February 1st, 2026 - The Verlorene Welt of Planet Utah

 

Guten tag rockers rollers, proggers, and hopheads!  And a very happy Sunday to you!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here pairing "Verlorene Welt", the wonderful sophomore album by Dusseldorf progressive rock band Flaming Bess and a bold and hoppy Planet Utah Double India Pale Ale from Silver Reef Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Flaming Bess
• Title: "Verlorene Welt" 
• Recorded: 1980 at Dieter Dierks in Pulheim Stommeln near Cologne, Germany
• Release date: January 1st, 1981 (2nd full-length studio album by Flaming Bess)
• Record company: Polydor 
• Production: Flaming Bess and Wolfgang Neumann 
• Album cover art: Flaming Bess (design), Philipp Steuerwald (art direction), and Klaus Witt (illustration)
• Personnel: Joachim Jansen (keyboards and piano), Barry Peeler (acoustic guitars and keyboards), Hans Schweiß (drums and percussion), and Hans Wende (bass, guitar, and vocals)
• Additional and guest musicians:  Bruno Blättler (guitar), Wolfgang Emperhoff (vocals), Herbert Ihle (vocals), Dieter Joswig (percussion, cello, and vocals), Valerie Kohlmetz (percussion), Marlene Krückeland (vocals), Achim Wierschem (guitar)
• Musical style: Progressive rock, art rock, Krautrock, soft rock
• Sound: With influence from bands like Camel, early Genesis, early King Crimson, and Pink Floyd, the sound on "Verlorene Welt" is richly textured,  
• Major themes: Science fiction, mythology, fantasy, , etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Mythos"
2. "Aufbruch"
3. "Kristallplanet"
4. "Zay"
5. "Cron Endor"
6. "Ballade"
7. "Verlorene Welt"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Silver Reef Brewing Company (Saint George, Utah)
• Website: https://sgbev.com/
• Brew: Planet Utah Double India Pale Ale
• Style: Double India Pale Ale (DIPA) / Imperial IPA 
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 8.0%
• Pour: The Planet Utah pours a murky bronze-amber hue with frothy half-finger, off-white head with good retention and soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is hoppy, earthy, floral, citrusy, malty, and dank.  There are aromas of wet pine needles, bitter herbs, wildflowers, grapefruit rind, tangerine, bready malts, and burnt toffee.
• Taste: The taste of the Planet Utah follows the nose with bitter, malty, piney, and citrusy flavors.  There are notes of pink grapefruit juice, orange pith, pine resin, bitter herbs, bready malts, and caramel/burnt toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Planet Utah is very thick and chewy, yet crisp, with a dry, bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The Planet Utah is a bold, hoppy, and crisp brew with lots of bold flavor, which makes it a great beer to sip whilst enjoying the intricate, complex, yet inviting grooves of Flaming Bess on their excellent "Verlorene Welt" album!  Those citrusy hop notes go great with the progressive complexities, while the malty backbone is perfect for the captivating rhythm section!  'Nuff said! 

Prost!

January 31st, 2026 - Too Many of You Think That the World On Fire is a Tomorrow Problem

 

