March 29th, 2025 - Beowulf Vs. the Blizzard Wizard

 

Hey there craft brew and heavy rock fans!  Happy Saturday!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here today pairing the brilliant 4th album "Beowulf" that marked the return of the amazing Texas / Oklahoma progressive rock band Pangaea and a tasty and hoppy Blizzard Wizard Hazy Pale Ale from Proper Brewing Company!  Oh yeah!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Pangaea
• Title: "Beowulf"
• Recorded: July through August 2022 at Soundtek Studios in Campbell, California
• Release date: 2024 (4th studio album by Pangaea)
• Record company: Hargadein Music Group Records / Musea Records
• Production: Robert Berry
• Album cover art: Rainer Kalwitz (artwork) and Mattias Norén (band logo)
• Personnel: Darrell Masingale (lead guitars and backing vocals), Steve Osborn (lead vocals and rhythm guitars), Ron Poulson (bass and backing vocals), Andi Schenck (drums and percussion), and Corey Schenck (keyboards and guitars, and backing vocals)
• Musical style: Progressive rock with elements of classic rock, classical music, heavy metal, Americana, country, and world music
• Sound: Building off their approach to song structure and execution from the original first three excellent albums, with "Beowulf", Pangaea returned to the music industry with an inspirational and richly textured collection of sonic gems!  As with their other albums, there are elements of their music that reminds me a little of Marillion, Rush, Spock's Beard, and Yes, while other elements remind me of Blue Oyster Cult, Journey, and Styx.  However, it is original and unique.  It is also very passionate, uplifting, emotive, and honest... an absolute joy to hear! 
• Major themes: Life and death, humanity, contemplation, introspection, solitude, fantasy, mythology, knowledge, loss, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Necromancer"
• i. "Home"
• ii. "The Threshold"
• iii. "The Return Home"
• iv. "The Unknown"
2. "Show Me The Way"
3. "Masquerade"
4. "Wasape"
• i. "Vision Quest"
• ii. "The Awakening"
5. "Tomorrow Will Come"
6. "Without You"
7. 'A Month Of Sundays"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Proper Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.properbrewingco.com
• Brew: Blizzard Wizard Hazy Pale Ale 
• Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Pour: The Blizzard Wizard pours a slightly hazy golden-yellow with a 1+ finger, frothy and creamy, bright white head with good retention and lots of soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Blizzard Wizard is very floral, earthy, herbal, citrusy, malty, and slightly spicy.  There are aromas of light pine resin, wildflowers, grapefruit rind, tangerine, lime, lemon zest, light pineapple, toasted caramel, and a hint of white pepper. 
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste of the Blizzard Wizard is citrusy, herbal, earthy, and malty.  There are notes of grapefruit juice, tangerine, pine, flowery hops, biscuit, caramel/toffee, and a little pepper in the finish. 
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp and slightly bitter with a dry, fairly clean finish.

Overall pairing: The crisp, floral, punchy, hop-forward flavors of the Blizzard Wizard from the fine folks at Proper Brewing is perfect for the soaring, brilliant textures of Pangaea's music, while the citrusy elements make for a great companion to Osborn's amazing vocals and the overall progressive vibe!  And Kalwitz's stellar album cover art looks great with the beer label!

And make sure to check out my recent interview with Andi and Corey Schenk here: https://youtu.be/B6_ryAM0tNI

Cheers!!  Rock on!!