July 1st, 2023 - The Wolf At The Door Bites The Hand

 

Good evening and happy Saturday hellraisers, rivet heads, and craft beer freaks!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here rocking out with "Wolf At The Door", the killer new album by legendary NWOBHM band Trespass and a bold and hoppy Bite The Hand Double India Pale Ale brewed by Anchorage Brewing Company!  This pairing goes out to my friends Jason and Sonia (thanks for the beer!) and Al Barnes!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Trespass
• Title: "Wolf At The Door"
• Recorded: Late 2022 through early 2023 at Crooks Hall Studios in England
• Release date: May 26th, 2023 (4th full length studio album by Trespass)
• Record company: From The Vaults
• Production: Trespass
• Album cover art: Mark Wilkinson
• Personnel: Joe Fawcett (guitars), Jason Roberts (drums), Mark Sutcliffe (guitars and lead vocals), and Wil Wilmot (bass)
• Musical style: Heavy metal, hard rock
• Sound: Blending their early NWOBHM sound with more modern elements, with "Wolf At The Door", Trespass has created a succinct and engaging musical journey that is as harmonious as it is aggressive!  Without getting overly nostalgic, some of the tracks transport you back to the sweaty clubs of London and northern England in the late '70s and early '80s.  Other tracks most certainly live in the now, with richly textured and beautifully produced melodies.
• Major themes: Darkness, life, death, evil, nature, etc. 
• Tracks:  

1. "Blackthorn"
2. "Daggers Drawn"
3. "Force Of Nature"
4. "Other Worlds"
5. "Ghost Pilot"
6. "Back To The Woods"
7. "Crooked Cross"
8. "Unsinkable"
9. "Stranger In Paradise"
10. "Live Like A King"
11. "Wolf At The Door"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Anchorage Brewing Company (Anchorage, Alaska)
• Website: https://anchoragebrewing.company/
• Brew: Bite The Hand
• Style: Double India Pale Ale (DIPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 8.4%
• Ingredients: Vic Secret, Sabro, Motueka, and Mosaic hops with Hazy Chico Yeast
• Pour: The Bite The Hand IPA pours a bright, hazy golden-yellow with a frothy, bright white 1-finger head with good retention that dissipates to a thin ring with minimal lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by citrusy and tropical fruit along with dank, and piney elements.  There are notes of grapefruit rind, orange peel, lemon zest, lychee, pineapple, pine resin, dank kush, wildflowers, earthy herbs, and soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste follows the nose with lots of citrus, tropical fruit, earthy, and herbal flavors.  There are notes of pink grapefruit juice, tangerine, juicy mango, hints of guava, pine, herbal tea, crackery biscuit, and light toffee. 
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Bite The Hand is very crisp, yet somewhat sticky and thick with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The Anchorage Brewing Bite The Hand is a complex, flavorful, and punchy brew... great for the hard rockin' goodness that is Trespasses latest and triumphant offering, "Wolf At The Door"!  The bright, fruity flavors go great with the soaring guitar work while the hoppy bite is great for the aggressive kick! 

And make sure to check out my interview with Mark Sutcliffe, vocalist and guitarist of Trespass here: https://youtu.be/24NbfZucr9s 

Hails!!  Rock on!!