July 26th, 2024 - Servants of a Chaotic Prince

 

Hello and happy Friday rockers and craft brew lovers!  The Meista here today pairing "Servants Of Chaos", a kick-ass compilation album by the mighty Cirith Ungol and a delicious and hoppy Chaotic Prince from the fine folks at Revision Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Cirith Ungol
• Title: "Servants Of Chaos"
• Recorded: 1979 through 1991
• Release date: September 5th, 2001
• Record company: Metal Blade
• Production: Cirith Ungol, Ron Goudie, Brian Slagel
• Album cover art: Thomas Ewerhard  
• Personnel: Tim Baker (lead vocals), Jimmy Barraza (guitars), Jerry Fogle (guitars), Robert Garven (drums and percussion), Vernon Green (bass), Greg Lindstrom (bass and guitars), Michael "Flint" Vujea (bass), and Robert Warrenburg (bass and vocals)
• Musical style: Heavy metal, power metal, doom metal, progressive metal
• Sound: Characterized by fantasy-based lyrics and a fast-paced, aggressive, and epically doomy musical assault, Cirith Ungol's tunes are a hybrid between late 1970s hard rock and early 1980s heavy metal, very much in the vein of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) bands like Angel Witch, early Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Tygers of Pan Tang.  The songs are monstrous rock classics... powerful, epic, and heavy!
• Major themes: Fantasy, mythology, sword and sorcery, good vs. evil, life and death, power, destruction, darkness, etc.
• Notes: A compilation album, "Servants Of Chaos" contains content from all four of the band's studio albums, a self-titled demo album from 1979, and live recordings.
• Tracks: 

Disc 1:

1. "Hype Performance"
2. "Last Laugh"
3. "Frost And Fire"
4. "Eyes"
5. "Better Off Dead"
6. "100 MPH"
7. "I'm Alive"
8. "Bite The Worm"
9. "The Twitch"
10. "Maybe That's Why"
11. "Ill Met In Lankhmar"
12. "Return To Lankhmar"
13. "Darkness Weaves"
14. "Witchdance"
15. "Feeding The Ants"
16. "Obsidian"

Disc 2: 

1. "Death Of The Sun"
2. "Fire" (Arthur Brown cover)
3. "Fallen Idols"
4. "Chaos Rising"
5. "Fallen Idols" (demo)
6. "Paradise Lost"
7. "Join The Legion"
8. "Before The Lash"
9. "Atom Smasher" (live)
10. "Master Of The Pit" (live)
11. "King Of The Dead" (live"
12. "Last Laugh" (live)
13. "Cirith Ungol" (live)
14. "Secret Agent Man" (Johnny Rivers cover)
15. "Ferrari 308QV"

DVD (live performance on November 9th, 1984 at the Wolf & Rissmiller's Country Club):

1. "I'm Alive"
2. "Black Machine"
3. "Master Of The Pit"
4. "King Of The Dead"
5. "Death Of The Sun"
6. "Finger Of Scorn"
7. "Frost And Fire"
8. "Cirith Ungol"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Revision Brewing Company (Sparks, Nevada) 
• Website: https://revisionbrewing.com/
• Brew: Chaotic Prince NE-Style Hazy India Pale Ale 
• Style: New England-style Hazy India Pale Ale (NEIPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 6.7%
• IBUs: 32
• Ingredients: Citra, Mosaic and Amarillo hops
• Pour: The Chaotic Prince pours a very hazy golden-yellow hue with a frothy, bright white, half-finger head with good retention and sudsy, sticky lacing.
• Nose: The nose is very tropical and citrusy with more subtle floral and malt elements.  There are aromas of tangerine, lemon zest, lime juice, orange juice, grapefruit rind, bright mango, peach, apricot, fresh pineapple, hints of melon, wildflowers, light pine resin, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Taste: Hop-forward and very juicy, the taste of the Chaotic Prince is citrusy, fruity, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of tangerine, orange juice, mango, pineapple, guava, pine, 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 finish.

Overall pairing: The Chaotic Prince from Revision Brewing is a punchy, yet very drinkable and refreshing, hoppy brew... great for pairing with the very underrated metal power that is Cirith Ungol!  The complexity and uniqueness of the beer aligns perfectly with the depth and purity of the wonderful tracks on "Servants Of Chaos"!  'Nuff said!

Make sure to check out my interview with Jim Barraza here: https://youtu.be/PZim_qal3Mo

Cheers and hails!!

July 24th, 2024 - The Blood of Angels & Celiacs

 

Hello metal maniacs and craft beer freaks!  The Meista here today rockin' the hell out to a pairing of the kick-ass "Blood Of Angels" by Chicago metal band Spillage with a smooth and delicious Blood of a Celiac Gluten Free American Amber Ale from the Gossorino Brewing!  