Hallo rockers, rollers, metal maniacs, and craft brew lovers!  Happy Saturday!  The Meista here today rocking the hell out with a pairing of "World On Fire", the excellent, hard-hitting debut album by the amazing Dutch heavy rock band Tiffany Kills and a bold and tasty Tomorrow Problem Imperial Amber Ale from Chappell Brewing!  Hells yes!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Tiffany Kills
• Title: "World On Fire"
• Recorded: 2025
• Release date: June 27th, 2025 (1st studio album by Tiffany Kills)
• Record company: CTM Christones Music
• Production: Christian Tolle
• Album cover art: ?
• Personnel: Tom Baer (bass), John "Jaycee" Cuijpers (lead vocals), Mathias "Don" Dieth (guitars and backing vocals), Mendy Sneijers (backing vocals), Christian Tolle (guitars and backing vocals), and Tom Wetzels (drums) 
• Guest musician: Morris Adriaens (keyboards and organ)
• Musical style: Hard rock, heavy metal with elements of alternative rock / metal 
• Sound: With influence from bands like Dio, Praying Mantis, Van Halen, and Whitesnake, the sound on "World On Fire" is a powerful hard rock statement characterized by fiery and soaring guitars, fantastic melodies and harmonies, fist-pumping rhythms, and Jaycee's indelible and awe-inspiring vocals!
• Major themes: Love, loss, desire, relationships, power, rebellion, rock and roll, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "I'll Come Running"
2. "Star Rider"
3. "Breathless"
4. "The Higher They Climb"
5. "Pulling The Trigger"
6. "World On Fire"
7. "Too Young"
8. "Caught In The Middle"
9. "Rock My World"
10. "In And Outta Love"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Chappell Brewing (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://chappell.beer/
• Brew: Tomorrow Problem Imperial Amber Ale
• Style: Imperial Amber Ale
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 9.0%
• Ingredients: Sweet roasted malts, Munich malt, rye, and Mosaic hops
• Pour: The Tomorrow Problem pours a deep, copper-amber hue with a frothy, 2+ finger, light beige head with great retention and lots of sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is malty, sweet, herbal, earthy, and slightly boozy.  There are aromas of freshly baked bread, light cocoa, sweet toffee, light herbs, oak, a hint of dark fruit, and hints of bourbon or rum.
• Taste: The taste of the Tomorrow Problem follows the nose with lots of malty, rich, sweet, and boozy flavors.  There are notes of bready malts, burnt toffee, soft caramel, and a splash of bourbon.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Tomorrow Problem is with a boozy finish.

Overall pairing: Those bold and malty flavors of Chappell Brewing's Tomorrow Problem Imperial Amber Ale are a great companion to the hard rockin' punch of Tiffany Kills' killer album "World On Fire"!  The bold and complex malt flavor goes great with Jaycee's fantastic vocal attack, while the sweeter and boozier flavors go great with the crunch of the fiery and soaring guitars, the thunderous and intricate bass lines, and the hard-hitting drumming!  'Nuff said!

Make sure to check out my interview from a few years ago with John "Jaycee" Cuijpers here: https://youtu.be/kV9hG_Pdes8

Hails and prosit!!

January 25th, 2026 - Is it My Outer Space Death? At Least I Have an Original Schlüssel Altbier!

 

Guten tag and hails thrashers and hop heads!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here just back from Europe and rocking the hell out today to "Outer Space Death", a killer compilation album of live and studio recordings from the "Interstellar Experience" sessions from the very underrated German thrash metal band Assassin and a delicious Original Schlüssel Altbier from Hausbrauerei Zum Schlüssel!  Hells yeah!!  And a HUGE thank you to Robert Gonnella for both the beer and the CD, and for hanging out with me and my wife in Düsseldorf!!  PROST brother!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Assassin
• Title: "Outer Space Death"
• Recorded: 1987 in Germany
  Release date: August 8th, 2025 (3rd official compilation album by Assassin)
• Record company: High Roller Records
• Production: Assassin (original album recordings produced by Harris Johns)
• Album cover art: Alexander Von Weiding
• Personnel: Robert Gonnella (vocals), Michael Hoffmann (guitars), Markus "Lulle" Ludwig (bass), Frank Nellen (drums), and Dinko Vekić (guitars)
• Musical style: Thrash metal, speed metal
• Sound: Fast, aggressive, and raw, this is true, classic Teutonic thrash at its best! 
• Major themes: Space travel, science fiction, violence, war, death, survival, politics, rebellion, food, humor, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Junk Food"
2. "Abstract War"
3. "Damned World"
4. "A Message To Survive"
5. "Resolution 588"
6. "A.G.D."
7. "Pipeline"
8. "Interstellar Experience"
9. "Strange World" (Rehearsal 1987)
10. "A Message To Survive" (Rehearsal 1987)
11. "Junk Food" (Rehearsal 1987)
12. "Interstellar Experience" (Rehearsal 1987)
13. "Resolution 588" (Rehearsal 1987)
14. "Abstract War" (Instrumental Version Rehearsal 1987)
15. "Junk Food" (Live Lambsheim 1987)
16. "Abstract War" (Live Lambsheim 1987)
17. "A Message To Survive" (Live Lambsheim 1987)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Hausbrauerei Zum Schlüssel (Düsseldorf, Germany)
• Website: https://www.zumschluessel.de/en/
• Brew: Original Schlüssel Altbier 
• Style: German Altbier 
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 5.0%
• Pour: The Original Schlüssel Altbier pours a clear chestnut-mahogany amber with a very frothy, 2+ finger, eggshell white, head with great retention and lots of sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is toasty, nutty, and malty.  There are aromas of toasted multi-grain bread, roasted hazelnuts, roasted walnuts, herbal tea, German hops, dark chocolate, and sweet toffee/caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Original Schlüssel Altbier presents a wonderfully balanced blend of bready, nutty, and malty flavors.  There are notes of roasted malts, dark toasted bread, roasted walnuts, black tea, burnt toffee, bitter herbs, and a hint of cocoa. 
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is crisp, yet very smooth with a dry, nutty, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The complex, yet very inviting flavors and aromas of the Original Schlüssel Altbier are perfect for the thrash metal punch and high energy of Assassin!  Those darker aromas and flavors are great for the straightforward rocking depth, while the sweeter malt notes are great for the fast, melodic rhythms and vocal prowess!

