Stella Maris - The Open Gate
- FaceOff - עימות חזיתי
- Jul 2
- 3 min read
On July 2, 1994 "Stella Maris" released their second studio album "The Open Gate".
Occasionally, we ponder whether "Hed Artzi" would have signed "Hayehudim" and if the album "Metziut Nifredet" would have been released at all, without the success of this album, which was launched on the rival "Helikon" label.
We decided to explore this question, and it appears that "Hayehudim," like other Israeli metal bands, owe a great deal to "Stella Maris" and especially to this album, which, as its name implies, "opened the gate" for those who followed.
"Stella Maris" is undeniably one of the trailblazers of metal in Israel. The band was formed in Haifa in 1990 by new immigrants from Russia, guitarist Nick Miller, and keyboardist Fima Shuster. They began their journey alongside bassist Dobby Sonny in a cover band called "Uranium". Later, drummer Eitan Khodarji and vocalist Pablo Rosenberg from the band "Monitor," who immigrated to Israel from Argentina, joined them, thus completing the band's classic lineup.
Pablo Rosenberg was the one who urged the band members to perform songs in a heavy rock style, with lyrics in Hebrew. He believed this approach would more easily attract the Israeli audience. The band started playing in clubs in Haifa and the Krayot, and later at the legendary "Roxanne" club in Tel Aviv, eventually catching the attention of Avi Peretz, who was then the promoter for the band "Tislam". From there, it was a short journey to signing with the "Helikon" company.
The band's debut album, "Stella Maris," was released on September 10, 1992. It is a classic hard rock and heavy metal album, a rarity in Israel at that time. During an era dominated by alternative and grunge music, the band and the record company showed great courage in releasing an album with a traditional hard rock sound and virtuoso performances. However, when you commit fully to something, it often yields positive results. The album featured successful tracks like "Let me go", "Mistake", "Survive", "Pharaoh's Curse", "Come home", "Ishtar", and "Lila Tov". The band gained exposure on MTV with the music video for "Ishtar", marking the first Hebrew music video aired on the channel.
Encouraged by the debut album's relative success, the band chose to intensify their sound and style with "The Open Gate". While the first album was influenced by classic hard rock and heavy metal, reminiscent of "Deep Purple" and "Led Zeppelin", this new album advanced further with a more metallic, dark, and heavy sound.
The one who contributed to the unique sound of this album was the famous producer Chris Tsangarides, who worked with artists such as Gary Moore, "Thin Lizzy", "Helloween", Yngwie Malmsteen and produced albums such as "Painkiller" and "Tattooed Millionaire". Chris came to visit Israel, the members of the band met with him and that is what created the foundation for Collaboration.
Chris and the band succeeded in crafting a metallic sound previously unheard of in Israel, reminiscent of "Judas Priest," with whom Chris collaborated. For instance, you can hear this in the opening riffs of songs like "Black Roses" and "I'm Lost."
The album was a hit and featured tracks such as "Dangerous Games", "Black Roses", "I'm Lost", "How Will I Know", "White Lie", "Two Kings", "It's Not Too Late", and notably, the ballad "A Candle By The Window", which was a significant success in Rosenberg's solo career and was also performed on the show "Kohav Nold".
This album marks the final release from the band with its classic lineup. By October of that year, Pablo Rosenberg departed to pursue a solo career, and bassist Dobby Sonny also exited the band.
"The Open Gate" is often recognized for the ballad "A Candle By The Window," the band's most successful track. However, we believe it should be celebrated as a pioneering album that "opened the gate" for metal in Israel.
For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music
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