More Maiden? Why yes, I think I will!! Good evening rockers and ale-lovers! Today I'm pairing Iron Maiden's "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" with a Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale from Boulevard Brewing Company out of Kansas City, Missouri! This pairing goes out to Stephanie, Jeff, and Brian, and my kids: Apostolos and Evie... all my metal brethren and co-rockers at the Maiden concert last summer!! Cheers gang!!
"Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" is the aptly titled 7th studio album by British metal gods Iron Maiden. It was released in 1988. After reading Orson Scott Card's novel Seventh Son, bassist and primary song writer, Steve Harris decided to base an album around the folklore of the seventh son of a seventh son. Of the album, Harris stated, "It was our seventh studio album and I didn't have a title for it or any ideas at all. Then I read the story of the seventh son, this mystical figure that was supposed to have all these paranormal gifts, like second sight and what have you, and it was more, at first, that it was just a good title for the seventh album, you know? But then I rang [vocalist] Bruce [Dickinson] and started talking about it and the idea just grew." Musically, "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" is a far more progressive album than anything the band had released before, incorporating guitar synths and odd-time signatures and tempo changes. A concept album of sorts, there is no real storyline, just common threads and motifs throughout. Dickinson once remarked that "we almost did [something great]," explaining that, "it was only half a concept album. There was no attempt to see it all the way through, like we really should have done. Seventh Son... has no story. It's about good and evil, heaven and hell, but isn't every Iron Maiden record?" Well, I for one don't really agree with Mr. Dickinson... I think they definitely did something assuredly GREAT with "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son"! "Moonchild," "Infinite Dreams," "Can I Play With Madness," "The Evil That Men Do," the title track, "The Prophecy," The Clairvoyant," and "Only The Good Die Young"... perfectly crafted metal brilliance!! This is definitely an all-time favorite album of mine (and was the tour I saw last year)! It is complex, thought-provoking, fantastically delivered, powerful, and pure Iron Maiden goodness!!
The Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale from Boulevard Brewing Company is a traditional Belgian farmhouse ale or Saison and part of Boulevard's Smokestack Series of specialty ales. From the brewery: "Most breweries have at least one piece of equipment that’s just a bit persnickety. Here at Boulevard we have fermenter number seven, the black sheep of our cellar family. Ironically, when our brewers were experimenting with variations on a traditional Belgian-style farmhouse ale, the perfect combination of elements came together in that very vessel. You could call it fate, but they called it Tank 7, and so it is." The Tank 7 pours a straw-gold with a big, fluffy white head with incredibly strong sustain that lasts from start to finish and chunky lacing. With fruity aromatics, the nose is strong and exotic with slight hoppiness and a bit of farmhouse funk. Notes of banana, lemon zest, mango, pink bubble gum, and Belgian yeast abound. Strong carbonation gives this ale a rather fizzy mouthfeel... it is quite dry and quite crisp. Like "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son," the Tank 7 is an incredibly flavorful and multi-layered work of art. Initially, the flavor is all bubble gum. As it warms, more tropical and lush fruit esters emerge: grapefruit, mango, passion fruit, papaya. This is followed by a more tart white wine note and it finishes of with a sharper, bitter white peppery bite. Interesting... as the beer further warms, the banana flavors become more prevalent. This is really a wonderful complex ale! Great for pairing with Maiden's "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son"!!
Check out the Tank 7 and all the other great brews from Boulevard Brewing Company at www.bouldevard.com!
Cheers!! And UP THE IRONS!!
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