August 17th, 2017 - I Will Just Drink My Luponic Distortion As The Palace Burns

Good evening headbangers and hop lovers!  The Meista here with a pairing in anticipation and celebration of tomorrow night's Lamb Of God and Behemoth concert here in Utah!  Hells yeah!!  Tonight I'm pairing Lamb Of God's "As The Palace Burns" with a Luponic Distortion: Revolution No. 006 from Firestone Walker Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Lamb Of God
• Title: "As The Palace Burns"
• Recorded: 2002 at Montana, Inc. in Richmond, Virginia
• Release date: May 6th, 2003 (2nd studio album by Lamb Of God)
• Record company: Prosthetic Records / Black Market Activities
• Production: Devin Townsend and Lamb of God
• Album cover art: K3N
• Personnel: Chris Adler (drums and percussion), Willie Adler (rhythm guitar), Randy Blythe (vocals), John Campbell (bass), and Mark Morton (lead guitar)
• Additional musicians: Steve Austin (vocals on "11th Hour), Chris Poland (guitar on "Purified"), and Devin Townsend (guitar on "A Devil in God's Country")
• Musical style: Groove metal, thrash metal, death metal
• Sound: Incredibly aggressive with a wonderful and powerful groove throughout, Lamb Of God's sound on "As The Palace Burns" is the definitive groove/death metal of the early 2000s!  This is seminal, this is raw, this is precision, this is Lamb Of God!!
• Major themes: With both personal and socio-politically critical, themes on "As The Palace Burns" include hatred, anger, aggression, pain,  mediocrity, thinking for one's self, the pursuit of knowledge, death, war, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Ruin"
2. "As The Palace Burns"
3. "Purified"
4. "11th Hour"
5. "For Your Malice"
6. "Boot Scraper"
7. "A Devil In God's Country"
8. "In Defense Of Our Good Name"
9. "Blood Junkie"
10. "Vigil"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Company (Paso Robles, California)
• Website: http://www.firestonebeer.com/
• Brew: Luponic Distortion: Revolution No. 006
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 5.9% 
• IBUs: 50
• Ingredients: 7 varieties of Michigan-grown, Northwest hops
• Pour: The Luponic Distortion pours a clear, golden hue with a 1-finger, bright white head that dissipates to a thin ring, but leaves lots of chunky and soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is a blend of citrusy fruit, earth pine, herbs, and light bready malt.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, tangerine, pine resin, cedar, bitter herbs, light spices, and baked bread.
• Taste: The taste of the Luponic Distortion is earthy, herbal, citrusy, and lightly malty.  There are notes of pink grapefruit juice and rind, pine, hints of mango and pineapple, bitter herbs, light pepper, and crisp crackery biscuit.
• Mouthfeel: Light-medium in body and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is very crisp and very hoppy with a clean, dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The punchy, hop-forward flavors of Firestone Walker's tasty Luponic Distortion: Revolution No. 006 is a great beer for a warm August night and definitely a great brew to pair with the intensity and aggressive brilliance of Lamb Of God's pivotal album, "As The Palace Burns"!

Cheers and hails!!