Heavy Hops uses beer and heavy music as lenses to frame larger cultural and social questions. Guests from the music and beer industry join hosts Alexi D Front (Scorched Tundra) and Sam Cangelosi to share their stories and discuss why and how the worlds of heavy music and beer matter and are highly intertwined. Dive and get heavy with new episodes every Thursday.
Chicago, Illinois, USA
This week's Heavy Hops episode comes from a panel discussion I moderated on December 3rd at Viva Sounds - a conference and live music showcase that takes place annually in Gothenburg, Sweden, hosted by West Side Music. This panel - titled "I Will Survive" - looks at the live music sector from a booking agent's perspective. We venture beyond the headlines that dominated mainstream and trade media that generally portrayed a triumphant return of live music - and into what types of challenges booking agents are facing while the industry collectively attempts to find its footing again after pandemic closures. While this conversation is a snapshot in time, I think it's extremely relevant not only now, but to be able to look back on when we try to understand music business challenges more broadly. I've provided information on each of the panelists and conference in the episode notes. Panelists: Merle Doering - Black Harbor Music, Hamburg, Germany Mattias Albinsson - Headstomp Productions, Stockholm, Sweden Daniel Johansson - Göteborgs Kulturkalas, Gothenburg, Sweden Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems/Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
One of my favorite parts about talking to musicians is getting to the heart of why they make the creative and musical decisions that are then committed to tape or performed live. Why did they choose to write their lyrics in a certain manner? Why did they record their live album in a historic water tower? How will they reimagine older material for an upcoming performance? The thread among many of these conversations is that they are reflections musicians share on what they've done or will do. This week's conversation with Will and Sam Skarstad - collaborators, brothers and founding members of New York black metal band Yellow Eyes - shares a rare moment of these decisions happening in real time. The two took a break from intensive writing sessions to share observations of how their creative process is unfolding, how they feel about field recordings which have played an important part in creating ambiance and sense of place in past albums, and what they imagine for the follow up to 2019's Rare Field Ceiling. Find Yellow Eyes: Bandcamp Twitter Instagram Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems/Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Good Beer Hunting has changed how beer is covered and viewed. Over the past decade, founder Michael Kiser and his team have used photography, long form journalism, podcasting, humor and even festivals as avenues for sharing experiences, flavors and perhaps most importantly, human-size stories. I joined Michael at GBH studio in West Town, and over glasses of Bourbon County Barley Wine and Schlenkerla Weizen we discussed our mutual histories in beer, how covering it has changed over time, and what kind of future we see for this beverage that has shaped our lives. It was a pleasure to have this conversation in person - some things are just better face to face. Find Michael Kiser: Good Beer Hunting Feel Goods Company Twitter Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems/Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Tara Nurin is a veteran freelance writer, consultant, lecturer and educator who focuses on the culture, history and business of beer. Her most recent book A Woman's Place Is In The Brewhouse: A Forgotten History of Alewives, Brewsters, Witches and CEOs (Chicago Review Press, September 2021) covers these exact topics, celebrating the contributions and influence of female brewers,. Our conversation focuses on herstory - history considered or presented from a feminist viewpoint or with special attention to the experience of women - and forces such as archival silences and historiographical biases that have erased women's voices from brewing history. A Woman's Place Is In the Brewhouse is an important addition to the collective body of beer history on account of both its well-researched historical focus, and the social questions it raises. Find Tara Nurin: Official Website & Socials Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems/Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining us this week are Kirill Orlov and Marc Najjar guitarist and bassist/vocalist respectively of Huntsmen. The bands unique combination of folk Americana with doom-inspired heavy sections and harmonized vocals are presented through different production and storytelling lenses on the band's debut American Scrap and 2020's Mandala of Fear. The re-release of American Scrap by Prosthetic Records will be supplemented with a special performance of the album at Roadburn Festival. We discuss how American Scrap is more relevant than ever musically and lyrically; how the record is being transformed for the upcoming performance; and how they've incorporated vocalist Aimee Bueno sonically and personally into the project. The Dying Pines, the bands most recent output will be celebrated with a special hometown preview taking place at The Empty Bottle on April 9th. Find Huntsmen: Official Website & Social Media Buy tickets to see Huntsmen with Sweet Cobra and Guest. Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems/Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Martin Atkins' experience as a musician and entrepreneur spans genres, borders and industries. He was a member of Public Image Limited with Johnny Rotten, Ministry, Killing Joke, and Pigface in addition to being a performer with Nine Inch Nails. He's touched every aspect of the music industry and covered it in his three books. We discuss Martin's most recent undertaking, the Museum of Post Punk and Industrial Music in Chicago and what it's been like collecting, and deciding what to do with equipment, costumes, and other artifacts from his rich and colorful career. Martin is also the music business program coordinator at Millikin University in Decatur, IL and lectures regularly about the music industry. We devote time to my questions about building a local scene in a highly globalized world and how artists can get recognized amidst the proliferation of music online. Find Martin Atkins: More about Martin Twitter Instagram Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems/Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining me this week is Lance Shaner, founder of Omega Yeast Lab in Chicago. A microbiologist by training and former patent attorney, Lance's analytical approach to creating hybrid yeast strains for breweries was groundbreaking from the inception of Omega Yeast in 2013. We discuss how Lance approaches creating these hybrid strains of yeast, and we give special attention to Omega's Hothead - the first commercially produced Kveik strain available in North America. As the yeast lab that has always seemed to be a step ahead of the beer industry I was curious to know where he finds inspiration, how he works with hop growers and brewers to better understand their challenges, and where he can provide a solution. We also tie together music and beer, how does Lance square his musical and professional pursuits? Find Lance Shaner: Omega Yeast Lab Instagram Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems/Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining me this week is Jerald O'Kennard, Director of the Beverage Testing Institute in Chicago. BTI's independent reviews of beer, wine and spirits are highly influential internally within the bev-alc industry and with consumers. Pappy Van Winkle received a considerable boost to its brand recognition in 1997 when BTI awarded it a 99/100, the highest awarded score at that time. In an era where social media and democratized ratings platforms influence portfolio decisions for makers, wholesalers and retailers, the