Make sure to check out with my interview with ex-Assassin vocalist Robert Gonnella from a couple of years ago here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfX-gk0ONX4&t=1s

Prost and hails!!

January 11th, 2026 - A Flashback to the Era of Feedback

 

Hey there rockers, rollers, and hopheads!  Happy Sunday!  I'm rocking out today with the wonderful "Feedback" covers album by the legendary Canadian progressive rock band Rush and a bold and tasty Flashback Double India Pale Ale from the fine folks at 2 Row Brewing!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Rush
• Title: "Feedback"
• Recorded: March through April 2004 at Phase One in Toronto, Ontario, Canada 
• Release date: June 29, 2004 (EP released by Rush)
• Record company: Anthem Records 
• Production: Dave Leonard and Rush
• Album cover art: Hugh Syme
• Personnel: Geddy Lee (bass guitar and lead vocals), Alex Lifeson (electric and acoustic guitars), and Neil Peart (drums percussion)
• Musical style: Rock, hard rock, blues rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock
• Sound: Featuring eight covers of songs that were heavily influential for the band during the 1960s, "Feedback" marked the 30th anniversary of both the release of Rush's debut album and of Neil Peart's joining the band in the wake of John Rutsey's departure.  For me, this EP is an absolute joy to spin!  It is fascinating to hear these master musicians not only play the songs that influenced them in their formative years but absolutely nail them!
• Major themes: The blues, life, love, searching for truth, soul, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Summertime Blues" (Eddie Cochran / Blue Cheer / The Who cover)
2. "Heart Full Of Soul" (Yardbirds cover)
3. "For What It's Worth" (Buffalo Springfield cover)
4. "The Seeker" (The Who cover)
5. "Mr. Soul / Eight Miles High" (Buffalo Springfield / The Byrds cover)
6. "Seven And Seven Is" (Love cover)
7. "Shapes Of Things" (Yardbirds / Jeff Beck Group cover)
8. "Crossroads" (Robert Johnson / Cream cover)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: 2 Row Brewing (Midvale, Utah)
• Website: http://2rowbrewing.com/
• Brew: Flashback Double India Pale Ale
• Style: Double India Pale Ale (DIPA) / Imperial IPA
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 8.0% 
• Pour: The Flashback pours a clear with frothy, 1-finger, eggshell white head with good retention and lots of soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is citrusy, earthy, floral, and malty.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, , wildflowers, toasted barley, dank pine resin, and sweet caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Flashback is characterized by bright citrusy and tropical flavors along with more subtle herbal notes and sweet maltiness.  There are notes of pink grapefruit juice, orange pith, pine, fresh herbs, barley, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Flashback is crisp and hearty, yet smooth and creamy with a slightly bitter, but fairly clean finish.

