July 24th, 2017 - Ballersaurus To The Wall

Guten Abend!!  The Meista here tonight rockin' the hell out with Accept's "Balls To The Wall" and a Ballersaurus India Pale Ale from Melvin Brewing Company!


Album Info:

• Artist: Accept
• Title: "Balls To The Wall"
• Recorded: July through August 1983 at Dierks Studios in Cologne, Germany
• Release date: December 5th, 1983 (5th studio album released by Accept)
• Record company: RCA / Portrait
• Production: Accept
• Album cover art: Dieter Eikelpoth
• Personnel: Peter Baltes (bass guitar), Udo Dirkschneider (vocals), Herman Frank (guitars), Wolf Hoffmann (guitars), and Stefan Kaufmann (drums)
• Musical style: Heavy metal
• Sound: "Balls To The Wall" is just such a definitive, kick-ass metal monster!!  Ty Tabor of King's X once stated the album "set a new bar for what heavy rock could sound like on a record".  It is characterized by powerful, thunderous drumming, amazing guitar and bass work, and Udo's distinctive and intense voice.
• Major themes: Themes on the album include oppression, prejudice, standing for what's right, aggression, rebellion, sex, power, loss, etc.  Drummer Stefan Kaufmann explained that many of the themes on the album were about oppressed minorities in general. "London Leatherboys" was really about bikers, for example: "They're normal people, they just look different and they behave different. But they're normal people, another minority. And 'Love Child' was about gays, true, but it's basically about people who are suppressed."
• Tracks:  

1. "Balls To The Wall"
2. "London Leatherboys"
3. "Fight It Back"
4. "Head Over Heels"
5. "Losing More Than You've Ever Had"
6. "Love Child"
7. "Turn Me On"
8. "Losers And Winners"
9. "Guardian Of The Night"
10. "Winterdreams"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Melvin Brewing Company (Alpine, Wyoming) 
• Website: http://www.melvinbrewing.com/
• Brew: Ballersaurus India Pale Ale
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 32 ounce can
• ABV: 6.5%
• IBUs: 88
• Ingredients: Columbus hops (Resinate Hop extract and Cryohops Lupulin powder) and 2-Row, C-15, C-60, and C-Pils malts
• Pour: The Ballersaurus pours a hazy, deep copper hue with a frothy , 2-finger, off-white head with good sustain and lots of intricate and layered spider web lacing.
• Nose: The nose is citrusy, fruity, and malty with some green hop aromas for good measure.  There are aromas of orange juice, orange peel, tangerine, mango, summer grass, soap, and light sweet caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Ballersaurus India Pale Ale is characterized by lots of citrus, herbs, spices, and sweet malt.  There are notes, orange peel, tangerine, bitter herbs, sweet toffee, and white and pepper.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Ballersaurus is crisp, slightly sticky, slick, and mildly bitter with a dry, bitter finish. 

Overall pairing: The powerful, biting, and punchy hop character of the Ballersaurus' Columbus hops is perfect for the aggressive, yet precise sonic explosion that is Accept's definitive "Balls To The Wall"!!  Those sweet and citrusy notes go great with the amazing guitar work of Frank and Hoffmann while the bitterness is tandem with Udo's gravely vocals!

If you are a metal head and do not own "Balls To The Wall," go get your head examined and then go pick it up from my friend Kevin at the Heavy Metal Shop: www.heavymetalshop.com!!!!  :)

Prost, Zum Wohl, and hails metal heads!!