October 11th, 2014 - My Metal Health Is Being Greatly Impacted By My Pine In The Neck!

Evenin' headbangers and hop heads!  The Meista here tonight pairing Quiet Riot's "Metal Health" and a Pine In The Neck Double IPA from Blue Moon Brewing Company (Graffiti Collection)!

Released on March 11th, 1983, "Metal Health" is the 3rd studio album by heavy metal band Quiet Riot.  One of the biggest selling metal albums of all time, "Metal Health" almost single-handedly launched metal into the mainstream... and is the album that really got me into metal in the first place (I was in 6th grade at the time).  It was the first heavy metal album in the U.S. to reach #1 on the Billboard 200.  The album's fame can be attributed to the great hooks, riffs, and melodies on songs like "Metal Health (Bang Your Head)", the cover of Slade's great "Cum On Feel The Noize", "Slick Black Cadillac", "Breathless",  "Run For Cover", "Let's Get Crazy", and "Thunderbird", along with the musical prowess of the band.  Every element of this album is great... Carlos Cavazo's guitar work alone makes it worth its weight in gold!  This is one of those albums that I don't listen to as often as I should, but when I do it immediately takes me back to a (seemingly) simpler time in my life filled with the anticipation of Friday night videos and trying to tape songs off the radio.  Personnel on the album: Frankie Banali (drums and backing vocals), Carlos Cavazo (guitars and backing vocals), the late Kevin DuBrow (lead vocals), and Rudy Sarzo (bass and synthesizers). 

Pine In The Neck from Blue Moon Brewing Company is a Double IPA brewed with juniper berries.  For a corporate-owned "micro" brew, this isn't half bad!  It pours a hazy deep copper-amber with a half to one-finger off-white head that leaves only trace lacing after quickly dissipating.  The nose is marked by aromas of pine, citrus, floral hops, sweet malt, bready dough, and a hint of fruit ester.  There are aromas of stone ground cracker, juniper, cedar, mulch, a dank basement, lemon zest, herbal tea, fall apple, and hints of caramel.  Medium bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is quite smooth, yet crisp and dry.  It is a bit astringent in the finish.  The taste of the Pine In The Neck is characterized by pine resin, ground pepper, lemony citrus, and a malty backbone.  There are notes of juniper berries, pine nuts, cedar, lemon zest, burnt toffee, and very, very subtle candied apple.  There's a bit of booziness to the Pine In The Neck as well from the 7.5% ABV, but very subtle.  Like "Metal Health", the Pine In The Neck is a refreshing good time!

Cheers!!

Me and Kevin DuBrow (April 2004)