June 26th, 2026 - A Handsome Gold & Platinum

 

Hello and happy Friday rockers, rollers, and craft beer freaks!  The Meista here today pairing "Gold & Platinum", a stellar greatest hits compilation album by the legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd and a tasty and smooth El Guapo Dorado Mexican Lager from Talisman Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Title: "Gold & Platinum" 
• Recorded: 1972 through 1977 at various studios
• Release date: December 1979 (2nd compilation album released by Lynyrd Skynyrd)
• Record company: MCA Records
• Production: Lynyrd Skynyrd 
• Album cover art: ?
• Personnel: Jo Billingsley (backing vocals), Bob Burns (drums), Merry Clayton (backing vocals), Allen Collins (guitars), Ronnie Eades (saxophone), David Foster (keyboards), Cassie Gaines (backing vocals), Steve Gaines (guitars and vocals), Leslie Hawkins (backing vocals), Jimmy Johnson (guitars), Clydie King (backing vocals), Ed King (guitars and bass), Al Kooper aka "Roosevelt Gook" (Moog synthesizer, organ, mellotron, and backing vocals), Rickey Medlocke (drums and backing vocals), Robert Nix (drums), Wayne Perkins (guitars), Billy Powell (keyboards and piano), Artimus Pyle (drums), Ronnie Van Zant (lead vocals), Greg Walker (bass), and Leon Wilkeson (bass and backing vocals)
• Musical style: Hard rock, Southern rock, rock and roll, blues rock
• Sound: What can you say about Lynyrd Skynyrd that hasn't already been said a million times before?  These songs are as groundbreaking and brilliant as they are timeless!  
• Major themes: Life, rebellion, drinking, the South, fighting, love, desire, bravado, loss, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Down South Jukin'"
2. "Saturday Night Special"
3. "Gimme Three Steps"
4. "What's Your Name"
5. "You Got That Right"
6. "Gimme Back My Bullets"
7. "Sweet Home Alabama"
8. "Free Bird" (live)
9. "That Smell"
10. "On The Hunt"
11. "I Ain't The One" (live)
12. "Whiskey Rock-A-Roller"
13. "Simple Man"
14. "I Know A Little"
15. "Tuesday's Gone"
16. "Comin' Home"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Talisman Brewing Company (Ogden, Utah)
• Website: https://www.talismanbrewingco.com/
• Brew: El Guapo Dorado Mexican Lager
• Style: Mexican Lager
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Pour: The El Guapo Dorado Mexican Lager pours a clear, golden bronze hue with a frothy, bright white, thin head with that dissipates slowly to a thin ring with light lacing.
• Nose: The nose is malty, slightly floral, toasty, and slightly sweet.  There are aromas of maize, wildflowers, doughy bread, a hint of apple, and a splash of honey.
• Taste: The taste of the El Guapo Dorado Mexican Lager follows the nose with malty, grainy, and slightly sweet flavors.  There are notes of corn chips, toasted barley, bready malts, a touch of sweet honey, and a hint of caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Light in body and well carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp and very smooth with a clean, slightly dry finish.

Overall pairing: The El Guapo Dorado Mexican Lager from Talisman Brewing Company is a great brew to accompany the classic rock and roll punch of the mighty Lynyrd Skynyrd!  What more could you ask for on a hot summer day?! 

Cheers!!  Rock on!!

June 25th, 2026 - Let's Take a Trip Back in Time... Way Back to 1994

 

Hey there evil-doers, metalheads, and craft beer freaks!  Today I'm pairing "Time", the wonderful and very underrated 4th album by horror metal pioneers Mercyful Fate and a delicious 1994 Lager from the fine folks at Helper Beer!  Hell yeah! 

Album Info: 

