June 7th, 2025 - An Extroversa Detachment from Reality

 

Hey there headbangers and craft beer enthusiasts!  Happy Saturday!  The Meista here today rocking the hell out with a pairing of "Detachment From Reality", the phenomenal new album by progressive metal project Empyrean Sanctum and a tart and tasty Extroversa Fruited Quick Sour from the fine folks at Offset Bier Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Empyrean Sanctum
• Title: "Detachment From Reality"
• Recorded: 2013 through 2025
• Release date: April 18th, 2025 (2nd full length studio album by Empyrean Sanctum)
• Record company: Independent
• Production: Justin Kellerman
• Album cover art: Marcia Babler (artwork), Justin Kellerman (artwork), Diana Thoa Tran (artwork), and Imperfect Design (band logo)
• Personnel: Hannes Grossmann (drums), Justin Kellerman (guitars, orchestration, programing, and backing vocals), Albert Rybka (lead vocals), and Alex Weber (bass)
• Guest musicians: Jennifer Benson (backing vocals on "Age Of Innocence", "A Genuine Empathy", and "Elation"), Zach Libbe (harsh vocals on "Heart Of Gold" and "A Genuine Empathy"), Per Nilsson (guitar solo on "Age Of Innocence"), and Gabriel Riccio (vocals on "Lifeless Death")
• Musical style: Progressive metal with elements of power metal, traditional metal, and thrash metal
• Sound: Complex, powerful, cinematic, and emotive, the sound on "Detachment From Reality" is a wonderful blend of intricate and thought-provoking progress metal and more straight forward intensity!  The interplay between Kellerman's flawless guitar riffs and solos, and Rybka's soaring vocals alone make this project worth its weight in gold!  But then add the powerhouse talents of Grossmann and Weber along with the guest musicians, and you have yourself a breathtakingly profound, dynamic, sonic metal experience!  Go buy this incredible album right freakin' now!   https://empyreansanctum.bandcamp.com/album/detachment-from-reality
• Major themes: Life, human emotions, personal struggles, self-preservation, reality, states of mind, isolation, pain, introspection, growth, knowledge, hope, etc. 
• Tracks:  

1. "Heart Of Gold" 
2. "Descent"
3. "Transparency"
4. "Detachment From Reality"
5. "Age Of Innocence"
6. "A Genuine Empathy"
7. "Lifeless Death"
8. "Refinement"
9. "Elation"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Offset Bier Company (Park City, Utah)
• Website: https://offsetbier.com/
• Brew: Extroversa Fruited Quick Sour
• Style: Sour Ale / Fruited Beer
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0 
• Ingredients: Sour ale brewed with mango, pineapple, passion fruit, and guava
• Pour: The Extroversa pours a very cloudy, bright orange hue with a very thin, bright white head that dissipates very quickly leaving only trace lacing. 
• Nose: Fruit forward, the nose is very tropical, citrusy, sweet, and sour.  There are aromas of mango, pineapple, guava, passion fruit, lime zest and juice, lemon zest, kiwi, a hint of oak, and a hint of honey.
• Taste: The taste is like the nose: fruity, tart, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of bright mango, pineapple, guava, sour apple, lime juice, lemon juice, agua fresca, light cereal grains, and light honey.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Extroversa is very crisp, juicy, and tart, yet smooth with a slightly sweet finish.

Overall pairing: With the of Empyrean Sanctum, you need a brew that has complexity and big flavor along with refreshing drinkability!  Thus, the Extroversa rom Offset Bier Company!  The bright, fruity, intricate flavors of the brew make it a great complimentary beverage to the powerful, mesmerizing, yet inviting tracks of the wonderful "Detachment From Reality"!  'Nuff said!

Make sure to check out my interview with Justin Kellerman, the mastermind behind Empyrean Sanctum here: https://youtu.be/cTWOr6-wZI8

Cheers and hails!!