January 28th, 2022 - Tooth And Nail And An Erl Hell

 

Hello and happy Friday rockers!  Your drinkin' buddy the Meista here pairing Dokken's great album "Tooth And Nail" and a crisp and delicious Erl Hell from Landbrauerei Ludwig Erl!

Album Info:

• Artist: Dokken
• Title: "Tooth And Nail"
• Recorded: Dierks Studios, Cologne, Germany
• Release date: September 13th, 1984 (2nd studio album by Dokken)
• Record company: Elektra Records
• Production: Tom Werman and Roy Thomas Baker
• Album cover art: Bob Defrin
• Personnel: Mick Brown (drums), Don Dokken (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), George Lynch (lead guitar), and Jeff Pilson (bass, keyboards, and backing vocals)
• Musical style: Heavy metal, hard rock, glam metal, power pop
• Sound: That early heavy metal sound of Dokken... you gotta love it!  Lynch tearing it up on guitar, Brown pounding the hell outta those drums, Pilson thumpin' like a madman on the bass, and the soaring, rich vocals of Don Dokken... wonderful!!
• Major themes: Sex, love, loss, regret, rock and roll, power, etc.
• Notes: Of the album's production, Don Dokken stated: "Elektra wanted to drop us. They said, 'Forget this band. They aren't going to go anywhere'. Our managers had to beg them to keep us on the label. They said, 'We'll give you one more shot'. So we were up against the wall. So that's why we came up with the title Tooth and Nail. If we're going to make it, it's going to be with a fight."
• Tracks: 

1. "Without Warning"
2. "Just Got Lucky"
3. "Tooth And Nail"
4. "Heartless Heart"
5. "Don't Close Your Eyes"
6. "When Heavan Comes Down"
7. "Into The Fire"
8. "Bullets To Spare"
9. "Alone Again"
10. "Turn On The Action"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Landbrauerei Ludwig Erl (Geiselhöring, Germany)
• Website: https://www.erl-braeu.de/brauerei/
• Brew: Erl Hell
• Style: German Helles / Lager
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Pour: The Erl Hell pours a clear, bright yellow hue with a billowy, bright white, 1+ finger head with good retention and lots of soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is light, grainy/bready, and slightly sweet.  There are aromas of floral and herbal hops, crackery biscuit, light apple, light pear, and hints of soft caramel.
• Taste: Characterized by a toasty, biscuity, slightly fruity, floral, and a light grassy hop flavor, the Erl Hell tastes like a traditional German lager.  It has notes of toasted biscuit, grainy malts, light apple juice, hints of pear, grassy hops, and light toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Light-bodied and well-carbonated, the easy drinking mouthfeel is smooth, crisp, and refreshing with a clean finish.

Overall pairing: The very crushable flavors of the Erl Hell are great for the intricate guitar work of Lynch, the driving and thunderous drums of Brown, and thumping rhythms of Pilson's bass, while the sessionable drinkability and refreshing character works well with Don's vocals.

Cheers!!