work that BTI does carries significant weight. Jerald and I dive into what makes a good sensory or review panel and how evolving style categories are accounted for in these contexts. How are pleasant “off flavors'' assessed in an objective environment? BTI's approach of taking the perspective of the end user leads us to the topic of convergence between Ready to Drink (RTD) and Flavored Malt Beverage (FMB) canned cocktails. Find Jerald O'Kennard: Beverage Testing Institute Tastings.com Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems/Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining me today is Katie Davies, guitarist and vocalist for the British grindcore band Pupil Slicer. The band's debut Mirrors was released in March 2021 and it captured my interest, the combination of mathcore, grind and post metal was unique in its delivery and transportive in its effect on me as a listener. I found myself revisiting Converge's Jane Doe and Dillinger Escape Plan's Calculating Infinity, finding new musical and lyrical nuggets within those classic albums. In addition to describing how those and other artists have impacted their song and riff-writing; Katie touches on vocal-style and conveying tension between the fun musical energy they perceive from these influences and Pupil Slicer's lyrics. Find Katie Davies & Pupil Slicer: Bandcamp "Thermal Runaway" Video "Wounds Upon My Skin" Video Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems/Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining me this week is JJ Koczan, founder of The Obelisk, an online publication focusing on desert rock, stoner and doom metal. JJ and I both found our way into the music industry around twenty years ago through college radio and journalism. JJ became Managing Editor at The Aquarian Weekly and Associate Editor at Metal Maniacs Magazine in New York before creating The Obelisk thirteen years ago. I wanted to understand how JJ negotiates being a fan of heavy music in addition to someone who covers it daily; does his profession color his listening experience? Does the pitch an artist, label, or publicist makes color his perception of the music? I think about these same questions a lot when it comes to event curation and even programming for this podcast. Before jumping in I'd like to give a shout out to Esben Willems who edits, mixes and masters these episodes weekly for inspiring this episode. If you're listening and have a guest idea, feel free to reach out and share it. Find JJ Koczan: The Obelisk Twitter Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems/Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining us week is Amaury “Ammo” Dastarac, a freelance illustrator based in Brussels. You've likely seen Ammo's work; he's created concert and festival posters for Neurosis, Converge, The Melvins, Chelsea Wolfe, Enslaved and Hellfest. He's also illustrated beer labels for breweries De Ranke, Cantillon and most recently Brasserie De La Mule. We discuss his style, visual and musical inspirations, how he crossed over into illustrating beer labels, embedding himself first into legendary venue Magasin 4 in Brussels, then the fabric of the Brussels beer scene. We also dedicate time to how he approaches working with the legendary lambic producer Cantillon, whose past labels are iconic and in the case of Rosé de Gambrinus, controversial. What goes into bringing producers and brands visually into the present? Find Ammo: Art & Label Portfolio Instagram Belgian Beers Race Game: a board game he illustrated in which players visit as many breweries as possible, buy their beers, drink throughout a three day competition Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems/Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
For a few years I've been intrigued by agave spirits, and in particular Mezcal. The flavor profiles, methods of production and history of these beverages are fascinating and delicious. In the interest of promoting curiosity, an eternal goal of this podcast, I wanted to give space to this unique world of beverages that have an intriguing sense of place. Joining me in this endeavor are Lou Bank and Chava Peribán, Executive Director and Project Manager respectively of S.A.C.R.E.D, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit that helps improve lives in the rural Mexican communities where heritage agave spirits are made. They also co-host the Agave Road Trip podcast. Lou and Chava provide context by offering insight into the agricultural, political, social and economic histories of Mezcal. We also touch on the work that S.A.C.R.E.D does in improving lives in rural Oaxacan communities by supporting agricultural and water security initiatives. You can read more about their work at the links provided in the episode notes. Find Lou Bank and Chava Peribán: Read More About S.A.C.R.E.D Agave Road Trip Podcast Chava is also the documentarist for Maguey Melate Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems/Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining me this week is Paul Hletko, founder and distiller of Few Spirits in Evanston, immediately north of Chicago. Hletko's imaginative approach to bourbon, whiskey and gin have garnered many accolades since Few's inception in 2011 including Whiskey Advocate Craft Whiskey of the Year and Icons of Gin World Distiller of the Year. We discuss his approach to ingredient selection and the construction of his brown spirits including mash bill, barrel sourcing, yeast strains, and adjuncts. The significance of the distillery's location in relation to the temperance movement receive attention, and we expound upon the correlations between songwriting and creating flavor. While Paul is mission and vision driven he is an ally of small distillers in the industry, having served as president of the American Craft Spirits Association and on the advisory board of DISCUS (Distilled Spirits Council of the United States). I take the opportunity to ask about relevant topics in the industry including consolidation among larger distillers and distributors, and direct to consumer sales. Find Paul Hletko: Few Spirits Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems/Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining us this week is Greg Anderson, co-founder of the experimental metal band Sunn O))) and its label home Southern Lord Records. We discuss the band's recent output Metta, Benevolence BBC 6Music: Live On the Invitation of Mary Anne Hobbs a live recording captured in 2019 at the legendary Maida Vale Studios in London. We discuss how these drones and improvisations from the band's 2019 releases Life Metal and Pyroclasts came to life and evolved over the course of their last European tour, culminating in the recording that also featured Swedish musician Anna von Hausswolff. Metta, Benevolence is Sunn O)))'s fourth official live recording since its landmark Monoliths and Dimensions release and we explore how live performance has impacted their studio work since. Greg also shares insights into his upcoming solo material and curatorial vision for Southern Lord Records, one of the most influential labels in heavy music. Check out this playlist containing our favorite tracks from Southern Lord releases. Find Greg Anderson: Sunn O))) Website Listen to Metta, Benevolence Southern Lord Records Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems/Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Jeff Alworth, an award-winning beer writer based in Portland, Oregon is our guest this week. Jeff has authored five books on beer, The Widmer Way, The Secrets of Master Brewers, Cider Made Simple, Beer Tasting Tool Kit, and The Beer Bible. A second edition of the Beer Bible was released in September 2021, and we took the opportunity to discuss beer broadly and through a social lens. We explore evolutions within the brewing world, fluidity of beer styles, how the proliferation of information on traditional Scandinavian and Baltic beers impacted his thinking of farmhouse ales, and how his telling of beer history has shifted. Whether you're new to beer or have tried 10,000 beers The Beer Bible is an inviting, enriching read. Jeff publishes almost daily on his blog Beervana, which you'll find linked in the episode notes. And that's where our conversation kicks off. Find Jeff Alworth: Beervana Blog | Podcast Beer Bible 2nd Edition Twitter Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems/Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
