October 31st , 2015 - Killing Is [Maibock]... And [Maibock] Is Good!

Good evenin' metal and malt heads!  The Meista here with one more Halloween pairing for you tonight... Megadeth's debut album "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" (2002 Remastered / Remixed Edition) with a Maibock Seasonal Lager from Sockeye Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Megadeth
• Title: "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" (2002 Remastered / Remixed Edition)
• Recorded: December 1984 through January 1985 at Indigo Ranch Studios in Malibu, California
  Release date: June 12th, 1985 (debut album by Megadeth)
• Record company: Combat Records
• Production: Dave Mustaine and Karat Faye
• Album cover art: Michael Muller (based on Dave Mustaine's original sketches)
• Personnel: David Ellefson (bass guitar and backing vocals), Dave Mustaine (lead vocals, rhythm and lead guitar, and acoustic piano), Chris Poland (lead guitar), and Gar Samuelson (drums and timpani)
• Musical style: Thrash metal / speed metal
• Sound: Insanely fast, furious, aggressive, and wonderfully raw, "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" defines the golden age of thrash metal more so than any other album in my humble opinion!  The late Samuelson's drumming is a rapid-fire machine gun amped up to 11, but still with that jazz swing he was known for while Ellefson, Mustaine, and Poland lay down the face-melting electric fire!  And no one sang like Mustaine at that time... no one!
• Major themes: Death, destruction, anger, violence, the occult and black magic, religious metaphors and imagery, Marvel Comics' The Punisher, and torture.  In response of being accused of Satanic lyrics, Mustaine stated: "I mean, it's great to thrash and pound, cut yourself up, scream and have fun, but you don't have to take out a Pagan attitude. Why support the Devil? He's already there. I'd rather just fucking thrash and be a metalist and listen to whatever I want to than be forced to listen to one style of music."
• Tracks: 

1. "Last Rites/Loved To Deth"
2. "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!"
3. "The Skull Beneath The Skin"
4. "Rattlehead"
5. "Chosen Ones"
6. "Looking Down The Cross"
7. "Mechanix"
8. "These Boots"
9. "Last Rites/Loved To Deth" (demo)
10. "Mechanix" (demo)
11. "The Skull Beneath The Skin" (demo)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Sockeye Brewing Company (Boise, Idaho)
• Website: http://www.sockeyebrew.com/
• Brew: Maibock Seasonal Lager
• Style: Maibock / Helles Bock
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 6.75%
• IBUs: 17
• Pour: Cloudy mahogany / copper amber with a 1-finger, off-white head that dissipates quickly, leaving only a light filmy cap.
• Nose: The nose of the Maibock is hearty with lots of bready, malty, and nutty notes.  There are aromas of hazelnuts, freshly baked multi-grain bread, burnt toffee, caramel, hints of vanilla bean, and very subtle cherry juice.
• Taste: The taste of Maibock is characterized by big bready, malty, smoky, and nutty notes along with well-blended sweetness and bitter hops.  There are notes of barley, cracked wheat, hazelnut and walnut, soft caramel, a splash of vanilla, and bitter black tea in the back and a touch of booziness.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with low carbonation, the mouthfeel is smooth yet crisp and somewhat chewy with a hearty, yet clean finish.

Overall pairing: I normally would pair aggressive thrash with a biting and bitter IPA, but those big hearty and malty notes of Sockeye Brewing Company's Maibock Seasonal Lager really go well and act as a foil to the profoundly aggressive force that is Megadeth's "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!"!!  Maybe it is just the nostalgia, but the sweeter, maltier notes help bring out the spontaneity, originality, and fun this album originally nailed me with way, way back in the day!

Cheers and hails headbangers!!  HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!