Unofficial video for Deftones' Tempest

Deftones shared the following fan-made video via their various social media accounts. While it seems to have been fan-made, it has obviously gotten the band's approval.

Since the video contains mild nudity it might not be a good idea to watch this at work or school.

Queens of the Stone Age's letter to MOJO

Source: MOJO Magazine

I'm hoping the sketch atop of the note is a clue to the album's cover art.

Ex South African Spitfire takes to the skies

Source: Daily Mail UK

End of an aviation era: Restored Spitfire is the last aircraft to be built at doomed home of Concorde

• WWII fighter plane flew again 10 years after it was found in South African junkyard

• Filton airfield will be closed by owner BAE on New Year's Eve after 100 years

By Harriet Arkell

PUBLISHED: 17:56 GMT, 19 December 2012 | UPDATED: 09:01 GMT, 20 December 2012

A newly-restored classic World War II Spitfire has taken to the British skies for the first time since being found in a scrapyard a decade ago.

The iconic Second World War fighter plane has been restored by a businessman who spent £1m building it back up to its former glory after it was rescued from a South African scrapyard.

Yesterday the gleaming Spitfire took off from the soon-to-close Filton aerodrome outside Bristol for the first time since the 1940s.

Scroll down for video

Restored classic: The rebuilt Spitfire took to the skies above Bristol yesterday after a painstaking £1m renovation

Flying through British skies for the first time since the 1940s: The restored Spitfire over Bristol

Taking off: The gleaming aircraft attracted large crowds to Filton airfield near Bristol yesterday

The occasion was a poignant one as Filton aerodrome, is to be decommissioned by BAE after more than a century of aviation there, and will close on December 31.

BAE Systems, which said the site was no longer economically viable, is selling the airfield for housing and business development.

Crowds of aviation and history enthusiasts lined the A38 road which borders the airfield to watch the Spitfire take off, while BAE staff watched from beside the runway.

They were also there to see the last visit to the airfield from the Airbus A380 superjumbo, which was developed at Filton and is the world's largest commercial aircraft.

Exeter businessman Martin Phillips, 51, who owns the Spitfire, said the expensive and painstaking restoration project had been worth it.

He said: 'To see her take to the skies today has been extraordinary, and for it to happen at the same time as an A380's final visit to Filton, has made this a sad but historic day.

'I think it's a terrible shame that this famous old airfield is to close.'

Former Rolls-Royce engineer John Hart, who has worked as chief engineer on the Spitfire restoration for the last two-and-a-half years, said seeing the Spitfire and the A380 together on the runway that is also still overlooked by Concorde was 'quite a sight' for aviation enthusiasts.

He said: 'It's funny to think the last aeroplane to be put together here at Filton has turned out to be a Spitfire.'

Filton aerodrome, which has one of the longest and widest runways in the country, witnessed the first test flights of Concorde and was where American soldiers injured in D-Day were taken to before being treated at Bristol's Frenchay hospital.

The West Country's aviation industry grew up around the airfield, which developed an international reputation.

Devoted owner: Exeter businessman Martin Philips spent £1m restoring the Spitfire after it was found 10 years ago in a junkyard

Preparing for take-off: Aeroplane enthusiasts lined the runway to watch the WWII fighter plane take to the skies

Painstaking work: The Spitfire has a fully rebuilt Rolls-Royce Merlin engine

Race to finish: Engineers worked long hours to finish the Spitfire's restoration in time for it to fly from Filton yesterday

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vulcan bombers were stationed there, and the last Concorde to fly, Concorde 216, is parked there.

There are plans for an aviation museum on the site, hosting both Concorde and the Bristol Aero Collection of British-designed aeroplane memorabilia from the last century.

The final flights from Filton will take off on Friday, before the aerodrome is decommissioned.

