September 30th, 2023 - Rock And Roll Outlaws On The Run To Laguna Baja

 

Hello and happy Saturday rockers, rollers, and beer lovers!  The Meista here today pairing a tasty Laguna Baja Mexican-Style Dark Lager from North Coast Brewing Company and Foghat's kickass 4th album "Rock And Roll Outlaws"!

Album Info:

• Artist: Foghat
• Title: "Rock And Roll Outlaws"
• Recorded: 1974
• Release date: October 1974 (4th studio album by Foghat)
• Record company: Bearsville
• Production: Nick Jameson
• Album cover art: Peter Riches (photography)
• Personnel: Roger Earl (drums), "Lonesome" Dave Peverett (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Rod Price (lead guitar and backing vocals), Tony Stevens (bass guitar)
• Musical style: Rock and roll, hard rock, heavy blues rock
• Sound: Heavy-hitting, the sound on "Rock And Roll Outlaws" further established Foghat as the masters of straight-forward boogie rock!
• Major themes: Rock and roll, love, loss, rebellion, desire, lust, the blues, etc. 
• Tracks: 

1. "Eight Days On The Road"
2. "Hate To See You Go"
3. "Dreamer"
4. "Trouble In My Way"
5. "Rock And Roll Outlaw"
6. "Shirley Jean"
7. "Blue Spruce Woman"
8. "Chateau Lafitte '59 Boogie"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: North Coast Brewing Company (Fort Bragg, California)
• Website: http://northcoastbrewing.com/
• Brew: Laguna Baja Mexican-Style Dark Lager
• Style: Mexican Dark Lager / Vienna Lager
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 19
• Pour: The Laguna Baja pours an opaque, deep and dark mahogany red/amber hue with a very thin, light tan head that dissipates rather quickly, leaving only trace lacing.
• Nose: The nose is a well-balanced blend of roasted malts and sweeter notes.  There are aromas of toasted malts, brown sugar, molasses, and burnt toffee.
• Taste: The flavor follows the nose... malty, creamy, and sweet.  There are notes of toasted malt, molasses, a hint of spicy hops, and some very light herbs.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied, the mouthfeel is creamy and smooth with moderate carbonation and a dry, slightly sweet finish. 

Overall pairing: The malty drinkability of North Coast's Laguna Baja is great for the inviting and wondrous rock and roll musical journey that is the mighty Foghat!  That malty backbone is great for the warm melodies and heavy-duty rhythm section of Earl and Stevens, while the hops and hints of spice are great for the amazing guitar work of Price and Peverett!

And make sure to check out my recent interview with legendary Foghat drummer Roger Earl here: https://youtu.be/BXZslwvZFfI 

Cheers!!  Rock on!!

September 26th , 2023 - "Fantasy in a Groovy, '70s Kind of Way": An Interview with Musician Jeff Potts of The Fae, Mantic Ritual, & Volcana

 

Hey there metal maniacs!  Your heavy metal drinking pal the Meista here with another killer interview for you!  This one is with the very talented and very friendly multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Jeff Potts of progressive metal/folk metal band The Fae as well as guitarist of Mantic Ritual, Volcana, ex-Warbringer, etc.!  We chatted about the band's latest album, "Books with Maps: Vol. I", Jeff's rich history as a musician, and much more!  Here's a link to that video: https://youtu.be/W4s_RXLMIqo

Enjoy!!

Learn more about The Fae here:

• https://www.facebook.com/thefaemusic
• https://linktr.ee/thefae

Learn more about Mantic Ritual here:

• https://www.facebook.com/manticritual
• http://manticritual.com/

And learn more about Volcana here:

• https://www.facebook.com/volcanametal

Cheers and Hails!!   \m/  \m/

*Special thanks to Vic Stown for helping to set this interview up, to Jamie Winters for designing the Brews and Tunes logo, to Jerry Howard for creating the Brews and Tunes intro video, and to DiseNgaged for the use of their song "The Real Me" (copyright 2020)

September 25th, 2023 - The Unbearable Lightness & Nightmare of Being Beer

 

