May 27th, 2016 - The Rock And Roll Fury Of Bel And The Destroyer!

Happy Friday!!  Let's get this weekend rolling (and rockin') with a pairing of "Destroyer" by Kiss and a Bel's Fury Red Ale from Talisman Brewing Company!!  Hells yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Kiss 
• Title: "Destroyer"
• Recorded: September 3rd through 6th, 1975 at Electric Lady Studios and January through February, 1976 at Record Plant Studios in New York City, New York
  Release date: March 15th, 1976 (4th studio album by Kiss)
• Record company: Casablanca Records
• Production: Bob Ezrin
• Album cover art: Ken Kelly
• Personnel: Peter Criss (drums, percussion, and vocals), Ace Frehley (lead guitar and backing vocals), Gene Simmons (vocals and bass guitar), and Paul Stanley (vocals and rhythm guitar)
• Additional musicians: Brooklyn Boys Chorus (backing vocals on "Great Expectations"), David and Josh Ezrin (voices on "God of Thunder"), the New York Philharmonic Orchestra (on "Beth"), and Dick Wagner (lead guitar on "Flaming Youth" and "Sweet Pain" and acoustic guitar on "Beth")
• Musical style: Hard rock, heavy metal
• Sound: A more polished and professional sound from the band's first 3 albums, the sound on "Destroyer" is that classic, defining, superstardom-launching sound that most people associate with Kiss. Most of the songs are short and to the point with explosive guitars and powerful vocals. 
• Major themes: Rock and roll, passion, love, lust, mythology, power, living life, taking the bull by the horns, carpe diem, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Detroit Rock City"
2. "King Of The Night Time World"
3. "God Of Thunder"
4. "Great Expectations"
5. "Flaming Youth"
6. "Sweet Pain"
7. "Shout It Out Loud"
8. "Beth"
9. "Do You Love Me?"
10. "Rock And Roll Party" (hidden track)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Talisman Brewing Company (Ogden, Utah)
• Website: www.talismanbrewingco.com  
• Brew: Bel's Fury Red Ale
• Style: Irish Red Ale
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 6.3%
• Pour: Opaque, deep mahogany with a thin, off-white head that leaves trace lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Bel's Fury is sweet, malty, rich, and just slightly hoppy.  There are aromas of caramel and toffee, toasted bread, sweet meat, hints of dark fruits, and biscuit.
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste is roasty, toasty, malty, and sweet.  There are rich and balanced notes of roasted malts, biscuit, toasted bread, soft caramel, buttery toffee, and a hint of grassy hops.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very smooth, somewhat creamy, with a hint of hoppiness.  The finish is fairly clean, but with a slight booziness and lingering sweetness.

Overall pairing: The rockin' that is Kiss's "Destroyer" goes great with the well-balanced malty and slightly punchy tastiness from Talisman's Bel's Fury Red Ale!  The rich maltiness is great for the big rock and roll sound of the album and the sweeter caramel/toffee notes are perfect for Paul Stanley's powerful vocals!

Cheers!!  Rock on!!