December 29th, 2021 - A Trooper's Fear Of The Dark

 

Good afternoon metal maniacs and craft beer freaks!  How about a double dose of Eddie?!  That's right... the Meista is here today with Iron Maiden's classic "Fear Of The Dark" and a Trooper Fear Of The Dark English Stout from Robinson Brewery!!  Hell yeah!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Iron Maiden
• Title: "Fear Of The Dark"
• Recorded: Late 1991 through April 1992 at the Barnyard in Essex, England
• Release date: May 11th, 1992 (9th studio album by Iron Maiden)
• Record company: EMI
• Production: Martin "The Juggler" Birch and Steve Harris
• Album cover art: Melvyn Grant
• Personnel: Bruce Dickinson (lead vocals), Janick Gers (guitars), Steve Harris (bass guitar), Nicko McBrain (drums), and Dave Murray (guitars)
• Additional musician: Michael "Count" Kenney (keyboards)
• Musical style: Power metal, heavy metal
• Sound: As always, Dickinson's voice is majestic, complex, and wonderful.  The guitar work of Janick Gers and Dave Murray is fantastically aggressive, soaring, fiery.  And the rhythm work of Steve Harris and Nicko McBrain is unmatched: thunderous, mighty, explosive - a galloping army in the heart of cannon fire!  Songs like the incredibly fast "Be Quick Or Be Dead," the political "Afraid To Shoot Strangers," the haunting "Fear Is The Key," the painful "Childhood's End," the creepy "The Apparition," and the classic title track, "Fear Of The Dark" are complex, rich, bold, and bombastic metal monsters!
• Major themes: Fear, violence, anti-war, life and death, the fear in sexual relationships, survival, power, suffering, perseverance, football hooliganism, etc.
• Notes: Sadly, it would be the last album to feature Bruce Dickinson as lead vocalist until his triumphant return in 1999.  It would also be the last to feature legendary producer Martin Birch (who retired after its release and passed away in 2020).  The "Fear Of The Dark" album cover would also be the first not to feature artwork from the amazing Derek Riggs, whose drafts were rejected in favor of artist Melvyn Grant.
• Tracks: 

1. "Be Quick Or Be Dead"
2. "From Here To Eternity"
3. "Afraid To Shoot Strangers"
4. "Fear Is The Key"
5. "Childhood's End"
6. "Wasting Love"
7. "The Fugitive"
8. "Chains Of Misery"
9. "The Apparition"
10. "Judas Be My Guide"
11. "Weekend Warrior"
12. "Fear Of The Dark"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Robinson Brewery (Stockport, England)
• Website: robinsonsbrewery.com    
• Brew: Trooper Fear Of The Dark English Stout
• Style: Stout 
• Serving: 16 ounce bottle
• ABV: 4.5%
• Pour: The Trooper Fear Of The Dark English Stout pours a deep, dark coffee brown with a 1+ finger, light mocha head with good retention and lots of sticky, sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is both malty, toasty, and roasty with notes of freshly baked bread, roasted nuts, coffee, cocoa, a hint of apple, and sweet caramel. 
• Taste: The taste of the Trooper Fear Of The Dark English Stout is roasty, toasty, bready, malty, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of hearty bread, coffee, cocoa, sweet caramel/toffee, and a hint of dark fruit.
• Mouthfeel: It is medium-bodied and moderately carbonated.  It is very smooth and easy drinking with a nice, clean and malty finish.

Overall pairing: Visually and theoretically speaking, this pairing is very obvious.  And coming in at only 4.5% ABV, you can through back a few of these easy drinking brews whilst pumping your fist and banging your head to the might and brilliance that is Iron Maiden's "Fear Of The Dark"!!

UP THE IRONS!!!