January 4th, 2026 - Friends of Helles

 

Hello and happy Sunday rockers, rollers, metalheads, evil-doers, and artisan beer freaks!  The Meista here today with a pairing of "Friends Of Hell", the sophomore album by NWOBHM band Witchfinder General and a crisp, crushable, and delicious Munich Style Helles from T.F. Brewing Company!  Hells yeah!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Witchfinder General
• Title: "Friends Of Hell"
• Recorded: 1983 at Horizon Studios in Coventry, UK
• Release date: 1983 (2nd full-length studio album by Witchfinder General)
• Record company: Heavy Metal Records / High Roller Records 
• Production: Robin George
• Album cover art: David Bonham (photography), Brett Prestige (photography), and Garry Underhill (artwork and layout)
• Personnel: Phil Cope (guitars), Graham Ditchfield (drums), Rod Hawks (bass), and Zeeb Parkes (vocals)
• Musical style: New Wave of British Heavy Metal, traditional metal, hard rock
• Sound: 1983's "Friends Of Hell" is a fun, flavorful album with a bit of wickedness and whim.  Witchfinder General hails from England and the NWOBHM movement with a sound similar to Diamond Head, Satan, and Tygers of Pan Tang.  With such songs as "Love On Smack, " "Shadowed Images," and "Friends of Hell," Witchfinder General combines Black Sabbath-esque, doom with a bit of tongue-in-cheek misogyny and "cheeky," 1960s, English horror, as their name denotes.  If you are not familiar with late '70s and early '80s NWOBHM, this is definitely a band you should check out!
• Major themes: Love lust, sex, music, evil, rebellion, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Love On Smack"
2. "Last Chance"
3. "Music"
4. "Friends From Hell"
5. "Requiem Of Youth"
   
6. "Shadowed Images"
7. "I Lost You"
8. "Quietus Reprise"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: T.F. Brewing (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: www.tfbrewing.com
• Brew: Munich Style Helles
• Style: German Lager / German Helles
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0% 
• IBUs: 17
• Pour: The Munich Style Helles pours a clear golden-yellow with a billowy, bright white, 2+ finger head with great sustain and lots of sticky, layered lacing.
• Nose: The nose is grainy, bready, toasty, and slightly sweet.  There are aromas of toasted bread, cereal, summer grass, bready malt, and a touch of caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Munich Style Helles follows the nose with lots of grainy, bready, and grassy flavors.  There are notes of crackery biscuit, toasted bread, a hint of toffee, and light grassy and floral hops.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium in body and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Munich Style Helles is very crisp, yet smooth, and with a clean, dry finish.

Overall pairing: The T.F. Munich Style Helles is a crisp, refreshing, and very crushable beer... a perfect brew (or three) to throw back whilst blasting the very rockin' "Friends Of Hell" from the mighty Witchfinder General!  Those light, but flavorful malt notes make for a great foil to the darker lyrical subject matter and the intense guitar work while the easy-drinking nature of the beer goes well with the joyous nature of the music!

CHEERS... HAILS!!