On Friday, February 13, 1970, the first Metal album in the history of music was released, the debut album of "Black Sabbath". This is not just another debut album, but an album that is the mainstay of the Heavy Metal genre and the album that will lay the foundations for Doom Metal, with the theme song that even more than fifty years later continues to chill. So true, there will be those who will say that the Metal elements were planted long before, on " Led Zeppelin 's" debut album, in the sounds of Hendrix's guitar, in the heaviness of "Cream", in the roughness of "Grand Funk", in "Helter Skelter" of "The Beatles" or even in the nails nailed by Dave Davies from the "Kinks" in the membrane of his guitar amp speaker to create the fuzzy riff sound in the song "You Really Got Me". Everyone is right, the beauty in music is development. Every artist has been influenced by something so that we can always go back and point out his influential sources. But yet, no one can take the title from this album as being responsible for creating the Metal genre. The metallic sound, the heaviness, the general atmosphere that hovers over the entire album, leaves no room for doubt, this is the first metal album! The sound so unique to this album is largely attributed to an accident guitarist Tony Iommi suffered at the age of 17. During his work in a metal factory, his middle fingers were cut off. So, to alleviate the pain while playing the guitar, he wrapped them in small plastic hats. In addition, Iommi loosened the guitar strings a bit to ease his fingers, which resulted in the metallic and heavy sound that is heard on the album. What completed the heavy sound was the bass work of Geezer Butler who was originally a guitarist and did not really know how to fit in with Iommi's playing. Butler found himself more than once following Iommi's playing and imitating it in a way that amplified the heaviness in the sound. (Photo: Metal Hammer Magazine) Another thing that influenced the sound has to do with Tony Iommi 's accidental malfunction of the "Fender Stratocaster" guitar, which he used to play while making the recordings. This forced him to switch to "Gibson SG" guitar and anyone who knows both guitars will immediately understand the difference in sounds between the two guitars. It is unbelievable that this album was recorded from beginning to end in less than 12 hours. All the songs here were recorded live on November 19, 1969. There were no overdubs, no effects, and no other external intervention. Except for the sounds of rain and the ringing bell at the beginning of the album and the guitar solos in the songs "N.I.B." And "Double Sleeping Village," everything sounded just like the band played in the studio. The album opens up with the theme song " Black Sabbath ", to the sounds of heavy rain and a bell piercing the silence. A gloomy opening perfectly timed with the band's name and the album's release date, which was by no means accidental. It was Friday, February 13, 1970. This song is a statement of intent of the band's musical direction, which was influenced by the horror film genre that swept Britain in those years and reached the homes of the working-class families of Birmingham. "Black Sabbath" was the name of one of the horror movies that Geezer Butler watched and it was he who suggested the name to the rest of the group members. Geezer Butler was then greatly influenced by mysticism and black magic, the walls of his apartment were painted black with embedded crosses and pictures of the devil hung on them. The main riff in the song was created after Iommi heard Butler play an excerpt from Gustav Holst's suite "The Planets", which is called "Mars". Iommi went home and the next day came back with this creepy riff. What contributed to the heavy and dark sound, was guitarist Tony Iommi 's use of a riff based on "tritone" - a three-tone sound interval that got the nickname "Devil's Riff". Iommi deviated a bit from the familiar bluesy-pentatonic scale to produce this immortal riff that formed the basis for most of the riffs throughout the genre. The lyrics to the second track " The Wizard " were written by Butler, under the influence of the "Lord of the Rings" magician, Gandalf. The music was created by all four members. Another version tells that the song was influenced by a drunk man that Geezer and Ozzy met outside a pub that looked to them like an elf. The sweeping harmonica sound in this song is the fruit of Ozzy Osbourne 's playing. The song is led by the harmonica sound played by Ozzy Osbourne and its combination with Iommi's sawing riffs is just awesome. " Behind the Wall of Sleep " is based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft, of the same name. The intro to this track is called " Wasp " and immediately