March 16th, 2018 - The Vengeful Spirit Falls

Hello and happy Friday my friends!  Let's get the weekend started off right with a pairing of the Vengeful Spirit IPA from Stone Brewing Company and "Vengeance Falls" by Trivium!

Album Info:

• Artist: Trivium
• Title: "Vengeance Falls"
• Recorded: February through March 2013 at DMD Productions in Austin, Texas
• Release date: October 10th, 2013 (6th studio album by Trivium)
• Record company: Roadrunner Records
• Production: David Draiman
• Album cover art: Brent Elliot White
• Personnel: Nick Augusto (drums and percussion), Cory Beaulieu (lead guitar and backing vocals), Paolo Gregoletto (bass guitar and backing vocals), and Matt Heafy (rhythm guitar and lead vocals)
• Musical style: Thrash metal, melodic metalcore, heavy metal
• Sound: Heavy, aggressive, but more melodic than previous albums, with "Vengeance Falls", Trivium further displays their talent for soaring riffs, blazing solos, and  (for better or worse) that they are taking the mantel of thrash metal from Metallica!
• Major themes: Strife, pain, power, aggression, destruction, war, violence, vengeance, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Brave This Storm"
2. "Vengeance Falls"
3. "Strife"
4. "No Way To Heal"
5. "To Believe"
6. "At The End Of This War"
7. "Through Blood And Dirt And Bone"
8. "Villainy Thrives"
9. "Incineration: The Broken World"
10. "Wake (The End Is Nigh)"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Stone Brewing Company (California)
• Website: http://www.stonebrewing.com/
• Brew: Vengeful Spirit IPA 
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 7.3% 
• IBUs: 57
• Ingredients: Herkules, Mosaic, Loral, and Mandarina Bavaria hops with pineapple and Mandarin oranges
• Pour: The Vengeful Spirit IPA pours a hazy bronze-orange with fine bubbles, a frothy, bright white 1+ finger head with good sustain, and lots of layered spider web lacing.
• Nose: The nose is fruity, earthy, hoppy, and sweet.  There are aromas of citrus (orange, tangerine, and grapefruit rind), tropical fruit (mango and pineapple), light pine resin, bready dough, and subtle sweet toffee.
• Taste: The taste of the Vengeful Spirit IPA is characterized by lots of citrus and tropical fruit, dank earthiness, and sweet malt.  There are notes of orange, pineapple, tangerine, pink grapefruit, melon, mango, light pine, and soft caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Vengeful Spirit IPA is crisp, citrusy, smooth, and slightly punchy with a mildly bitter and dry finish.

Overall pairing: The Vengeful Spirit IPA from Stone Brewing is a punchy, easy-drinking, yet complex and delicious brew... perfect for the metal onslaught that is Trivium's "Vengeance Falls"!

Cheers!!  Hails!!