This week we're joined by Esben Willems, drummer in Swedish heavy band Monolord. Your Time To Shine, the band's fifth album, was released last year on Relapse Records, and we dive into it from his perspective as a musician and producer. Your Time To Shine was his first recording in Studio Berserk, which he took over a year ago. We also discuss touring during the pandemic and the doom label, which is often how the media characterize Monolord. Esben has handled editing, mixing and mastering of Heavy Hops episodes since July of 2021, and it is a joy to record and share one of our conversations with you. Find Esben Willems: Studio Berserk Listen to Monolord on Bandcamp Monolord on Facebook, Instagram Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining me this week is Luca Cimarusti - drummer in Chicago-based heavy trio Luggage, and leader of his solo black metal project Annihilus. Both bands were creatively active in 2021 and released new material, Happiness is Luggage's fourth album and Follow A Song From The Sky is the second Annihilus offering. We discuss these two albums on their own and in comparison, and cap off the conversation by highlighting stand out releases from 2021. Check out this playlist that features the albums discussed during the show, Luca's new material, and other artists discussed. Luca's Top Albums of 2021: Kowloon Walled City Piecework (Listen to HH interview with Scott Evans Episode 68) Turnstile Glow On Portrayal of Guilt Christfucker Mortiferum Preserved in Torment Meat Wave Volcano Park Tomahawk Tonic Immobility Alexi's Choice Cuts of 2021: Grand Cadaver Into The Maw of Death Pupil Slicer Mirrors Big Brave Vital Monolord Your Time To Shine Ustalost Before The Glinting Spell Unvests Find Luca Cimarusti: Annihilus: Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram; Luggage: Bandcamp, Facebook Chicago Reader Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining us this week is Kate Bernot, a contributing Editor for Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine, Sightlines contributor for Good Beer Hunting, and previously beer editor for Draft Magazine. In addition to her award winning writing, she is a BJCP certified beer judge, based in Montana. Her work covers a variety of companies and stories within the alcohol and beer spaces, making her the perfect insider for our wrap up of 2021 and peek into 2022. Our wide-ranging conversation touches on journalistic and academic integrity in reporting, research and policy; the Neo-Temperance Movement; ethics in journalism, why we should be careful when talking about growth in the non-alcoholic beer segment; globalization of craft beer and the role that technology and mass media have played in shifting expectations and styles; and impending supply chain issues. We look at what success brewers have experienced during the pandemic and what challenges lay ahead in the new year. Find Kate Bernot: Twitter Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Good Beer Hunting Sightlines Website Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining us this week is Zach Blair, lead guitarist in the legendary punk band Rise Against. For anyone that grew up in Chicago in the early 2000s and was at all interested in rock music, Rise Against was a touchstone. We use the group's recent EP Nowhere Sessions as a lens into the tradition of punk rock covers of protest songs and their live resonance. We also touch on the crucial role that metal music played in shaping Zach as a guitarist, his time as a member and writer in Gwar, and how Rise Against's success is a vehicle for its activism. Find Rise Against: Facebook Instagram Listen to Rise Against's latest EP Nowhere Sessions Zach's podcast: Zach and Mike Make 3 Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining me this week is Lucy Corne a freelance writer and beverage industry consultant based in Cape Town. She is the Editor of On Tap Magazine, South Africa's only magazine dedicated to beer. Lucy is BJCP and Cicerone® certified, having judged a number of competitions globally, including the African Beer Cup, the only pan-African beer competition, of which she is the co-founder. Her recent profile of South African hop grower Khaya Maloney for Good Beer Hunting was recognized by the North American Guild of Beer Writers for Local Reporting, and I wanted to shift this week's episode toward that part of the world. Listeners will remember Khaya from our interview with Gert van der Waal in July. Lucy reflects on the role she's created for herself in the South African beer community and her reporting on Khaya. We also discuss the resiliency consumers and craft brewers have shown during multiple alcohol bans in the COVID-19 pandemic which has challenged the local beverage industry on many fronts. We finish by discussing the importance of understanding what is happening in South Africa as an indicator for the future of the beverage industry. Lucy shares interesting insights on how producers are finding inspiration in local, traditional, beverages, and how this discovery of cultural confidence can lead to a future rooted with a stronger sense of place. Find Lucy Corne: Brewmistress - Lucy's Business Website Twitter Lucy's Profile on Khaya Maloney Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Ever wonder what to do with the awkward time between Christmas and New Years? Join DJ Alexi Front of Scorched Tundra and Metropolitan Brewing for the Scandinavian tradition of Mellandagen/Romjul (the days in between) at Dmen Tap. Enjoy beers by Metropolitan (Humbucker, Krankshaft and BA Stratotanker), Traditional Scandinavian-inspired food and "Julbords" by Boards by Courtney. Raffle Prizes, cool tunes and Evil! Kicks off at 6pm on Monday 12/27. Merchandise Shop Update + Local Pick Up Options Zombiekrig‘s Levande Efter Döden Live Gatefold Double LP is now for sale in extremely limited quantities on the webshop. This legendary Swedish thrash band played an early role in the development and ideation of Scorched Tundra (you'll recognize vocalist Axel Widén's artwork on the first ten ST posters and merch). This Live, glossy, Gatefold Double LP was recorded at Scorched Tundra II (2012) in Gothenburg Sweden, the band's last show before a 5-year hiatus. This piece of Scorched Tundra history is highly limited and only available on our webshop. Zombiekrig recently released an EP Dödstecken and which features two new studio tracks and live versions of three tracks from the live LP. Guitarist and founding member of Zombiekrig Anders "El Guapo" Gustafsson discusses the new EP at length in this week's episode of Heavy Hops. Give it a listen HERE. I've reactivated the Local Pick Up option on our Webstore for those of you looking to purchase Scorched Tundra Merch and vinyl without paying the shipping fees. You'll be able to pick up the merchandise on 12/27 at DMen Tap. Select the appropriate local pick up option at check out.* *Note: All orders that utilize “Local Pick Up” must be picked up at the date specified. I'll reach out to those that order via this method on e-mail to ensure smooth pick up. All "Local Pick Up" orders are subject to Cook County Tax (applied before checkout). I was recently interviewed on Rock In Chicago podcast - you can enjoy the wide-ranging conversation HERE. We discuss a number of different topics related to the art and craft of podcasting, the undertakings and values for curating an international music festival along with different ways of looking at experiencing new music post-pandemic in different contexts. The tracks featured in this episode are “Clearing the Sand” by Huntsmen and “Twist Ending” by Annihilus. I also curated a playlist that accompanies the episode featuring local talent and performances captured in Chicago spaces. Enjoy the playlist HERE.
