May 18th, 2019 - The West Swell Deluge

Good evening metal maniacs and artisan brew fans!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here tonight with another pairing for ya: "The Deluge" by legendary metal act Manilla Road and a West Swell Juicy India Pale Ale from Telegraph Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Manilla Road
• Title: "The Deluge"
• Recorded: 1986 at Miller Cave Recording Studios in North Newton, Kansas
• Release date: February 25th, 1986 (5th studio album by Manilla Road)
• Record company: Black Dragon Records
• Production: Manilla Road, Max Merhoff, Jay Merhoff, Rick Fisher, and Sherry Avett
• Album cover art: Eric Larnoy
• Personnel: Randy Foxe (drums, percussion, and backing vocals), Scott Park (bass guitar), and Mark "The Shark" Shelton (vocals and guitars)
• Guest musician: Mike Metz ("Engulfed Cathedral")
• Musical style: Heavy metal, power metal
• Sound: With influence from the NWOBHM, Black Sabbath, and a sprinkling of thrash metal, the sound on "The Deluge" is by far the heaviest and most metal album by Manilla Road at that point in their history!     
• Major themes: Death, the sea, power, mythology, fantasy, history, evil, witchcraft, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Dementia"
2. "Shadow In The Black"
3. "Divine Victim"
4. "Hammer Of The Witches"
5. "Morbid Tabernacle"
6. "Isle Of The Dead"
7. "Taken By Storm"
8. "The Deluge"
•  i. "Eyes Of The Sea"
• ii. "The Drowned Lands"
• iii. "Engulfed Cathedral"
9. "Friction In Mass"
10. "Rest In Pieces"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Telegraph Brewing Company (Santa Barbara, California)
• Website: https://telegraphbrewing.com/
• Brew: West Swell Juicy India Pale Ale
• Style: New England Style India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 6.7%
• Pour: The West Swell pours a rather hazy caramel-amber hue with a rocky, off-white 1+ finger head with great retention and lots of sticky, soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is fruity, tropical, earthy, floral, and malty.  There are aromas of pine resin, grapefruit rind, orange, tangerine, herbs, straw, crackery biscuit, and soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the West Swell follows the nose with lots of citrus, tropical fruit, herbal, and malty flavors.  There are notes of orange juice, tangerine, pink grapefruit, pine, black tea, fresh bread, and toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the West Swell is crisp, juicy, and fairly smooth with dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: Telegraph's West Swell Juicy India Pale Ale is a punchy, complex, juicy, and tasty brew... perfect for the metal might of Manilla Road's brilliant and very underrated "The Deluge"!  Those sweeter tropical fruit notes are perfect for the vocals, guitar, and bass tones and textures while the more aggressive bitter notes are great for Foxe's powerhouse drumming!

    

Cheers and hails!!