• Artist: Mercyful Fate
• Title: "Time"
• Recorded: May through August 1994 at the Dallas Sound Lab in Dallas, Texas
• Release date: October 25th, 1994 (4th studio album by Mercyful Fate)
• Record company: Metal Blade Records
• Production: King Diamond, Tim Kimsey, and Hank Shermann 
• Album cover art: Anneli Adolfsson
• Personnel: Sharlee D'Angelo (bass), Michael Denner (guitars), Kim Bendix Petersen aka King Diamond (vocals, keyboards, and harpsichord), Snowy Shaw (drums), and Hank Shermann (guitars) 
• Musical style: Heavy metal, power metal, progressive metal, hard rock
• Sound: Maybe a little rawer and more aggressive than with previous Mercyful Fate albums, the sound is still that very complex and progressive MF sound!  The King's falsetto vocals are as haunting and insane as ever!  The rhythm section of D'Angelo and Shaw is a driving and thunderous force!  And Shermann and Denner lay down some killer, classic riffing!
• Major themes: Death, the occult, horror, the Necronomicon, evil, the devil, witchcraft, fear, darkness, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Nightmare Be Thy Name"
2. "Angel Of Light"
3. "Witches' Dance"
4. "The Mad Arab"
5. "My Demon"
6. "Time"
7. "The Preacher"
8. "Lady In Black"
9. "Mirror"
10. "The Afterlife"
11. "Castillo Del Mortes"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Helper Beer (Helper, Utah)
• Website: https://www.helperbeer.com/
• Brew: 1994 Lager 
• Style: Red Lager
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0% 
• Pour: The 1994 Lager pours a  with a billowy, 2+ finger, off-white head with great retention and lots of sticky, soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is bready, grainy, musty, slightly sweet, and nutty.  There are aromas of toasted barley, crackery biscuit, very light apple, toasted hazelnuts, and soft caramel. 
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste of the 1994 Lager is malty, bready, yeasty, and semi-sweet.  There are notes of barley grain, light apple, bready malts, toasted nuts, and soft caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium in body with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp and very smooth with a rather clean finish.

Overall pairing: Both the complexity of flavors and the overall drinkability of the tasty 1994 Lager from Helper Beer work perfectly as a foil to the aggression, musical prowess, and metal integrity of Mercyful Fate's killer "Time" album!  'Nuff said!

Check out my interview with former Mercyful Fate bassist Sharlee D'Angelo here: https://brewsandtunes.blogspot.com/2019/10/october-6th-2019-will-to-power.html

Skal and hails!! 

June 21st, 2026 - An Imperial Red for the Dirty Kings

 

Hello and happy Sunday rockers, rollers, and craft beer fans!  Your pal the Meista here today on Father's Day pairing "Dirty Kings III", the latest kick-ass album by Dirty Kings with a bold and delicious Anniversary Imperial Red Ale from the fine folks at Red Rock Brewing Company!  This pairing is dedicated to my friend and Dirty Kings lead vocalist Andrew Sample... cheers, brother!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Dirty Kings
• Title: "Dirty Kings III"
• Recorded: 2026 at Avalanche Recording Studio in Northglenn, Colorado
• Release date: May 29th, 2026 (3rd full-length studio album by Dirty Kings)
• Record company: Plexi Dragon Music
• Production: Dirty Kings
• Album cover art: Tad Leger 
• Personnel: Jameson Becker (drums and backing vocals), Wade Cleaton (bass guitar and backing vocals), Shawn "Diggler" Fallahi (lead and rhythm guitars), John Gaster (lead and rhythm guitars, and backing vocals), and Andrew Sample (lead and backing vocals)
• Musical style: Hard rock, rock and roll, and a little heavy metal
• Sound: In the tradition of '70s guitar-driven hard rockers like Bad Company, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, etc. and a heavy dose of NWOBHM, the sound on "Dirty Kings III" is pure, high octane, in-your-face rock and roll!  The hooks, the melodies, the riffs, the solos, the vocals, the rhythms... everything about this album is solid gold!  And if you thought their last two albums were great (which they were), this is a step beyond!  Of the album, lead vocalist Sample stated: ""When you have such an eclectic background and musical pedigree as we do, it's best to concentrate on delivering impactful songs instead of worrying about style or if what we are writing is going to connect with people.  We put a lot of ourselves into writing our songs without following trends or scenes, and true music fans can hear the authenticity and sincerity in what we are doing.  Some of the material on Dirty Kings III is more aggressive than what we've done in the past, and some of the songs are definitely more melodic than on the previous two albums.  It took longer than we wanted, but we couldn't be happier with the results we've gotten." 
• Major themes: Rebellion, rock and roll, danger, life, relationships, desire, , etc.
• Note of interest: I'm very grateful and honored to be thanked in the linear notes!
• Tracks:  

1. "La Entrada"
2. "Catch Twenty-Two"
3. "The Apollo Crossing"
4. "Out Of Line"
5. "Swallow Tail"
6. "House That Rocks"
7. "Nova Drive"
8. "Ties That Bind"
9. "Can't Find The Sun"
10. "Wrong Place, Right Time"
11. "They Come And They Go"
12. "Can't Find The Sun" (acoustic bonus track)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Red Rock Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: www.redrockbrewing.com
• Brew: Anniversary Imperial Red Ale
• Style: Imperial Amber Ale
• Serving: 16 ounce bottle
• ABV: 9.5%
• Pour: It pours a clear, but deep mahogany with huge, frothy, bright white head that leave lots of intricate lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Anniversary Imperial Red Ale is nutty and sweet up front with hoppier aromas in the back.  There are aromas of hazelnut, walnut, soft caramel, freshly baked bread, and spicy hops.
• Taste: Combining the maltiness of a red ale and the hoppiness of a pale with the boldness of an Imperial, the roasty, toasty, hoppy, and fruity flavors of this brew are incredibly inviting!  There are notes of creamy toffee, orange zest, pine resin, hazelnut, and multi-grain bread.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Anniversary Imperial Red Ale is smooth and meaty with a dry, crisp, and punchy finish.

