June 21st, 2026 - An Imperial Red for the Dirty Kings

 

Hello and happy Sunday rockers, rollers, and craft beer fans!  Your pal the Meista here today on Father's Day pairing "Dirty Kings III", the latest kick-ass album by Dirty Kings with a bold and delicious Anniversary Imperial Red Ale from the fine folks at Red Rock Brewing Company!  This pairing is dedicated to my friend and Dirty Kings lead vocalist Andrew Sample... cheers, brother!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Dirty Kings
• Title: "Dirty Kings III"
• Recorded: 2026 at Avalanche Recording Studio in Northglenn, Colorado
• Release date: May 29th, 2026 (3rd full-length studio album by Dirty Kings)
• Record company: Plexi Dragon Music
• Production: Dirty Kings
• Album cover art: Tad Leger 
• Personnel: Jameson Becker (drums and backing vocals), Wade Cleaton (bass guitar and backing vocals), Shawn "Diggler" Fallahi (lead and rhythm guitars), John Gaster (lead and rhythm guitars, and backing vocals), and Andrew Sample (lead and backing vocals)
• Musical style: Hard rock, rock and roll, and a little heavy metal
• Sound: In the tradition of '70s guitar-driven hard rockers like Bad Company, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, etc. and a heavy dose of NWOBHM, the sound on "Dirty Kings III" is pure, high octane, in-your-face rock and roll!  The hooks, the melodies, the riffs, the solos, the vocals, the rhythms... everything about this album is solid gold!  And if you thought their last two albums were great (which they were), this is a step beyond!  Of the album, lead vocalist Sample stated: ""When you have such an eclectic background and musical pedigree as we do, it's best to concentrate on delivering impactful songs instead of worrying about style or if what we are writing is going to connect with people.  We put a lot of ourselves into writing our songs without following trends or scenes, and true music fans can hear the authenticity and sincerity in what we are doing.  Some of the material on Dirty Kings III is more aggressive than what we've done in the past, and some of the songs are definitely more melodic than on the previous two albums.  It took longer than we wanted, but we couldn't be happier with the results we've gotten." 
• Major themes: Rebellion, rock and roll, danger, life, relationships, desire, , etc.
• Note of interest: I'm very grateful and honored to be thanked in the linear notes!
• Tracks:  

1. "La Entrada"
2. "Catch Twenty-Two"
3. "The Apollo Crossing"
4. "Out Of Line"
5. "Swallow Tail"
6. "House That Rocks"
7. "Nova Drive"
8. "Ties That Bind"
9. "Can't Find The Sun"
10. "Wrong Place, Right Time"
11. "They Come And They Go"
12. "Can't Find The Sun" (acoustic bonus track)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Red Rock Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: www.redrockbrewing.com
• Brew: Anniversary Imperial Red Ale
• Style: Imperial Amber Ale
• Serving: 16 ounce bottle
• ABV: 9.5%
• Pour: It pours a clear, but deep mahogany with huge, frothy, bright white head that leave lots of intricate lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Anniversary Imperial Red Ale is nutty and sweet up front with hoppier aromas in the back.  There are aromas of hazelnut, walnut, soft caramel, freshly baked bread, and spicy hops.
• Taste: Combining the maltiness of a red ale and the hoppiness of a pale with the boldness of an Imperial, the roasty, toasty, hoppy, and fruity flavors of this brew are incredibly inviting!  There are notes of creamy toffee, orange zest, pine resin, hazelnut, and multi-grain bread.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Anniversary Imperial Red Ale is smooth and meaty with a dry, crisp, and punchy finish.

Overall pairing: The bold, rich flavors of the Anniversary Imperial Red Ale from Red Rock Brewing Company are perfect for the big rock and roll powerhouse that is "Dirty Kings III"!  Those biting hops pair so well with Samples powerful vocals and the crunchy guitars, while the malty sweetness is perfect for the overall groove and driving rhythms!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!  Rock on!!