Bolt Thrower – When Cannons Fade…

When Cannons Fade – 2 years old!

Time for cake! When Cannons Fade is 2 years old! it doesn’t seem like that long ago when I thought I would casually write a blog about the aspects of the gaming hobby that interest me. Primarily the building and painting and also touching on the gaming side of it also.

I’m actually quite suprised at how involved it has all become with posting updates, work in progress and all that has all become a part of the hobby as a whole for me. One of my favorite things, though, is the connections that this has bought me. I’ve made new friends all over the world and it really feels good to be a part of the international gaming community.

Self indulgent trip down memory lane.

So, what was WCF doing 2 years ago this month? lets have a look:

I opened the doors to the blog with lyrics to a song I wrote many years ago, which will end up on a Crusader album at some point. The song is called ‘War-Torn and Bleeding’ and I think set the tone for what was to come:
http://whencannonsfade.com/2008/11/07/war-torn-and-bleeding/

To start getting some filler material (as I wasn’t too sure what the hell i’d be putting on here at that point) I posted up some of the WIP pictures of my then recently accquired Dreadnaught from the Assault on Black Reach box set:
http://whencannonsfade.com/2008/11/10/wip-aobr-dreadnaught/

Eventually the bad boy was finished, and here he is in all his Black Templified glory:

A solemn note to November brings us to Remembrance Day, and WCF put up the poem ‘For The Fallen’ written by Laurence Binyon in remembrance of the men and women whose lives were lost in the First World War. This is applicable to all conflicts though, I think. It also linked in well with the namesake of this blog, Bolt Thrower, who used a verse from this poem in the track ‘For Victory’:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

While looking through old photographs, I happened upon some pictures of the old Forge World Nurgle Dreadnaught which I had painted many moons ago. My good friend Matt now has this although in light of recent events here at WCF HQ, I may need to get another (more on that soon!).
http://whencannonsfade.com/2008/11/14/from-the-vaults-forge-world-nurgle-dreadnought/

Another dig around the vaults unearthed some pictures of my Forward Kommander Sorscha Kratikoff that I had painted shortly after getting back into the hobby (thanks Colin…). Warmachine was what hooked me into gaming again, which of course was my gateway drug back to the dealer that is Games Workshop.
http://whencannonsfade.com/2008/11/14/from-the-vaults-forward-kommander-sorscha-kratikoff/

Strangely enough, I still haven’t even taken my Epic Sorscha out of the packet. I’ll get to her, one day!

Lastly I posted up a video clip of one of my many Bolt Thrower songs, which had been put to scenes of aerial combat, and looks great.
http://whencannonsfade.com/2008/11/21/new-page-added-the-work-of-matt-crump/

I also announced that I would be putting up a page for my mate Matt so I could put some of his miniatures in there, as I really like his work, and we have traded recipes, tips, tricks and techniques for about 9 years now. His work, including the drool-inducing Abbadon the Despoiler can be seen here: http://whencannonsfade.com/2008/11/21/new-page-added-the-work-of-matt-crump/

And that drew November to a close for WCF. A little wobbly, I agree, but I was totally winging it, and pretty much still am 🙂

So thats it! my humble beginnings in Blogland! I like to think that it’s come pretty far since then, and I have conciously tried not to post too much WIP stuff up, as it started to look like I could never finish anything lol!

Plans are afoot!

I wasn’t too sure when to announce this, and I probably will do a ‘big deal’ post about it when its finalized, but I have been working behind the scenes on starting up WcF as an online business. Essentially my small acorn is selling gaming minis and supplies at a discounted rate. Initially I will be selling this stuff on Ebay, with updates and links through this site, including offering further discounts to regular readers of WcF. I’ve already sent in for various certificates, a ‘DBA’ certificate and all the other mind numbing stuff you need to run a home business. Essentially, as soon as all this comes back, then I’ll be opening the doors!

Thank you, dear readers, for sticking with me, not only through this wall of text, but since the beginning! I hope I will be adding many more candles to this cake!

Cheers!

Paul

The final arguement of kings…

So I returned home from a 12 day trip to England on Tuesday. I was supposed to come home on Monday, but this volcanic ash cloud from Iceland I guess had other ideas. Anyhoo, 48 hours later and I am feeling somewhat human again, and seem to be relatively caught up with sleep!