End of an era: The Mark IX Spitfire was originally built in around 1943 and is the last plane to be completed at the airfield

Attention to detail: Here, Steve Atkin of Warbird Colour repaints the Spitfire in its original colours

Stripped back: The Spitfire was the last plane to be built at Filton, the home of British-built Concorde

Quite a paint job: Steve Atkin and Alec Kinane of Warbird Colour raced to finish repainting the classic plane

VIDEO A newly restored Supermarine Spitfire taking it's very first, and last flight out of Bristol Filton Airport

Experiencing Nirvana e-book

Bruce Pavitt (co-founder of Sub Pop) has written an e-book detailing his time spent touring Europe in 1989 with two young bands signed to the label, Nirvana and Tad, but in particular with the Kurt Cobain. The book documents the story of a young Cobain coming to grips with, and persevering over the hardships of extended touring. The book contains many previously unpublished photographs of Cobain on the road with band mates, crew members and friends. 

The cover demonstrates just how young Cobain was when he began his rise to fame, catching the international music scene off guard as grunge rose in popularity, and eventually dominated the 1990s. 

From what I've read, this book is a must for any fan of Kurt Cobain, Nirvana, grunge, or modern music in general. 

For a more in depth review, read this article over on Rolling Stone. 

New models from Airfix and Revell for 2013

Hot on the heels of me posting a list of the model kits in my stash, today both Airfix and Revell announced the new additions to their product ranges for 2013.

There is some excellent news from Airfix for those keen on modelling South African subjects. A newly tooled Gloster Gladiator, as well as an early Hawker Hurricane Mk I, both in 1:72 are set to be released. If these kits are up to the same standard as other recent Airfix releases then we're in for a treat. These two subjects will allow me to complete two of the mounts flown by the South African born ace, Squadron Leader Marmaduke T. St. John 'Pat' Pattle. Pattle is considered to be the highest scoring ace in both the Gladiator (15 victories) and Hurricane (35 victories).

Here's a trailer of an upcoming documentary about Pattle and his achievements during WWII.

In addition Airfix will also be releasing the two-seated De Havilland Vampire T.11 in 1:72. Presently there are two airworthy Vampire T.55 airframes in South Africa, and I was fortunate enough to see them fly together at Africa Aerospace & Defence (AAD) 2012 held at AFB Waterkloof in September. Airfix's new Vampire kit should provide the ideal starting point with which to create a model Vampire T.55.

De Havilland Vampire T.55s in formation. Lead aircraft in South African Air Force (SAAF) colours while the trailing aircraft is still in its Swiss Air Force scheme.

Airfix are also planning to release a Douglas C-47 Skytrain. While 1:72 kits of the subject are still relatively easy to find, this mould may be an upgrade to the ageing moulds of the competitors, and may just offer South African modellers a cheaper option. Maybe once I've honed my skills sufficiently, I'll try and tackle a model of "Gooney Bird." Sadly AAD 2012 will remain the first and only time I saw Gooney Bird up in the air.

A new and interesting venture by Airfix is the launch of their Quick Build range. It features push-fit aircraft kits that are no doubt aimed at the younger modeller. They will not require any glue or paint for assembly. From pictures the pieces look very similar to Lego blocks. I'm intrigued as to whether the range will feature a familiar scale such 1:48 and 1:72, or whether it will use a 'metric' scale like 1:50 or 1:100.

Exploded view of the Quick Build BAe Hawk

Finally, the 1:1200 U.S.S. Nimitz aircraft carrier from Revell is of particular interest as I've been considering getting either Italeri's 1:720 or Trumpeter's 1:700 Nimitz for some time now. The idea is to make it the centre piece for a display consisting of several planes representing different squadrons from Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8) during the period that it was stationed aboard the Nimitz (1975-1987). This release will offer a smaller option, which in the long run may save me some shelf space. Even at the 1:1200 scale the model Nimitz will measure close to 30 cm in length.

I'll wait to see what other reviewers have to say about the overall quality of the kit before making my decision. In the meantime, I'm still in the process of sourcing the most important plane for the display, an F-14A of VF-84.

Pale flesh remixes

Crystal Castles recently posted a remix of their track Pale flesh by Tarantula X. I thought it was the first remix of one of the tracks off Crystal Castles' album (III), but that's because I missed Hugnotdrugs remix that was posted last week. You can listen to, and download both remixes using the widgets below.