after it comes a break to a slower rhythm. It is interesting to note that the riff in the song "Cities On Flame With Rock and Roll" by the band "Blue Oyster Cult" is very reminiscent of the riff in this song. As is well known, "Blue Oyster Cult" was initially intended to be the American answer for "Black Sabbath". In the American version of the album the song connects with the next song - "N.I.B." The fourth track on the album " N.I.B. ", Is without a doubt one of the greatest's and most identified with the band. It opens with Geezer Butler 's bass solo, leading us toward the iconic riff of the song, which comes in after 40 seconds. Much has been written about the meaning of the acronym "N.I.B.", including those who claimed that it was the phrase "Nativity In Black", that served as the basis for the band's masterful tribute album series. It is, however, a nickname given by Butler to drummer Bill Ward 's beard that looks like the tip of the pen (NIB). The album also includes two cover versions. The first is " Evil Woman " by an American band called "Crow". The song was recorded as a single even before the album was recorded and was released in January 1970. The song was not a success but its b-side is an interesting song that was not released on the original album, but only in the American version and is called " Wicked World ". " Sleeping Village " opens acoustically, darkly and mesmerizingly. Some say it was influenced by Salem's witch trials. This is one of the first songs the band played on John Peel's radio show in November 1969. The second cover version is a little more interesting. It's the song " Warning " by the band "The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation", which was a blues-rock lineup of the English drummer Aynsley Dunbar. The reviews did not praise the album when it was released, but the audience loved it, especially the youth who were drawn to the underground and dark sound and the devilish motifs. Needless to say, as one of the founding albums of the genre, this album is a part of every possible ranking list, both of Metal albums and in general. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music . "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Although he is known as a Progressive Rock musician, his playing influenced musicians from other genres like Eddie Van Halen . He may not be as famous as his bandmates from "Genesis", but he is the most prolific of them all, continuing to release great albums to this day. He has Jewish roots and has collaborated with so many artists, even the Israeli "Orphaned Land". Ladies and gentlemen, let's get to know one of our favorite guitarists Steve Hackett: (Photo: Tina Korhonen) 1. He was born on 12 February 1950 as Stephen Richard Hackett, in London England. He has Jewish roots on his mother's side. 2. He was born one day before Peter Gabriel - his friend from "Genesis". 3. His younger brother John Hackett is a flutist who has participated in his solo albums. 4. In his youth, Hackett learned to play the harmonica and flute. 5. At the age of 12 he began teaching himself to play the guitar. 6. The early musical influences on him were on the one hand from Classical music and Opera and on the other hand artists like Peter Green , John John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers ", Jimi Hendrix , and "The Beatles". 7. Between the years 1968-1970 Hackett played in three different bands, with one of them - "Canterbury Glass", he even recorded an album in 1968. 8. In 1970 he moved to the band "Quiet World", where his younger brother John Hackett also played the flute. The band released the concept album "The Road" that same year. 9. Hackett left "Quiet World" that year and published an ad in the melodic newspaper, in which he stated that he was looking for a band. The ad was answered by Peter Gabriel who was just looking for a replacement for guitarist Anthony Phillips along with members of the band "Genesis". (Photo: Dennis Stone—Express) 10. Gabriel advised Hackett to listen to the album " Trespass " which was released exactly that year, before the audition. 11. Hackett of course passed the audition and his first appearance with "Genesis" was on January 24, 1971. 12. Immediately upon joining the band, Hackett helped the band to shape its sound, thanks in part to his very unique playing style. In addition, Hackett was the one that advised the band members to make use of the mellotron instrument. 13. The first album he recorded with Genesis was " Nursery Cryme " from 1971, which included several notable solos, including the one in the song " The Musical Box " (starting at 4:10). 