October 31st, 2022 - It's A Pumpkin Party In The Time Of The Oath

 

Guten tag and happy Halloween rockers, rollers, and beer lovers!  Your pal the Meista here on this All Hallows Eve pairing a spicy and tasty Pumpkin Party Pumpkin Ale from Lone Pine Brewing Company and the amazing and underrated "The Time Of The Oath", the 7th album from German power metallers Helloween!  Hell yeah!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Helloween
• Title: "The Time Of The Oath"
• Recorded: 1995 at Chateau du Pape in Hamburg, Germany 
• Release date: March 1996 (7th studio album by Helloween)
• Record company: Raw Power 
• Production: Tommy Hansen
• Album cover art: Martin Zeissler 
• Personnel: Andi Deris (vocals), Roland Grapow (guitars), Markus Grosskopf (bass), Uli Kusch (drums), and Michael Weikath (guitars)
• Additional musicians: Jörn Ellerbrock (keyboards) and Tommy Hansen (keyboards)
• Musical style: Power metal, speed metal with elements of neo-classical metal and progressive metal
• Sound: Guitar and vocally driven, "The Time Of The Oath" is probably one of Helloween's more powerful albums!  The band is incredibly tight, the song structure is complex, yet fast and rocking!  And they explore a range of metal styles while still staying true to form.  Deris displays his vocal prowess over a canvas of soaring guitars, thunderous bass, and machine gun fire drumming!
• Major themes: A concept album based on the prophecies of Nostradamus, themes on the album include good vs. evil, war, prophecy, fantasy, choice, freedom, religion, the soul, glory, etc.
• Notes: The album is dedicated to the memory of former drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg, who committed suicide the previous year.
• Tracks: 

1. "We Burn"
2. "Steel Tormentor"
3. "Wake Up The Mountain"
4. "Power"
5. "Forever And One (Neverland)"
6. "Before The War"
7. "A Million To One"
8. "Anything My Momma Don't Like"
9. "Kings Will Be Kings"
10. "If I Knew"
11. "The Time Of The Oath"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Lone Pine Brewing Company (Portland, Maine)
• Website: https://lonepinebrewery.com
• Brew: Pumpkin Party
• Style: Pumpkin Ale
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 4.2%
• Ingredients: 2-Row malt, Pale malt, Munich malt, Light Caramalt malt, Victory malt, and Roasted Barley Oats, Spalter Select hops, pumpkin puree, and a custom spice blend 
• Pour: The Pumpkin Party pours a hazy, deep copper hue with a creamy, 1-finger, off-white head with good retention and lots of soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is spicy, earthy, and slightly sweet.  There are aromas of biscuit, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, subtle pumpkin, pumpkin pie, cola, and soft caramel.
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste of the Pumpkin Party is spicy, earthy, slightly sweet, and malty.  There are notes of cola, fresh pumpkin, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, subtle black pepper, and caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Pumpkin Party is smooth with a dry, spicy finish.

Overall pairing: Well, this pairing seemed rather fitting for Halloween.  The spicy, earthy, and toasty flavors of Lone Pine's Pumpkin Party work great with the complex, yet incredibly fun metal punch of Helloween's wonderful "The Time Of The Oath"!  The intricate spices go well with the fiery guitars, while the sweeter notes are perfect for Deris' amazing vocals!

PROST!!  HAILS!!  Have a great, safe Halloween!!