Album Info:

• Artist: Spillage
• Title: "Blood Of Angels"
• Recorded: 2018 Qumran Studios in Chicago, Ilinois
  Release date: January 11th, 2019 (2nd studio album by Spillage)
• Record company: No Dust Records / Qumran Records
• Production: Bruce Franklin
• Album cover art: Billy McGuffey
• Personnel: Nick Bozidarevic (guitars), Chris "Bigman" Martins (drums), Billy McGuffey (bass), Paul Rau (keyboards), Elvin Rodriguez (lead vocals), and Tony Spillman (guitars)
• 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 these great tracks!  Rodriquez's vocals soar over a rich tapestry of hard-hitting metal!
• Major themes: Good vs. evil, darkness, light, power, freedom, life, pain, mythology, hope, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Blood Of Angels"
2. "Living In Hell"
3. "Free Man"
4. "Rough Grooved Surface"
5. "Disappear"
6. "Evil Doers"
7. "Eyes Of A Snake"
8. "Voice Of Reason"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Gossorino Brewing (Ogden, Utah)
• Website: https://gossorinobrewing.com/
• Brew: Blood of a Celiac
• Style: Gluten Free American Amber Ale
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 7.0%
• IBUs: 36
• Ingredients: Pale millet, pale buckwheat, flaked oats, Vienna millet, chocolate millet, and amber millet malts. Hopped with Centennial and Cascade then fermented with SafAle US-05
• Pour: The Blood of a Celiac pours a deep, dark copper-amber hue with light beige, 1+ finger head with great retention and lots sticky, soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is very malty, grainy, sweet and a little floral.  There are aromas of freshly baked buckwheat bread, toasted oats, light floral hops, and rich caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Blood of a Celiac follows the nose with notes of biscuity malts, toasted bread, sweet caramel/toffee, herbal tea, and light floral hops with lower bitterness.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Blood of a Celiac is very smooth and creamy with a clean, crisp finish.

Overall pairing: The Blood of a Celiac from Gossorino Brewing is a great beer to crush whilst rockin' the hell out to the killer tunes on Spillage's wonderful "Blood Of Angels" album!  Those sweet 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!!

July 20th, 2024 - "[Babylon A.D.] Wasn't Built in a Day": An Interview with Babylon A.D. Vocalist Derek Davis

 

Hey there rockers, rollers, and metal maniacs!  Your heavy metal beer drinking pal the Meista here today with another great interview for you!  This one is with the very friendly and talented Derek Davis, lead vocalist and founding member of hard rocking band Babylon A.D.!  We chatted about the killer new Babylon A.D. album "Rome Wasn't Built In A Day", the history of the band, Derek's solo work, his rich history as a musician in general, and much more!  Here's a link to that video interview: https://youtu.be/P-GIGGjJ8XU

Enjoy!!

Check out Babylon A.D. here:

• https://babylonadband.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/Babylonadband

*Photo of Derek by Glenn Herring

**Special thanks to Michael Brandvold of Michael Brandvold Marketing & Management 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)

July 19th, 2024 - Cashmerizing the Phantoma

 

Hello and happy Friday!  Your pal the Meista here getting the weekend off right by rocking out with "Phantoma", the latest kick-ass album from the indelible Unleash The Archers along with a hoppy and bold Voodoo Ranger Cashmerize IPA from the fine folks at New Belgium Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Unleash The Archers
• Title: "Phantoma"
• Recorded: 2024 at Silverside Sound
• Release date: May 10th, 2024 (6th full-length studio album by Unleash The Archers)
• Record company: Napalm Records 
• Production: Andrew Saunders
• Album cover art: Dusty Peterson
• Personnel: Scott Buchanan (drums), Nicholas Miller (bass), Andrew Saunders (guitars and vocals), Brittney Slayes (lead vocals), and Grant Truesdell (guitars and vocals)
• Musical style: Power metal, heavy metal
• Sound: Highlighting Slayes' amazing vocal range and prowess along with the band's incredible musicianship, "Phantoma" is another powerful musical statement from the mighty Unleash The Archers!  It is characterized by fiery guitar work, rich hooks, intense and aggressive melodies, and thunderous drumming and bass!  In other words, it kicks ass!!
• Major themes: "Phantoma" is a futuristic sci-fi concept album about an Artificial Intelligence (AI) service becoming a sentient being in a dystopian world.  Themes on the album include humanity, self-awareness, technology, greed, freedom, vengeance, violence, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Human Era"
2. "Ph4/INTO-mA"
3. "Buried In Code"
4. "The Collective"
5. "Green & Glass"
6. "Gods In Decay"
7. "Give It Up Or Give It All"
8. "Ghosts In The Mist"
9. "Seeking Vengeance"
10. "Blood Empress"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: New Belgium Brewing Company (Colorado)
• Website: https://www.newbelgium.com/  / https://www.voodooranger.com/
• Brew: Voodoo Ranger Cashmerize IPA
• Style: India Pale Ale (IPA) 
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 7.5%
• IBUs: 26
• Ingredients: Cashmere hops
• Pour: The Voodoo Ranger Cashmerize IPA pours a lightly hazy, golden-yellow with a frothy, bright white, 2+ finger head with great retention and lots of sticky, intricate lacing.
• Nose: The nose is very fruity, floral, citrusy, and malty.  There are aromas of tangerine, pink grapefruit, lemon zest, light mango, pineapple, wildflowers, bitter herbs, and caramel/toffee.
• Taste: The taste of the Voodoo Ranger Cashmerize follows the nose with lots of punchy, hop-forward, citrusy flavors.  There are big notes of grapefruit and tangerine along with more subtle notes of mango, pineapple, black tea, pine, and caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied and moderately carbonated, the Voodoo Ranger Cashmerize IPA's mouthfeel is very crisp with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: Intense and bombastic power metal about self-actualized AI deserves a brew of equal intensity and flavor... thus the Voodoo Ranger Cashmerize IPA from the fine folks at New Belgium!  Those intense and complex citrus flavors are great for the fiery guitar work and the explosive drumming of Buchanan, while the complex fruit flavors go great with Slayes' amazingly power vocals!

