May 18th, 2018 - The Dark Elements Of The Nights Out

Hyvää päivää and happy Friday!  Your pal the Meista here today pairing the debut, self-title album by Finnish The Dark Element featuring and a Nights Out Belgian Style Stout from the Roha Brewing Project!

Album Info:

• Artist: The Dark Element
• Title: "The Dark Element"
• Recorded: 2017 at Alyson Avenue Studio in Sweden, YBC in Finland, Tico Tico Studio Finland, and Biotech Audio Solutions in Finland
• Release date: November 10th, 2017 (1st album by The Dark Element)
• Record company: Frontiers Records
• Production: Jani Liimatainen and Serafino Perugino
• Album cover art: Nick Greenwood
• Personnel: Jani “Hurtsi” Hurula (drums), Jonas Kuhlberg (bass), Jani Liimatainen (guitar and keyboards), Anette Olzon (lead and backing vocals)
• Additional musicians: Petri Aho (backing vocals), Jarkko Lahti (piano), Niilo Sevanen (growls), and Anssi Stenberg (backing vocals)
• Musical style: Power metal, progressive metal, symphonic metal, power pop with elements of electronic/techno
• Sound: Combining the epic and soaring symphonic metal style of Nightwish with the power metal panache of Sonata Arctica, The Dark Element is fast-paced, melodic, and very catchy poppy metal!  Olzon's vocals are as amazing and beautiful as ever!  Liimatainen's guitars soar and the band is tight!  They remind me a bit of Delain.  Of the album, Liimatainen stated: "I have always been a big fan of Anette's voice and when the opportunity to work with her arose, writing and producing an album, it was something I just couldn't say no! It has been a blast working on the songs and I can't wait for everyone to hear the final result. This will be epic! The songs are extremely melodic and to the point. My goal has been to write catchy songs with hooks that will haunt your dreams, and I think it's pretty much 'mission accomplished'. Stay tuned for something special."
• Major themes: Love, desire, loss, pain, solitude, revenge, ire, relationships, death, etc. 
• Tracks:   

1. "The Dark Element"
2. "My Sweet Mystery"
3. "Last Good Day"
4. "Here's To You"
5. "Someone You Used To Know"
6. "Dead To Me"
7. "Halo"
8. "I Cannot Raise The Dead"
9. "The Ghost And The Reaper"
10. "Heaven Of Your Heart"
11. "Only One Knows Me"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Roha Brewing Project (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://rohabrewing.com/
• Brew: Nights Out Belgian Style Stout
• Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale / American Stout
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 8.7% 
• Pour: The Nights Out pours a dark mahogany with a thin, yet creamy dark mocha head that dissipates quickly leaving no lacing.
• Nose: The nose is robust, rich, roasty, malty, fruity, and spicy.  There are aromas of dark chocolate, soft banana, light cloves, maybe a hint of cinnamon, plum, black cherry, toffee, and a hint of booze.
• Taste: The taste of the Nights Out follows the nose with lots of chocolaty, roasty, fruity, spicy, sweet flavors.  There are big notes of dark chocolate, chocolate truffles, soft banana, plum, cloves, nutmeg, molasses, dark roasted malt, and a hint of boozy rum.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with lower carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Nights Out is thick, velvety, chewy, and smooth with a slightly boozy and very dry finish.

Overall pairing: The Roha Nights Out Belgian Style Stout is delicious, bold, rich and complex, yet very drinkable brew... perfect for the power metal/symphonic metal complexity and power of The Dark Element!  Those bold and rich chocolate notes go great with overall feel of the album, while the fruit ester and spices pair wonderful well with Olzon's amazing vocal arrangements!

Kippis!!  Hails!!