earthy hop notes really pop when you've got Gruesome blasting from your speakers!  I highly recommend both the album and brew!  'Nuff said!

Cheers and hails!!