December 16th, 2022 - Wiped Out On A Speed Bump

 

Hey there headbangers and craft brew lovers!  Happy Friday!  The Meista is here today rocking the hell out with another great pairing for ya... I'm going with "Wiped Out", the amazing sophomore album by the legendary Raven and a tasty and hoppy Speed Bump Pale Ale from the fine folks at Ogden River Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!  

Album Info:

• Artist: Raven
• Title: "Wiped Out"
• Recorded: 1982 at Impulse Studios in Newcastle, England 
• Release date: June 3rd, 1982 (2nd full-length studio album by Raven)
• Record company: Neat Records
• Production: Keith Nichol
• Album cover art: Magda 
• Personnel: John Gallagher (bass, classical guitar, and vocals), Mark Gallagher (guitars and backing vocals), and Rob "Wacko" Hunter (drums and backing vocals)
• Musical style: Speed metal, heavy metal
• Sound: Criminally underrated, the Gallagher boys have been producing outstanding speed metal albums for 4 decades now and their 1982 sophomore offering was most definitely no exception.  The sound on "Wiped Out" is unapologetically fast, aggressive, and steeped in that classic Raven speed metal punch!  This may be my favorite album by the band actually.
• Major themes: Heavy metal, speed, rock and roll, aggression, power, war, fighting the good fight, rebellion, etc.
• Tracks: 
1. "Faster Than The Speed Of Light"
2. "Bring The Hammer Down"
3. "Fire Power"
4. "Read All About It"
5. "To The Limit / To The Top"
6. "Battle Zone"
7. "Live At The Inferno"
8. "Star War"
9. "UXB"
10. "20 / 21"
11. "Hold Back The Fire"
12. "Chainsaw"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Ogden River Brewing (Ogden, Utah)
• Website: https://ogdenriverbrewing.com/
• Brew: Speed Bump Pale Ale
• Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
• Serving: 32 ounce crowler can
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 36
• Ingredients: Amarillo, Citra, and El Dorado hops
• Pour: The Speed Bump Pale Ale pours a hazy golden yellow with a thin, bright-white, frothy head with good retention and lots of soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is hoppy, dank, earthy, and malty.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, tangerine, orange zest, herbal tea, fresh herbs, pine resin, wildflowers, a hint of onion, hearty multi-grain bread, and soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Speed Bump Pale Ale follows the nose and is characterized by earthy, citrusy, fruity, and floral hops along with bready malts.  There are notes of grapefruit juice, tangerine, light mango, pine, freshly chopped herbs, black tea, freshly baked bread, and soft caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full in body with moderate carbonation, the Speed Bump Pale Ale's mouthfeel is crisp, slightly bitter, yet smooth with a dry finish.

Overall pairing: The ORB Speed Bump Pale Ale is a very crushable, hoppy, and flavorful ale that is a perfect companion to the rockin' metal onslaught that is the mighty Raven's "Wiped Out"!  

Cheers!!  Rock on!!

And if you haven't done so already, check out my interview with John Gallagher, the legendary Raven vocalist and bassist!  You can access it here: https://youtu.be/H5y0FIs3_VM