July 18th, 2026 - Getting Existentially Disconnected with NZH-109

 

Hello and happy Saturday metal maniacs and craft brew lovers!  The Meista here today pairing "Existential Disconnect", the kick-ass sophomore album by the wonderful Kiwi death metal band Organectomy and a delicious and hoppy NZH-109 Pale Ale from the fine folks at Offset Bier Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Organectomy
• Title: "Existential Disconnect"
• Recorded: 2019 at Demigod Recordings in Portugal
• Release date: June 21st, 2019 (2nd full-length studio album by Organectomy)
• Record company: Unique Leader Records
• Production: Organectomy
• Album cover art: Pedro Sena 
• Personnel: Tyler Jordan (bass and backing vocals), Sam McRobert (guitars), Ashton Moore (guitars), Alex Paul (lead vocals), and Levi Sheehan (drums)
• Guest musicians: Diogo Santana (vocals on "Catastrophic Intent") and Matt Way (vocals on "Unending Regrowth")
• Musical style: Death metal
• Sound: Characterized by brutal riffs, intricate time signatures, and aggressive vocals, the sound on "Existential Disconnect" is death metal perfection!  Organectomy wonderfully and artistically blends old school death metal with more modern slam elements!
• Major themes: Death, destruction, torment, darkness, gore, isolation, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Severed From Humanity"
2. "Existential Disconnect"
3. "Antithetical"
4. "No Solace in Ascendance"
   
5. "Catastrophic Intent"
6. "The Agony Of Godhood"
7. "Unending Regrowth"
8. "Where Pantheons Lie I: Malfeasance"
9. "Where Pantheons Lie II: Conviction"
10. "Anguish In Lamina"
11. "The Infinite Witness"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Offset Bier Company (Park City, Utah)
• Website: https://offsetbier.com/
• Brew: NZH-109 Pale Ale
• Style: Pale Ale 
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Ingredients: NZH-109 hops 
• Pour: The NZH-109 pours a murky, dull golden-yellow hue with a frothy, off-white, 2+ finger head with great sustain and lots and lots of sticky, intricate lacing. 
• Nose: The nose is tropically fruity, citrusy, and malty.  There are aromas of clementine oranges, lemon zest, nectarine, guava, kiwi, papaya, melon, lemongrass, light caramel, and crackery biscuit.
• Taste: The taste is like the nose: fruity, citrusy, hoppy, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of orange juice, pink grapefruit juice, lemon zest, lemon drop candy, kiwi, light pineapple, honeydew melon, fresh mango, and soft sweet toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the NZH-109 is very crisp and smooth with a clean, slightly bittersweet finish.

Overall pairing: The Offset NZH-109 Pale Ale is a bright, complex, fruity, and hoppy, yet very inviting brew... a great foil for the brutal and dark death metal stylings of the mighty Organectomy on their excellent "Existential Disconnect" album!  'Nuff said!

Cheers and hails!!

July 17th, 2026 - Concerning All That Was Promised

 

Hello and happy Friday metal maniacs and craft beer freaks!  The Meista here with another kick-ass pairing for ya... this evening I'm pairing the killer "All That Was Promised", the sophomore album by death metal monsters Hath and a hoppy and crushable Concerning Hops West Coast IPA from Proper Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!!  Apologies to my friend Peter Brown for taking so long to pair this phenomenal album... cheers brother!

Album Info:

• Artist: Hath
• Title: "All That Was Promised"
• Recorded: Early 2022 at AJ Viana Productions
• Release date: March 4th, 2022 (2nd full length album by Hath)
• Record company: Willowtip Records
• Production: AJ Viana and Hath 
• Album cover art: Adam Burke
• Personnel: Frank Albanese (guitars and vocals), Peter Brown (guitars), Greg Nottis (bass and vocals), and AJ Viana (drums)
• Musical style: Progressive blacked death metal
• Sound: It is progressive, complex, yet wonderfully aggressive and powerful, and a just a sheer joy to hear!  Albanese and Brown lay down riff after killer riff whilst Nottis and Viana bring the thunder!  If you love progressive and blackened death metal, and death metal in general, this album is for you! 
• Major themes: Darkness, death, evil, the occult, mythology, suffering, pain, violence, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "The Million Violations"
2. "Kenosis"
3. "Lithopaedic"
4. "Iosis"
5. "Decollation"
6. "Death Complex"
7. "Casting Of The Self"
8. "All That Was Promised"
9. "Name Them Yet Build No Monument"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Proper Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.properbrewingco.com
• Brew: Concerning Hops West Coast IPA
• Style: West Cost Style India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 45
• Pour: The Concerning Hops 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 Concerning Hops 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 Concerning Hops 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 Concerning Hops from Proper Brewing makes a great companion to the aggressive death metal complexities of Hath's excellent "All That Was Promised" album!  The citrusy and earthy hop notes really pop when you've got Hath blasting from your speakers!  I highly recommend both the album and brew!  'Nuff said!

