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!!

June 12th, 2026 - Rockin' the Nation with Becker's

 

Hey there rockers, rollers, and hop freaks!  Happy Friday!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here kicking the weekend off the right way with another killer pairing for ya!  Today, I'm pairing "Rock The Nation" by the indelible Montrose and a delicious and very tasty Becker's Mellow Beer from Becker's Beer (brewed by the fine folks at Proper Brewing Company)!  This pairing is dedicated to my friend , the amazing Andrew Sample, lead vocalist of Colorado hard rock band the Dirty Kings!  Cheers brother!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Montrose
• Title: "Rock The Nation" (German edition)
• Recorded: 1973 
• Release date: 1974 (1st studio album by Montrose)
• Record company: Warner Bros.
• Production: Ted Templeman 
• Album cover art:  Peter Wandrey (illustration and design)
• Personnel: Denny Carmasi (drums), Bill Church (bass), Sammy Hagar (lead vocals), Ronnie Montrose (lead guitars)
• Musical style: Hard rock, rock and roll
• Sound: After making a name for himself in 1972 playing on Edgar Winter's "They Only Come Out At Night" with the blistering guitar work on "Free Ride" and "Frankenstein," Ronnie formed his own band, Montrose.  With Denny Carmasi on drums, Bill Church on bass, and then, unknown singer Sammy Hagar, the delivery, the passion, the intensity playing is everything you are looking for in truly American hard rock!  The tracks "Rock The Nation", "Bad Motor Scooter", "Space Station No. 5", and "Rock Candy" alone are truly genius rock masterpieces!  The guitar work (especially the solos), vocals, bass, and drums embody the passion this band had for great music!
• Major themes: , etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Rock The Nation"
2. "Bad Motor Scooter"
3. "Space Station #5"
4. "I Don't Want It"
5. "Good Rockin' Tonight"
6. "Rock Candy"
7. "One Thing On My Minde"
8. "Make It Last"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Becker's Beer brewed by Proper Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://www.beckersbeeroriginal.com/ and http://www.properbrewingco.com/ 
• Brew: Becker's Mellow Beer
• Style: American Lager
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Pour: The beer pours a clear, bright yellow hue with a thin, bright-white, 1+ finger, frothy head with great retention and layered sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by bready malts, light fruit aromas, and grassy hops.  There are notes of Pilsner malt, biscuit, light apple, a hint of corn, and light caramel.
• Taste: The taste, like the nose is grainy, and malty.  There are notes of grassy hops, crackery biscuit, light corn, a hint of apple, a hint of lemon zest, and baked bread. 
• Mouthfeel: Light-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very smooth with a clean finish with very low bitterness.

Overall pairing: The Becker's Mellow Beer is a very crushable and easy drinking brew... a great beer for the classic heavy rock stylings of Montrose!  When I first saw the classic American name and label of the brew, the imagery from the album cover of "Rock The Nation" immediately popped in my head. Those bright, grainy notes go great with Ronnie's fiery guitar riffs and solos!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!  Rock on!!

June 11th, 2026 - Bad Motor Finger Skills

 

Hello and happy Thursday, rollers, and hop lovers!  The Meista here today rocking out with a pairing of "Badmotorfinger" the groundbreaking 3rd ablum by legendary Seattle band Soundgarden and a delicious, juicy, and hoppy Motor Skills Hazy IPA from the fine folks at Mother Earth Brewing Company!  Yes!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Soundgarden
• Title: "Badmotorfinger"
• Recorded: Early 1991 at 
• Release date: October 8th, 1991 (3rd full length album released by Soundgarden)
• Record company: A&M Records
• Production: Terry Date and Soundgarden
• Album cover art: Mark Dancey (artwork), Len Peltier (art direction), and Walberg Design (design)
• Personnel: Matt Cameron (drums), Chris Cornell (vocals and rhythm guitar), Ben Shepherd (bass), and Kim Thayil (lead guitar) 
• Additional musicians: Scott Granlund (saxophone on "Room A Thousand Years Wide" and "Drawing Flies"), Ernst Long (trumpet on "Face Pollution", "Room A Thousand Years Wide", and "Drawing Flies"), and Damon Stewart (narration on "Searching With My Good Eye Closed") 
• Musical style: Grunge, heavy metal, alternative metal alternative rock, hard rock 
• Sound: Marked by alternative tunings and odd time signatures, the sound on "Badmotorfinger" is heavy, aggressive emotive, and definitive.  Chris Cornell's vocals are dynamic, powerful, and wonderfully rich!  Kim Thayil's guitar work is complex and multi-layered.  Ben Shepherd's bass work coupled by Matt Cameron's drums and percussion is a thunderous, sludgy monster of sound.  Music critic Steve Huey called it "surprisingly cerebral and arty music for a band courting mainstream metal audiences, but it attacks with scientific precision."  Thayil claimed the band did not deliberately pursue unusual meters, stating they were instead the result of a "push to get the quirkiness out of things"
• Major themes: With ambiguous and evocative lyrics, themes on the album include life, death, pain, sorrow, states of being, states of mind, aggression, rebellion, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Rusty Cage"
2. "Outshined"
3. "Slaves & Bulldozers"
4. "Jesus Christ Pose"
5. "Face Pollution"
6. "Somewhere"
7. "Searching With My Good Eye Closed"
8. "Room A Thousand Years Wide"
9. "Mind Riot"
10. "Drawing Flies"
11. "Holy Water"
12. "New Damage"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Mother Earth Brewing Company (Vista, California and Nampa, Idaho)
• Website: https://www.motherearthbrewco.com/
• Brew: Motor Skills Hazy IPA 
• Style: New England-style Hazy India Pale Ale (NEIPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 7.2%
• IBUs: 25
• Ingredients: Amarillo, Citra, Mosaic, and Nelson Sauvin hops
• Pour: The Motor Skills Hazy IPA pours a very hazy, pale golden-yellow hue with a frothy, bright white, 1-finger head with good retention and sudsy, sticky lacing.
• Nose: The nose is very citrusy and tropical with more subtle floral and malt elements.  There are aromas of tangerine, freshly squeezed orange juice, orange zest, lemon zest, lime juice and peel, grapefruit rind, bright mango, apricot, wildflowers, blueberry jam, white grape, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Taste: Fruit-forward and very juicy, the taste of the Motor Skills Hazy IPA is citrusy, fruity, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of tangerine, orange juice, orange pith, lime, mango, pineapple, guava, a hint of pine, berries, and light honey.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp and very juicy, yet smooth and creamy with a dry, slightly sweet, slightly boozy, pillowy-soft finish.

