October 20th, 2019 - A Series of Singularities In The Solace System

Good afternoon!  The Meista here today pairing A Series of Singularities: Enigma from SaltFire Brewing Company and Epica's fantastic "The Solace System" EP, which consists of tracks that were originally going to be featured on the band's seventh album "The Holographic Principle"!

Album Info:

• Artist: Epica
• Title: "The Solace System" EP
• Recorded: 2016 at Sandlane Recording Facilities in Rijen, Netherlands
• Release date: September 1st, 2017 (1st EP by Epica)
• Record company: Nuclear Blast
• Production: Joost van den Broek and Epica
• Album cover art: Stefan Heilemann
• Personnel: Isaac Delahaye (lead guitar, mandolin, balalaika, bouzouki, ukulele, orchestral toms, djembé, congas, bar chimes, tambourine, and triangle), Mark Jansen (rhythm guitar and growling vocals), Coen Janssen (keyboards, synthesizer, piano, glockenspiel, xylophone, tubular bells, orchestral toms, gran casa, djembé, congas, finger cymbals, tambourine, and additional samples and effects), Simone Simons (lead and backing vocals), Rob van der Loo (bass), and Ariën van Weesenbeek (drums, additional grunts, orchestral snare drum, orchestral toms, timbales, congas, bongos (solo), and cymbal a deux)
• Additional musicians: Floortje Beljon (violin), Marcela Bovio (backing vocals), Marnix Coster (trumpet), Thijs Dapper (oboe and oboe d'amore), Marieke De Bruijn (violin), Ian De Jong (violin), Lennart De Winter (trombone), Loes Dooren (violin), Frank Goossens (viola), Jeroen Goossens (flute, piccolo, and bassoon), Linda Janssen (backing vocals), Paul Langerman (trombone), Eilidh Martin (cello), Ben Mathot (violin), Mark Mulder (viola), Kamerkoor Pa'Dam (choir), Jack Pisters (sitar), Sabine Poiesz (violin), Alex Thyssen (French horn), Vera Van Der Bie (violin), René Van Munster (cello), Jurgen Van Nijnatten (trumpet), Henk Veldt (French horn), and Geneviève Verhage (cello)
• Musical style: Symphonic metal, gothic metal, progressive metal
• Sound: Bombastic, symphonic, theatrical, cinematic... the sound on Epica's wonderful "The Solace System" EP follows the sound from their 7th album, "The Holographic Principle"; it is HUGE!  Delahaye's string work is utterly jaw-dropping!  van der Loo and van Weesenbeek bring down the hammer as a monster rhythm section!   Janssen's keys soar!  Jansen's vocals are aggressive, brutal, and powerful!  And Simons' vocal performance may be her best yet... simply beautiful!!
• Major themes: Virtual reality, states of being, self-acceptance, layers of truth, isolation, searching for the meaning of life, hope, honesty, seeking knowledge, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "The Solace System"
2. "Fight Your Demons"
3. "Architect Of Light"
4. "Wheel Of Destiny"
5. "Immortal Melancholy"
6. "Decoded Poetry"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: SaltFire Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://www.saltfirebrewing.com/
• Brew: A Series of Singularities: Enigma 
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 7.3%
• Ingredients:
• Pour: The A Series of Singularities pours a very cloudy golden-orange hue with a frothy, 1-finger, bright white head that dissipates to a thin ring that leaves behind thick, sticky lacing.
• Nose: The nose is .  There are aromas of .
• Taste: The taste of the is characterized by flavors of .  There are notes .
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately-carbonated, the mouthfeel of the is with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The A Series of Singularities from SaltFire Brewing is a tasty, punchy, very complex, yet inviting brew... perfect for the complexities, intricacies, and beauty of the brilliant "The Solace System" by Epica!  The flavors and aromas of this tasty brew blend wonderfully well with the soaring vocals, soaring guitars, soaring keyboards, and thunderous bombast of the bass and drums!

Cheers!!  And hails!!