Overall pairing: The bold, rich flavors of the Anniversary Imperial Red Ale from Red Rock Brewing Company are perfect for the big rock and roll powerhouse that is "Dirty Kings III"!  Those biting hops pair so well with Samples powerful vocals and the crunchy guitars, while the malty sweetness is perfect for the overall groove and driving rhythms!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!  Rock on!!

June 20th, 2026 - Island Beach is a Wretched Masquerade

 

Hello, hails, and happy Saturday rockers, rollers, headbangers, and craft beer fans!  The Meista here with another killer brew and killer album pairing for ya my friends!  Today, I'm rocking out to Emissary's kick-ass "The Wretched Masquerade" along with a crisp and tasty Island Beach Lager from Heavy Reel Brewing Company!  Oh, hell yeah!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Emissary
• Title: "The Wretched Masquerade"
• Recorded: Late 2021 through early 2022
  Release date: March 25th, 2022 (1st full-length studio album by Emissary)
• Record company: Independent
• Production: Emissary
• Album cover art: Donald Yatomi
• Personnel: Tim Dahlen (guitars and backing vocals), Charlie Francipane (guitars), Jym Harris (lead vocals), Eric Hoover (drums), and Pete Kinney (bass)
• Guest musician: Claudeous Creamer (lead guitar on "Ruler Of Defiance") 
• Musical style: Heavy metal, power metal
• Sound: Building from the band's '90s sound as well as classic American power metal, Emissary is fast-paced, complex, richly textured, and totally rocking!  
• Major themes: Darkness, deceit, corruption, society, pain, death, violence, loss, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "The Silent Treatment"
2. "Chemical Hatred"
3. "Hypochondriac"
4. "In Solitude"
5. "Ruler Of Defiance"
6. "Out Of Reach"
7. "Crash & Burn"
8. "Pine Box (The Art Of War)"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Heavy Reel Brewing Company (Seaside Heights, New Jersey)
• Website: https://www.heavyreelbrewing.com/
• Brew: Island Beach Lager
• Style: American Adjunct Lager
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Ingredients: Hallertau Mittelfruh hops
• Pour: The Island Beach Lager pours a clear, bright golden yellow with a fairly thin, but firm, bright white head with light, soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is malty, grainy, sweet, slightly citrusy, and slightly salty.  There are aromas of cereal grains, crackery biscuit, light corn, light summer grass, and light honey. 
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste of the Island Beach Lager is malty, grainy, grassy, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of sweet and crackery biscuit, a hint of grassy hops, lemongrass, and a hint of honey in the finish.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium in body with good carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp and smooth with a clean, yet slightly sweet finish.

Overall pairing: The very crushable flavors and aromas of the Heavy Reel Island Beach Lager are the perfect beer for an evening of heavy-duty headbanging with Emissary!  The crisp, crackery notes are great for the aggressive machine gun fire guitars and drums, while the sweeter malt aromas and flavors are a great companion to Harris' soaring vocals!

And if you haven't done so already, check out my interviews with Emissary here:

• Vocalist Jym "Jymbo" Harris: https://youtu.be/eltLuCcCpQw
• Vocalist Jym "Jymbo" Harris and guitarist Tim "The Mothman" Dahlen: https://youtu.be/ql8v8Uh0XDc

Cheers!!  Rock on!!

June 19th, 2026 - Once Was Not Sauced... About 20 Minutes Ago

 

