June 5th, 2026 - A Moving Target on 41 Peaks

 

Hey there headbangers and craft beer freaks... and happy Friday to you!  The Meista here today with another great pairing for you... the killer "Moving Target" album by Australian metal band Dragonsclaw and juicy and hoppy 41 Peaks Rocky Mountain IPA from By All Means Brewing!  Hell yeah! 

Album Info:

• Artist: Dragonsclaw
• Title: "Moving Target"
• Recorded: 2025 
• Release date: August 22nd, 2025 (3rd full-length studio album released by Dragonsclaw)
• Record company: High Roller Records
• Production: Giles Lavery, Thomas Mergler, and Ben Thomas
• Album cover art: All Things Rotten
• Personnel: Giles Lavery (lead vocals), Aaron Thomas (bass, guitars, and orchestration), and Ben Thomas (guitars)
• Guest musician: Todd Michael Hall (additional vocals on "Shadowfire"), Thomas Mergler (additional guitars on "(Tell Me) All Your Lies"), Jimmy Waldo (keyboards), and Mark Zonder (drums)
• Musical style: Traditional heavy metal, power metal
• Sound: ""Moving Target" was released 12 years after their last album, but these guys haven't missed a beat!  This is absolutely stellar NWOTHM in every sense of the concept without sounding nostalgic.  It is pure, old-school heavy metal with a big, bold modern production.  Lavery's vocals are on point (as always) and the musicianship is absolutely fantastic!
• Major themes: Rebellion, metal, valor, good vs. evil, power, etc.  
• Tracks:

1. "The Road Beneath Your Wheels"
2. "Survival"
3. "Cry Wolf"
4. "Don't Break The Silence Again"
5. "Back On The Streets"
6. "Ghost Soldiers"
7. "Shadowfire"
8. "(Tell Me) All Your Lies"
9. "Raise Your Fist"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: By All Means Brewing (Billings, Montana)
• Website: https://byallmeansbeer.com/
• Brew: 41 Peaks Rocky Mountain IPA
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 7.1%
• Pour: The 41 Peaks Rocky Mountain IPA pours a slightly hazy, golden-amber hue with a 2+ finger, off-white, creamy head with sticky, intricate, and layered lacing.
• Nose: The nose is citrusy, floral, herbal, and malty.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, orange zest, tangerine, peach, dried apricot, wildflowers, orange herbal tea, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Taste: Well-balanced, the taste of the 41 Peaks Rocky Mountain IPA follows the nose with lots of citrus, herbal, and malty flavors.  There are notes of pink grapefruit juice, orange zest and pith, tangerine, a hint of pineapple, stone fruit (peach and apricot), black tea, and toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp and smooth with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The 41 Peaks Rocky Mountain IPA from By All Means Brewing is a very bright, very flavorful, hoppy, yet crushable brew... a perfect companion to the heavy metal onslaught that is Dragonsclaw's fantastic "Moving Target"!  And I like the look of the can design with the album artwork too!  'Nuff said!

Make sure to check out my interview with vocalist Giles Lavery: https://youtu.be/r5GsOuvaqs0

Cheers and hails!!