February 13th, 2015 - Sleeping With Upheaval

Hails!!  The Meista here thrashing with Vindicator's "Sleeping With Evil" (EP) and an Upheaval IPA from Widmer Brothers Brewing Company!  This pairing goes out to my metal brotha Vlad Nowajczyk... na zdrowie buddy!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Vindicator
• Title: "Sleeping With Evil" (EP)
• Recorded: Recorded live at Warriors of Metal Fest V, June 30th, 2012
• Release date: January 29th, 2014
• Record company: Stormspell Records
• Personnel: James J. LaRue (lead guitar),  Ed Stephens (bass), Jesse Stown (drums), and Vic Stown (lead vocals and rhythm guitar)
• Album cover art: Yannick Bouchard
• Musical style: Thrash metal/speed metal
• Sound: Fast, furious, and unapologetic in-your-face thrash metal!  The guitar work of LaRue and Stown is explosive, fiery, and perfectly balanced by Stephens' thunderous bass work, and Stown's rapid-fire machine guns and stampeding bull drumming!
• Major themes: Violence, destruction, war, aggression, injustice, etc.
• Tracks:

1. "The Succubus"
2. "Sleeping With Evil"
3. "Hockey Stick Vengeance"
4. "New Clear Assault: End of an Error"
5. "Destruction of Justice"
6. "Rampage" (demo)
7. "Vindicator" (live)

  Brew Info:

• Brewery: Widmer Brothers Brewing Company (Portland, Oregon)
• Website: http://widmerbrothers.com/
• Brew: Upheaval IPA
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 7%
• IBUs: 85
• Gravity: 16 Plato
• Ingredients: 2-Row Pale, Wheat, Caramel malts and Alchemy, Brewer's Gold, Chinook, Nelson Sauvin, Simcoe, and Willamette hops
• Pour: Hazy golden-amber with a bright white, 1 and half finger, frothy head that shows good retention and intricate spider web lacing.
• Nose: A nice blend of bready malts and piney/citrus hops. There are big aromas of pine resin, cedar, grapefruit rind, and light caramel.
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste of the Upheaval IPA is a blend of piney/citrusy hops and lighter, sweet malts.  There are notes of grapefruit, orange, lemon, a touch of pineapple, pine, spruce, Smarties, herbal tea, and more subtle bready malt flavors.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with good carbonation, the mouthfeel is crisp, distinct, and refreshing with a dry, somewhat astringent finish.

Overall pairing: The aggressive, hop-forward bite of the Upheaval IPA is the perfect brew for the brutal thrash metal power that is Vindicator!! 

Cheers and hails!!