May 12th, 2018 - A Mosaic Apocalypse... Again

Good afternoon rockers and hopheads!  The Meista here with a pairing of an album suggested by one of our readers: "Apocalypse Again" by Finnish power metal band Thunderstone!  I'm pairing this rockin' album with a Mosaic Pale Ale from Kiitos Brewing Company!  Cheers and thanks for the great suggestion Shannon!

Album Info:

• Artist: Thunderstone
• Title: "Apocalypse Again"
• Recorded: 2016 at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki, Finland
• Release date: April 1st, 2016 (6th studio album by Thunderstone)
• Record company: AFM Records
• Production: Nino Laurenne
• Album cover art: Thomas Ewerhard 
• Personnel: Titus Hjelm (bass and backing vocals), Jukka Karinen (keyboards), Nino Laurenne (guitar and backing vocals), Atte Palokangas (drums), and Pasi Rantanen (lead vocals)
• Additional musicians: Netta Dahlberg (backing vocals), Jonathan Hutchings (narrator), and Timo Oiva (backing vocals), 
• Musical style: Power metal, melodic metal, progressive metal
• Sound: Reminiscient of such acts as Edguy, Gamma Ray, Hammerfall, Helloween, and Tobias Sammet's Avantasia, with "Apocalypse Again" lays down 9 heavy duty wonderful tracks in the European power metal tradition!  The guitars soar, the drums and bass thunder through the speakers, the keys are magical, and Rantanen's vocals fit perfectly with the style!
• Major themes: Power, might, aggression, perseverance, destruction, hope, freedom, etc. 
• Tracks:   

1. "Veterans Of the Apocalypse"
2. "The Path"
3. "Fire And Ice"
4. "Through The Pain"
5. "Walk Away Free"
6. "Higher"
7. "Wounds"
8. "Days Of Our Lives"
9. "Barren Land"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Kiitos Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://kiitosbrewing.com/
• Brew: Mosaic Pale Ale
• Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
• Serving: 16 ounce pint off the tap
• ABV: 4.0% 
• IBUs: 48
• Pour: The Mosaic Pale Ale pours a very cloudy, bright orange-amber with a creamy, 2+finger white head with great retention and lots of soapy lacing throughout.
• Nose: The nose is earthy, dank, fruity, and slightly sweet.  There are aromas of pine resin, grapefruit rind, tangerine, orange zest, flowery soap, crackery malt, and light caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Mosaic Pale Ale is fruity, citrusy, earthy, dank and malty.  There are notes of grapefruit juice and rind, tangerine, mango, light melon, pine, light onion, floral hops, and light caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Mosaic Pale Ale is crisp, sharp, and piney with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The hop-forward, very refreshing, and crushability of the Kiitos Mosaic Pale Ale is perfect for the straight-forward, power metal might of Thunderstone's very entertaining and engaging "Apocalypse Again"!

Kippis!!  HAILS!!