14. Contrary to popular belief Hackett was the one that used the "Tapping" guitar technique and not Eddie Van Halen . Hackett was told by Eddie Van Halen himself that he was at a "Genesis" show in the early 1970s, where he learned the technique from him. 15. In 1972 he released " Foxtrot " together with "Genesis", in which beyond the usual writing partnership, he demonstrated his abilities in composing and performing the classic piece " Horizons ". 16. In 1973 he was a part of writing and playing in the masterpiece album " Selling England By The Pound ", in which he used the tapping technique as well as the "Sweep Picking" technique in the song " Dancing with the Moonlit Knight ". The sweep-picking technique will be famous years later, among others, by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen . 17. This album also features one of Hackett's great solos and probably also one of the great moments of his career, the immortal guitar solo in the song " Firth of Fifth ", which proved that Hackett is far beyond his incredible technique, he has so much emotion in playing. 18. During the recordings of the double album " The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway " in 1974, Hackett went through a divorce proceeding. 19. After Peter Gabriel left "Genesis" and everyone thought that the band was not going to survive, he released his first and excellent solo album "Voyage of the Acolyte". The album also featured his "Genesis" friends Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford as well as Sally Oldfield, sister of ... 20. Hackett also participated in first two Collins era "Genesis'" albums - " A Trick of the Tail " from 1976 and " Wind & Wuthering " from 1977. But then he felt he was not exhausting all his abilities and that not enough ideas and songs he was bringing to the band are reflected in the final product, so he decided to leave. 21. The last release of Hackett with "Genesis" will be an EP called "Spot the Pigeon", which was released in 1977 and included three songs that were originally written for the album " Wind & Wuthering " but were left out. 22. After the end of the tour that accompanied the album " Wind & Wuthering ", while in the mixing stages of the live album " Seconds Out ", Hackett left Genesis claiming that he needed more creative freedom. 23. His first solo al m after "Genesis" - "Please Don't Touch!", was released in 1978. This album featured among others vocals from Steve Walsh known from "Kansas". 24. In 1986, Hackett and his fellow guitarist, Steve Howe , formed the supergroup "GTR". (Short for Guitar). The band released an album that year. The album entered 11th place in the Billboard 200 sales chart and included the hit single " When the Heart Rules the Mind ". 25. In 1986 Hackett was also a part of the "Box of Frogs" project including the ex-"Yardbirds" Chris Dreja, Paul Samwell-Smith, and Jim McCarty. Jimmy Page , Jeff Beck , and Rory Gallagher also played guitars on the project. 26. In 2001, Hackett participated in the soundtrack of the movie "Outwitting Hitler". 27. Hackett is without a doubt the most prolific solo artist among the members of "Genesis". He has released no less than 27 studio albums, including one blues-style album and four classic-style albums. 28. In addition to the aforementioned solo albums, Hackett released in 2000 an album in which he collaborated with his brother John Hackett and was called "Sketches of Satie". 29. In 2009 he began collaborating with the Hungarian jazz-rock and fusion band "Djabe". He has released 7 albums with them to date. 30. In 2012, Hackett co-founded the excellent project "Squackett" with bassist Chris Squire . As part of which, he released the album "A Life Within a Day". 31. In addition Hackett has participated in the albums of many artists including "Orphaned Land", John Wetton , Ian McDonald , Steven Wilson, Steve Rothery , and Alan Parsons . 32. Mira Awad and Kobi Farhi from "Orphaned Land", were featured on his album "The Night Siren". 33. Hackett entered the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" in 2010, along with the rest of "Genesis" members. 34. Hackett's playing has influenced many guitarists including Eddie Van Halen , Alex Lifeson , Brian May , Steve Rothery , and more. 35. On May 5, 2012, Hackett performed in Israel at Hangar 11, and definitely left a taste of more ... "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On February 12, 1981, "Rush" released their eighth studio album - "Moving Pictures". The Professor: Without tearing down from the greatness of Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee , this album is probably Neil Peart 's album. The album where he just shone, the album where he surpassed all imagination and rose to the rank of a wizard, even a God! It's not that Peart 's drumming or writing was lacking before, he received the nickname Professor by right and not by grace! But on this