March 3rd, 2023 - Making Full Contact With The Spectre Within

 

Good afternoon and happy Friday!  The Meista here getting the weekend off to a rocking start with a pairing of "The Spectre Within", the wonderful sophomore album by progressive metal band Fates Warning and a tasty and bold Full Contact Imperial Hazy IPA from Elysian Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Fates Warning
• Title: "The Spectre Within"
• Recorded: 1985 at El Dorado Recording Studios in Burbank, California
  Release date: October 15th, 1985 (2nd full-length studio album by Fates Warning)
• Record company: Metal Blade Records 
• Production: Brian Slagel and Fates Warning
• Album cover art: Ioannis
• Personnel: John Arch (vocals), Victor Arduini (guitars), Joe DiBiase (bass), Jim Matheos (guitars), and Steve Zimmerman (drums)
• Guest musician: Jim Archambault (keyboards) 
• Musical style: Heavy metal, progressive metal, power metal
• Sound: Lyrically and musically the album is very atmospheric, dark, and purposeful. Vocally, John Arch lays down some of the best tenor range appended with a well-developed head voice that you will ever have the privilege of hearing.  Combine that with face melting, driving guitar acrobatics by Arduini and Matheos, a bombastic and thunderous rhythmic backbone by DiBiase and Zimmerman, and soaring and ethereal keys by Jim Arch and you've got yourself the beautifully heavy and inspiring sound that can only be Fates Warning!  Every song on this album is progressive/power metal perfection!  
• Major themes: the passage of time, magic, freedom, life and death, fear, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Traveler In Time"
2. "Orphan Gypsy"
3. "Without A Trace"
4. "Pirates Of The Underground"
5. "The Apparition"
6. "Kyrie Eleison"
7. "Epitaph"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Elysian Brewing Company (Seattle, Washington)
• Website: http://www.elysianbrewing.com/ 
• Brew: Full Contact Imperial Hazy IPA  
• Style: Imperial India Pale Ale (IIPA) / Double IPA (DIPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 8.8%
• IBUs: 60
• Ingredients: Centennial, Simcoe, and Strata hops; 2-Row malt, Malted Wheat, and Unmalted Wheat
• Pour: The Full Contact Imperial Hazy IPA pours a hazy copper-amber hue.  The head is a thick and creamy, 1+ finger, light beige with good retention and intricate lacing.
• Nose: The nose is tropical, citrusy, floral, and sweet.  There are aromas of peach, apricot, pineapple, tangerine, mango, vanilla bean, herbal tea, and soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Full Contact Imperial Hazy IPA follows the nose with lots of tropical fruit, citrus, and malt flavors.  There are notes of tangerine, peach, pineapple, mango, grapefruit, biscuity cracker, cream soda, a hint of pine, and sweet caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Full Contact Imperial Hazy IPA is juicy, crisp, yet malty with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing:  The "The Spectre Within" by the mighty Fates Warning is an intense and powerful sonic journey; the Elysian Brewing Dayglow IPA is a tasty and complex brew.  Together they make for a fantastic evening of complexity and deliciousness!  'Nuff said!

Cheers and hails!!