Gather ’round, friends, for it’s a day of firsts here in Evcharist land. It’s my first toe-dip into this melding of beers and metals. It’s the first time this here column has profiled the work of a literal child. And in the spirit of that last “first”, it’s also — as far as I know — the first time it’s featured a non-alcoholic beverage of choice. That’s as classic a Dan move as I’ve ever seen: just goin’ around and fuckin’ shit up. (Lucky for y’all, it’s also most likely gonna be my last toe-dip into this column.) In any case! On tap this week, we’ve got Wizard Death‘s debut EP, I Am The Night, paired with Athletic Brewing Co’s The Fruitful Path IPA.

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The Tunes: I Am The Night

We begin with I Am The Night, the debut EP from Indiana-based heavy metallers Wizard Death. (Out today via Wise Blood Records) The band primarily comprises guitarist Tim Kenefic (Assimilator, Throne, etc.) and his son, Alexander, who say they launched the band with inspiration from 3 Inches of Blood and, uh… Goosebumps books. As the band tells it, Tim crafts the riffs with final veto power from Alexander, who develops lyrical concepts that his father “functions as the thesaurus” for. (Shit, man, what child wouldn’t love to have that kinda power over his own dad?) I Am The Night sees the Kenefic duo join forces with Witch Mountain members Kayla Dixon and Rob Wrong, as well as drummer Kyle Smith for three songs of riffy, traditional heavy metal. The elder Kenefic’s guitar work is the main draw, with frenetic, melodic arrangements conjured straight from the ’80s. And after a worryingly one-note performance on the title track, Dixon grows into things nicely as well; the highlight is “Under the Southern Cross,” which jumps seamlessly between nimble upbeat parts and doomier interludes underneath her most dynamic performance on the EP. Ultimately, there’s not a ton of meat on I Am The Night‘s bone, but there’s definite potential here, and it’ll be interesting to see where the Kenefics’ adventures take them in the future.

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The Booze: Athletic Brewing Co’s The Fruitful Path

You know where there’s not definite potential, though? In the sporting career I dreamed of as a child. You see, back in the day — age… let’s say six — I decided I wanted to become not just a starter for the Chicago Bulls basketball team, but also a champion golfer. Since then, I’ve had to recalibrate my athletic dreams just a bit; these days it’s more “maybe someday break 100 golfing,” “huck it, chuck it, basketball!” and “let’s try getting a bit further away from dad-bod land, shall we?” And it’s that last pursuit that brought me to Athletic Brewing Co. and their suite of non-alcoholic brews. The Milford, CT-based craft brewery offers everything from a Lemon Radler to a Belgian-style White, almost all with under 100 calories. Perfect for getting the hell out of the dodge that is dad-bod land, like ya boy here’s hell-bent on doing this year! In particular, I’ve been digging into The Fruitful Path, a delightful, hoppy IPA with hints of lime. It’s super refreshing and highly drinkable — and I don’t particularly care for your thoughts on the lack of alcohol in it, thanks! Even better, as part of Athletic’s collaboration with singer-songwriter Trevor Hall on the brew, all profits from The Fruitful Path are donated to the Levitate Foundation, which promotes music, art and outdoor pursuits in communities around New England. Enjoy with a street taco or a long run… or both?

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Keep it heavy,
—Dan