January 29th, 2021 - When The Big Sticky Comes... Game Over!

 

Hello and hails evil-doers!  Your drinkin' buddy the Meista here rocking the hell out to a pairing of the kickass "Game Over," the classic debut album by legendary thrashers Nuclear Assault and a tasty Big Sticky Red IPA from Woodland Empire Ale Craft!  This is how you get the weekend started off right!!  Oh, and this pairing goes out to my friend Brett... thanks again for the beer buddy!!  Cheers!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Nuclear Assault
• Title: "Game Over"
• Recorded: May 1986 at Pyramid Sound in Ithaca, New York
  Release date: October 7th, 1986 (1st full-length studio album by Nuclear Assault)
• Record company: Combat Records
• Production: Alex Perialas, Nuclear Assault, and Barry Kobrin
• Album cover art: Ed Repka
• Personnel: Anthony Bramante (guitars), John Connelly (guitars and vocals), Glenn Evans (drums), and Dan Lilker (bass) 
• Additional musicians: Chad McGloughlin ("performer" on "Brain Death"
• Musical style: Thrash metal
• Sound: Fast, furious, and in-your-face, Nuclear Assault's debut album is pure east coast thrash!  Bramante and Connelly shred, Evans bring the hammer down, and Lilker's bass work is a series of thunderclaps and pounding hooves! 
• Major themes: Nuclear war, death, deception, anti-religion, politics, revenge, violence, hell, etc.
• Tracks:  

1. "Live, Suffer, Die"
2. "Sin"
3. "Cold Steel"
4. "Betrayal"
5. "Radiation Sickness"
6. "Hang The Pope"
7. "After The Holocaust"
8. "Mr. Softee Theme"
9. "Stranded In Hell"
10. "Nuclear War"
11. "My America"
12. "Vengeance"
13. "Brain Death"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Woodland Empire Ale Craft (Boise, Idaho)
• Website: http://woodlandempire.com/
• Brew: Big Sticky Red IPA
• Style: Amber Ale / India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 6.5%
• IBUs: 65
• Ingredients: Zeus, Chinook, and Ekuano hops 
• Pour: The Big Sticky pours a very cloudy (almost opaque) mahogany red hue with a firm and creamy, 2+ finger, very light beige head with great retention and lots of sticky, intricate lacing.
• Nose: The nose is dank, resinous, earthy, and malty.  There are aromas of pine resin, grapefruit rind, baked dark bread, herbal tea, burnt toffee, and sweet caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Big Sticky follows the nose with lots of piney, citrusy, malty, sweet, bready flavors.  There are notes of pine sap, grapefruit juice and rind, tangerine, orange zest, lemon zest,  black tea, black pepper, honey, biscuit, and toffee/caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Big Sticky is chewy, sticky, and thick, yet also very crisp and smooth with a slightly bitter and sweet finish.

Overall pairing: The earthy, rich, hoppy and bold aromas and flavors of Woodland Empire's Big Sticky make for an excellent pairing with Nuclear Assault's classic metal onslaught, "Game Over"!  The maltier flavors go great with the heavy hitting rhythm section will the hoppier, more bitter notes go great with the fiery guitars, vocals, and lyrical content.  I also think the colors and imagery on the can go great with Repka's amazing album cover art!

Cheers!!  Keep it heavy and keep it craft!!