February 19th, 2016 - The Calling Of The Mastodon

Good afternoon and happy Friday! Your hard rockin' drinkin' pal the Meista here today pairing Mastodon's early compilation album "The Call Of The Mastodon" and The Calling IPA from Boulevard Brewing Company for ya!

Album Info:

• Artist: Mastodon
• Title: "The Call Of The Mastodon"
• Recorded: LedBelly Sound Studio
• Release date: February 7th, 2006 (3rd studio album by Mastodon*)
• Record company: Relapse Records
• Production: Matt Washburn
• Album cover art: Paul Romano
• Personnel: Brann Dailor (drums), Brent Hinds (guitar and vocals), Bill Kelliher (guitar and backing vocals), and Troy Sanders (bass and vocals)
• Musical style: Progressive metal and sludge metal with elements of death metal and punk
• Sound: Combining the sludgy hardcore sound of the Melvins with progressive '70s rock, Mastodon's sound on "The Call Of The Mastodon" is an aggressive and progressive explosion of crunchy guitars, chaotic drums, and angry growls and screams!
• Major themes: War, violence, aggression, power, mythology, folklore, monsters, etc.
• Notes: "The Call Of The Mastodon" is a remastered collection of the band's first nine songs from their EP "Lifesblood" as well as 3 tracks from their 7" self-titled 2000 release and the bonus track, "Call of the Mastodon".  *Although a compilation album, the band considers it their third studio album.
• Tracks:   

1. "Shadows That Move"
2. "Welcoming War"
3. "Thank You For This"
4. "We Built This Come Death"
5. "Hail To Fire"
6. "Battle At Sea"
7. "Deep Sea Creature"
8. "Slickleg"
9. "Call Of The Mastodon"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Boulevard Brewing Company (Kansas City, Missouri)
• Website: www.boulevard.com
• Brew: The Calling IPA
• Style: Imperial India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 8.5%
• IBUs: 75
• Ingredients: Blend of 8 hop varieties, primarily featuring Mosaic, Equinox, Galaxy, and Amarillo.
• Pour: Hazy, light copper-amber hue with lots of bubbles and a thin, but sustained frothy white head that displays lots of sticky lacing throughout.
• Nose: A big blast of fruity hops with significant tropical notes, dank and earthy notes, and minimal malts.  There are aromas of mango, pineapple, orange, tangerine, lemon, pine resin, black tea, and hints of caramel/toffee.
• Taste: The taste of The Calling follows the nose.  You get some minimal dry, bready malts with a big blast of citrus and tropical fruit.  There are notes of mango, pineapple, freshly squeezed orange juice, tangerine, and pink grapefruit, lemon zest, pine, herbs, and hints of caramel and biscuit. 
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied , the mouthfeel sharp and hoppy, but also oily and slick with a crisp, dry, and hoppy finish.

Overall pairing: So I normally like to pair sludge metal with porters and stouts, but the aggressive, fast-paced brutality of Mastodon's "Call Of The Mastodon" called for something more hop-forward, biting, and bitter.... thus, The Calling IPA from Boulevard Brewing Company!  Along with the hoppy punch, the complexity of the brew is great for the bold, progressive, and intricate song structure found on the tracks of this album.  I highly recommend both the album and the brew!!

Cheers and hails!!