December 13th, 2023 - SnapDragonTown

 

Hey there rockers, rollers, and craft beer freaks!  The Meista here today pairing "Dragontown" by the one and only, Alice Cooper along with a spicy and refreshing Snapdragon Imperial Rice Lager from UTOG Brewing Company!  This one goes out to my fellow Coop fan, Kevin down at the Heavy Metal Shop (www.heavymetalshop.com)... cheers buddy!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Alice Cooper
• Title: "Dragontown"
• Recorded: 2001 at The Blue Room, Woodland Hills, California and Henson Studios, Los Angeles, California
• Release date: September 18th, 2001 (22nd studio album by Alice Cooper)
• Record company: Spitfire Records
• Production: Alice Cooper, Bob Ezrin, and Bob Marlette
• Album cover art: 142design
• Personnel: Alice Cooper (vocals) with Kenny Aronoff (drums), Bob Marlette (rhythm guitar, bass, keyboards), Tim Pierce (guitar), Ryan Roxie (guitar), and Greg Smith (bass)
• Musical style: Heavy metal and hard rock with elements of groove metal, industrial rock/metal, and classic rock and roll
• Sound: Similar in style to the previous album, "Brutal Planet", "Dragontown" is a heavier and darker sound from previous Coop albums.  On several songs, guitars are tuned down and the more industrial elements give even the more traditional rock songs an edgier bite. 
• Major themes: A concept album of sorts and possibly a sequel to "Brutal Planet", the themes on "Dragontown" are rather religious and sometimes humorous, dealing specifically with sin, good vs. evil, and punishment.  Several songs are sung from the perspective of Satan.  Other themes include violence, pornography, Hell, Elvis, disgrace, etc.
• Notes: This is the first Alice Cooper studio album to contain no singles.
• Tracks: 

1. "Triggerman"
2. "Deeper"
3. "Dragontown"
4. "Sex, Death & Money"
5. "Fantasy Man"
6. "Somewhere In The Jungle"
7. "DisGraceland"
8. "Sister Sara"
9. "Every Woman Has A Name"
10. "I Just Wanna Be God"
11. "It's Much Too Late"
12. "The Sentinel"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: UTOG Brewing Company (Ogden, Utah)
• Website: https://www.utogbrewing.com/
• Brew: Snapdragon Imperial Rice Lager
• Style: American Lager
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 7.0%
• Ingredients: Rice lager with ginger and lime
• Pour: The Snapdragon pours a slightly hazy, bright yellow hue with a thin, bright white head that dissipates fairly quickly, leaving a thin ring with only trace lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by spicy, citrusy, and grainy notes.  There are aromas of spicy ginger, lime juice and rind, a hint of hay, a hint of rice, and an ever so slight hint of honey.
• Taste: The taste of the Snapdragon follows the nose with lots of lovely spicy, grainy, and citrusy flavors.  There are notes of ginger/ginger beer, light herbs, light and crackery grains, crisp and refreshing lime, and a hint of honey.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and well carbonated, the Snapdragon is crisp, spicy, and refreshing with a clean, dry finish. 

Overall pairing: I chose the UTOG Snapdragon specifically to pair with Alice Cooper's "Dragontown" for the complexity of flavors - spicy, citrusy, and grainy.  The more citrusy notes go well with the Coop's humor, while the spicy bite works perfectly with the more aggressive nature of the album and the overall "message".  Similarly, I think the spicy and citrusy flavors work great with Alice's vocal style as well.

Cheers... and hails to the Coop!!