album, he was simply touched by the hand of God. The choice of words and writing topics that became more personal, the planning three albums ahead with the "fear trilogy" arranged in reverse chronology, the unconventional time signatures that became even more insane, the simple frantic rhythm change, the enlightenment that fell on him when he chose to establish a musical piece on a Morse code and the crazy drum rolls that made us raise our hands in the air with the "Air Drumming". All of these and others constituted Peart 's added value to the geniuses of the other two and so in a sense, this album would not have sounded as it is without it. So for those who have not yet read the words we wrote about Neil after his death, we ask (not recommend) that you click on the link and read before you continue reading the review. It will help you understand how great this man was and what he symbolized for us. A Farewell To A King…. Masterpiece: It's the biggest masterpiece of the Canadian trio, yes there are a few more. A perfect album that does not have one extra note or one extra second, from beginning to end. A work of thought, composed by three geniuses and will be remembered forever as one of the greatest works in Rock. This is the band's best-selling album, which has sold over four million copies in the United States alone. This album reached the third place in the list of the 50 greatest progressive albums of all time by "Rolling Stone" magazine. Before it on the list are only "The Dark Side Of The Moon" and King Crimson's debut - " In The Court Of The Crimson King ". Do you perceive the magnitude of the achievement? Now, there will be those of you who will say it's not a serious rating, it's the "Rolling Stone" and what do they understand about Prog. but no! The very fact that nine different music critics put together this glorious list and came to the conclusion that this album deserves third place, proves that this achievement cannot be swept under the rug. This is not "the Voice" vote using an app or SMS, these are valued critics of one of the great music magazines. The Background: The story of the creation of this masterpiece album, begins where the story of the previous album " Permanent Waves ", released in January 1980, ended. The 1980s opened up with a storm for "Rush." The band's style changed on " Permanent Waves " and this drew positive reactions from both critics and audiences. And so, the band embarked on a successful tour that ended in June 1980. During the sound checks on the tour, the band began working on new material. The band had plans to take a break for a few months until the second leg of the tour, which was supposed to start in September, but Neil Peart urged Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson to get into the studio and work on the material that was written during the sound checks. In July 1980, the band was featured in the recording of the song "Battle Scar" by "Max Webster", their Canadian friends, and colleagues. While in the studio, Pye Dubois - the lyricist of "Max Webster" approaches Neil Peart and offered him lyrics for a song he thought will suit "Rush". Now think about the situation, an external lyricist offers the "Professor", the witty and honed lyricist who wrote epic works like "2112" and " Hemispheres ", lyrics to a new song. Between us, anyone else would reject it politely. But the humble Neil Peart agrees to get the lyrics for the song then called "Louis the Lawyer". he renovates, updates, and adds his input to the lyrics that will become the band's biggest song " Tom Sawyer ". Immediately after the tribute to "Max Webster", the band moves to a summer house on "Stony Lake" - a lake northeast of Toronto, to complete the work of writing the songs for the album. The rehearsals were fruitful, during which the members finished writing five of the seven songs on the album. The first song the band finished writing was " The Camera Eye ", followed by " Tom Sawyer ", " Red Barchetta ", " YYZ ", and " Limelight ". In September, "Rush" returned to complete the pre-arranged show dates, with the band already playing the songs " Tom Sawyer " and " Limelight " live, before these were even recorded. In October 1980, the band entered its home studio "Le Studio", located at Morin-Heights, Quebec, and in less than two months, records the album that would change everything for them. A time of fewer than two months seems like nothing for a masterpiece like "Moving Pictures", but you'd be surprised to find out that the band would probably have managed to do it even faster, if not all the equipment they were familiar with been replaced. The band wastes precious studio time learning and getting acquainted with the new instrumentation placed there, including the 48-channel digital