Andrew, the leader and lead guitarist of Judgement, the now defunct heavy metal band (that once featured a young and optimistic Ernest Hilbert on bass), remarked on the recent E-Verse posts of 1980s heavy metal beers.

“I do remember Red, White and Blue beer. Stroh’s, Ortlieb’s, Schaefer’s, Private Stock, Olde English, and St. Ides also come to mind. I also remember drinking a google of cans of generic (Acme brand?) soda. Beer, soda, and Pennsauken Mart pretzels . . . those were the days man!”

First, some pictures of the now demolished Pennsauken Mart, in south Jersey, just over the bridge from Philadelphia. Judgement rented rehearsal space (along with other metal bands like Scarlett Fever) across the parking lot from the “mart” and “High Spirits,” the liquor store at the mart’s entrance.

Alas, it has since been torn down as an eye-sore and magnet for ne’er-do-wells.

Here are some of the beers mentioned above by Andrew. I believe “Red, White, and Blue” beer was only available through the McGuire Air Force Base PX (we also sometimes practiced in the sound-proof booths at the base!).

Time passed. The seas drank Atlantis, and metal grew up, but it seems never to have lost its affinity for beer. Here is a picture of the band Slayer, the quintessential heavy metal band (after Metallica, of course), just out of their teens and well into their cups (or cans, as the case seems to be) right on the back cover of their legendary third album Reign in Blood. Can anyone make out what beer they are drinking?

And let us not forget that rock critics dubbed Metallica “Alcoholica” early on because the band’s drinking was considered unseemly even by the excessive standards of heavy metal!

Well, heavy metal musicians grew up, developed bulging biceps, became millionaires, in some cases lost their hair, but they never left the beer behind.

Yes, it seems that even the darkest, most evil heavy metal musicians become respectable,  award-winning, Armani-suit-wearing family men in time.

Yes, yes, Tom, we still love you too.