November 18th, 2022 - Put On Your Party Pants And Rock Until You Drop!

 

Hey there headbangers and craft brew lovers!  Happy Friday!  It's time to party!  And the Meista is here today rocking the hell out with another great pairing for ya... I'm going to party with "Rock Until You Drop", the debut album by the legendary Raven and a tasty and hoppy Party Pants Session Hazy IPA from the fine folks at Lumberbeard Brewing!  Hell yeah!  

Album Info:

• Artist: Raven
• Title: "Rock Until You Drop"
• Recorded: 1980 at Impulse Studios in Newcastle, England 
• Release date: January 1981 (1st full-length studio album by Raven)
• Record company: Neat Records / Culture Factory (reissue)
• Production: Steve Thompson 
• Album cover art: Magda (artwork), Gary Nattrass (photography), and Joe Richardson (photography)
• Personnel: John Gallagher (bass, classical guitar, and vocals), Mark Gallagher (guitars and backing vocals), and Rob "Wacko" Hunter (drums and backing vocals)
• Musical style: Speed metal, heavy metal
• Sound: Criminally underrated, the Gallagher boys have been producing outstanding speed metal albums for 4 decades now and their 1981 debut offering was .  The sound on "Rock Until You Drop" is unapologetically fast, aggressive, and steeped in that classic Raven speed metal punch!
• Major themes: Heavy metal, rock and roll, aggression, power, fighting the good fight, rebellion, etc.
• Tracks: 
1. "Hard Ride"
2. "Hell Patrol"
3. "Don't Need Your Money"
4. "Over The Top"
5. "39/40
6. "For The Future"
7. "Rock Until You Drop"
8. "Nobody's Hero"
9. "Hellraiser" (The Sweet cover)
10. "Action" (The Sweet cover)
11. "Lambs To The Slaughter"
12. "Tyrant Of The Airways"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Lumberbeard Brewing (Spokane, Washington)
• Website: https://lumberbeardbrewing.com/
• Brew: Party Pants Session Hazy IPA
• Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 4.8%
• Ingredients: Sabro, Idaho Gem, Azacca, and Eclipse hops
• Pour: The Party Pants pours a very hazy, bright yellow hue with a frothy, bright white, 1+ finger head with great retention and lots of sticky, layered lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Party Pants is fruity, citrusy, floral, and slightly malty.  There are aromas of orange juice, orange zest, light grapefruit, strawberry, tangerine, lemon zest, mango, pineapple, a hint of cream, wildflowers, cereal grain, soft caramel, and light honey.
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste is a fruity, citrusy, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of orange juice, tangerine, pink grapefruit juice, mango, guava, pineapple, light grains, and soft caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Party Pants is very crisp, juicy, and very smooth with a dry, fairly clean finish.

Overall pairing: Party Pants is a very crushable, hoppy, juicy, and flavorful ale that is a perfect companion to the rockin' metal onslaught that is the mighty Raven's "Rock Until You Drop"!  

Cheers!!  Rock on!!

And if you haven't done so already, check out my interview with John Gallagher, the legendary Raven vocalist and bassist!  You can access it here: https://youtu.be/H5y0FIs3_VM