August 2nd, 2025 - An Aspiral Helix

 

Hello and happy Saturday metalheads and craft beer fans!  The Meista here with another great pairing for ya... a deliciously crisp and crushable Helix Pilsner from Equilibrium Brewing Company and Epica's most recent album, the fantastic "Aspiral"!!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Epica
• Title: "Aspiral" 
• Recorded: 2024 through early 2025 at Sandlane Recording Facilites in Rijen, the Netherlands
• Release date: April 11th, 2025 (9th studio album by Epica)
• Record company: Nuclear Blast
• Production: Joost van den Broek
• Album cover art: Hedi Xandt
• Personnel: Isaac Delahaye (lead guitars and backing vocals), Mark Jansen (rhythm guitars, orchestration, and growling vocals), Coen Janssen (keyboards, piano, and orchestration), Simone Simons (lead and backing vocals), Rob van der Loo (bass), and Ariën van Weesenbeek (drums, spoken word, and additional growling vocals) 
• Guest musicians: Marcela Bovio (backing vocals), Linda Janssen (backing vocals), and Marjan Welman (backing vocals)
• Musical style: Symphonic metal, gothic metal, progressive metal
• Sound: Bombastic, uplifting, symphonic, theatrical, cinematic... the sound on Epica's wonderful "Aspiral" is a powerful and stunning musical journey!  It blends beautiful orchestral movements with massive metal intensity... and of course Simone Simons' profoundly beautiful and amazing vocals! 
• Major themes: Themes on the album include introspection, wanderlust, seeking knowledge, life, healing, truth, time, etc. 
• Tracks: 

1. "Cross The Divide"
2. "Arcana"
3. "Darkness Dies In Light - A New Age Dawns Part VII"
4. "Obsidian Heart"
5. "Fight To Survive - The Overview Effect"
6. "Metanoia - A New Age Dawns Part VIII"
7. "T.I.M.E."
8. "Apparition"
9. "Eye Of The Storm"
10. "The Grand Saga Of Existence - A New Age Dawns Part IX"
11. "Aspiral"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Equilibrium Brewing Company (Middletown, New York)
• Website: https://www.eqbrew.com/
• Brew: Helix Pilsner
• Style: German-style Pilsner
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Pour: The Helix pours a translucent golden yellow with a thin, bright white head that dissipate quickly, leaving only a trace of lacing.
• Nose: The nose is a characterized by malty, grainy, light floral hops, freshly cut hay, and lightly fruity aromas.  There are aromas of toasted white bread,.
• Taste: Well-balanced, the Helix is a nice blend of bready, grainy, malty, and grassy flavors.  There are notes of bready malts, toasted bread crust, crackery biscuit, and grassy hops.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied and well carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp and smooth with a crisp, clean finish.

Overall pairing: The Helix Pilsner from Equilibrium Brewing Company is a bright, tasty, crisp, and inviting brew... a perfect foil for the heaviness, complexities, intricacies, and beauty of  Epica!  The flavors and aromas of this tasty brew blend wonderfully well with Simone's beautiful and soaring vocal prowess, the explosive guitars, soaring keyboards, and thunderous bombast of the bass and drums, as well as the amazing choir and orchestra!  'Nuff said!

Proost!!  And hails!!