Minnaar: Dance-inspired operatic ballads

A musical collaboration between Louis Minnaar (graphic artist, music video director, composer and animator) and his sister Magdalene Minnaar (opera singer, actress, lyricist and producer). Both siblings attended art schools at secondary and tertiary levels in Pretoria, Cape Town and New York. Having chosen their respective artistic direction, Louis the visual arts and Magdalene the performance arts, they have continued to pursue their shared love for a multitude of art forms, which eventually culminated in the formation of their new musical collaboration, aptly named Minnaar, which means "lover" in Dutch.

Volcano, the first release from Minnaar, represents an explosive, symbiotic project crafting from dramatic lyrics, soaring melodies and crunching beats. Not limited to a single genre, Minnaar's music weaves a tapestry of electronic beats accented by various vocal styles, creating an enchanting fusion of epic dance-inspired operatic ballads. Volcano, a 5-track EP, is available as a free download here.

Sound City - Real to Reel full track listing

The soundtrack to Dave Grohl's rockumentary, Sound City, will contain 11 original tracks, featuring collaborations of many of the greatest artists in rock. The album is set for release on the 12 March 2013, and is available for pre-order from iTunes. Folks who pre-order the album will receive an instant download of the first single Cut me some slack, featuring Paul McCartney (The Beatles), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Them Crooked Vultures, Nirvana), Krist Novoselic (Nirvana) and Pat Smear (Foo Fighters, Nirvana).

Here is the fill track list:

1. Heaven and all (Robert Levon Been, Dave Grohl & Peter Hayes)
2. Time sowing down (Chriss Goss, Tim Commerfors, Dave Grohl & Brad Wilk)
3. You can't fix this (Stevie Nicks, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins & Rami Jaffee)
4. The man that never was (Rick Springfield, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel & Pat Smear)
5. Your wife is calling (Lee Ving, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Alain Johannes & Pat Smear)
6. From can to can't (Corey Taylor, Dave Grohl, Rick Nielsen & Scott Reeder)
7. Centipede (Joshua Homme, Chris Goss, Dave Grohl & Alain Johannes)
8. A trick with no sleeve (Alain Johannes, Dave Grohl & Joshua Homme)
9. Cut me some slack (Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic & Pat Smear)
10. If I were me Dave Grohl, Jessy Greene, Rami Jaffee & Jim Keltner)
11. Mantra (Dave Grohl, Joshua Homme & Trent Reznor)

At this point, I'm most excited to hear the last track, as it has contributions from three of the musicians of my 'dream team.'

Fron left: Grohl, Reznor & Homme in the studio.

Deadpool Game

Announced at the 2012 San Diego Comic Con in July, the Deadpool game remained under my radar until last night. Centred on the wise cracking, "Merc with a Mouth" the game is set for release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2013.

Teaser trailer for Deadpool game

Since I own neither of those consoles, and it doesn't seem there will be a PC port of the game, perhaps it is finally time for me to replace my ageing PlayStation 2.

A PC version of Deadpool was released alongside the console versions of the game. I also subsequently upgraded to a PlayStation 3 in March when my girlfriend's DVD player packed up, and as a result I'm now more likely to get a copy of Deadpool for PS3, rather than for PC as originally intended. Despite wanting to own the game, I'm still a little reluctant to pay full-price for it, as it has received mostly mediocre reviews to date. I think I'll wait for it to go on sale.

Marvel super hero guitars

Peavey Electronics have launched a range of officially licensed guitars and accessories featuring several super heroes from the Marvel Universe.

The range includes a half size acoustic, three-quarter electric, and full size RockMaster/ Predator electric guitars featuring artwork of Captain America, Thor, Wolverine, X-Men, Spider-Man, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. Artworks of Punisher, Ghost Rider, and a few Marvel villains are available on guitar straps and picks.

Shake vigorously

Warning: the following contains flashing images which may induce photosensitive epilepsy.