Bonjour evil-doers, headbangers, and artisan brew freaks!  The Meista here today getting the weekend off the right way with another great pairing for ya... "Once Was Not", the killer fifth album by the legendary Canadian technical death metal band Cryptopsy and a very unique, tart, and spicy Sauced! from Bewilder Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Cryptopsy
• Title: "Once Was Not"
• Recorded: 2005 at Vortex Studio in St-Constant, Québec, Canada
• Release date: October 18th, 2005 (5th studio album by Cryptopsy)
• Record company: Century Media Records
• Production: Sébastien Marsan 
• Album cover art: Filip Ivanović, Martin Lacroix, and François Quévillon 
• Personnel: Alex Auburn (guitars and backing vocals), Lord Worm aka Dan Greening (lead vocals), Éric Langlois (bass), Flo Mounier (drums and backing vocals)
• Additional and guest musicians: Ange Curcio (percussion on "The End"), Jon Levasseur (guitar on "Luminum"), and Miguel Roy (samples)
• Musical style: Technical death metal, brutal death metal with elements of grindcore and jazz-fusion
• Sound: With "Once Was Not", Cryptopsy saw the triumphant (though short-lived) return of original lead vocalist Lord Worm.  With his return, their sound revisits their earlier incantation... at least vocally.  Musically, that classic Cryptopsy brutal/technical/grind approach finds itself dabbling in subtle elements of jazz-fusion, which brings a chaotic, yet musically rich and complex juxtapositioned sound... truly remarkable, and mesmerizing!  And as always, Flo's drumming is absolutely fantastic!
• Major themes: Death, pestilence, destruction, murder, violence, darkness, horror, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Luminum"
2. "In the Kingdom Where Everything Dies, The Sky Is Mortal"
3. "Carrionshine"
4. "Adeste Infidelis"
5. "The Curse Of The Great"
6. "The Frantic Pace Of Dying"
7. "Keeping The Cadaver Dogs Busy"
8. "Angelskingarden"
9. "The Pestilence That Walketh In Darkness (Psalm 91:5-8)"
10. "The End"
11. "Endless Cemetery"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Bewilder Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://bewilderbrewing.com/
• Brew: Sauced!
• Style: Fruited Sour Ale
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.8%
• IBUs: 10
• Ingredients: Idaho Gem hops with cranberries, cinnamon, and orange peel
• Pour: The Sauced! pours a hazy and pinkish, peach hue with a frothy, bright white, 1-finger head that dissipates fairly quickly, leaving a thin ring.
• Nose: The nose is fruity, tart, and spicy.  There are aromas of fresh cranberry, lemon juice, lemon zest, orange peel, and spicy and rich cinnamon.
• Taste: The taste of the Sauced! follows the nose with tart, spicy, and fruity flavors.  There are notes of tart cranberry juice, lemon juice, a hint of tart cherry juice, orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and light grains.
• Mouthfeel: Light-bodied and well carbonated, the mouthfeel is very crisp, tart, and refreshing with a dry, spicy finish.

Overall pairing: The Bewilder Sauced! is a unique blend of tart, juicy, and spicy flavors... a great beer to pair as a foil to the brutal intensity that is Cryptopsy's brilliant "Once Was Not"!  Those sharp, tart flavors go great with Lord Worm's infernal vocals, while the spicy cinnamon works well with the crushing guitars and Flo's neck-wrecking drumming!  'Nuff said!     

À votre santé and hails!!

June 14th, 2026 - In Remembrance of Pliny the Elder

 

Hey there rockers, proggers, and hop freaks!  Happy Sunday!  Your drinking pal the Meista here with another great pairing for you... "Remembrance", the wonderfully complex and melodic album by Iron Maiden tribute band Maiden uniteD and a punchy and bold Pliny the Elder from Russian River Brewing Company!  Yes!

Album Info:

• Artist: Maiden uniteD
• Title: "Remembrance"
• Recorded:  2015 at 6 DC Studio in Tilburg, The Netherlands, De Lokatie, Larger Than Live Studio in Tilburg, The Netherlands, and Sandlane Recording Facilities in Rijen, The Netherlands
• Release date: 2015 (5th studio album by Maiden uniteD)
• Record company: Zomba Music Publishers Ltd.
• Production: Ruud Jolie
• Album cover art: ?
• Personnel: Stef Broks (drums), Joey Bruers (bass), Ruud Jolie (guitars and mandolin), Thijs Schrijnemakers (Hammond organ), Huub van Loon (piano and lead vocals on " Burning Ambition"), and Damian Wilson (lead vocals)
• Additional musicians: Blaze Bayley (lead vocals on "Futureal"), Marcela Bovio (backing vocals on "Aces High" and violin on "Still Life '15"), Paul Di'Anno (lead vocals on "Prowler"), Marco Kuypers (piano on "Prowler"), Barry 'Thunderstick' Purkis (drums on "Burning Ambition"), and Wudstik (lead vocals on "Aces High")
• Musical style: Acoustic rock with elements of progressive rock and metal with elements of jazz fusion
• Sound: Atmospheric, lush, emotive, complex, melodic, and totally engrossing, the sound on "Remembrance" is a fitting tribute to the mighty Iron Maiden with hauntingly beautiful interpretations performed by master musicians.
• Major themes: Life, death, relationships, freedom, introspection, suffering, sorrow, war, the past, harmony, the future, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Strange World"
2. "Charlotte The Harlot"
3. "Killers"
4. "Remember Tomorrow"
5. "Burning Ambition"
6. "Futureal"
7. "Aces High"
8. "Prowler"
9. "Still Life '15"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company
• Website: http://russianriverbrewing.com/
• Brew: Pliny The Elder
• Style: American Double India Pale Ale (DIPA)/ Imperial IPA
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 8.0%
• Original gravity: 1.070
• Ingredients: Amarillo, Centennial, CTZ, and Simcoe hops
• Pour: Pliny the Elder pours a clear, bright golden yellow hue with a big, billowy white head that displays excellent and sustained lacing throughout
• Nose: Like sticking you face in "a box of hops", the nose of Pliny the Elder is big, bold pine resin and grapefruit rind aromas along with bready malts, herbal tea, and burnt toffee.
• Taste: About as good as it gets, Pliny The Elder is an incredibly well-balanced DIPA.  The flavor follows the nose with BIG citrus, melon, and pine flavors followed by more subtle Tootsie-pop/caramel notes. 
• Mouthfeel: Crisp and bubbly, Pliny The Elder is crisp and refreshing with a little dryness along with lingering grapefruit and bittern hops.  There's a bit of booziness as well.