Joining us this week is Anders “El Guapo” Gustafsson, founding guitarist of Zombiekrig, a thrash metal band based in Gothenburg Sweden. The band released new studio material for the first time in almost a decade on December 10th - Dödstecken an EP two new songs and live recordings captured at the second Scorched Tundra festival edition in 2012, one of the band's last shows. The tracks incorporate new elements into Zombiekrig's established hybrid of punk, continental thrash, and classic metal. We discuss these musical inspirations, using English for the first time in lyrical composition, and a wide range of other topics including gatekeeping in metal, discovering new beverages and re-discovering classic albums, and a ton more. Find Zombiekrig: Spotify Facebook Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining us this week is Buick Audra, a Grammy award winning musician, writer, and activist living in Nashville, TN. She is the guitarist, primary songwriter and vocalist in the melodic heavy duo, Friendship Commanders. The band recently released four singles “Stone Child” and “Your Reign is Over” last year to mark Indigenous Peoples Day, and most recently “Altar” and “Land of Men” . We caught up while she was on tour supporting these singles and en route to recording their third LP at God City with Kurt Ballou. In addition to discussing the singles at length, we dive into sources of inspiration for Buick's activism, the importance of elevating voices of those fighting for social justice and protest songs. Find Buick Audra & Friendship Commanders: Listen to Friendship Commanders Buick's Website Friendship Commanders Website Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
People find their way into the commercial side of beer world through many avenues. Common narratives typically involve an interplay of seeking something different than what the market offered, discovering the joys of homebrewing, finding a community, and taking a risk with hopes for an independent future. Laurin Mack's path has been exceptional and is noteworthy. She's is the great-great-great granddaughter of Conrad Seipp, a German immigrant who began brewing beer in Chicago in 1854. The Chicago Fire in 1871 - which ravaged much of the city - spared Seipp's brewery, which at its height produced over 250,000 barrels annually and was an innovative force in the industry. It is through the lens of family history and a desire to connect with the past - and a little encouragement from Chicago Brewseum Executive Director Liz Garibay and Co-Founder of Metropolitan Brewing Tracy Hurst - that Laurin Mack founded Conrad Seipp Brewing Company, and our conversation explores stewardship involved sharing family history with the public, re-imagining historic beer recipes and brands, and where this historic brand sits in contemporary beer culture. Find Laurin Mack: Official Website Instagram Facebook Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Photos in Episode Notes Provided by Laurin Mack Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining us this week is Averie Swanson, the founder and beermaker of Keeping Together. While the company was founded in 2019 - when Averie arrived in Chicago and had an opportunity to begin making her beers at Half Acre Beer Co. - Keeping Together was only recently first served at a beer festival in Washington DC. We use this event as a lens through which we get to know Averie, the construction of Keeping Together's beers, what inspires and drives her, cultural appropriation and how beer can be a more thoughtful and inclusive space. For those interested in tasting Keeping Together's beers, they are available at Half Acre's Balmoral Taproom for in house consumption and to go. See a full list of offerings HERE. Find Keeping Together & Averie Swanson: Website Instagram Facebook Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
This week I am in Studio Berserk in Gothenburg Sweden with Mikael Stanne, vocalist and lyricist of the melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity and Grand Cadaver. Our conversation revolves around his newest project, The Halo Effect, whose lineup is rounded out by guitarists Niclas Engelin and Jesper Strömblad, bassist Peter Iwers, and drummer Daniel Svensson - former members of another legendary Gothenburg metal band: In Flames. We discuss the The Halo Effect's premier output, a single, titled, Shadowminds; how the project came together, what it captures, and what it's been like working with longtime friends. Since the interview was recorded, Shadowminds was released on Nuclear Blast (November 9th) and The Halo Effect announced it will participate in a European tour with Amon Amarth and Machine Head in Autumn 2022. Check out the music video for "Shadowminds" here. Find The Halo Effect: Official Website Instagram Facebook Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
From its clandestine roots, to an environmentally focused multi day music and lifestyle event, Fire In The Mountains, has become an important festival in the heavy music calendar. Want to see Emma Ruth Rundle play on a grand piano with the Grand Tetons as a backdrop? Enjoy a barbecue featuring local, sustainably grown, food cooked by a Norwegian chef? This is where you'll have that opportunity. Founders Jeremy Walker and Alex Feher walk us through the event's roots, the centrality of environment and place that guides much of the decision-making, curation, and the importance of inclusion, attendees being participants, not customers. Find Fire In The Mountains: Official Website Instagram Facebook Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please consider donating to our fundraiser to help Sam (Co-Host of Heavy Hops) fight cancer! Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
I don't often have an emotional response to music. Perhaps it's the prevalence of streaming services and being able to access audio and video content on demand that makes music an accessory. Sitting and intentionally focusing on a piece of music draws us in differently. In allowing music to consume us with less distraction our imagination can freely roam the architecture the artists create. Piecework, the latest release from Oakland-California's Kowloon Walled City drew me in from the start; its effective use of negative space to create tension; lyrics focusing on finding strength and quiet resilience; and visual presentation is striking and impactful. The live recordings are captured masterfully by guitarist and vocalist Scott Evans, who joins us to discuss Piecework. Find Kowloon Walled City: Bandcamp Piecework Video Instagram Facebook Kowloon Kölsch, created by Atrevida Beer Company Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please consider donating to our fundraiser to help Sam (Co-Host of Heavy Hops) fight cancer! Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
