Rick Brindle

In as much as the future is not set (quote from Terminator), anything is possible, including the Falkland Islands becoming part of Argentina. But, thanks to the 1982 war, not yet (quote from Gladiator). And here’s why. Wars clearly inflame emotions, and the Falklands is no exception. Even now, forty-two years after the war, no one in Britain is even considering handing the islands over to Argentina. And don’t expect that to change as long as the war remains a part of living memory. In about forty years from now, the political landscape may well be different. At some point, the garrison  will  be gradually run down. We also need to remember that just before the Falklands War, in 1980, Nicholas Ridley, a tory MP, suggested leasing the islands back to Argentina. The islanders rejected the suggestion, but if there hadn’t been a war, the idea may have gained traction. Stranger things have happened. Ultimately, it’s a decision for the islanders to make. I don’t think there’s much chance that

Cold Steel and the Underground Boneyard,  the third book in the Cold Steel series, is free to download from Amazon for a limited time. Get your free copy now! Their new album has just been released. Their previously cancelled Spanish tour dates have been rearranged, with the female trio and Spain’s biggest metal band, Damas Infernales, supporting. Cold Steel’s biggest asset though, is Johnny Faslane, their brutally talented manager. But even Johnny can’t fully eliminate Cold Steel’s innate ability to spectacularly destroy their prospects, and even before their second concert ends, the tour is scrapped after an ill-advised trip back to the eighties, and the band are put into creative deep freeze by their record company. Only an unprecedented event and a lot of money can possibly turn their fortunes around. Like a five hundred year old treasure hoard that a long dead pirate once offered in return for his life, treasure that has never been found. Cold Steel find a vital clue that gives th

The first hurdle seems to be age 27. Brian Jones died at 27 So did Jimi Hendrix And Amy Winehouse Jim Morrison, dead at 27 Same with Kurt Cobain And Janis Joplin But sure, others have made it old age, despite the insanity all around them. Ozzy and Lemmy spring to mind. And although Lemmy is no longer with us, he did manage a respectable innings before checking out. I suppose the grand daddy of immortal, drug addled rock stars has to be Keith Richards, 80 years old, and if not going strong, at least still going. As to how he’s survived as long as he has, who can really say. Maybe he’s not quite as wild as his image, or maybe he’s actually un-dead! Cold Steel on the Rocks We Are Cold Steel Cold Steel and the Underground Boneyard It's Not For Everyone

Some are, I suppose. Plenty are advertised as such. And if they’re not waterproof, there are all sorts of products that are advertised as making your boots waterproof. In my day, the British forces used the High leg boot. It wasn’t waterproof, but that didn’t stop you from buying waterproof boot polish and trying to make them waterproof. But if you couldn’t make your boots waterproof, the next best thing was to wear gore tex inner, which would at least keep your feet dry. And of course, this was a long time ago now. Maybe the newer types really are waterproof. Which is fine, but the trouble with being in the field, is that sooner or later, you’ll be wading through, walking in, or even hiding in a stream or river. If you’re putting an attack in, you can be damn sure your approach route will include some form of water course. And then, it won’t matter what boots you’re wearing, the water will come over the top. It’s probably fair to say that if you’re a soldier, it doesn’t matter how goo

  We Are Cold Steel,  the second novel in the Cold Steel trilogy is free to download from Amazon for a limited time. Get your free copy now! A day after their historic concert on the Caribbean island of St Clements, heavy metal band Cold Steel are heroes. Now, all they have to do is stay out of trouble and enjoy a well-earned holiday until they start work on their next album. Except that the owner of the recording studio hates all things Cold Steel. Except that Cold Steel’s record company has blackmailed the studio into accepting them. Except that not all reporters are as friendly as band manager Johnny Faslane’s girlfriend, Rachel Shaw. With a tight deadline, Cold Steel have to get the next album out before their tour starts. They can’t afford any delays, and Johnny has his work cut out keeping the band in line. Feral former soldiers, reporters with an agenda, cake-obsessed studio execs and international criminals all work their way into the mix as the band hurtle from one improbable

  My first author article is published in  MetalTalk   Cold Steel on the Rocks We Are Cold Steel Cold Steel and the Underground Boneyard It's Not For Everyone

  There is no one guitar for playing heavy metal, but there will be one guitar for you. All you have to do is find it. No one can find it for you, and all other people can do is tell you what works for them. Trouble is, what works for them, won’t necessarily work for you. A starting point is to think about the music you like, and the music you want to play. What guitars do those players use? But that’s really only a starting point. Check out the youtube shootouts between different guitars, consider how different pickups sound. And get yourself to your local music shop, and find out if your chosen guitar actually feels right. But it’s really down to you, and don’t expect to get it right first time, straight away. You’re on a journey of discovery, and it’s actually so changeable that you might find that exact right tone one night, and by the time you come back to your guitar the next morning, it’ll all sound completely different. But none of that matters. Know your guitar, love your guit