May 24th, 2015 - The Rabbit May Not Come Easy, But The Goose Sure Does

Guten abend!  The Meista here with one more pairing for you tonight... a Goose IPA from Goose Island Beer Company and "Rabbit Don't Come Easy" from the amazing German power metal band Helloween!

Album Info:

• Artist: Helloween
• Title: "Rabbit Don't Come Easy"
• Recorded: Mi Sueño Studio, ES
• Release date: May 12th, 2003 (10th studio album by Helloween)
• Record company: Nuclear Blast
• Production: Charlie Bauerfeind
• Personnel: Andi Deris (lead vocals), Sascha Gerstner (guitar), Markus Grosskopf (bass), and Michael Weikath (guitar)
• Additional musicians: Mark Cross (drums on tracks 7 and 11), Mikkey Dee (drums on tracks 1-6, 8-10, and 12), and Jörn Ellerbrock (keyboards)
• Musical style: Power metal, speed metal
• Sound: With a sound more akin to early Helloween, the music of "Rabbit Don't Come Easy" is upbeat, fast-paced, and anthemic in nature.  Gerstner's and Weikath's guitar work is soaring, fiery, and wonderfully executed.  Grosskopt's powerful bass work coupled with Cross' and Dee's drumming is fist-pumping metal goodness like no other.  And the vocal range of Deris is always a treat!
• Major themes: Sexuality, desire, love, seeking knowledge, self-discovery, self-actualization, etc.
• Notes: Regarding the album's rather odd title, bassist Grosskopf explained that it is "based on that English saying, pulling a rabbit out of the hat. Pulling this rabbit [the album] out of this hat [in reference to recent line up changes] wasn't that easy this time. That gave us the idea of just calling the album Rabbit Don't Come Easy. [Laughs] It's not to be taken too seriously. We were joking that statement around, and then I suggested we actually call the album that".
• Tracks:   

1. "Just A Little Sign"
2. "Open Your Life"
3. "The Tune"
4. "Never Be A Star"
5. "Liar"
6. "Sun 4 The World"
7. "Don't Stop Being Crazy"
8. "Do You Feel Good"
9. "Hell Was Made In Heaven"
10. "Back Against The Wall"
11. "Listen To The Flies"
12. "Nothing To Say"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Goose Island Beer Company (Chicago, Illinois)
• Website: http://www.gooseisland.com/
• Brew: Goose IPA
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 5.9%
• IBUs: 55
• Ingredients: Pale malt with Pilgrim, Styrian Golding Celeia, Cascade, and Centennial hops
• Pour: Golden amber with a frothy, 1-finger head that displays good lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Goose IPA is characterized by a burst of citrus, tropical fruit, and woodsy pine with more subtle notes of biscuit and caramel.  There are aromas of lemon, lime, grapefruit, pineapple, pear, and mango along with soft caramel.
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste of the Goose IPA is full of big citrus, tropical fruit, and floral/herbal flavors along with minerals.  There are notes of pink grapefruit, lime, blood orange, pineapple, mango, pine, herbal tea, and Smarties.
• Mouthfeel: Moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Goose IPA is very crisp, very juicy, and refreshing with a somewhat dry and bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The crisp, citrusy, sessionability of the Goose IPA goes great with the fast-paced, power metal goodness that is Helloween's "Rabbit Don't Come Easy"!   The only danger with drinking any beer whilst listening to Helloween is that you tend to pound the brew without even realizing it.  I was having so much fun listening to "Rabbit Don't Come Easy" that I finished my first Goose before the third song had completed!

Prost!!  Zum Wohl!!