God kväll craft beer fiends and headbangers!  The Meista here tonight getting heavy and aggressive with a pairing of At The Gates' most recent album "The Nightmare Of Being" and a bold and hoppy The Unbearable Lightness of Beer Pale Ale from the fine folks at Fisher Brewing!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: At The Gates
• Title: "The Nightmare Of Being" 
• Recorded: Drums recorded November 9th through 14th, 2020 in Studio Gröndal, guitars and bass recorded November 17th through 29th, 2020 in Sonic Train Studio, Varberg, vocals and saxophone recorded December 1st through 6th, 2020 at Welfare Sounds, Gothenburg, classical guitar recorded December 2020 in Morgantown Music Fjugesta, and strings and brass/woodwind instruments recorded on December 14th, 2020 at Soundlab, Örebro 
• Release date: July 2nd, 2021 (7th studio album by At The Gates)
• Record company: Century Media Records
• Production: Jens Bogren 
• Album cover art: Eva Nahon 
• Personnel: Jonas Björler (bass, Mellotron, Hammond organ, piano, Rhodes, Chamberlin, and backing vocals), Adrian Erlandsson (drums and percussion), Martin Larsson (rhythm guitars), Tomas Lindberg (vocals), and Jonas Stålhammar (lead guitar) 
• Guest/additional musicians: Lars-Erik Almberg (bass tuba), Marcus Carlsson (bassoon), Tino Fjeldli (violin), Rajmund Follmann cello), Anders Gabrielsson (saxophone on "Garden Of Cyrus"), Alberto Alvarez Garcia (clarinet), Gunnar Hjorth (classical guitar on "Spectre Of Extinction"), Fredrik Hulthe (viola), Andy La Rocque (lead guitar on "Spectre Of Extinction"), Peter Nitsche (double bass), and Jill Widen (flute) 
• Musical style: Gothenburg-style melodic death metal, death metal with elements of progressive metal
• Sound: Combining muted guitar work with bombastic and harmonic hooks along with aggressive vocals and classical instruments, the sound on "The Nightmare Of Being" is classic At The Gates, yet with some really interesting progressive elements.  Like all of their albums, the tracks here are gritty, cerebral, intense, and definitive.  
• Major themes: Death, darkness, magic, fantasy, mythology, chaos, knowledge, etc.
• Tracks:  

1. "Spectre Of Extinction"
2. "The Paradox"
3. "The Nightmare Of Being"
4. "Garden Of Cyrus"
5. "Touched By The White Hands Of Death"
6. "The Fall Into Time"
7. "Cult Of Salvation"
8. "The Abstract Enthroned"
9. "Cosmic Pessimism"
10. "Eternal Winter Of Reason"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Fisher Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.fisherbeer.com/
• Brew: The Unbearable Lightness of Beer Pale Ale
• Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
• Serving: 32 ounce crowler can
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 35
• Ingredients: German Ale yeast, Simcoe, Amarillo and Zappa hops in the mash, and dry-hopped with Mosaic and Citra
• Pour: The Unbearable Lightness of Beer pours a hazy, deep bronze-amber with a billowy and creamy, off-white, 1+ finger head with great sustain and lots of sudsy, sticky, and layered lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by citrusy, floral, earthy, and herbal hops, and more subtle sweeter malts.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, lemon zest, herbal tea, pine resin, cedar, wildflowers, doughy bread, toasted malts, a hint of onion, and soft, sweet caramel/toffee.
• Taste: The taste of the Unbearable Lightness of Beer follows the nose with lots of citrusy, earthy, and herbal flavors along with crackery maltiness.  There are notes of grapefruit juice, tangerine,  crackery biscuit, pine, black tea, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is crisp, slightly bitter, yet smooth with a dry, bitter finish
• Additional notes: The beer was named in honor of Milan Kundera, author of "The Unbearable Lightness of Being", who passed away earlier this year.

Overall pairing: Brash, flavorful, and complex, the Unbearable Lightness of Beer is a huge blast of hoppy and interesting flavors... perfect for the brutality, brilliance, and death metal prowess of the mighty At The Gates!!  'Nuff said!!

Check out the interview I did with At The Gates vocalist Tomas Lindberg back in 2019 here: https://brewsandtunes.blogspot.com/2019/10/october-13th-2019-it-still-has-to-be.html

Hails!!  Skål!!

September 24th, 2023 - From Secchi to Jupiter

 

Hello metal heads and beer freaks!  The Meista is here today pairing "Jupiter", the kickass 4th album by the mighty thrash/death metal band Atheist and a crisp and hoppy Secchi Hoppy Wheat Ale from Ecliptic Brewing in collaboration with Sierra Nevada Brewing Company!  

Album Info:

