October 28th, 2021 - Divine Victims Of A Divine Apparition

 

Good evening hellions, rockers, and craft brew lovers!  My friends at Ogden River Brewing are celebrating their 1-year anniversary!  As such, your pal the Meista is here tonight raising a glass to their success with a pairing of their special, limited release anniversary brew,  the delicious Divine Apparition Baltic Porter and rocking out to "Divine Victims: The Witchfynde Albums 1980-1983" by the amazing New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) band Witchfynde!  Hell yeah!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Witchfynde
• Title: "Divine Victims: The Witchfynde Albums 1980-1983"
• Recorded: 1979 through 1983 at Fairview Recording Studio in Hull, England, Pineapple Studios in London, England, and the BBC Studios in London, England
  Release date: April 28th, 2017 (compilation box set of the 1st three studio album by Witchfynde: "Give 'Em Hell" originally released February 1980, "Stagefright" originally released October 1980, and "Clock & Dagger" originally released June 20th, 1983)
• Record company: Hear No Evil Recordings 
• Production: Phil Chilton, Roy Neave, and Witchfynde
• Album cover art: Arnott Ashley (artwork on "Stagefright"), Kam Wai Comerford and Lorraine Hoyland (artwork and design on "Give 'Em Hell"), and Rob Jakeway (artwork on "Cloak & Dagger") 
• Personnel: Luther Beltz (vocals), Steve Bridges (vocals), Andro Coulton (bass), Montalo (guitars), Gra Scoresby (drums), Pete "Thud" Surgey (bass)
• Musical style: NWOBHM, heavy metal, hard rock 
• Sound: Consisting of the first three quintessential Witchfynde albums, the songs presented here are wonderfully rich and capture the true essence of the NWOBHM movement... pure English metal!  Tracks like "Give 'Em Hell", "I'd Rather Go Wild", "Crystal Gazing", "Cloak And Dagger", "Ready To Roll", "Stage Fright", "Moon Magic", and "Stay Away" are instant classics and songs that influenced the likes of Jag Panzer, Mercyful Fate, Metallica, etc.
• Major themes: Heavily influenced by the occult and 1970s hard rock bands like Black Sabbath, Budgie, Captain Beyond, and Deep Purple, Witchfynde's lyrics were a bit darker than some of their contemporaries.  Themes include rock and roll, the occult, witchcraft, life and death, darkness, rebellion, Satan, mythology, etc.
• Tracks: 

Disc 1: "Give 'Em Hell" 

1. "Ready To Roll"
2. "The Divine Victim"
3. "Leaving Nadir"
4. "Gettin' Heavy"
5. "Give 'Em Hell"
6. "Unto The Ages Of Ages"
7. "Pay Now - Love Later"
8. "The Devil's Gallop" (bonus track)
9. "Tetelestai" (bonus track)
10. "Wake Up Screaming" (7" EP B-side)

Disc 2: "Stagefright"

1. "Stagefright"
2. "Doing The Right Thing"
3. "Would Not Be Seen Dead In Heaven"
4. "Wake Up Screaming"
5. "Big Deal"
6. "Moon Magic"
7. "In The Stars"
8. "Trick Or Treat"
9. "Madeline"
10. "Give 'Em Hell" (BBC Friday Night Rock Show - Rec. 21/1/1981, Broad. 12/2/1981)
11. "Gettin' Heavy" (BBC Friday Night Rock Show - Rec. 21/1/1981, Broad. 12/2/1981)
12. "Belfast" (BBC Friday Night Rock Show - Rec. 21/1/1981, Broad. 12/2/1981)
13. "Moon Magic" (BBC Friday Night Rock Show - Rec. 21/1/1981, Broad. 12/2/1981)

Disc 3: "Cloak & Dagger"

1. "The Devil's Playground"
2. "Crystal Gazing"
3. "I'd Rather Go Wild"
4. "Somewhere To Hide"
5. "Clock And Dagger"
6. "Cry Wolf"
7. "Start Counting"
8. "Living For Memories"
9. "Rock & Roll"
10. "Stay Away"
11. "Fra Diabolo"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Ogden River Brewing (Ogden, Utah)
• Website: https://ogdenriverbrewing.com/ 
• Brew: Divine Apparition Baltic Porter 
• Style: Baltic Porter 
• Serving: 25 ounce bottle
• ABV: 7.6%
• Pour: The Divine Apparition pours a deep, dark brown (almost black) with a creamy, light mocha, 1-finger head with great retention and lots of sticky, soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is a bold blend of earthy, roasty, malty, chocolaty, and slightly boozy notes.  There are aromas of dark chocolate, dark roasted malts, roasted coffee beans, plum, dates, black cherry, burnt toffee, vanilla bean, oak, and a hint of bourbon.
• Taste: The taste of the Divine Apparition, like the nose is rich and complex with roasty, malty, sweet, earthy, smoky, and slightly boozy flavors.  There are big notes of dark chocolate, dark fruits (prunes, dates, figs), and more subtle notes of vanilla, sweet caramel/toffee, and hints of bourbon. 
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very smooth and velvety with a slightly bitter, dry, and boozy finish.

Overall pairing: The Divine Apparition Baltic Porter is a very bold and very complex, yet very drinkable brew... perfect for the NWOBHM intensity and heavy metal punch that is the legendary Witchfynde's original albums!  Those rich, chocolaty notes go great with the dark vibe, while the boozy kick is great for the overall metal attack!

Happy anniversary and congratulations on a very successful 1st year ORB!!

Cheers and hails!!