First Four

An epic beginning...

First off, nobody but NOBODY will ever remember their first music download or MP3 like we older headbangers remember our first album on cassette/vinyl. Its just not going to happen. There is a 'romance' about those music formats that newer ways of listening to music just cannot touch. A case of technology creating, but also killing.
Ive been in love with heavy metal since the first time I heard it way baaaack in 1981. And the first albums I ever bought (after many pleas to my mother for more pocket money) you can see right there in the above picture. Those are the actual cassettes too, bought in WHSmiths of all places.

Iron Maiden ~ Iron Maiden
Kiss ~ Destroyer
Ozzy Osbourne ~ Bark At The Moon
AC/DC ~ High Voltage

Now before any eagle eyed moshers comment on the Ozzy cassette, yes that is the Talk Of The Devil album in the photograph because sadly due to a house move I lost my Bark At The Moon vinyl *Sad F**king Face* I also lost the So Tired EP too, as well as a bunch of Misfits & Samhain coloured vinyls so I was extra bastard gutted.
With the sheer fistbanging quality in this quartet of albums its little wonder I have remained a Metalhead ever since, and my pedigree in the music is f**king FLAWLESS!! See you at the pit \m/

F**kin' Slayer!!

Gig and Promo disc

2004 saw Slayer's Unholy Alliance tour roll into Cardiff, bringing with them the likes of Slipknot, Mastodon & Hatebreed. Was I there? Does Rob Halford shit in the woods? Of course I bloody was, I would have been there only for Kerry King & Co being the lifelong Slayer that I am. Great gig, apart from the few idiots who decided to have a brawl. Some reports in metal mags said it was a Slayer fans Vs Slipknot fans deal but I was there and it wasn't. More like Cardiff vs Swansea if it was anything. So there.
The cd in the pic is a Eyes Of The Insane promo single that I got my sweaty paws on. Cool eh?

Boozy Pie!

For the win!

The Fray Bentos (or Frayed Bentos as I like to call them) Boozy Steak & Ale pie! Lovely with a side order of chips/fries and a spalsh of vinegar. Go easy on the brown sauce if you happen to be a sauce fiend because you'll end up killing the tang of Ale thats in the gravy which would be an utter disaster. I love HP Brown sauce as much as the next mosher but prefer the taste of booze.
Come to think about it, this steak pie would be ideal to take with you to a festival as a more 'complete' meal than sticking to chesseburgers (not thats theres anything wrong with burgers) but due to the fiddly nature of the tin (a drunk man's nightmare) and need for an oven it will sadly get left on the shelf. Unless of course you cook it before leaving.
Nevertheless this is an excellent pie from Team Bentos. I heartily recommend it. Like Napalm Death & Pork scratchings.

Hellalive

Live f**kin' METAAAAL!

Machine Head are an awesome metal band. Hows that for an undisputable opening? Ever since their brilliant Burn My Eyes debut in 1994 (where the frig does time go?) I knew this band were destined for great things. Their live cd, Hellalive (released March 11th 2003) is one of my favourite f**king live records EVER! im listenng to it right now as I type and hell's teeth, I would have readily given a body part to have been there in London when most of it was recorded. It sounds heavier than getting teabagged by King Kong and if you happen to be new to the mosh pits then by all that is Metal and Holy you simply MUST buy this album! As each track rolls on, it takes supreme effort to just stop myself from bouncing off the walls. Its one melodious, brutal, shitstorm which kicks those wimpy assed 'Unplugged' affairs straight outta town. Unplugged? Unf**ked more like. Who in the name of Lucifer's shot glass wants to listen to shit thats unplugged? PLUG IT IN NIMBLEDICK! LET THE DECIBELS POUND LIKE A B@STARD WAR HAMMER!
The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears, Ten Ton Hammer, Davidian, Supercharger. The songs roll like a steamroller fuelled with amphetamine, on a warpath headed straight for your f**king earholes! Its one helluva blast!
Phil Demmel, ex Vio-Lence guitarist plays on None But My Own and The Burning Red as these tracks were pulled from the Full Force festival (in 2002) when Ahrue Luster had left the band.
Anyway ive said enough, this cd is 10/10 all the way, so pour some drinks, wind up the volume and MOSH LIKE A TEN TON SUPERCHARGED B@STARD!!

