December 28th, 2024 - The Coffeenator Vs. the Evil Invaders

 

Good evening and hails headbangers and craft brew freaks!  The Meista here tonight rocking the hell out to "Evil Invaders," the killer sophomore album from Canadian thrash metal monsters Razor with a bold and flavorful The Coffeenator from my friends at Proper Brewing Company!!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Razor
• Title: "Evil Invaders"
• Recorded: July 1985 at Phase One Studios in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Release date: October 13th, 1985 (2nd studio album by Razor)
• Record company: Viper Records / Roadracer Records
• Production: Walter Zwol
• Album cover art: Gary Cooper (artwork) and Garnet Giesbrecht (art direction and design)
• Personnel: Mike Campagnolo (bass), Dave Carlo (guitars), Michael (aka M-bro) Embro (drums), Stace "Sheepdog" McLaren (vocals)
• Musical style: Thrash metal, speed metal
• Sound: Featuring the fiery riffing Carlo is known for along with Campagnolo's thunderous bass, Sheepdog's raw and aggressive vocals, and M-bro completely destroying the skins, the sound on "Evil Invaders" is pure Razor... unadulterated thrashing insanity!!
• Major themes: Thrash metal, violence, death, society, chaos, rage, bitterness, destruction, power, death, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Nowhere Fast"
2. "Cross Me Fool"
3. "Legacy Of Doom"
4. "Evil Invaders"
5. "Iron Hammer"
6. "Instant Death"
7. "Cut Throat"
   
8. "Speed Merchants"
9. "Tortured Skull"
10. "Thrashdance"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Proper Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.properbrewingco.com/ 
• Brew: The Coffeenator
• Style: Doppelbock Lager / German-style Bock
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 8.0%
• IBUs: 20
• Ingredients: Coffee doppelbock lager aged in Rye barrels
• Pour: The Coffeenator pours an opaque, deep, dark mahogany brown color with a creamy, light mocha, half-finger head with great retention and soapy, sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is malty, rich, woody, slightly sweet, and boozy.  There are aromas of dark roasted coffee, oak, rye whiskey, and burnt toffee.
• Taste: The taste of The Coffeenator follows the nose with bold, malty, boozy, slightly fruity, and rich flavors.  There are notes of dark roasted coffee, hints of dark chocolate and cocoa, dark roasted coffee/espresso, hearty, dark-toasted bread, dark fruits (raisins and dates), sweet toffee/caramel, and rich rye whiskey.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of The Coffeenator is thick, chewy, and smooth with a dry, slightly boozy, and bittersweet finish.

Overall pairing: The Coffeenator's bold and boozy flavors and aromas are perfect for the hard-hitting, straight-forward, classic thrash metal punch that is Razor's ass-kicker "Evil Invaders"!  It's that bold and assertive flavor of the brew that works so well with the aggressive metal attack!  'Nuff Said!

And if you haven't done so already, please make sure to check out my interview from 2022 with Razor's drummer Rider Johnson here: https://youtu.be/YNqeI6eiZe4 

Hails!!