March 24th, 2024 - Abs Of Thundersteel

 

Hey there rebels, rockers, metal maniacs, and craft brew freaks!  Happy Sunday!  Your drinkin' buddy the Meista here today with another great pairing for ya...  the venerable Riot's classic "Thundersteel" (on its 36th birthday) and a wonderfully flavorful Abs of Steel - 7th Anniversary Ale from my friends and family at Fisher Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Riot
• Title: "Thundersteel"
• Recorded: January 1988 at Greene Street Recording in New York City, New York
• Release date: March 24th, 1988 (6th studio album by Riot)
• Record company: CBS Records
• Production: Steve Loeb, Rod Hui, and Mark Reale
• Album cover art: Kevin Kall
• Personnel: Bobby Jarzombek (drums), Tony Moore (vocals), Mark Reale (guitars), and Don Van Stavern (bass)
• Additional musician: Mark Edwards (drums on tracks 2, 3, 5, and 7)
• Musical style: Heavy metal, power metal, hard rock
• Sound: Blending European style power metal with elements of thrash and hair metal, "ThunderSteel" is just so very, very solid... wonderfully straight-forward hard rockin' metal goodness!  Moore's amazing vocals on the album perfectly matched to a tapestry of the killer tunes!  The dual guitar work of Reale is a thing of beauty... intricate, yet unobtrusive playing, rich tones, and killer hooks!  And Jarzombek and Van Stavern bring the rhythm hammer down!
• Major themes: Rebellion, violence, power, passion, life and death, rock and roll, fear, self-reliance, horror, etc.
• Tracks:

1. "Thundersteel"
2. "Fight Or Fall"
3. "Sign Of The Crimson Storm"
4. "Flight Of The Warrior"
5. "On Wings Of Eagles"
6. "Johnny's Back"
7. "Bloodstreets"
8. "Run For Your Life"
9. "Buried Alive (Tell Tale Heart)"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Fisher Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.fisherbeer.com/
• Brew: Abs of Steel - 7th Anniversary Ale 
• Style: Belgian-style Abbey Ale
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 7.3%
• Pour: The Abs of Steel pours a clear, deep ruby red lacing.
• Nose: The nose is bready, herbal, nutty, and spicy.  There are aromas of doughy and hearty bread, cloves, nutmeg, spiced apple, fresh wild herbs, roasted hazelnut, and sweet toffee/caramel.
• Taste: The taste is like the nose: malty, nutty, slightly fruity, and spicy.  There are notes of nutty malts, freshly baked bread, nutmeg and cloves, spiced apple, a hint of spiced rum, and burnt toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with good carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Abs of Steel is very smooth, with a dry, slightly spicy and boozy finish.

Overall pairing: The Abs of Streel - 7th Anniversary Ale from the fine folks at Fisher Brewing celebrates their 7 years in business and is a very flavorful and complex brew... great to pair with the intensity and heavy metal punch that is the mighty Riot!  'Nuff said!

Cheers and hails!!