Source: Staggering Beauty

Cut me some slack - McCartney, Grohl, Novoselic & Smear (Full track)

A preview of Cut me some slack, written by McCartney, Grohl, Novoselic and Smear was uploaded to YouTube on Wednesday afternoon. Two days later the full studio recording of the track was also uploaded, but a link was only posted on social media networks approximately 2 hours ago. In those 2 hours the song has been played over 6800 times!

What we have here sounds like a post-Cobain Nirvana, fronted by a mature, post-Beatles Paul McCartney. Vast experiences, and a number of influences have been mixed together to create a track that shares a single message. It says loud and clear that rock 'n roll is not dead.

Monotreme Records offer free compilation album

Monotreme Records are celebrating their 10th anniversary by offering a compilation album for free download. The compilation, entitled From Monotreme Records with Love, features 18 tracks by various artists signed to the label. While possibly not everyone's cup of tea, this is an excellent collection featuring previously released, as well as forthcoming singles from an array of talented musicians. 

After a single listen the tracks that stood out were those by Jeniferever, Polinski, M+A, Stumbleine (feat. CoMa), Fops, Tomat, 65daysofstatic, Nedry, and Harmonious bec. Essentially half the compilation. 

From Monotreme Records with Love will almost certainly introduce you to a several new artists, while providing a welcome alternative to listening to the same cheese being repeated several times a day on the radio.

First song from the album Sound City: Real to reel

Credited as being written by Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, an 18 second video snippet of Cut me some slack has been uploaded to cutmesomeslack.net. 

The site also contains a link to the 121212 Benefit Concert, at which the song was performed, and another link to pre-order a DRM-free download of the Sound City Movie for US$ 12.99 10 (for a limited time only).

How to Destroy Angels 'Ice Age' video and remix

Today How to Destroy Angels premièred a remix of Ice Age by The Soft Moon. Fortunately, much like the last remix, The Soft Moon's interpretation of the song is better than the original.

This is no doubt due to the fact that the twangy, country notes have all but been replaced by 80s influenced drum machine sequences and brooding synth textures that wouldn't have sounded out of place thirty years ago. As J. Wrinkle commented on Facebook, "Trent created HTDA so that he could get away from the NIN industrial rock sound... and this mix just takes it right back." Precisely my sentiment towards the track.

 

The video for Ice Age was released a few days ago, while I was in Thailand without an internet connection. While I'd made the comparison before my trip, after watching this video, as well as seeing a particular behind-the-scene photo from the video shoot (below), I can't help but think that Mariqueen Maandig Reznor looks a lot like a kathoey. That said, the original version of Ice Age is slowly growing on me.

Non-mythical beasts

Source: Bird and Moon

Silver Flacons lose support aircraft

Just days after celebrating their 45th anniversary, the Silver Falcons have lost their C-47TP support aircraft, and all 11 personal aboard. It has been confirmed that "Gooney Bird" crashed into Giants Castle, within the Drakensberg Mountain Range, after reporting poor weather conditions. The wreckage was located later that day, but was unreachable by helicopter due to the weather. A recovery team was only able to reach the site of the wreckage the following day.

The following tribute was posted on the Silver Falcons Facebook page, and includes the names of those who perished aboard Gooney Bird.

Condolences to the family and friends of the 11 who lost their lives in the crash.

Official trailer for Sound City

Set to première at the 2013 Sundance Festival, the official trailer for Sound City has been released.  The documentary will featuring a host of prominent musicians from the past and present, as well as an interview with Rupert Neve, creator of the iconic Neve 8028 analogue mixing console that Dave Grohl purchased from Sound City Studios.

Corax: Doom/ sludge metal from Johannesburg

Corax was conceived by Brent and Patrick during May 2010, and they have been jamming intermittently since. After two years of writing material, the duo recorded their début, self-titled album in approximately 18 hours during April 2012. 

You can listen to the opening track below, or follow this link to download the entire album for free. While doing so you can read a review of the album across on The Sludgelord.