Sprats

Apologies for the misty camera, its a hassle of filming while cooking. But here is your moshy host cooking fresh sprats. Think sardines and you won't be too far off. These are a lovely fish and as you can see in the video, they are quick and easy to cook. All you need is flour, salt & pepper and off you go.

Minted Lamb Rib

One I ate earlier

Minted lamb ribs are a great snack and it always puzzles me why more eateries don't sell it to hungry shoppers. Do people not get tired of pasties all the time? I love pasties but its good to have change, and there's nothing better than chowing down on ribs for that change. (They are almost as tasty as bacon. But not quite). Make sure you choose a rack which has a crispy skin on it.
Ribs won't be to everyones taste because there is a lot of fat on them (don't mention them to your doctor) but for lovers of fatty meat they are fantastic. Oh and eat them the Henry VIII way, with your hands, tearing strips of flesh like a modern day savage. It really is the only way. Forks are for noobs. To be honest you would struggle trying to eat this the 'polite' way because they are quite tough. Nope, fingers are the way forward here like chicken drumsticks.
Lamb ribs are not the most filling of snacks but they can more fun to eat than a cheeseburger.


Enjoy your food!

Italia Fabula!

Perfect!


And more perfection with added cheese

As was the case for the Roast Pork dinner, I cannot claim to have made the two Spaghetti Bolognese dishes above. My Better Half did and all credit must go to her. And it must be good too because I wan't much of a Spag Bol fan before she cooked it for us. In the first photo it was topped with Parmesan cheese, whilst the pic below was grated Mature Cheddar cheese.

**Warning**
This is not a good meal after a session on the booze. Unless you fancy making a terrible foody mess before bed. Eating spaghetti whilst inebriated is much like we imagine herding cats to be. Or squid. Ever herded squid before? I did it in a dream once and I don't recommend it at all. And this meal is not really first drunken choice is it? Chips beat pasta after a night out.

Music to eat to ~ System Of A Down

Rissoles and Pasta

Rissoles: golden globes

Added chicken pasta to the age old classic rissole & chips and happy to say that it turned out really well, as you can see in the photo. It was damned tasty and I didn't use as much vinegar as I usually do on rissoles. For some reason I think of this is as a summer meal, why couldn't tell you, it just feels 'summery' somehow. Be warned! Normal appetites would be satisfied with just one rissole of course, but as ever my hunger was at premium.
Chips are the only thing which accompanies a good rissole, salads don't cut it at all. Its like having cheese & crackers with a mug of tea. They can go together but are not an obvious pairing.
As seen from the chalkboard below from the Contented Sole chippy in Carmarthen, there are a few flavours of rissole on offer and all of them are delicious. Cheese rissoles are becoming very popular im told, whilst I always opt for the 'original' type.

Music to eat to ~ Bon Jovi, U2, Saxon, Guns n' Roses


Popular in chip shops

Roast Pork

Don't forget the apple sauce!

This headbanger has yet to meet anyone who DOESN'T like a Roast Dinner. (Actually make that LOVE a Roast Dinner). They may exist but I sure as Johnnie Walker Red haven't met one in this corner of West Wales. They are a great tradition here in Britain and cooked every sunday as a family meal. I have wonderful memories of sunday dinner in my grandmothers house, hanging on her hem for bits of pork crackling/rind or chicken skin. And the kitchen aromas! Truly fabulous!
The dinner in the above photo is roast pork with potatoes (roasted and mashed), swede, parsnip, broccoli, Yourkshire pudding, stuffing and apple sauce. And all credit must go to She Who Must Be Obeyed™ (my better half, Nicola) because I goofed off to play videogames this time. (I do help in the kitchen usually).
There is quite a skill to cooking a sunday roast because of the many foods you must have on the go at the same time. Timing is everything unless you want to be eating the vegetables an hour before the meat. To be quite honest before I left home to start out under my own steam, I never dreamt I would ever be able to cook a roast dinner. It seemed very daunting because everytime I entertained thoughts of making one, my mind was filled with the memories of numerous pots and pans in my grandmothers house, all bubbling with different veggies, whilst the meat was basted at regular intervals. It looked like a culinary mayhem and I was initially put off.
But not for long. Hunger is a marvelous thing.

Music to eat to ~ Disturbed, Robert Plant, Alice Cooper