March 6th, 2025 - You'd Better Let Chad Smoke on Walpurgis Night or You'll Face the Stormwitch!

 

Hey there rebels, rockers, headbangers, and craft brew lovers!  Your drinkin' buddy the Meista here today with a pairing of the debut, kick-ass album "Walpurgis Night" by Stormwitch and a smoky and flavorful Let Chad Smoke from my friends and family at Fisher Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Stormwitch
• Title: "Walpurgis Night"
• Recorded: 1984 at Spygel Studio in Germany
• Release date: April 1984 (1st full-length studio album by Stormwitch)
• Record company: GAMA International / High Roller Records
• Production:  Holger Dolzitzki
• Album cover art: Holger Dolzitzki
• Personnel: Ronny Gleisberg (bass), Stefan Kauffmann (rhythm guitar), Peter Langer (drums), Andy Mück (lead vocals), and Harald Spengler (lead guitar)
• Musical style: Heavy metal, power metal with elements of speed metal
• Sound: With heavy influence from the NWOBHM sound (specifically early Maiden) and German flair, with "Walpurgis Night", Stormwitch lays down some heavy-duty, high-octane proto-power metal!  Although the production quality is somewhat lacking, it is more than made up by the killer guitar riffs, driving rhythms, and soaring vocals and dark lyrics!
• Major themes: The occult, history, mystery, myth, horror, fables, darkness, evil, witchcraft, dark fantasy, sword and sorcery, heavy metal, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Cave Of Steenfoll"
2. "Priest Of Evil"
3. "Skull And Crossbones"
   
4. "Werewolves On The Hunt"
5. "Walpurgis Night"
6. "Flour In The Wind"
7. "Warlord"
8. "Excalibur"
9. "Thunderland"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Fisher Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.fisherbeer.com/
• Brew: Let Chad Smoke
• Style: Bamberg Style Smoked Light Lager / Helles
• Serving: 32 ounce crowler can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Pour: The Let Chad Smoke pours a clear, golden-yellow hue with a thin, bright white head that dissipates fairly quickly, leaving only trace lacing.
• Nose: The nose is grassy, floral, grainy, and smoky.  There are aromas of summer grass, wildflowers, freshly cut hay, lemongrass, herbs, crackery biscuit, smoked grains, charred wood, and soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste is like the nose: crackery, grainy, grassy, smoky, and slightly hoppy.  There are notes of floral hops, lemon zest, lemongrass, crackery biscuit, smoked malts, liquid smoke, and very light caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied with good carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Let Chad Smoke is very crisp, smoky, and dry, yet smooth with a clean, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The Let Chad Smoke from the fine folks at Fisher Brewing is ais a very good offering of the style... great to pair with the intensity and heavy metal punch that is the "Walpurgis Night" by the mighty Stormwitch!  Those smoky notes go great with the darker lyrics and aggressive vibe, while the crushable maltiness is great for the overall metal attack!!  'Nuff said!

Cheers and hails!!