It's no secret that the vinyl pressing industry has faced a surge in demand over the last 18 months. The British Phonographic Industry recorded 4.8 Million Vinyl Albums sold in the UK in 2020, marking a decade of growth, which globally eclipsed 1 billion dollars for the first time. In the United States LP and Ep shipments increased 23.6% while compact disc shipments fell 33.6% between 2019 and 2020 according to the RIAA. Joining us this week to offer a manufacturer's perspective on this growth - and the challenges it presents - is Michael Greig Thomas, the Chief Operating Officer at Kindercore Vinyl in Athens Georgia. We put the manufacturer at the center of our thinking for this conversation, discussing what materials go into producing records, how they are acquired, and the pain points that exist in the manufacturing. By drilling into the supply chain and non-linear process involved in transforming these raw materials, and their components, a richer understanding of why production estimates are lengthy is attainable. We also discuss popular narratives about purchasing power of major record labels to bump small releases in production queues, the Amazon effect, use of recyclable plastic, and how independents can use their size and nimbleness to their advantage in getting their records pressed on favorable timelines. I'd like to note that Michael speaks openly about the industry during this conversation and that his opinions are his, and not necessarily those of Kindercore Records. Find Michael Greig Thomas & Kindercore Vinyl Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please consider donating to our fundraiser to help Sam (Co-Host of Heavy Hops) fight cancer! Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Run The Jewels has not only taken the music world by storm, but they are also making waves in beverage - and specifically beer. Their history of making or lending their brand to collaborations with Goose Island, Interboro Spirits & Ales and Pipeworks Brewing were initial opening experiences for how they can connect with more audiences and create new opportunities for people to experience RTJ. Since those initial events in 2017 RTJ has launched a number of other beer projects, including the “No Save Point” IPA, released in collaboration with thirteen breweries from multiple countries. The namesake song features in the game Cyberpunk 2077. Today I am joined by the co-manager of Run The Jewels, Amaechi Uzoigwe and Kate Brankin who lead these partnerships and business development endeavors. We discuss how the worlds of RTJ and craft beer overlap, how collaborations such as “Never Look Back”, allow for social justice issues to be highlighted, and what future collaborations or co-branding opportunities may look like. There's no doubt there will be more beer there. Find Run The Jewels Drinks Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please consider donating to our fundraiser to help Sam (Co-Host of Heavy Hops) fight cancer! Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Smoked beers are thought to be an acquired taste. Aromas and flavors of campfire or bacon, when presented in the context of a pale or dark lager, can be surprising, jarring or intriguing. However, when we think broadly about our own relationship to this sensory experience we can be transported to familiar and even nostalgic places: an outdoor gathering with friends and family, the smell of breakfast, or a barbecue. Enjoying a glass of smoked beer is a window into not only our own past, but also the history of beer. Joining us this week is Matthias Trum, 6th generation brewmaster and patron of Schlenkerla Brewery and tavern located in Bamberg, Germany. Brewers and fans of smoked beer hold the distinctly smokey lagers and wheat beer from this Bavarian brewery in the highest regard. Known for its unique malting handling and preparation methods that impart a distinctly smokey aroma and flavor, Schlenkerla's Märzen, Wheat beer, bocks and pale lager are gateways into a special sensory experience. We discuss how Matthias translates historical brewing records into modern recipes; what his experience as family business owner and operator has been like; and how he balances modernity, tradition and innovation. This conversation wouldn't have been complete without a discussion of the Reinheitsgebot, the evolution of the purity laws in Bavaria, and how they are employed and relevant to consumers today. Find Schlenkerla: Website Instagram Facebook Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please consider donating to our fundraiser to help Sam (Co-Host of Heavy Hops) fight cancer! Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining us this week is German multi instrumentalist Dave Schmidt. He is a pillar in the modern psychedelic music scene: his projects Electric Moon, Zone Six, Krautzone, Intercosmos as well as his solo work - released under the name Sula Bassana - are essential listening for anyone looking to open their mind and reach the outer galaxies. His label Sulatron Records sits at the convergence of neo-psychedelic, krautrock, ambient electronic and progressive rock - in a normal year releasing a prolific amount of records for a one person operation. We discuss improvisation in heavy music, Dave's experience growing up in Berlin in the 1980s, playing in non-traditional venues such as the planetarium in Bochum where I first saw Electric Moon, his collaboration with Portuguese kosmische explorer Talea Jacta for Roadburn Redux, and what he's been up to with his numerous musical projects during the last year and a half. You'll find links to Dave's projects and label in the episode notes (below), as well as a killer video of Electric Moon performing at Freak Valley Festival in 2019. Find Dave Schmidt: Electric Moon Sula Bassana Intercosmos Zone Six Krautzone Sulatron Records Electric Moon Live at Freak Valley 2019 Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please consider donating to our fundraiser to help Sam (Co-Host of Heavy Hops) fight cancer! Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining us this week is Brian Cook, you may know him as bassist in heavy bands Russian Circles and Sumac. This conversation focuses on his first solo effort - under the name Torment & Glory - which was released in late August. We Left a Note with an Apology draws from a wide music palate, folk tradition, country storytelling, krautrock with moments of sludgy distortion that transport the listener to a series of moments in Brian's life. Our conversation also touches on the construction of the album, how Sargent House became involved in the release, social unrest, closing on a short discussion about recent Russian Circles brewery and coffee roaster collaborations. Brian created an exceptional playlist to accompany this episode that we've been digging since our conversation. Listen to the playlist HERE. Here's Brian's description of the playlist: "A few weeks back I did a playlist of stuff that influenced the Torment & Glory (or stuff that I was listening to a lot while working on it) so I tried to make this one not have much/any stylistic overlap. So this one is basically starts with Dead Kennedys' "Terminal Preppie" cuz that was my gateway drug into punk, then kinda takes off into a bunch of weird punk stuff, fringe hardcore, art punk, krautrock, old school funk, dark drone, death metal, black metal, gloomy electronic stuff, guitar/savvy indie stuff, and a little wind-down with some jazz." Enjoy the playlist HERE. Enjoy the video for the song "No Big Crime". Find Brian Cook: Torment & Glory Russian Circles Sumac Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason This episode was recorded, edited, mixed and mastered at Studio Berserk in Gothenburg, Sweden by: Esben Willems. Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please consider donating to our fundraiser to help Sam (Co-Host of Heavy Hops) fight cancer! Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
