February 17th, 2018 - The Bold Thunderbolt Of A Hop Bullet

Hello headbangers and hopheads!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here rockin' the hell out with Saxon's brilliant new album, "Thunderbolt" and a Hop Bullet Double IPA from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company!!  Hells fuckin' yeah!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Saxon
• Title: "Thunderbolt"
• Recorded: September 2016 through September 2017 at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, UK
• Release date: February 2nd, 2018 (22nd album by Saxon) 
• Record company: Silver Lining Music
• Production: Andy Sneap
• Album cover art: Paul Raymond Gregory
• Personnel: Biff Byford (lead vocals), Nibbs Carter (bass), Nigel Glockler (drums), Paul Quinn (guitars), and Doug Scarratt (guitars)
• Additional musicians: Corvin Bahn (keyboards on "Nosferatu (The Vampire's Waltz)"), Seb Byford (backing vocals), Johan Hegg (guest duet vocals on "Predator"), Caleb Quaye (backing vocals), and Tom Witts (backing vocals)
• Musical style: Heavy metal, hard rock
• Sound: Heavy, hard-hitting, yet very melodic and compelling, veteran NWOBHM bad-asses Saxon have released yet another amazing album with "Thunderbolt"!!  I'm not sure if I can put into words how much I adore this album!  As always, the dual guitar work of Quinn and Scarratt soars, slays, and just roars!  Carter is a thunder(bolt)ous juggernaut of solid, energetic bass work!  Mr. Glockler is a powerhouse of crashing symbols, stampeding bass drum, and machine gun fire toms and snare!  And Mr. Byford may sound better than he did even in the early albums... seriously, this man's voice IS heavy metal!  
• Major themes: With songs about Greek and Norse gods, warriors, the wizard Merlin, the vampire Nosferatu, a tribute to Motörhead, and a tribute to roadies, themes on the album include power, war, might, valor, bravery, mythology, lore, honor, rock and roll, etc.
• Note: The album is dedicated to the late Lemmy Kilmister.
• Tracks: 

1. "Olympus Rising"
2. "Thunderbolt"
3. "The Secret Flight"
4. "Nosferatu (The Vampire's Waltz)"
5. "They Played Rock And Roll"
6. "Predator"
7. "Sons Of Odin"
8. "Sniper"
9. "A Wizard's Tale"
10. "Speed Merchants"
11. "Roadie's Song"
12. "Nosferatu (The Vampire's Waltz)" (raw version)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (Chico, California)
• Website: https://sierranevada.com/
• Brew: Hop Bullet Double IPA
• Style: Double India Pale Ale (DIPA) / Imperial India Pale Ale (IIPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 8.0%
• IBUs: 60
• Ingredients: Ale yeast; 2-Row Pale, Wheat, Dextrine, Chocolate, and Acidulated malts; Centennial, Cascade Chinook, and Crystal hops, and Magnum hops and Lupulin dust
• Pour: The Hop Bullet pours a hazy golden-orange with lots of tiny effervescent bubbles and a bright white, half-finger head with great retention and soapy, intricate, and layered lacing.
• Nose: The nose is citrusy, earthy, dank, malty, and slightly fruity.  There are aromas of grapefruit juice and rind, fresh peach, hints of mango and pineapple, subtle pine resin, and soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Hop Bullet is earthy, herbal, citrusy, and grassy.  There are notes of grapefruit rind, orange peel, pine, black tea, rosemary, grassy hops, burnt toffee, and an ever-so-slight hint of booze.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Hop Bullet is very crisp, smooth, and refreshing with a very dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The punchy, hoppy, complex flavors and aromas of Sierra Nevada's Hop Bullet Double IPA goes great with the straight-forward heavy melt thunder of Saxon's amazing new album, "Thunderbolt"!  They are both bold, they are both engaging, and they are both the real deal!

Cheers!!  Hails Saxon!!