Overall pairing:  The punchy, fruity, complex, yet refreshing flavors of the Russian River Pliny the Elder is an excellent beer to accompany the brilliance that is  and their fantastic album "Remembrance"!  'Nuff said!

Make sure to check out my interview with the amazing Ruud Jolie here: https://youtu.be/qbD4PE3vvs4

Proost!!

June 13th, 2026 - Super Mega Synchro Anarchy

 

Bonjour and hails metal maniacs and craft brew freaks!  Happy Saturday!  Your heavy metal drinkin' buddy the Meista here today rocking out to "Synchro Anarchy", the excellent 15th album by the mighty Voivod whilst enjoying a very crisp and crushable Super Mega Lager from Drekker Brewing Company!  Hells yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Voivod
• Title: "Synchro Anarchy"
• Recorded: 2021 at RadicArt Studio, Québec, Canada
• Release date: February 11th, 2022 (15th studio album by Voivod)
• Record company: Century Media Records
• Production: Voivod
• Album cover art: Away (artwork) and Carsten Drescher (layout)
• Personnel: Denis "Snake" Bélanger (lead vocals), Michel "Away" Langevin (drums), Dominique "Rocky" Laroche (bass and backing vocals), and Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain (electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, mandola, piano, and backing vocals)
• Musical style: Progressive thrash metal with elements of hardcore punk, progressive rock, and traditional metal
• Sound: As with all things Voivod, the sound on "Synchro Anarchy" is very progressive, challenging, manic, and above all, kick ass!  These guys continue to create interesting, unique, and compelling music.  I'm continually impressed and amazed by what the produce!
• Major themes: Lyrical themes include science fiction, scientific advancement, the future, isolation, technology, the paranormal, violence, conflict, space, rebellion, death, alternate realms and consciousness, society, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Paranormalium"
2. "Synchro Anarchy"
3. "Planet Eaters"
4. "Mind Clock"
5. "Sleeves Off"
6. "Holographic Thinking"
7. "The World Today"
8. "Quest For Nothing"
9. "Memory Failure"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Drekker Brewing Company (Fargo, North Dakota) 
• Website: https://drekkerbrewing.com/
• Brew: Super Mega Lager
• Style: American Lager
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 4.5% 
• Pour: The Super Mega Lager pours a clear, pale straw-yellow hue with a thin, bright white, bubbly head that slowly dissipates to a thin ring with light lacing.
• Nose: The nose is grainy, malty.  There are aromas of freshly cut hay, lightly toasted white bread, a hint of lemongrass, and light grassy hops.
• Taste: Following the nose, the flavor of the Super Mega Lager is characterized by notes of crackery biscuit, bready malt, light barley, a hint of lemon zest, and a splash of honey.
• Mouthfeel: Light-bodied and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Super Mega Lager is very crisp and smooth with a dry, clean finish.

Overall pairing: The Drekker Super Mega Lager is a crisp, crushable, easy drinking and tasty brew...  a great foil to the intense and progressive grooves and chord changes of Voivod's inventive and intense "Synchro Anarchy"!  'Nuff said!

Make sure to check out my interview from last year with Snake, lead vocalist of the mighty Voivod here: https://youtu.be/Ag7EfictEjY

À votre santé and hails!!