August 30th, 2022 - Tyranny And Mutant X

 

Hallo!  Your pal the Meista here today pairing a crisp and punchy Mutant X IPA from Oskar Blues Brewery and one of my all-time favorite hard rock albums, "Tyranny And Mutation" by the mighty Blue Öyster Cult (BÖC)!!  Hells yeah!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Blue Öyster Cult
• Title: "Tyranny And Mutation"
• Recorded: 1972 at Columbia Studios in New York City, New York 
• Release date: February 11th, 1973 (2nd studio album by BÖC)
• Record company: Columbia Records
• Production: Murray Krugman and Sandy Pearlman 
• Album cover art: Bill Gawlik
• Personnel: Eric Bloom (rhythm guitar, synthesizers, and vocals), Albert Bouchard (drums and vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass, keyboards, and vocals), Allen Lanier (keyboards and rhythm guitars), and Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitars and vocals)
• Musical style: Hard rock, heavy metal, progressive rock
• Sound: "Tyranny And Mutation" is a hard rockin' and wonderfully rich album with lots of great hooks, melodies, harmonies, and solos.  Every track is rock masterpiece... complex, darkly mysterious, engaging, and fun as hell! 
• Major themes: Subject matter on "" delves into the world of the occult, fantasy, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and science fiction with themes of violence, sex, lust, life, death, vengeance, evil, and abandonment.
• Tracks:  

1. "The Red & the Black"
2. "O.D.'d on Life Itself"
3. "Hot Rails To Hell"
4. "7 Screaming Diz-Busters"
5. "Baby Ice Dog"
6. "Wings Wetted Down"
7. "Teen Archer"
8. "Mistress of the Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl)"
9. "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll" (live CD bonus track)
10. "Buck's Boogie" (studio version CD bonus track)
11. "7 Screaming Diz-Busters" (live CD bonus track)
12. "O.D.'d on Life Itself" (live CD bonus track)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery (Lyons, Colorado)
• Website: https://www.oskarblues.com/
• Brew: Mutant X IPA 
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 7.1%
• Pour: The Mutant X pours a fairly clear, golden yellow orange with a frothy, bright white, 2-finger head with good retention and lots of sticky, sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is floral, citrusy, tropically fruity, zesty, floral, dank, and slightly sweet.  There are aromas of fresh oranges, tangerine, grapefruit rind and pith, lemon zest, pineapple, mango, wildflowers, honeysuckle, pine resin, herbal tea, pale malt, and soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Mutant X, like the nose, is citrusy, fruity, floral, herbal, and zesty.  There are notes of freshly squeezed orange juice, tangerine, pink grapefruit juice, mango, papaya, pineapple, guava, crackery biscuit, herbal tea, light pine, and soft caramel/toffee. 
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Mutant X is juicy, crisp, and smooth with a dry, slightly bitter, slightly sweet finish.

Overall pairing: One of the greatest rock albums of all time from one of the greatest hard rock bands of all time deserves nothing short of a kick-ass and refreshing brew!  Those wonderfully blended dank, sweet, and citrusy flavors and aromas of Oskar Blue's Mutant X IPA are perfect for the wholly original, complex, and brilliant tracks on "Tyranny And Mutation"!  'Nuff said!

Cheers and hails to BÖC!!