Overall pairing: The 2 Row Flashback DIPA is a bold and hoppy IPA with great flavors and aromas... perfect for an evening of rocking out with the mighty Rush and their wonderful "Feedback" EP!  And I like the look of the beer can label with the album artwork.  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!  Rock on!!

January 10th, 2026 - A Dark & Vile Luxury

 

Hello and happy Saturday my headbangin' and beer lovin' friends!  The Meister here today pairing "Vile Luxury (Redux 1924)", the bold, compelling, and totally unique 4th album by Imperial Triumphant and a roasty and toasty Tmavè Dark Czech Style Lager from the fine folks at the Ogden Beer Company!  Oh, hell yeah!! 

Album Info:

• Artist: Imperial Triumphant 
• Title: "Vile Luxury (Redux 1924)"
• Recorded: live, engineered, mixed, and mastered at Menegroth, The Thousand Caves in New York City, New York
• Release date: July 13th, 2018 / May 3rd, 2024 (4th full-length studio album by Imperial Triumphant)
• Record company: Century Media Records
• Production: Colin Marston and Imperial Triumphant 
• Album cover art: Noah Cutter Meihoff 
• Personnel: Steve Blanco (bass, keyboards, piano, and vocals), Zachary Ezrin (guitars and vocals), and Kenny Grohowski (drums)
• Additional and guest musicians: Andromeda Anarchia (vocals on "The Filth"), Joe Beaty (trombone), Sarai Chrzanowski (vocals on "Lower World"), Ben Hankle (trumpet), J. Walter Hawkes (trombone), Yoshiko Ohara (vocals on "Gotham Luxe", "The Filth", and "Luxury In Death"), Dan Peck (tuba), Jonathan Powell (trumpet), and Will Smith (vocals on "Gotham Luxe")
• Musical style: Avant-garde extreme metal, technical black metal, technical and progressive death metal with elements of Avant-garde jazz
• Sound: Not for the faint at heart, "Vile Luxury (Redux 1924)" is a compelling, bold, thoughtful, dissonant, noisy, musically verbose, and unapologetically profound artistic statement! I'm not even exactly sure how to describe what I hear when I listen to this album.  It is hauntingly beautiful in all of its controlled chaos, perfectly blending almost competing musical styles and to reflect the opulence and poverty of 1920s New York... most definitely an all-encompassing and engrossing sonic experience. 
• Major themes: New York City, greed, decadence, corruption, futurism, decay, degradation, death, etc.
• Notes: I was fortunate enough to see Imperial Triumphant open for Immolation a few years ago... astounding!!
• Tracks: 
1. "Swarming Opulence"
2. "Lower World"
3. "Gotham Luxe"
4. "Chernobyl Blues"
5. "Cosmopolis"
6. "Mother Machine"
7. "The Filth"
8. "Luxury In Death"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Ogden Beer Company (Ogden, Utah)
• Website: http://www.ogdenbeercompany.com/ 
• Brew: Tmavè Dark Czech Style Lager 
• Style: Czech-style Dark Lager
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Ingredients: Saaz hops
• Pour: The Tmavè pours a with a 1+ finger, off-white, light and frothy head with great retention and soapy, sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is a characterized by malty, roasty, grainy, floral hops, and lightly herbal aromas.  There are aromas of roasted malts, toasted bread, light cocoa, a hint of coffee, herbal hops, and burnt toffee.
• Taste: Well-balanced, the Tmavè a nice blend of bready, grainy, malty, and herbal flavors.  There are notes of toasted bread, bread crust, roasted barley, crackery biscuit, a hint of chocolate, soft caramel, and herbal hops.
• Mouthfeel: Medium in body and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp and smooth with a dry, clean finish. 