Check out my interview with Brittney Slayes from 2021 here; https://youtu.be/V4xcWOWiMvY

Cheers!!  Hails!!

July 18th, 2024 - Ultimately, a Sublime Sin

 

Hey there rockers, rollers, metalheads, and hopheads!  The Meista here today rocking out to Ozzy Osbourne's killer "The Ultimate Sin" and a bold and punchy Sublime Kush from Roadhouse Brewing Company in collaboration with Odell Brewing Company!  Oh, hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Ozzy Osbourne
• Title: "The Ultimate Sin"
• Recorded: 1985 at Townhouse Studios and AIR Studios in London, England and at Studio Davout in Paris, France
• Release date: February 22nd, 1986 (4th studio album by Ozzy Osbourne)
• Record company: Epic / CBS Records
• Production: Ron Nevison
• Album cover art: Boris Vallejo
• Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals) with Randy Castillo (drums), Jake E. Lee (guitars), and Phil Soussan (bass)
• Additional musicians: Mike Moran (keyboards)
• Musical style: Hard rock, heavy metal, hair metal
• Sound: A bit poppier than most of Ozzy's work, "The Ultimate Sin" is still a very solid and rockin' album.  What really stands out on the album for me is Jake E. Lee's wonderful guitar acrobatics!
• Major themes: Sin, depression, isolation, the threat of nuclear war, destruction, foolishness, rock and roll/heavy metal, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "The Ultimate Sin"
2. "Secret Loser"
3. "Never Know Why"
4. "Thank God For The Bomb"
5. "Never"
6. "Lightning Strikes"
7. "Killer Of Giants"
8. "Fool Like You"
9. "Shot In The Dark"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Roadhouse Brewing Company (Jackson Hole, Wyoming) in collaboration with Odell Brewing Company (Fort Collins, Colorado)
• Website: http://roadhousebrewery.com/ and https://www.odellbrewing.com/
• Brew: Sublime Kush
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 7.0%
• Ingredients: HRC3, HRC4, Cascade, and Chinook hops
• Pour: The Sublime Kush pours a bright, slightly hazy golden-yellow with a foamy half-finger, bright white head with good retention and lots of sticky, intricate lacing
• Nose: The nose is fruity (citrus, stone, and tropical) and floral, yet dank with more subtle malt sweetness.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, lemon peel, tangerine, mango, pineapple, fresh raspberry, cannabis, pine resin, very light onion, black tea, and soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Sublime Kush is characterized by tropical fruit, citrus, berry, herbal, and malty flavors.  There are notes of grapefruit, lemon, tangerine, light mango, raspberry, cherry, herbal tea, pine, and light toffee/caramel. 
• Mouthfeel: Full to medium in body with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Sublime Kush is very crisp and juicy, yet somewhat thick and sticky with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The punchy and hoppy Sublime Kush from Roadhouse and Odell is a great beer for the heavy metal richness of Ozzy's "The Ultimate Sin"!  Those bold, dank, and citrusy flavors work really well with the wonderful musicianship of Ozzy and the band as well as with the great songwriting prowess!

Cheers and hails metal and hop heads!!

July 17th, 2024 - A Dead Guy Pushing Up the Dead Daisies

 

Hey there rockers, rollers, and beer lovers!  Your craft beer drinking rocker friend the Meista here with another great pairing for ya...a tasty Dead Guy Pilsner from Rogue Ales and the kick-ass "Best Of" double-album by The Dead Daisies!   Hell yeah!