Cheers and hails!! 

July 12th, 2026 - Cryptopsy Vs. the Whalefishers

 

Greetings headbangers, evil-doers, and craft beer freaks!  Happy Sunday!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here rocking the hell out with a pairing of the kick-ass, self-titled death metal beast of an album by the mighty Cryptopsy and a tasty, juicy, and crisp Salt Lake Whalefishers Hazy IPA from the Roha Brewing Project!  Hell yeah!  Note: Apparently, the Salt Lake Whalefishers are a band from Salt Lake City, Utah and this beer is named for them... but I've never heard or heard of them, so I'm pairing Cryptopsy.  It's my page and I do whatever the hell I want!  Ha!

Album Info:

• Artist: Cryptopsy
• Title: "Cryptopsy"
• Recorded: 2012 at Garage Studio and Flo's studio in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Release date: September 11th, 2012 (6th album by Cryptopsy)
• Record company: Season of Mist / Defen Society / Revolution Harmony / Candlelight Records.
• Production: Christian Donaldson and Cryptopsy
• Album cover art: Mircea Gabriel Eftemie (design and artwork) and Flo Mounier (logo design) 
• Personnel: Christian Donaldson (guitars), Jon Levasseur (guitars), Matt McGachy (vocals), Flo Mounier (drums and backing vocals), and Olivier Pinard (bass)
• Musical style: Brutal death metal, technical death metal
• Sound: Aggressive, fiery fast, heavy as hell, and wonderfully brutal, the sound on "Cryptopsy" is classic Cryptopsy death metal, yet fresh and bold.  From the opening notes of "Two-Pound Torch" to the final notes of "Cleansing The Hosts", this album grabs you by the collar, slams you against the wall, and demands your full, unfettered attention!
• Major themes: Death, betrayal, alien visitors, racism, murder, evil, darkness, history, suffering, misery, insanity, violence, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Two-Pound Torch"
2. "Shag Harbour's Visitors"
3. "Red-Skinned Scapegoat"
4. "Damned Draft Dodgers"
5. "Amputated Enigma"
6. "The Golden Square Mile"
7. "Ominous"
8. "Cleansing The Hosts"

 Brew Info:

• Brewery: Roha Brewing Project (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://rohabrewing.com/
• Brew: Salt Lake Whalefishers Hazy IPA
• Style: New England India Pale Ale (NEIPA) 
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 7.4%
• Ingredients: Cascade, Citra, and Simcoe hops
• Pour: The Salt Lake Whalefishers Hazy IPA pours a very hazy, pale straw yellow hue with a billowy, bright white, 2+ finger head with great retention and lots of sudsy, soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is citrusy, fruity, malty, herbal, and somewhat dank.  There are aromas of grapefruit, tangerine, fresh squeezed orange juice, lime zest, freshly cut cantaloupe, pineapple, herbal tea, wildflowers, light-toasted malts, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste of the Salt Lake Whalefishers Hazy IPA is a well-balanced blend of pronounced juicy and citrusy hop flavors along with more subtle malty flavors.  There are notes of orange juice and pith, tangerine, a splash of pineapple, sweet cantaloupe, soft peach, pink grapefruit juice, light malts, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp, yet smooth with a dry, pillow soft finish.

Overall pairing: The Salt Lake Whalefishers Hazy IPA is a very crushable brew with lots of bright, citrusy, and juicy hop flavors, which makes it a great beer to throw back to the complex intensity of the fiery riffs, brutally growling vocals, and thunderous rhythm section on the mighty Cryptopsy's self-titled 6th album!  'Nuff said! 

Make sure to check out my interview with Cryptopsy vocalist Matt McGachy here: https://youtu.be/OVxRheCol7s 

Cheers and hails!!