tape. As part of the experiment with the new instrumentation, the band uses, among other things, a special condenser microphone that was installed on Neil Peart 's chest during the recordings and picked up the sounds reflected from the walls and the atmosphere in the studio. The microphone can be seen mounted on Peart 's chest in the video of the song " Vital Signs ": Luckily, today we can recreate some of the electrifying atmospheres that prevailed in "Le Studio" during the recording of the album, since apart from the song " Vital Signs " the band shot two more video clips for the songs, " Tom Sawyer " and " Limelight ". The three videos were shot in the studio during the recordings and you can learn from them, even partially, about what happened in the studio. The Magic: This album is the band's first to feature synthesizers in each of the songs. It is also the band's last album to include a song that lasted over 10 minutes. If " Permanent Waves " was an album that was the bridge between the Prog and the New Wave era, then in this album the band crossed the bridge and stood at the center of a crossroads, being exposed and absorbing the bustling traffic coming from all directions. In other words, it's the band's most diverse album in terms of musical styles and overall sound, but at the same time, and despite the diversity, it still manages to be the band's most perfect album and that's its beauty as well. The album opens up with an explosion and the hit " Tom Sawyer " with the synthesizer sound of Geddy Lee perfectly synchronized with Neil Peart 's bass drum, which takes us with a 4/4 time signature, to the verse of the song. Seemingly a simple song to play, but do not get excited because no band has yet been born that managed to make a worthy cover of it, and believe us many greats tried. Already in the first instrumental section, we move to the exceptional 7/8 time signature, which changes again in the second instrumental part to another exceptional time signature 7/4. This song evolved from a musical part that Geddy Lee used to play on the synthesizer during the band's sound checks. This musical part which starts at 1:33, is played on the synthesizer cyclically along 8 bars, when at the ninth bar Alex Lifeson is joining and playing the same musical part on the guitar along with the synthesizer for 2 more bars, before taking off for his crazy solo. And notice what happens during those 2 bars of overlap between the guitar and synthesizer. After a bar and a half the synthesizer leaves and the guitar is left to play another half box alone, until Geddy Lee enters with his bass playing exactly the same melody as the guitar and synthesizer before him. We have already said that while writing the materials, the band has always thought ahead about the way the songs will be performed live, without the help of guest musicians. So this half box is meant to allow Geddy Lee to leave the synthesizer and start playing the bass during the shows. And what's happening with Neil Peart 's drums starting at 2:30 can simply not be explained in words. Just remember, if someone asks you when and where the concept of "Air Drumming" was born, you will direct him to this point exactly, starting at 2:30 of the song. The second track " Red Barchetta " was recorded in one take, do you get it ??? This song opens with the harmonies produced by Alex Lifeson 's palm-muted strings followed by Geddy Lee 's amazing bass solo, which takes us after a short instrumental section to the first verse. This song is based on a story called "A Nice Morning Drive" which was published in 1973. Neil Peart manages to compress in six minutes, a dystopian science fiction story that corresponds in one way or another with the epic "2112", only here the restriction law is not related to music but to driving a motorized car. The protagonist in this story finds an old car or rather a Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta on his uncle's farm, and decides to take it for a ride despite the "engine law" that forbids it. The protagonist is of course caught up in a chase when the law enforcement officers follow him. Geddy and Alex manage to illustrate the fast sports car chase amazingly through the music, especially starting from the 2:26 minute of the song. Geddy Lee 's bass playing in this song is perfect, and listen to Alex Lifeson 's solo starting at 3:20, listen carefully because what you hear is not one solo but two, since Gaddy Lee goes with his own solo overlapping Alex's one, leaving Neil Peart to keep the rhythm by his own. The third track on the album is the instrumental track " YYZ ". This track demonstrates the virtuosity and musical diversity of all the band members and of Neil Peart in particular. "YYZ" is the code for Pearson Airport in