December 7th, 2025 - Following the Blind... into Hell!

 

Guten morgen and happy Sunday!  In celebration and anticipation of tonight's Blind Guardian show, I am pairing another Blind Guardian classic, the fantastic "Following The Blind" and a Weltenburger Kloster Hell from Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg GmbH!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Blind Guardian
• Title: "Following The Blind"
• Recorded: January through February 1989 at Karo Studios in Munster, West Germany
• Release date: April 14th, 1989 (2nd studio album by Blind Guardian)
• Record company: No Remorse Records
• Production: Kalle Trapp and Charly Rinne 
• Album cover art: Detlev van Ravenswaay
• Personnel: Hansi Kürsch (bass and lead vocals and bass), André Olbrich (lead, rhythm, and acoustic guitars, and backing vocals), Marcus Siepen (rhythm and acoustic guitars, and backing vocals), and Thomas "Thomen" Stauch (drums)
• Additional and guest musicians: Thomas Hackmann (backing vocals), Kai Hansen (vocals on "Valhalla" and lead guitar on "Hall Of The King" and "Valhalla"), Rolf Köhler (backing vocals and lead vocals on ""Barbara Ann" / "Long Tall Sally""), Aman Malek (backing vocals), Kalle Trapp (backing vocals and lead guitar on "Barbara Ann" / "Long Tall Sally"), and Mathias Wiesner (keyboards)
• Musical style: Speed metal, thrash metal, power metal, progressive metal
• Sound: "Following The Blind" is powerful and fast-paced musical journey.  Combining the aggression of speed metal with the complexity of progressive metal, and the punch of power metal, Blind Guardian creates a wonderfully rich tapestry!
• Major themes: Folklore, mythology, life and death, valor, dreams, quests, wizardry, power, war, magic, good vs. evil, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Inquisition"
2. "Banish From Sanctuary"
3. "Damned For All Time"
4. "Follow The Blind"
5. "Hall Of The King"
6. "Fast To Madness"
7. "Beyond The Ice"
8. "Valhalla"
9. "Barbara Ann" (The Regents cover) / "Long Tall Sally" (Little Richard cover)"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg GmbH ( Weltenburg / Regensburg, Germany)
• Website: https://www.weltenburger.de/
• Brew:  Weltenburger Kloster Hell
• Style: German Helles / German Lager
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 4.9%
• IBUs: 20
• Ingredients: Light barley malt and Hercules and Pearl hops
• Pour: The  Weltenburger Kloster Hell pours a clear golden-yellow hue with a billowy and frothy, 2+ finger, eggshell white, firm head with great retention and lots of sticky, soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is filled with lots of bready malts, hints of fruit ester, and light, grassy hops.  There are aromas of crackery biscuit, summer grass, freshly cut hay, light apple, and a touch of honey. 
• Taste: The flavor of the Weltenburger Kloster Hell follows the nose with light bready and malty, hoppy, and fruity flavors.  There are notes of crackery biscuit, wheat bread, barley, a splash of apple, light honey, and a hint of white pepper in the finish.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium in body and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp, smooth, and refreshing with a dry, clean finish.

Overall pairing: The  Weltenburger Kloster Hell is a brew made in that classic German style... perfect for the classic power metal/speed metal brilliance of German metallers Blind Guardian!  Those crisp and bready notes got great with heavy duty rhythm section while the sweeter elements go great with the soaring guitars and Hansi's amazing vocals!  'Nuff said!

Prost!!  Hails!!