This week we're in Gothenburg Sweden at Studio Berserk with Matthias Nööjd and Axel Wittbeck, guitarist/vocalist and drummer respectively of the riff driven heavy band Firebreather. The band will head to the USA for the first time in early 2022 with Monolord. Our conversation revolves around the role that touring plays in gaining notoriety, and the challenges that comes with gaining and building an audience on the road. We also discuss the bands forthcoming, as of yet untitled, third album, which will be released by Riding Easy Records. Check out the dates for the upcoming Firebreather/Monolord tour HERE. Find Firebreather: Facebook Instagram Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason This episode was recorded, edited, mixed and mastered at Studio Berserk in Gothenburg, Sweden by: Esben Willems. Music by: Sam Cangelosi Photos By: Therese Rasmusson Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining us this week is Matthew Curtis, an award-winning freelance writer, broadcaster and author based in Manchester. You may be familiar with his work as Editor-in-Chief of Pellicle Magazine, a publication and podcast focused on beer, cider, wine, food and travel. Matt's most recent book, Modern British Beer, is the focus of our conversation. The book itself provides a look at eighty different beers produced annually in the UK. In sharing the perspectives of the producers - and the tasting notes of the beers themselves in first person narrative - Matt highlights the diversity of these beverages and how they are a reflection of place, values and ethics. Our conversation dives into the aspects of modernity, the influence continental and American producers have had on the flavors and production practices he documents, and the space these beers occupy in an evolving contemporary European beer market. We also consider who drinkers of modern British beer are, where traditional brewers sit in the landscape Matt describes, and the statement CAMRA - the Campaign for Real Ale - made by publishing this book. Modern British Beer can be purchased directly from the publisher HERE. Find Matthew Curtis: Pellicle Magazine Twitter Instagram Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason This episode was edited by Esben Willems at Studio Berserk in Gothenburg, Sweden Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
This week we catch up with Mike Schallau, co-owner and brewer of Is/Was Brewing, an artisanal producer of rustic, farmhouse-inspired ales based in Chicago. We explore two of Mike's first blended mixed fermentation beers: Levain and Bend Towards Daylight. In discussing the construction and intention of these beers we learn more about Mike's symbiotic approach to creating these living beers. Is/Was recently celebrated its two year anniversary; and Mike reflects on learnings from this early part of his company's evolution, how he approaches commercial descriptions, and his brief foray in black metal. Find Is/Was: Official Website Facebook Instagram Untappd Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason This episode was edited by Esben Willems at Studio Berserk in Gothenburg, Sweden Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining us this week are Jim Cibak and Marty Scott - Brewmaster and Barrel Program Lead respectively - at Revolution Brewing in Chicago. The brewery's “Deep Woods” Series of barrel aged beers has garnered the attention of drinkers of these time and ingredient intensive styles. Balance, Jim and Marty argue, as perceived during the sensory process, and calculated in analysis, is central to the challenge of achieving consistency, complexity and conveyance of barrel expression for which their “Deep Woods” beers are known. We discuss how sourcing barrels with intention and purpose, blending, patience, nimbleness, luck, and ability to lean on their knowledge reservoir - that of the largest independently owned craft brewery in Illinois - also play a role. Jim and Marty walk us through a number of their barrel aged beers sharing insights into their construction, tasting notes, and stories. Follow Along At Home with these beers: Revolution Deth's Tar 2016 Revolution Deth's Tar 2020 Revolution Cuvée de Grace 2020 Revolution VSOJ 2020 Revolution Double Barrel VSOD 2020 Find Revolution Brewing: Revolution's Website Instagram Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason This episode was edited by Esben Willems at Studio Berserk in Gothenburg, Sweden Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining us this week is Sanford Parker, a Chicago-based musician, studio engineer and producer. You've heard his work in these capacities on albums from Eyehategod, YOB, Wovenhand, Voivod, Hide, Darkthrone, Youth Code, Harm's Way, Facs, and Unearthly Trance, just to name a few. As we get to know Sanford, hear about his engineering and production process, and dive into a select few works, his approach and passion for music becomes evident. Select Works Sanford Recorded, Produced and Performed On: Buried At Sea Corrections House Mirrors for Psychic Warfare Sanford Parker Solo Material Find Sanford Parker Hyper Cube Sanford's Discography Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason This episode was edited by Esben Willems at Studio Berserk in Gothenburg, Sweden Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining us this week is Nick Dellacroce, guitarist of instrumental doom band Bongripper and solo project Bottomed. We discuss what's been happening with Bongripper, what we've been listening to and which albums, podcasts, movies and shows have struck us from 2021 so far. Listeners will recognize Nick not only for his musical work, but also from his appearance in Episode 7 Part I and Part II. Playlists, podcasts, and band names below are hyperlinked, so click/press to explore! Playlists Discussed: The Sadness Playlist Our Best of 2021...So Far Playlist Roadburn Essentials Playlist Podcasts: Wandering Soul Documentary Dan Carlin's Hardcore History Downstream Channel A Life On Our Planet Kiss The Ground Land of the Giants Nick's Top Albums of 2021 So Far: Altarage Succumb Body Void Bury Me Beneath This Rotting Earth Chaos Echoes Ecstasy with the Nonexistents God Is War World Music Volume 1 / Abou Knees Godspeed You! Black Emperor At States End Mogwai As the Love Continues Bill Orcutt / Chris Corsano Made Out of Sound Panopticon ...And Again Into the Light A Place to Bury Strangers Hologram Portal Avow Andy Stott Never the Right Time Scorn The Only Place Sugar Wounds Calico Snuffed on Sight EP Mika Vainio Last Live Yautja The Lurch Looking forward to the new Teeth record. Sam's Top Albums of 2021 So Far: Gojira Fortitude Gatecreeper Unexpected Reality Cult of Luna The Raging River Uglybones Erasure Bloodletter Funeral Hymns (CD pressing in 2021 by Petrichor/Hammerheart Records) Re-Releases, Live Streams, Notables, Albums You're Looking Forward To: Soft Kill Sky, Earthless Mojave Desert livestream, Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou cover album, Kikagaku Moyo & Ryley Walker Deep Fried Grandeur Alexi's Top Albums of 2021 So Far: Big Brave Vital Gatecreeper Unexpected Reality Pupil Slicer Mirrors Spelljammer Abyssal Trip (Cool video for the title track). The Amenta Revelator (Learn more about this album in Ep 55) Live: Solbrud Levende i Brønshøj Vantårn (Discussed in Ep 41) Singles, Re-Releases, Honorable Mentions: Novarupta “Wear You Down” Vukari “MMXXI” (2021) Monolord I'm Staying Home Grand Cadaver Madness Comes (EP) - Thanks George for the shout out! Pelican re-releases via Thrill Jockey. Honorable Mention: The Ruins of Beverast The Thule of Grimoires Find Nick Dellacroce: Bongripper Bandcamp Bottomed Bandcamp Bongripper Facebook Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