July 11th, 2026 - A Myopic Hydra

 

Hello, hails, and happy Saturday rockers, metalheads, and craft beer freaks!  The Meista here with another killer brew and killer album pairing for ya my friends!  Today, I'm rocking out to Within Temptation's fantastic "Hydra" 10th Anniversary Edition album along with a bold and hoppy Myopic India Pale Ale from Talisman Brewing Company!  Oh, hell yeah!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Within Temptation
• Title: "Hydra" 10th Anniversary Edition
• Recorded: 2013 at Crumbling Wall Studios, Graveland Studio, MCO Studio 4 Hilversum, and Studio 6 D.C.
• Release date: January 22nd, 2014 / October 11th, 2024 (6th studio album by Within Temptation)
• Record company: Victor / Music on Vinyl
• Production: Daniel Gibson, Juno Jimmink, Martijn Spierenburg, and Robert Westerholt
• Album cover art: Das Buro Rotterdam (art direction and typography) and Romano Molenaar (artwork)
• Personnel: Mike Coolen (drums), Sharon den Adel (lead vocals), Stefan Helleblad (guitars), Ruud Jolie (guitars), Martijn Spierenburg (keyboards), Jeroen van Veen (bass guitar), and Robert Westerholt (guitars and vocals)
• Guest musicians: Daniel Gibson (programming), Howard Jones (vocals on "Dangerous"), Dave Pirner (vocals on "Whole World Is Watching"), Tarja Turunen (vocals on "Paradise (What About Us)"), Frank van Essen (violin and viola), and Xzibit (vocals on "And We Run")
• Musical style: Alternative rock/metal with elements of symphonic metal, gothic metal, pop, electronic, and industrial influence
• Sound: Steeped in complex and dark symphonic and gothic elements coupled with alternative rock and pop, the sound on "Hydra" is a mix of classic Within Temptation with more modern and aggressive elements. It is probably my favorite Within Temptation album... and that is a high bar.
• Major themes: Danger, rebellion, love, loss, relationships, humanity, hope, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Let Us Burn"
2. "Dangerous"
3. "And We Run"
4. "Paradise (What About Us)"
5. "Edge Of The World"
6. "Silver Moonlight"
7. "Covered By Roses"
8. "Dog Days"
9. "Tell Me Why"
10. "Whole World Is Watching"
11. "Keep On Breathing" (bonus track)
12. "One Of These Days" (bonus track)
13. "Living On Fire" (bonus track)
14. "And We Run" (Evolution bonus track)
    
15. "Silver Moonlight" (Evolution bonus track)
16. "Covered By Roses" (Evolution bonus track)
17. "Tell Me Why" (Evolution bonus track)
18. "Whole World Is Watching" (bonus track)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Talisman Brewing Company (Ogden, Utah)
• Website: https://www.talismanbrewingco.com/
• Brew: Myopic India Pale Ale
• Style: New England India Pale Ale (NEIPA) / Double Hazy IPA
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 8.0%
• IBUs: 38
• Pour: The Myopic pours a hazy golden-yellow hue with a bright white, 1+ finger, frothy head with great sustain and lots of sticky, sudsy, and layered lacing.
• Nose: The nose is very tropical, citrusy, and slightly sweet.  There are aromas of orange juice, tangerine, grapefruit rind, mango nectar, lime, hints of pine resin and wildflowers, fresh strawberries and blueberries, and a splash of sweet toffee.
• Taste: The taste of the Myopic follows the nose with fruity, citrusy, herbal, and sweet malt flavors.  There are notes of ripe mango, orange juice and pith, a hint of pineapple, strawberry jam, herbal tea, and soft caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full in body and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp and juicy, yet thick and velvety with a very pillowy, dry finish.

Overall pairing: The rich and complex flavors and aromas of the Talisman Myopic India Pale Ale are the perfect beer for an evening of rocking out to Within Temptation's wonderful "Hydra" album!  The boozier, more bitter hop notes are great for the aggressive machine gun fire guitars and drums, while the sweeter fruit and malt aromas and flavors are a great companion to Sharon den Adel's beautiful vocals and the soaring keys of Spierenburg!  And I love the look of the album cover art with the beer can label!

And make sure to check out my interview with Within Temptation guitarist Ruud Jolie here: https://youtu.be/qbD4PE3vvs4 

Proost!!  Rock on!!

July 10th, 2026 - The Separation Anxiety of an Invincible Sun

 

Hey there rockers, rollers, headbangers, and hop lovers!  Happy Friday!  The Meista here today pairing Faith No More's brilliant 7th album "Sol Invictus" and a delightfully juicy and hoppy Separation Anxiety Hazy IPA from the fine folks at Mother Earth Brewing Company!  This pairing is lovingly dedicated to my good friends Sonia and Jason.... cheers and thank you kindly for the request!! 