Album Info: 

• Artist: The Dead Daisies
• Title: "Best Of"
• Recorded: 2013 through 2023 at various studios
• Release date: August 18th, 2023 (compilation album released by The Dead Daisies)
• Record company: SPV GmbH / Spitfire Music
• Production: The Dead Daisies
• Album cover art: Sebastien Rohde
• Personnel: Doug Aldrich (guitars), Deen Castronovo (drums and backing vocals), John Corabi (acoustic guitar and lead vocals), Richard Fortus (guitars), Glenn Hughes (bass and lead vocals), David Lowy (guitars), Marco Mendoza (bass and backing vocals), Dizzy Reed (keyboards and backing vocals), Jon Stevens (guitars and vocals), Brian Tichy (drums)
• Additional musicians: Vanessa Amorosi (backing vocals), Bernie Barlow (backing vocals), Jackie Barnes (drums, percussion, and backing vocals), Jimmy Barnes (backing vocals), Isaac Carpenter (drums), Dorian Crozier (drums), Vince DiCola (keyboards and orchestration), John Fields (bass, guitar, keyboards, percussion, and organ), Marti Frederiksen (keys, percussion, and backing vocals), Ben Grosse (keyboards and programming), Simon Hosford (bass, and electric and acoustic guitars), Suzie McNeil (backing vocals and harmonica), Kenny Meriedeth (orchestration), Johnny Salerno (drums), Kevin Savigar (keyboards), Slash (lead guitar on "Lock 'N' Load"),
• Musical style: Hard rock, blues rock, rock and roll
• Sound: 20 tracks of straight-forward, no bullshit, '70 style hard rockin' wizardry, this album truly is some of The Dead Daisies best performances! 
• Major themes: Freedom, love, loss, life, relationships, journeys, rebellion, etc. 
• Tracks: 

1. "Miles In Front Of Me"
2. "Lock 'N' Load"
3. "Face I Love"
4. "Mexico"
5. "Midnight Moses" (Sensational Alex Harvey Band cover)
6. "With You & I"
7. "Something I Said"
8. "Fortunate Son" (Creedance Clearwater Revival cover)
9. "Long Way To Go"
10. "Song And A Prayer"
11. "Make Some Noise"
12. "Resurrected"
13. "Rise Up"
14. "Holy Ground"
15. "Unspoken"
16. "Bustle And Flow"
17. "Hypnotize Yourself"
18. "Born To Fly"
19. "The Healer" (previously unreleased track)
20. "Let It Set You Free" (previously unreleased track)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Rogue Ales (Newport, Oregon)
• Website: http://www.rogue.com/
• Brew: Dead Guy Pilsner
• Style: German-style Pilsner
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 34
• Pour: The Dead Guy Pilsner pours a pale, golden yellow hue with a bright white, billowy, 2-finger head with great retention and sticky, intricate lacing.  
• Nose: The nose is grainy, malty, grassy, and slightly fruity.  There are aromas of grassy and floral hops, freshly cut hay, Pilsner malt, light pear, and a hint of caramel.
• Taste: The flavor of the Dead Guy follows the nose with grainy, grassy, and malty elements.  There are notes of light caramel, and grassy and floral hops with subtle bitterness.
• Mouthfeel: Light-bodied, the mouthfeel is very crisp, refreshing, and smooth, and well carbonated. There's a nice dry and slightly bitter finish as well. 

Overall pairing: The "Best Of" by The Dead Daisies is fantastic collection of select tracks spanning their career!  An album like this deserves a solid, crushable, classic beer.  I feel the Dead Guy Pilsner from the fine folks at Rogue Ales definitely fits the bill!  'Nuff said! 

Cheers!!  Rock on!! 

July 15th, 2024 - "The Force Within": An Interview with Musician Nick Z Marino

 

Hey there metal maniacs!  Your heavy metal beer drinking pal the Meista here today with another great interview for you!  This one is with the very talented and friendly Nick Zeljko Marinovich aka Nick Z Marino, keyboardist and lead vocalist of NZM and keyboardist for Yngwie Malmsteen!  We chatted about Nick's band NZM, their new "The Best Of NZM" album, Nick's work with Yngwie Malmsteen and Generation Axe, his history as a musician, and more!  Here's a link to that video interview: https://youtu.be/iQ7OD3OueRs

Enjoy!!

Make sure to check out NZM here:

• https://www.nickzmarino1.com/home
• https://www.nzmband.com/home
• https://www.facebook.com/nzmband

Cheers and hails!!

*Photo of Nick by Michael Polissky

**Special thanks to Benjamin Niebla II of Online Metal Promo PR 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)