I was recently flipping through a collection of old compact discs and DVDs, and came across a treasure trove of folk and pagan inspired metal albums. From violins, bagpipes, and hurdy gurdies to throat singing, lutes and horsehead fiddles, modern metal bands have found interesting ways of incorporating traditional instruments, folklore and ritual into their music and performance. These sounds and lyrics are interwoven with a variety of different sonic expressions of heavy music. Deities, such as Baphomet, appear on merchandise and album covers. We wanted to get to the genesis of when pagan and folk traditions, instruments, and lore overlapped with heavy metal. Joining us remotely in this exploration of paganism and metal music is Dr. Deena Weinstein, a professor of Sociology at DePaul University in Chicago. Deena is a thought leader in heavy metal history, her book Heavy Metal: A Cultural Sociology, which was released in 1991, is considered foundational. She's been a rock critic specializing in metal for 30 years, is widely read both in mainstream and academic publications, and is a frequent keynote speaker at events such as World Metal Congress. Our conversation offers perspectives and historical context to the musical evolution of rock into metal, and the political and social inflection points during the 70s, 80s and 90s that introduced paganism into metal. How has heavy metal's culture changed over time in conjunction with its interactions with paganism? Does ethnicity and identity play a role? Is pagan metal an artistic response to the power wielded by politicians and organized religion? Enjoy this extensive playlist we've constructed as a companion for this episode. Find Deena Weinstein: About Deena View Deena's Academic metal and Social Theory Work Deena's Music Media Work (Magazines and Newspapers) Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Joining us this week is Tim Pope, keyboardist, programmer and lyricist for Australian extreme metal band The Amenta. Describing this band's sound - whether on a single album or as a characterization over time - in a two or three word genre title is challenging. Maybe that's the point. Revelator, the band's fourth album, which was released in February by Debemur Morti Productions, represents the biggest stylistic jump between albums to date. Tim identifies the use of organic sounds and process which recast the role his instrument plays in the context of the bands sound; a shift towards spontaneity, deconstruction and re-contextualization in the lyrical composition; and an exploration of the tension between atmosphere and pace as key factors in the construction of Revelator. We also discuss incorporating a vocalist into the writing process for the first time in the band's twenty plus year career and the emphasis on visual presentation through three haunting music videos. Discover The Amenta: Revelator music videos: An Epoch Ellipsis, Sere Money, Psoriastasis Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Twitter Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Gert van der Waal refers to his ventures in hop growing, malting, and distilling as “experiments.” There's a level of modesty in this claim indicative of his character. On his small farm located outside Pretoria, South Africa, you'll find four varieties of hops: Cascade, Kracanup (a cross of Chinook and Cascade originating from Australia), DrakGold (a variety bred near Durban on the east coast) and NAK, a local strain whose name references the rocky terrain on his farm, Nog-a-Klip. In the face of monopolistic and uncompetitive practices on the part of South African Brewers (or SAB) - a direct subsidiary of AB InBev which owns over 90% of South Africa's hop production - to discourage hop growing outside of a region in which its interests are vested, Gert developed a method to multiply his plants quickly, and has engaged a number of small scale growers who have seen positive results. On Constitution Hill - a Johannesburg fort that served as a prison for Nelson and Willie Mandela during apartheid years - Khaya Maloney is growing hops from rhizomes provided by with Gert. In addition to his curiosity, creativity, and willingness to experiment, Gert's success can be attributed to his commitment to ecological farming and symbiosis which are unusual in a trade dominated by monocropping. Our conversation with Gert revolves around these topics, home distilling; how shutdowns, alcohol bans, COVID-19 and social unrest have impacted the burgeoning craft brewing and distilling spaces in South Africa. Photos Provided by: Lucy Corne (Facebook, Twitter, Website) Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
Maura Walsh, a Chicago-based artist, gained notoriety during the pandemic for her appropriately named Tiny Guide to Chicago's Best Music Culture Spots and Tiny Guide to Chicago Arts which raise funds for local organizations Chicago Independent Venue League and Save our Stages. We explore the origins of this project, the challenges of communicating architectural detail on such a small medium, and dive into the experience of having a project go viral overnight. We also touch on Maura's most recent Tiny Chicago Music Scene project and why these spaces are front of mind for someone with a fine art background. Photos provided by Maura Walsh. Listen to Maura's companion playlist for the episode, containing some of her favorite Chicago-based bands. Find Maura Walsh: Black Nail Studio Organizations Discussed: Chicago Independent Venue League (CIVL) Save Our Stages Support Chicago Arts Girls Rock Chicago Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
This week's episode is a story about curiosity, saying yes to opportunities, not fearing living somewhere new, and relishing challenges. Coy Eakes, co-Founder of Gamma Brewing, located just outside of Copenhagen, Denmark, tells us how he left his native North Carolina for a country he'd never been to, how he found brewing, and the importance of collaboration as an avenue for better understanding his new surroundings and profession.. Coy's journey continues stateside where he will open a new Collective Arts facility in New York City. Find Coy Eakes: Collective Arts Gamma Brewing Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
During the first weekend after Easter, Tilburg - a university town in the south of Holland - becomes a destination for curious music enthusiasts from around the world seeking to discover and enjoy up and coming, and select established names, in heavy music. Roadburn Festival's influence and role as a forward-thinking tastemaker is immeasurable; every metal festival organizer in Europe - and some in North America - watch its announcements extremely closely and labels take careful note of its lineup. In our conversation with artistic director Walter Hoeijmakers and Becky Laverty (Communications/PR + Side Programme Organizer) we discuss the Roadburn's origins, watershed moments; how curation, commissioned sets, and fan experience are approached, and the festival's evolving interpretation of what encompasses heavy music. How has Walter's vision of the festival shifted over the last fifteen years? What expectations should attendees have going into the 2022 edition? Discover Roadburn: Roadburn: Essential Sounds Playlist (updated weekly) Audio Streams Roadburn Website Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
For the fiftieth episode artist and longtime collaborator Bryn Gleason is taking the helm and asking listener submitted questions. Sam and I offer behind the scenes insight into the shows background, how we adjusted during the lockdown period, what we look for in collaboration beers and projects, and what future content listeners may expect. Big thanks to everyone who listens weekly, those who encouraged us to take the plunge, and folks that have opted to support us financially on our Ko-Fi page. Here's to 50 more! Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