Album Info:

• Artist: Faith No More
• Title: "Sol Invictus"
• Recorded: 2014 at Estudios Koolarrow, Vulcan Studios in Oakland, California
• Release date: May 19th, 2015 (7th studio album by Faith No More)
• Record company: Reclamation! / Ipecac
• Production: Billy Gould
• Album cover art: Ossian Brown (cover and booklet photos) and Martin Kvamme (album design)
• Personnel: Mike Bordin (drums), Roddy Bottum (piano and keyboards), Billy Gould (bass), Jon Hudson (guitars), and Mike Patton (lead vocals)
• Musical style: Alternative metal/rock, post punk, art rock with country / western, blues-based rock, and R&B elements
• Sound: An inventive, complex, and inspired blend of heavy metal, punk, alternative rock, experimental art rock, and even a little country / western, "Sol Invictus" is powerful, honest, dark, aggressive, and very, very wonderful!  Of the album, bassist and producer Gould stated, "it’ll be much different than everything else out there – but that’s sort of the point. It's a combination of what we don’t hear in the outside world and what we feel is lacking from other bands. And in the end, it will sound like Faith No More."
• Major themes: States of mind, life, death, honesty, anger, loss, memories, fear, heroism, etc. 
• Tracks: 

1. "Sol Invictus"
2. "Superhero"
3. "Sunny Side Up"
4. "Separation Anxiety"
5. "Cone Of Shame"
6. "Rise Of The Fall"
7. "Black Friday"
8. "Motherfucker"
9. "Matador"
10. "From The Dead"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Mother Earth Brewing Company (Vista, California and Nampa, Idaho)
• Website: https://www.motherearthbrewco.com/
• Brew: Separation Anxiety Hazy IPA 
• Style: New England-style Hazy India Pale Ale (NEIPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 7.2%
• IBUs: 25
• Pour: The Separation Anxiety 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, grapefruit rind, bright mango, stone fruit (soft peach and dried apricot), melon, wildflowers, freshly picked and cut strawberries, grassy hay, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Taste: Fruit-forward and very juicy, the taste of the Separation Anxiety Hazy IPA is citrusy, fruity, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of tangerine, orange juice, orange pith, juicy melon, mango, a hint of pineapple, cantaloupe, sweet peach, ripe strawberries, 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: Complex, intricate, yet very inviting, the Mother Earth Separation Anxiety is a great beer to pair with the inventive, experimental, and aggressive genius that is Faith No More's fantastic "Sol Invictus"!  Those bright, fruity notes go great with Patton's uniquely compelling voice and lyrics while the malty backbone and hint of booze go great with the heaviness and musical prowess of these great musicians! 

Cheers!!  Keep it craft!  And keep it heavy!

July 7th, 2026 - We're Gonna Need a Montage of Images and Words

 