During our time there I managed, thankfully, to go and see one of my favorite bands, the mighty BOLT THROWER! These guys were my first ever live show, waaaaay back in the early 90’s at the tender age of 13. They blew me away then, and certainly did this night too. So, waves of nostalgia were abound as myself, my good lady Diana (who was super excited at the prospect of seeing them also…) my mate Matt Crump, and his good lady Lou entered The Asylum venue, which was pretty big. A bit like Doctor Who’s TARDIS. Looks small from the outside, but is frakkin’ huge on the inside. The roster was: Some local band who’s name I can’t remember, followed by Rotting Christ, then local Brummies Benediction, then finally, Bolt Thrower. We all sat in the bar for the first 2 bands. I was mildly interested in seeing Rotting Christ, but they were pretty boring, plus we could watch proceedings on a huge projector screen in the bar. The turnout was excellent, and the place was packed. I was pretty excited to be seeing Benediction live also, as I was a bit of a fan back in the day, but I have to say I was not impressed at all with them, especially since Dave Ingram was not on vocal duties. Grunt he may have done, but he did it in his own way, and this guy just didn’t cut the mustard, as far as I was concerned.

Just before they went on, me and Matt caught up with Martin Kearns (drums), who I actually know through an old job of mine, and Barry Thompson (guitar). Unfortunately we didn’t get too much time to chat as they were about to go on, and although Martin said to stay around after the show, we had to leave 😦 ah well!

I snagged myself a Bolt Thrower hoodie and beanie from the merch table, a little bit miffed that the other shirt designs which I actually preferred were either out of stock, or didn’t have my size. WTF! lol! Anyway, the ladies decided they would stay in the bar and chat, while ‘the lads’ went out to see the band. It was hot as hell in there! Right from the opening intro they did’nt disappoint, and certainly reinforced my love for this band who have lived up to their own lyrics: ‘In a world of compromise – some don’t’. It really is the audible version of a tank driving across a battlefield littered with skulls, and I loved every minute of it. They only really played later stuff (I think, I was too busy moshing), but I don’t care, as I love it all. I got goosebumps when they played World Eater/Cenotaph, to which myself and Matt were furiously playing air guitar to.

Bolt Thrower really made up for the lacklustre support they had, and made it more than worth the effort to go and see them. I really hope that they play out a little more, and that they actually play some US dates too…

It makes me proud that I have my humble little corner here in internetland named after a Bolt Thrower track, call me a fanboy if you will, but I don’t care. Like they say, if the cap fits…

Paul

T-Minus 4 weeks and counting…

So I am heading home in a little under 4 weeks. I need the vacation! I made sure that I changed my initial departure date from the end of May to the beginning of May when I found out that my hometown heros Bolt Thrower we playing a frakkin’ gig in Birmingham with Benediction, Rotting Christ and others. To say that I am excited is the understatement of the century! I’m sure I will get time to go to Warhammer World while i’m there too. I can’t think about any of that now though, i’m seeing Bolt Thrower! Wooooooooorrrrrrrrrlllllld Eaaaaaaaateeeeerrrrr!

More chaos! Update! New page added!

Hello all!

thanks for checking out my page, the traffic over the last couple of weeks has been staggering, so I wanted to give a nod to the folks at the Privateer Press forums and also Bolter and Chainsword Forum as well. Check them out if you have’nt already. The linkies are over on the right, so clicky! ————->

My comrade in arms, Evan Smith, has sent me some pictures of his vile forces of Chaos, so I added them over at the ‘Friends and Foes’ page. I am still messing around with that, and may change the format yet, but in the meantime, check out the gallery of eeevil at https://whencannonsfade.wordpress.com/friends-and-foes/from-the-warp-evan-smiths-forces/ You can peruse the mini’s while enjoying the track ‘World Eater’ by Bolt Thrower. A fitting tune, considering Evan has thirty something Khorne Berzerkers in his force… urk!

Onward into battle!

War-torn and bleeding…

Can you see the dawn approach?
or see the fire in the sky?
Now the closing chapter of humanity,
the inevitable fate of mankind

Can you still believe in hope
on this darkest day you have known?
Will you still thank your precious god
or have the seeds of doubt been sown?

Will you admire the landscape
of broken bodies, of fallen men?
will you know the falling rain
as it burns onto your skin?

Devastation – untold
Pain and misery
the dying breath of hope
war-torn and bleeding…

Will you attempt in vain
to wash the bloodstains from your hands?
will you stop to lament the lost
their lives offered in your name?

Like a statue will you stand and stare
as though a cenotaph of despair
an inscription no-one will read
in this your final hour of need…