July 18th, 2014 - March Of The Saint And Sin-Tax

Good afternoon!  The Meista here with another rockin' pairing for ya my friends!  Today I'm going with Armored Saint's "March Of The Saint" and a Sin-Tax Imperial Stout from Mother Earth Brewing Company from Vista, California!  This one goes out to Mike Riedel... cheers buddy!!

Released on October 9th, 1984, "March Of The Saint" is the debut album by Los Angeles heavy metal band Armored Saint.  Drummer Gonzo Sandoval came up with the name of the band after getting stoned with his band mates and viewing the epic King Arthur film Excalibur.  Along with Sandoval on drums, the band at the time was made up of vocalist John Bush (who later sang for Anthrax), Dave Prichard on guitars, Phil Sandoval on guitars, and Joey Vera on bass.  (Vera is also the bass player for prog metal band Fates Warning.)   Heavily influenced by the NWOBHM sound and the emerging Southern California thrash movement, Armored Saint's sound reminds me of early Anthrax, Diamond Head, and Tygers Of Pan Tang.  Their music is both wonderfully melodic and aggressive.  Marked by driving guitars, thunderous bass, pounding drums, and Bush's powerful vocal range, "March Of The Saint" is a brilliantly powerful and very underrated metal album.  Each song is a perfect gem of metal goodness!  Here's the full track list:

1. "March of the Saint"
2. "Can U Deliver"
3. "Mad House"
4. "Take a Turn"
5. "Seducer"
6. "Mutiny on the World"
7. "Glory Hunter"
8. "Stricken by Fate"
9. "Envy"
10. "False Alarm"

So I ran into my friend Mike last night at the Beer Hive.  Mike writes the excellent Utah Beer Blog (http://utahbeer.blogspot.com/).  (His blog inspired me to start up this page actually!)  Anyway, he said, "Do you want to try something really good?  Check out the Mother Earth stout.  It tastes like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.. just not as sweet!"  Wow... sounds good to me!  A gold medal winner, the Sin-Tax Imperial Stout from Mother Earth Brewing Company is a delectable and decadently robust stout.  It pours an opaque black with Coca-Cola amber on the edges of the glass.  The tan head is thick and creamy and leaves a nice ring lacing.  The nose is earthy, nutty, and chocolaty.  BIG aromas of peanut butter, dark chocolate, and roasted dark malts abound along with more subtle aromas of vanilla bean and coffee.  Full-bodied with lower carbonation, the mouthfeel is silky smooth, chunky, and thick.. and very dry.   The flavor is a complex and wonderful blend of chocolate and peanut butter.  There are huge notes of roasted malts, cocoa, peanut, vanilla, and coffee.  The 8.10% ABV is well hidden with only a hint of bourbon booziness in the finish.  The Sin-Tax Imperial Stout from Mother Earth Brewing Company may very well be my new favorite brew... and it goes great with the powerful music of Armored Saint!!  Learn more about the Sin-Tax Imperial Stout at http://www.motherearthbrewco.com/on-tap/dont-make-it-weird! 

Cheers and hails!!