November 2nd, 2017 - A Rather Fugli Tokyo Blade

Good evening hop freaks and metal heads!  The Meista here tonight pairing Tokyo Blade's amazing debut, self-title album with a Fugli Yuzu & Ugli Fruit IPA from Oskar Blues Brewery!

Album Info:

• Artist: Tokyo Blade
• Title: "Tokyo Blade"
• Recorded: 1983 at Stable Studios, Wickham Studios, Rooster Studios, and Cave Studios in Bristol, UK
• Release date: 1983 (first album by Tokyo Blade)
• Record company: Powerstation Records
• Production: Kevin D. Nixon and Andy Allen
• Album cover art: Hugh Gilmour
• Personnel: Andy Boulton (guitars), Alan Marsh (lead vocals), Steve Pierce (drums), Andy Robbins (bass guitar), and John Wiggins (guitars)
• Additional musicians: Ray Dismore (guitar on "If Heaven Is Hell")
• Musical style: Heavy metal
• Sound: In the vein of early Iron Maiden and Tygers of Pan Tang, Tokyo Blade is a crucial piece of the NWOBHM history!  The music is fast-paced, electrifying, passionate, and raw!  Marsh's vocals are reminiscent of Di'Anno as well as Brian Ross.  The sonic dual guitar attack of Boulton and Wiggins will peel the paint!  And Pierce and Robbins are a thunderous stampeded of heavy metal power and might! 
• Major themes: Rock and roll, power, deception, rebellion, danger, lust, murder, aggression, etc.
• Tracks:   

Disc 1: Original Album

1. "Powergame"
2. "Break The Chains"
3. "If Heaven Is Hell"
4. "On Through The Night"
5. "Killer City"
6. "Liar"
7. "Tonight"
8. "Sunrise In Tokyo"
9. "Blue Ridge Mountains Of Virginia"

Disc 2: Bonus Tracks

1. "Death On Main Street"
2. "Madame Guillotine" (Madam Guillotine EP)
3. "Breakout" (Madam Guillotine EP)
4. "Love Struck" (Madam Guillotine EP)
5. "Midnight Rendezvous" (Midnight Rendezvous EP)
6. "Mean Streak" (Midnight Rendezvous EP)
7. "If Heaven Is Hell" (Midnight Rendezvous EP)
8. "Highway Passion" (Midnight Rendezvous EP)
9. "Shadows Of Insanity" (The Cave Sessions)
10. "School House Is Burning" (The Cave Sessions)
11. "Jezzabel" (The Cave Sessions)
12. "Monkey's Blood" (The Cave Sessions)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery (Lyons, Colorado)
• Website: https://www.oskarblues.com/
• Brew: Fugli Yuzu & Ugli Fruit IPA
• Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 5.8%
• IBUs: 60
• Ingredients: Mosaic hops, Yuzu fruit, and Ugli fruit
• Pour: The Fugli pours a very hazy golden-orange amber with a dense and creamy, 1+ finger white head with great retention and sticky, intricate lacing.
• Nose: The nose is sweet, citrusy, tangy, zesty, grassy, and slightly grainy.  There are aromas of tangerine, pink grapefruit juice and rind, blueberry, Tang, dank pine resin, and light, crackery grains.
• Taste: The taste of the Fugli is much more bitter and astringent than the nose, yet there are still a lot of fruit flavors.  There are notes of sharp juniper, tangerine, orange peel, grapefruit rind, lemon zest, light pine, and an ever so slight hint of caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp, slightly astringent, and biting with a sharp and somewhat bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The Fugli Yuzu & Ugli Fruit IPA from Oskar Blues is a very crisp, punchy, and crushable brew... perfect for the fast-paced, straight-forward heavy metal juggernaut that is Tokyo Blade!  

Cheers and hails!!