• Artist: Atheist
• Title: "Jupiter"
• Recorded: 2010 at Ledbelly Studios in Atlanta, Georgia
• Release date: November 8th, 2010 (4th full-length studio album by Atheist)
• Record company: Season of Mist
• Production: Jason Suecof and Matt Washburn
• Album cover art: Eliran Kantor
• Personnel: Chris Baker (guitars), Steve Flynn (drums), Kelly Shaefer (lead vocals), and Jonathan Thompson (guitars and bass)
• Additional musicians: Timmy St. John (cello on "Live And Live Again") and Jason Suecof (guitars)
• Musical style: Thrash metal with elements of technical death metal, jazz fusion and progressive metal
• Sound: Fast and furious, yet wonderfully complex, the sound on "Jupiter" blends aggressive thrash and progressive death metal with elements of jazz fusion and progressive rock/metal to present a truly unique and creative experience. 
• Major themes: Life, death, nature, introspection, corruption, destruction, aggression, resistance, anti-religion, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Second To The Sun"
2. "Fictitious Glide"
3. "Fraudulent Cloth"
4. "Live And Live Again"
5. "Faux King Christ"
6. "Tortoise The Titan"
7. "When The Beast"
8. "Third Person"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Ecliptic Brewing (Portland, Oregon) in collaboration with Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (Chico, California) 
• Website: https://eclipticbrewing.com/ and https://sierranevada.com/
• Brew: Secchi Hoppy Wheat Ale 
• Style: American Pale Wheat Ale 
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 6.5%
• IBUs: 55
• Ingredients: Strata, Amarillo, McKenzie, and Citra hops
• Pour: The Secchi pours a clear, golden-yellow color with a frothy, bright white, half-finger head with good retention and lots of sudsy, sticky lacing.
• Nose: The nose is citrusy, fruity, and grainy.  There are aromas of orange peel, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon zest, cracked wheat, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Taste: Hop-forward, the taste of the Secchi is citrusy, bright, grainy, and slightly malty.  There are notes of tangerine, orange peel, lemon zest, crackery biscuit, wheat bread, and caramel/toffee. 
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp and smooth with a dry, clean finish.

Overall pairing: The hoppy, complex, yet crushable flavors of the Secchi Hoppy Wheat Ale from Ecliptic Brewing in collaboration with Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is the perfect brew for the metal intensity and artistic integrity of Atheist's ass-kicking and thought provoking "Jupiter"!  Those crisp, punchy flavors are great for the thrash elements of the album, while the graininess works wonderfully with the more complex and more intricate elements.  I also like the look of the beer label next to the amazing artwork of the album cover.  

And if you haven't done so already, please check out my interview from 2021 with the very friendly and talented Kelly Shaefer here: https://youtu.be/CXlaoSze_2s

Cheers and hails head bangers!!

September 23rd, 2023 - Electrically Exorcising the Aqua Del Diablo

 

Hello metal maniacs and craft beer freaks!  The Meista here today rockin' the hell out to a pairing of the kick-ass "Electric Exorcist" by Chicago metal band Spillage with a tasty and smooth Aqua Del Diablo Mexican Style Lager from the fine folks at Silver Reef Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Spillage
• Title: "Electric Exorcist"
• Recorded: 2021 in Chicago, Illinois
  Release date: October 29th, 2021 (3rd studio album by Spillage)
• Record company: No Dust Records / Qumran Records
• Production: Bruce Franklin
• Album cover art: 
• Personnel: Nick Bozidarevic (guitars), Chris "Bigman" Martins (drums), Billy McGuffey (bass), Paul Rau (keyboards), Elvin Rodriguez (lead vocals), and Tony Spillman (guitars)
• Additional musicians: Lothar Keller (vocals on "Look At Yourself") and Rena Keller (vocals on "Electric Exorcist")
• Musical style: Heavy metal, hard rock, progressive rock
• Sound: Blending classic metal/hard rock like Judas Priest and the Scorpions with Chicago style doom metal, Spillage creates a unique and totally rockin' vibe with all the great tacks on "Electric Exorcist"!
• Major themes: Good vs. evil, darkness, light, power, mythology, hope, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Electric Exorcist"
2. "Heaven On Earth"
3. "Mirror Black"
4. "Book Of Secrets"
5. "Erased"
6. "Real"
7. "Pharaoh's Revenge"
8. "Look At Yourself" (Uriah Heep cover)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Silver Reef Brewing Company (Saint George, Utah)
• Website: https://sgbev.com/
• Brew: Aqua Del Diablo Mexican Style Lager
• Style: Mexican Lager
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 4.5%
• IBUs: 25
• Pour: The Aqua Del Diablo pours a clear, bright golden yellow hue with a bubbly, thin white head with good retention and light soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is grainy, floral, slightly citrusy, and malty.  There are aromas of corn chips, lime, grassy hops, light lemon zest, smooth caramel/toffee, and crackery biscuit.
• Taste: The taste of the Aqua Del Diablo follows the nose with grassy, malty, grainy, and lightly citrusy flavors.  There are notes of sweet corn, pale malt, grassy hops, lemongrass, lemon zest, freshly baked wheat bread, and hints of soft toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied and well carbonated, the mouthfeel is very crisp and smooth, with a dry, clean finish.

Overall pairing: The Silver Reef Aqua Del Diablo Mexican Style Lager is a great beer to crush whilst rockin' the hell out to the killer tunes on Spillage's wonderful "Electric Exorcist" album!  Those crisp, bright notes really make for a great companion to those soaring guitars!  The easy drinkability of the beer is perfect for the more fast-paced rockin' songs while those malty notes go well with the slower, meatier numbers!