Toronto. Neil Peart said he was always happy to see this code hanging on his suitcase because it symbolized his return home. The rhythm of the instrumental section consists of the Morse code of the letters YYZ, where the dashes (-) are played using eighth notes and the dots (.) using sixteenth notes. Interestingly, the crash sound in the middle of Alex Lifeson 's solo was created using wind chimes slammed on a wooden table. The song that seals the first side of vinyl " Limelight ", is led by Alex Lifeson 's amazing and catchy riff. The song is a kind of autobiography of Neil Peart who tells about dealing with publicity and success. As you know Peart was shy, introverted, and humble and did not get along really well with the success and everything that came with it. It is interesting to note that the song includes the words "camera eye" which is the next song on the album. The lyrics also have a reference to the band's first debut album mentioned in the sentence: "all the world's indeed a stage, and we are merely players". It may sound relatively simple to you, but it's one of the most complex songs on the album in terms of rhythm changes. During the verses, the rhythm is changed no less than 8 times (3/4, 4/4, 2/4, 4/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 2/4) with the change of rhythms also continuing to the chorus. The chords that Alex uses are also completely uncommon in the hard rock genre, including: Asus2, E5, G#m11, and more. Alex's solo is also one of the most beautiful on the album and in general. The other side of the vinyl opens up with " The Camera Eye ", the longest song on the album, which is a mini-work in two parts lasting almost 11 minutes. The song addresses the cultural differences between the cities of London and New York that Neil Peart visited, while conveying his impression of both through the lyrics of the song. The title of the song is based on the "USA trilogy" by the writer John Dos Passos, which Peart admired, and also based the song "The Big Money" from the album " Power Windows ", on the same trilogy. Although the title of the song indicates only Roman numerals I and II, as mentioned, the first part of the song refers to New York City, while the second part which starts at 6:00 refers to the city of London, while in terms of the music the song seems to start from the beginning. Beyond the mighty amazing sound that sounds fresh even four decades later, some passages in this song just break us to pieces. Alex Lifeson 's minimalist guitar work at the intro. The tremendous entry at 1:33 (mandatory at high volume). The keyboard segment starts at 2:20 and what happens next with Lifeson's guitar and Peart's crazy rollers - just an orgasm... Geddy Lee 's bass playing starting from Alex Lifeson 's solo at 9:17, which is one of the most beautiful on the album. While Alex goes solo Geddy Lee just leaves the rhythm section on Neil Peart's broad shoulders and goes out on his own bass solo. And try to listen to what's going on at 8:56 in the song, after Peart's short roll, Geddy Lee is heard giggling here and saying something like "Oh God" or something similar. The next song is " Witch Hunt " which opens with the band members' voices and the studio staff shouting at each other. This was recorded using microphones placed in the freezing cold outside the studio. How amazingly Neil Peart keeps up the pace here with a cowbell during the verses and such beautiful rolls he hands out to us starting at 2:18, a delight to our ears. Interestingly, the special drum sound in certain parts of the song was achieved by 2 different recordings of Peart being put together. This song is also called "Part III Of Fear" and is part of the "fear trilogy" conceived by Peart , which initially consisted of 3 parts that appeared in reverse chronology across 3 consecutive albums. The first is " Witch Hunt " also called Part III Of Fear and deals with the way fear can be used to control people. The second is " The Weapon " from the 1982 album " Signals " and deals with external fears such as weapons And the third is " The Enemy Within " also called "Part I Of Fear", from " Grace Under Pressure ", which came out in 1984 and deals with the inner fears of people. 