Hello rockers, proggers, metal maniacs and craft brew freaks!  Happy Tuesday!  Your heavy metal drinkin' buddy the Meista here today rocking out to "Images And Words" (34 years old today!), the excellent sophomore album by the mighty Dream Theater whilst enjoying a very crisp and crushable We're Gonna Need a Montage Kölsch from Drekker Brewing Company!  Hells yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Dream Theater
• Title: "Images And Words"
• Recorded: October through December 1991 at Bear Tracks Studio in Suffern, New York and The Hit Factory in New York City, New York
• Release date: July 7th, 1992 (2nd studio album by Dream Theater)
• Record company: Atco Records
• Production: David Prater
• Album cover art: Access Images (artwork) and Larry Freemantle (art direction)
• Personnel: James LaBrie (lead and backing vocals), Kevin Moore (keyboards), John Myung (bass), John Petrucci (guitars), and Mike Portnoy (drums and percussion)
• Musical style: Progressive metal, progressive rock
• Sound: In a word, epic!  Apart from Rush, by the late '80s and very early '90s prog-rock was all but dead.  And then something amazing happened!  At the height of the grunge movement, a bunch of fairly unknown kids from New York with a Canadian singer released the single "Pull Me Under" from their 2nd album, a multi-layered, complex, and epic metal/prog rocker, and a new age of prog was born, but with a twist.  Not only had they been influenced by ELP, Yes, early Genesis, and Kansas, they had deep roots in power metal (Iron Maiden and Fates Warning) and thrash (Metallica and Megadeth) as well.  Kevin Moore's keyboard work is beautiful, rich, and profound with a nod to Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson.  James LaBrie's vocals are melodic, wonderfully high, and honest.  John Myung's bass work is god-like... intricate, driving, and magical (just listen to the tapping on "Metropolis, Pt. 1: The Miracle And The Sleeper"!)  Mike Portnoy's drumming is in a word, incredible!  And John Petrucci's guitar work gives all prog guitarists before him a huge run for their money!  Ethereal at times, powerful and completely metal throughout, "Images And Words" is an incredibly important album of its age in my opinion.  It redefined not only prog rock, but heavy music in general.  From opening track "Pull Me Under" (the band's only hit) to "Another Day" to the epic "Metropolis, Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper" to "Under A Glass Moon" and on to finale, "Learning To Live," this album is an experiment in profundity and artistic integrity.
• Major themes: Life, discovery, introspection, isolation, imagination, , etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Pull Me Under"
2. "Another Day"
3. "Take The Time"
4. "Surrounded"
5. "Metropolis (Part 1: The Miracle And The Sleeper)"
6. "Under A Glass Moon"
7. "Wait For Sleep"
8. "Learning To Live"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Drekker Brewing Company (Fargo, North Dakota) 
• Website: https://drekkerbrewing.com/
• Brew: We're Gonna Need a Montage Kölsch
• Style: German-style Kölsch
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV:5.0 % 
• Pour: The We're Gonna Need a Montage pours a clear, bright straw-yellow hue with a very thin, bright white, bubbly head that slowly dissipates to a thin ring with light lacing.
• Nose: The nose is grainy, malty, and grassy.  There are aromas of freshly cut hay, lightly toasted white bread, crackery malts, lemongrass, light lemon zest, and grassy hops.
• Taste: Following the nose, the flavor of the We're Gonna Need a Montage is characterized by notes of crackery biscuit, bready malt, light barley, lemon zest, grassy hops, and a splash of honey.
• Mouthfeel: Light-bodied and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel of the We're Gonna Need a Montage is very crisp and smooth with a dry, clean finish.

Overall pairing: The Drekker We're Gonna Need a Montage is a crisp, crushable, easy drinking and tasty brew...  a great foil to the complex and progressive genius that is Dream Theaters excellent "Images And Words"!  'Nuff said!

Cheers and hails!!

July 5th, 2026 - In Spotlight and Shadow: A Short Review of Guitarist Ruud Jolie's Wonderful Book

 

Goedendag rockers, rollers, and headbangers!  Your heavy metal beer drinking pal the Meista here today with something a little bit different for you... a book review!  

I recently finished reading In Spotlight and Shadow: My Road Trip with Within Temptation, a book by Within Temptation guitarist Ruud Jolie.  In a word… FANTASTIC!!!  This book is as engaging and edifying as it is entertaining and hilarious!  It isn't an autobiography, but rather a fascinating and very poignant behind the scenes look at touring with Within Temptation for the past 24+ years.  It is honest, witty, and an absolute joy to read.  From his early days with the band to more recent tours, Ruud presents a wonderful tapestry woven from his experiences and photos (good and bad) of tours, fans, beers, food, his bandmates, other musicians, his history as a musician, his own insecurities, and Star Wars.  And all told with warmth, depth, and humor.  I don't want to ruin anything, so I won't go into detail about the stories he shares, but if you are a fan of Within Temptation or just a fan of rockin' music in general, you will most definitely love this book!

Details: 

• Title: In Spotlight and Shadow: My Road Trip with Within Temptation
• Author: Ruud Jolie
• Publication date: September 1st, 2025
• Publisher: Pumbo.nl
• Pages: 288

You can purchase Ruud's book here: 

• https://www.within-temptation.com/products/in-spotlight-and-shadow-my-road-trip-with-within-temptation-by-ruud-jolie-paperback?srsltid=AfmBOornJEOIx9NQuffVKIKgkNfXTq0sa1zmbG5lzNs6bm-5D_IUTo-E

Check out Within Temptation here:

• https://www.within-temptation.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/wtofficial
• https://www.instagram.com/wtofficial/

And make sure to check out my interview with Ruud from 2024 here: https://youtu.be/qbD4PE3vvs4

Go buy Ruud's great book In Spotlight and Shadow: My Road Trip with Within Temptation today!!  I seriously couldn’t put this book down… it's a real page turner.  I finished it in only a few days and plan on re-reading it again soon!

Proost and hails!!

Photo of Ruud by me from January 2023 at the Neushoorn in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands