April 12th , 2026 - And the Cannons of Destruction Began During the Upheaval

 

Hey there metal maniacs, and craft beer lovers!  The Meista here on this lovely Sunday finishing up the weekend the right way by rocking out with an Upheaval Imperial Saison Ale from the fine folks at Proper Brewing Company and Warlord's legendary and kick-ass debut full-length album "And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun..."!  Hell yeah!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Warlord
• Title: "And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun..."
• Recorded: 1983 at Sound and Vision Studios
• Release date: October 1984 (1st full-length album by Warlord)
• Record company: Metal Blade Records / High Roller Records
• Production: Mark Zonder
• Album cover art: Maureen Marten (artwork) and Diane Kornarens (band logo)
• Personnel: Archangel (bass), Damien King II (vocals), Destroyer (guitars), Sentinel (keyboards), and Thunder Child (drums)
• Additional musician: Bill Krysler (narration and sound effects on "Black Mass")
• Musical style: Heavy metal, power metal, hard rock with elements of progressive rock
• Sound: Man, what can you say about this groundbreaking, seminal, and highly influential album?!  Characterized by killer riffs, crunchy guitars, thumping bass, thunderous drums, and catchy harmonies, the sound on "And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun..." is classic early '80s American metal!
• Major themes: The occult, mythology, evil, darkness, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Beginning / Lucifer's Hammer"
2. "Lost And Lonely Days"
3. "Black Mass"
4. "Soliloquy"
5. "Aliens"
6. "MCMLXXXIV"
7. "Child Of The Damned"
8. "Deliver Us From Evil"
9. "End"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Proper Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.properbrewingco.com/ 
• Brew: Upheaval Imperial Saison Ale
• Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 9.7%
• IBUs: 60
• Pour: The Upheaval Imperial Saison Ale pours a hazy, bright golden orange-yellow hue with a billowy and rocky, eggshell white, 2 + finger head with great retention and lots of sticky and intricate spider web lacing.
• Nose: The nose is chalk full of fruity ester, yeasty, earthy, and slightly boozy notes.  There are aromas of pear juice, white grape juice, soft banana peel, white wine, lemon zest, cloves, oat, and wet leather.
• Taste: The taste of the Upheaval Imperial Saison Ale follows the nose with fruity, earthy, herbal, and slightly funky flavors.  There are notes of pear juice, Chardonnay, lemon zest, cloves, Belgian yeast, light banana, and a hint of booze.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied and well carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Upheaval Imperial Saison Ale is very crisp, somewhat sharp, and slightly sweet with a dry, slightly boozy but clean finish.

Overall pairing: The bright, fruity, complex, yet crushable elements of Proper's Upheaval Imperial Saison Ale go great with overall metal punch of Warlord's fantastic "And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun..." while the solid boozy kick goes well with the hard rockin' intensity and power that is and always will be the kick-ass Warlord!

And make sure to check out my interview with current Warlord vocalist, Giles Lavery here: https://youtu.be/r5GsOuvaqs0!

Cheers!