Overall pairing: The Ogden Beer Company Tmavè Dark Czech Style Lager is a very roasty, delicious, and crushable brew... a great companion to the utterly oppressive, unique, and powerfully bleak sound of Imperial Triumphant on their amazing "Vile Luxury (Redux 1924)" album!  I like the look of the album artwork juxtaposed with the beer can label art as well.

Cheers!!  Hails!!

January 9th, 2026 - Rolling Like Thunder

 

Hello and happy Friday craft beer freaks and metal maniacs!  The Meista here today pairing legendary NWOBHM band Scarab's kick-ass compilation album "Rolling Like Thunder" with one of my favorite local beers, a very crushable Fisher Cerveza Mexican Style Lager from my friends at Fisher Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!  

Album Info:

• Artist: Scarab
• Title: "Rolling Like Thunder"
• Recorded: December 1981 at Fairmorn Studio in Birmingham, England, June 1982 at South Road Studios in Erdington, England, September 1983 at The Pitstop in Birmingham, England, August 1984 at F.S.R. Studios in Birmingham, England, March 1985 at Central Studio in Birmingham, England, live 1985 at the Tamworth Art Centre, and live 1985 at the Railway in Birmingham, England
• Release date: November 17th, 2011 / June 28th, 2024 (1st full-length compilation album by Scarab)
• Record company: High Roller Records
• Production: Scarab
• Album cover art: André Tueroff and Richard Walker
• Personnel: Paul Britton (guitars and lead vocals), Paul Brookes (drums), Gary Crowe (bass), Andy Lewis (lead vocals), Chris McHale (drums), Dave Parrish (guitars), Steve Riley (drums), Nigel Shaw (bass), and Garry "Gaz" Wain (bass)
• Musical style: NWOBHM, heavy metal, hard rock
• Sound: With influence from bands like Black Sabbath, The Damned, Iron Maiden, and Motorhead, and full of piss and vinegar, Scarab's sound is high-octane, in-your-face, classic NWOBHM!  Fast-paced, fiery, and guitar driven, the songs encapsulate the early British metal movement with style and flair!  A great collection from a criminally underrated, yet highly influential band!
• Major themes and subjects: The occult, paranormal activity, heavy metal, rebellion, mystery, danger, darkness, death, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Don't Stare"
2. "All Night Long"
3. "For Whom Does The Bell Toll"
4. "Horsemen Of The Apocalypse"
5. "Stop The Rock"
6. "Acid Trap"
7. "Hell On Wheels"
8. "Let Us Pray"
9. "Rolling Like Thunder"
10. "Into The Labyrinth"
11. "Poltergeist"
12. "Hell On Wheels"
13. "Fight For The Right" (live)
14. "Vampyre" (live)
15. "Hell Hotel" (live)
16. "Rock Don't Live Here Anymore" (live)
17. "Prisoners" (live)
18. "Hell Hotel"
19. "Dead On My Feet"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Fisher Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah) 
• Website: https://fisherbeer.com/
• Brew: Fisher Cerveza
• Style: Mexican Style Lager
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Pour: The Fisher Cerveza pours clear, golden yellow hue with a thin, yet frothy, bright white head with good retention and sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is grainy, malty, and slightly sweet.  There are aromas of crackery and sweet biscuit, freshly baked bread, light corn, grassy hops, and soft caramel.
• Taste: Well-balanced, the taste of the Fisher Cerveza is malty, grainy, grassy, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of crackery biscuit, cereal grains, corn tortilla chips, a hint of lemon zest, light grassy hops, and soft caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied with good carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp and smooth with a clean, slightly sweet finish.

Overall pairing: The tasty, crushable character of Fisher's delicious Cerveza is a perfect foil for the guitar-driven, heavy-duty metal juggernaut that is the mighty Scarab!  Also, the "Rolling Like Thunder" album art and the can label look like they were made for each other!  'Nuff said! 

If you haven't done so already, make sure to check out my interview with Paul Britton here: https://youtu.be/1f0FusUwrOA

Cheers!!  Hails!!

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!!