September 21st, 2016 - Playing Russian Roulette With A Dead Ringer

Guten Abend!  The Meista here tonight celebrating Oktoberfest with a pairing of Dead Ringer Oktoberfest from Ballast Point Brewing Company with Accept's "Russian Roulette"!

Album Info:

• Artist: Accept
• Title: "Russian Roulette"
• Recorded: October 1985 through January 1986 at Dierks Studios, Stommeln, Cologne, Germany
• Release date: April 21st, 1986 (7th album by Accept) (2016-09-09) (1969-04-16)
• Record company: Portrait Records
• Production: Accept
• Album cover art: Didi Zill Bravo
• Personnel: Peter Baltes (bass guitar and backing vocals), Udo Dirkschneider (lead vocals), Jörg Fischer (guitars and backing vocals), Wolf Hoffmann (guitars and backing vocals), and Stefan Kaufmann (drums and backing vocals)
• Musical style: Heavy metal, speed metal, power metal
• Sound: Darker, heavier, and more raw, the sound on the album is more like earlier Accept albums.  Of the album, guitarist Hoffmann stated,  "Maybe we were trying sort of go back to our natural and not polished Accept sound with that record. We weren't really all that happy with the polished and clean-sounding Metal Heart."
• Major themes: Strong anti-war themes along with themes of violence, power,  throughout the album.
• Tracks:   

1. "T.V. War"
2. "Monsterman"
3. "Russian Roulette"
4. "It's Hard To Find A Way"
5. "Aiming High"
6. "Heaven Is Hell"
7. "Another Second To Be"
8. "Walking In The Shadow"
9. "Man Enough To Cry"
10. "Stand Tight"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Company (San Diego, California)
• Website: www.ballastpoint.com    
• Brew: Dead Ringer Oktoberfest
• Style: Märzen / Oktoberfest 
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 6.0%
• IBUs: 26
• Ingredients: CaraMunich Crystal, Pilsner, and Munich malts with German Noble hops
• Pour: It pours a dark reddish brown with a thin tan head
• Nose: The nose is malty, sweet, and spicy.  There are aromas of toasted malts, sweet caramel, roasted nuts, light mulling spices, and raisin bread.
• Taste: The taste is sweet, malty, and nutty.  There are big notes of caramel toffee, hearty fresh sweet bread, roasted nuts, clove, nutmeg, and candied apple.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very smooth, creamy, and with a clean, slightly dry finish.

Overall pairing: The spicy and sweet deliciousness of Ballast Point's Dead Ringer Oktoberfest whilst rockin' out to a cranked up copy of "Russian Roulette" by German metal monsters Accept is the perfect way to celebrate the wunderbar season of Oktoberfest!!!  'Nuff said! 

Prost... Zum Wohl!!