And if you haven't done so already, check out my interview with Spillage guitarist Tony Spillman: https://youtu.be/L6so1rc4Jkg

Cheers!!

September 20th, 2023 - "Just Go Bang!": An Interview with Legendary Drummer Roger Earl of Foghat

 

Hey there rockers and rollers!  Your pal the Meista here today with another great interview for you!  This one is with the legendary Roger Earl, drummer of classic rock band Foghat and ex-member of blues band Savoy Brown!  We chatted about Foghat's upcoming new album, "Sonic Mojo", past recordings, touring, Roger's time with Savoy Brown, his very rich history as a musician in general, and much more!  Here's a link to that video interview: https://youtu.be/BXZslwvZFfI

Enjoy!!

Learn more about Foghat here:

• https://www.facebook.com/Foghat
• www.foghat.com
• www.youtube.com/Foghat

Cheers!!  Rock on!!

*Photo of Roger by Sweet Music Chica

**Special thanks to John Lappen for setting up this interview, to Jamie Winters for designing the Brews and Tunes logo, Jerry Howard for creating the Brews and Tunes intro video and to DiseNgaged for the use of their song "The Real Me" (copyright 2020) 

September 18th, 2023 - Hit And Run By The Art Car

Hey there rockers, rollers, headbangers, and hopheads!  The Meista here today rocking the hell out with a pairing of the brilliant "Hit And Run", the sophomore album by legendary Girlschool and a juicy and hoppy Art Car NE-Style Hazy India Pale Ale from Revision Brewing Company!  Oh yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Girlschool
• Title: "Hit And Run"
• Recorded: Jackson's Studios, Rickmansworth, UK, December 1980 through January 1981
• Release date: April 20th, 1981 (2nd studio album by Girlschool)
• Record company: Bronze Records (UK) / Stiff America (US) 
• Production: Vic Maile
• Personnel: Denise Dufort (drums), the late Kelly Johnson (lead guitar and vocals on tracks 1, 2, 7, 11, and 12), Kim McAuliffe (rhythm guitar and vocals on track 4), and Enid Williams (bass and vocals on tracks 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 13, and 14) 
• Musical style: Heavy metal/hard rock with elements of punk and heavy blues
• Sound: In the vein of Motörhead and other NWOBHM bands of the time, "Hit And Run" is fast and furious, raucous, high-octane, rebellious, straightforward rock and roll! Johnson's and McAuliffe's guitar work is mean, aggressive, and fiery!  Dufort's drumming is heavy-duty machine gun fire coupled by thunderous artillery!  Williams' bass is a Lemmy inspired thunderclap of goodness!  And the vocals?  Like butta!   
• Major themes: The wild rock 'n' roll lifestyle, partying, sex, sexism, romance, revenge, etc. 
• Tracks:   

1. "C'mon Let's Go"
2. "The Hunter"
3. "(I'm Your) Victim"
4. "Kick It Down"
5. "Following The Crowd"
6. "Tush" (ZZ Top cover)
7. "Hit And Run"
8. "Watch Your Step"
9. "Back To Start"
10. "Yeah Right"
11. "Future Flash"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Revision Brewing Company (Sparks, Nevada)
• Website: https://revisionbrewing.com/
• Brew: Art Car NE-Style Hazy India Pale Ale
• Style: New England-Style Hazy India Pale Ale (NEIPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 6.4%
• IBUs: 37
• Ingredients: Oats, barley, and Motueka™, Mosaic®, and Cashmere hops
• Pour: The Art Car pours a very cloudy golden-yellow with a frothy, bright white, 1-finger head with good retention and lots of sudsy, sticky lacing.
• Nose: The nose is very citrusy, fruity, and floral.  There are aromas of mango, tangerine, passion fruit, lime, lemon zest, melon, herbal tea, wildflowers, and sweet caramel/toffee.
• Taste: Hop-forward, the taste of the Art Car is citrusy, fruity, bright, and malty.  There are notes of tangerine, passion fruit, melon, orange juice, lime, pink grapefruit juice, mango, pineapple, guava, a hint of pine, sweet tea, and sweet caramel/toffee.  
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp and very juicy, yet creamy and smooth with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: With the alcohol-fueled, heavy-duty rock and roll aggression of "Hit And Run", you need a brew that has the same punchy bite, but with refreshing drinkability!  Thus, Revision's Art Car NE-Style Hazy India Pale Ale!  The bright, citrusy flavor of the brew is a great complimentary beverage to the fun, fast, and rockin' style of Girlschool!

And if you haven't done so already, make sure to check out my interview with Jackie "Jax" Chambers of Girlschool here: https://youtu.be/5bccrh9Dngo

Cheers and hails!!