Overall pairing: The Motor Skills Hazy IPA from Mother Earth Brewing is a punchy, yet very smooth, drinkable, and refreshing hoppy brew... great for pairing with the heavy hitting brilliance that was the legendary Soundgarden!  The citrusy hops and sweet fruit elements of the beer align well with the high energy of the band's performance and the bitterness of fantastic lyricism and note progressions!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!! 

June 7th, 2026 - Please Come Home with a Hazy Pale Ale... Mr. Bulbous

 

Hello and happy Sunday rockers, rollers, and craft brew fans!  The Meista here today with a pairing of "Please Come Home... Mr. Bulbous", the wonderful 8th album by the indelible and legendary King's X and a bright and flavorful Home Hazy Pale Ale from Home Range Brewing!  Oh, yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: King's X
• Title: "Please Come Home... Mr. Bulbous"
• Recorded: December 1999 through January 2000 at Hound Pound Recording Studio and Alien Beans Studios in Katy, Texas
• Release date: May 23rd, 2000 (8th studio album by King's X)
• Record company: Metal Blade Records
• Production: King's X and Ty Tabor
• Album cover art: ?
• Personnel: Jerry Gaskill (drums and backing vocals), Doug Pinnick (bass, and lead and vocals), and Ty Tabor (guitars, and lead and backing vocals)
• Additional contributors: pre-track ramblings by Esther, Yuko, Joe, and Dirk
• Musical style: Hard rock, power pop, alternative rock, and progressive rock with elements of blues, R&B, soul, heavy metal, punk, and funk
• Sound: With influence from the likes of The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, heavy, rich, a little funky, steeped in honesty and artistic integrity, and just fun as hell to listen too... "Please Come Home... Mr. Bulbous" is another bold statement by the King's X boys!  It is both melodic and heavy hitting.  There is a power and a depth to this band's sound that cannot be defined in words. 
• Major themes: Relationships, music, love, loss, anger, joy, life and death, drugs, states of mind, states of being, and life in general, etc.
• Tracks:  

1. "Fish Bowl Man"
2. "Julia"
3. "She's Gone Away"
4. "Marsh Mellow Field"
5. "When You're Scared"
6. "Charlie Sheen"
7. "Smudge"
8. "Bitter Sweet"
9. "Move Me"
10. "Move Me, Pt. 2"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Home Range Brewing (Logan, Utah
• Website: https://www.homerangebeer.com/
• Brew: Home Hazy Pale Ale
• Style: Pale Ale / New England Hazy Pale Ale
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Pour: The Home Hazy Pale Ale pours a hazy, dull golden-yellow hue with a billowy, 2+ finger, bright white head with great retention and lots of sticky, intricate spider web lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by fruity, citrusy, and grainy aromas.  There are aromas of resinous peaches, dried apricot, tangerine peel, herbal orange tea, and soft caramel.
• Taste: Following the nose, the flavor of the Home Hazy Pale Ale is characterized by dank and fruity notes of grapefruit, tangerine, peach, lemon zest, black tea, and berries, along with crackery biscuit, bready malt, light roasted barley, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Home Hazy Pale Ale is very crisp and juicy, yet smooth with a dry, fairly clean finish.

Overall pairing: In all honesty, I really cannot express how much I love the music of King's X.  I will say that the bright, fruity complexity of the Home Pale Ale is a pretty solid companion to the bold and soulful tracks of "Please Come Home... Mr. Bulbous"!  Maybe it is the music talking... or the brew... or a wonderful combination of the two... anyway cheers!!  

Keep it craft and keep it heavy!!

Make sure to check out my interview with Doug Pinnick from several years ago here: https://youtu.be/mJ2qVdeoDXM