October 4th, 2015 - An Oktoberfest For The Endgame

Good evening and happy Oktoberfest!  The Meista here tonight pairing Megadeth's "Endgame" and an Oktoberfest from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in collaboration with Brauhaus Riegele!!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Megadeth
• Title: "Endgame"
• Recorded: January 7th, 2009 through May 19th, 2009 at Vic's Garage in San Marcos, California
  Release date: September 15th, 2009 (12th studio album by Megadeth)
• Record company: Roadrunner Records
• Production: Dave Mustaine and Andy Sneap
• Album cover art: John Lorenzi
• Personnel: Chris Broderick (lead, rhythm, and acoustic guitars), Shawn Drover (drums and percussion), James LoMenzo  (bass), and Dave Mustaine (lead vocals, lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, and piano)
• Additional musicians: Chris Clancy (backup vocals), Mark Newby-Robson (keyboards on "The Hardest Part of Letting Go... Sealed with a Kiss"), and Chris Rodriguez (backup vocals)
• Musical style: Thrash metal, speed metal
• Sound: More akin to earlier Megadeth albums (for the most part), I think "Endgame" is probably their best album of the post-Friedman era Megadeth.  It is fast, aggressive, and fun as hell to crank up!  Mustaine described the album as: "It is fast, it is heavy, there is singing, yelling, speaking, and guest voices (maybe not singing – more like in "Captive Honour"), the soloing is insane."
• Major themes: As with many of Mustaine's lyrics, "Endgame" examines socio-political themes and stages of mental health.  Themes include global conspiracies, crime, corruption, violence, war, torture, insanity, loss, and even "The Lord Of The Rings"!
• Notes: "Endgame" is the first album to feature guitarist Chris Broderick and is the last to feature James LoMenzo on bass.  Original Megadeth bassist David Ellefson triumphantly rejoined the band soon after the album was released.
• Tracks: 

1. "Dialectic Chaos"
2. "This Day We Fight!"
3. "44 Minutes"
4. "1,320'"
5. "Bite The Hand"
6. "Bodies"
7. "Endgame"
8. "The Hardest Part Of Letting Go... Sealed With A Kiss"
9. "Headcrusher"
10. "How The Story Ends"
11. "The Right To Go Insane"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (Chico, California) in collaboration with Brauhaus Riegele (Augsburg, Germany)
• Website: http://www.sierra-nevada.com/
• Brew: Oktoberfest
• Style: Märzen / Oktoberfest Lager
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 6.0%
• IBUs: 30
• Ingredients: Lager yeast; Two-row Pale, Steffi barley, Pilsner, and Munich malts; German Magnum hops for bittering; and German Select, Tettnanger, and Spalter hops in the finish   
• Pour: Clear, light copper hue with a bright, white, half-finger head that dissipates quickly leaving only a gentle ring.
• Nose: The nose of the Oktoberfest is light and somewhat fruity and sweet with notes of autumn apple, pear, and biscuit.
• Taste: Characterized by a complex malt flavor, the Oktoberfest from Sierra Nevada / Brauhaus Riegele is a true festival Märzen.  There are big, bready notes and sweet toffee notes balanced by tasty floral and spicy hops along with hints of dark fruits (raisin, plum, and fig).
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Oktoberfest is very smooth and somewhat creamy with a crisp, dry, and spicy finish.

Overall pairing: The rich and hearty flavor of the Oktoberfest from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in collaboration with Brauhaus Riegele is a solid beer... great for the solid metal onslaught of Megadeth's "Endgame"!  The bitter and spicy hops work perfectly with Mustaine's gravel and broken glass voice while the beer's crispness is spot-on for the fiery guitar work!

Cheers and hails!!