This week we're focusing on a specific overlap of agriculture and beer: small scale hop farming in non-traditional areas. Who is starting small farms, where are they located and what are the historical and present challenges these farmers face in North America where the “scale-up to succeed” mentality and monocropping are most prevalent? How is the “what's new” consumer fixation challenging for small scale, non-traditional growers, and how do branding and marketing play into the hands of large scale growers? On the other side, where can small scale farmers exceed industry expectations? Here to discuss the ins and outs of small scale hop farming in non-traditional areas is James Altwies, a trained molecular biologist, horticulturist, and sensory scientist, holding advanced degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Toledo. In addition to his podcast, Hopnology, and consulting work for hop farmers, James teaches at the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago. Listeners may remember him from our sensory discussion in Episode 017. James also weighs in on the impact climate change has had on hop growing, terroir and use of hydro and aquaponics. Find Hopnology: Website/Podcast Facebook Instagram Siebel Institute Of Technology: Official Website Facebook Instagram Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us! Episode Notes: https://scorchedtundra.com/heavy-hops-ep-049-non-traditional-hop-farming-james-altwies-hopnology-siebel-institute-of-technology/
We're back in the studio this week for the first time since October, enjoying a few beers with Samu Rahn. Our wide-ranging conversation touches on Samu's musical endeavors as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist in dark heavy bands Cairn and Wintering; the importance of seeking new, niche, experiences - whether at home or abroad; beer and metal intersections by way of Hammerheart Brewing; and what it has been like working as a distribution sales rep during the pandemic. On the back nine of our discussion we hear about developments and trends Samu is observing on-premise as Key Account & Specialty Brand Manager for Louis Glunz a Chicagoland beer distributor. Will Flavored Malt Beverages (FMBs and Seltzers) and Ready to Drink (RTDs) products continue to eat away at beer's market share in bars and restaurants as it has in the cold box and on shelves in grocery and liquor stores? We also discuss the variety of roles collaboration can play between breweries and in communities; as well as the challenges and opportunities existent for concert promoters, podcasters and beer distributors to do more to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the spaces we love every day. Find Samu Rahn: Cairn (Bandcamp) Wintering (Bandcamp) Louis Glunz Beer Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Beers Enjoyed: Hammerheart Gesik (2017) Stiegl Goldbrau Jester King Spon Raspberry and Cherry (2018) Old Irving Things We Don't Say Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us! Episode Notes:https://scorchedtundra.com/heavy-hops-ep-048-morbid-malts-samu-rahn-louis-glunz-beer-cairn-wintering/
With summer festivals and club concerts on the horizon, we wanted to explore the connections between mental, physical and hearing health. No better guests to join us than Chicago-based audiologist Dr. Michael Santucci and Otolaryngologist Dr. Howard Kotler, an ear nose and throat specialist. As the world's only audiologist-run earphone manufacturer Dr. Santucci's firm Sensaphonics attracts musicians from all over the world seeking hearing protection. Using the recent film Sound of Metal as our starting point we discuss how hearing injury and loss can occur, the role stigmatization plays in exacerbating hearing damage and what constitutes effective hearing conservation. Dr. Santucci also touches on his work with the World Health Organization on decibel limits in venues and hearing loss prevention in music. Hearing injury can occur through repeated exposure in a variety of loud environments and this conversation encourages a holistic approach to the topic. Find Dr. Michael Santucci: Sensaphonics & Hearing Clinic Find Dr. Howard Kotler Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify to help others find us! Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us! Episode Notes: https://scorchedtundra.com/heavy-hops-ep-047-hearing-conservation-drs-michael-santucci-howard-kotler/
Joining us this week is Trevor Shelley de Brauw guitarist of Chicago-based heavy instrumental bands Pelican, RLYR and Chord. We discuss what's happening with each of these bands, including re-releases of Pelican’s first three records (Australasia, The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw, City of Echoes), the fourth Chord effort Imperfect Authentic Cadence and the upcoming RLYR album, which was being recorded at the time of this conversation. We discuss sources of inspiration, use of file-sharing in songwriting, and the experience of allowing fans access to the creative process through new technology such as Tik Tok. Trevor also works as a publicist and tells us about the changing landscape of public relations and communicating with journalists. Here's a spotify playlist containing Trevor’s work. Click the band names below to access their Bandcamp profiles. Listen To Trevor: Pelican RLYR Chord Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify to help others find us! Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us! Episode Notes: https://scorchedtundra.com/heavy-hops-ep-046-migration-and-rechording-trevor-shelley-de-brauw-pelican-chord-rlyr/
Maine Beer Co was founded in 2009 during the financial crisis, a challenging time for attorneys such as Dan Kleban. Having witnessed the ugly underbelly of capitalism, Dan and his brother Dave sought to build a brewery that could be successful by maintaining a moral approach to sustainability. The company sought success not through rapid growth and expansion, rather by treating the environment and his employees well, creating a virtuous cycle. Anne Marisic, the Director of Marketing and Communication, highlights how she discovered Maine Beer Co and the pull that compelled her to partake in their mission. She points out that small, intentional, daily steps combined with long term strategic efforts - such as applying for grants - have allowed Maine Beer Company to take big steps towards its goals of reducing its environmental footprint. We discuss the sensibilities and inspiration behind the appearance, aroma, and flavors of Maine Beer Co’s beers. Guiding principles extend to packaging; bottle conditioning, iconic, thick brown glass half liter bottles and concise branding stand out on the shelves. Mainstays such as Woods and Waters, Peeper and Lunch are named for initiatives linked to 1% For The Planet, an organization and business network central to Maine Beer Co’s environmental stewardship efforts. Success resulting from critical acclaim for the beers looks are plain to see. Dan also discusses the overlap of Maine Beer Company’s environmental work and equity, diversity and inclusion. While the Brewers Association - of which the Chair of the Associate Board of Directors - is working to address social justice, members, regardless of their beliefs, should start by setting a good example. “If you care about the environment you care about equity.” Find Maine Beer Co. Official Website Facebook Instagram Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Photos Provided By Maine Beer Co. Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify to help others find us! Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!
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