18 years later the band decided to add a fourth part to what started as the "fear trilogy", as part of the comeback album " Vapor Trails ". This track deals with paranoia and fear of the unknown and is called " Freeze - Part IV of Fear ". Peart's genius is also expressed here as a writer who pre-planned the trilogy that will be spread over three consecutive albums in a reverse chronology. This song features Hugh Syme - the band's regular cover designer playing synthesizers alongside Geddy Lee . It is interesting to note that while working on the song, the band was informed of the murder of John Lennon . The timing was chilling and Geddy referred to it in an interview he gave as follows: "I was at Morin Heights, a recording studio an hour north of Montreal, working on the song "Witch Hunt" for the "Moving Pictures" album the night he was shot. It was a very heavy moment, I recall. I think we were all just stunned. I remember constantly going back and forth, from working to the TV, to try to get some news. If I remember the environment, looking around the room, my memory just shows me a lot of pale faces staring at the tube." The album ends with " Vital Signs ", which marks the musical connection with the next album - " Signals ". A beautiful reggae song. A style that the band had a taste of in the song "Spirit Of The Radio" from the previous album, and here has already become more dominant. This style will go and take over larger parts of the next album and will lead to inevitable friction with regular producer Terry Brown, ending in an explosion and his departure. It is hard to believe, but this song was written within 5 minutes in the studio, according to Geddy Lee . It is a song that the band really liked but the audience had a very hard time with it so the band used to play it a lot in live shows in the years after the album's release, in an attempt to get the audience to love it. This song has a very special structure. Alex Lifeson is the one who keeps the rhythm with the beating of the chords, while Geddy Lee takes the lead. Just Listen to his bass playing in this song, especially the melodic and short solo starting from the 3rd minute. And if you thought Alex Lifeson 's role in this song was easy, listen to his chords beat at the opening of the song and try to sync with their rhythm. Tell us if you succeed. Not simple, right? There are a lot of breaks in rhythm, and syncopations that make it difficult to synchronize exactly with Alex Lifeson 's chord beat. The Cover: Like most "Rush" albums, this cover was designed by Hugh Syme, who estimated that the design would cost $ 9,500. "Anthem Records" refused to cover the entire bill, leaving the band to pay for the rest. Hugh Syme gave the cover a triple meaning to the words "Moving Pictures": First, the cover shows "Movers" carrying the pictures (Moving). On the side of the picture, people are seen crying because the pictures that pass by them "move" them. On the back cover, a camera crew is filming a movie of the entire scene (Movie). The filming took place outside the Legislature building in Ontario, Queens Park, Toronto. The picture being moved by the movers is Rush's star logo displayed on the back cover of the album " 2112 ", one of the Dogs Playing Poker drawings titled "A Friend in Need" and a painting by Joan of Arc burning on the stake. The camera crew seen on the back cover actually filmed the scene. Summary: "Moving Pictures" is without a shadow of a doubt one of the pinnacles of "Rush"'s work. This is a masterpiece that has received a perfect score from many music critics, including "AllMusic". Beyond the fact that it reached number three on "Rolling Stone's 50 greatest prog albums list, it is also on the magazine's "500 greatest albums of all time" list and on the "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" list. "Kerrang!" Included it in the list of the 100 greatest Heavy Metal albums of all time and readers of "Rhythm" magazine determined that it was the greatest drum album in the history of Progressive Rock. In 2011, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of its release, the band played the entire album, from beginning to end, as part of the "Time Machine Tour" - recorded for " Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland ". And now, let's listen and learn how masterpieces should sound: Spotify , Apple Music . "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On February 11, 2022 "Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators" released the album "4". This is Slash 's fifth solo album and his fourth as part of "Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators" featuring Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass, vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar, vocals). The album "4" was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Dave Cobb (Rival Sons, The Highwomen, Chris Stapleton and more), and is slightly different from the previous material the band released, in terms of sound and style. Producer Dave Cobb noted that the band members have expressed their desire to record the album as much as possible "Live", including a guitar and live solo. It is first album ever released on the new label "Gibson Records", the iconic guitar brand born in Nashville and that is probably the reason that the band chose to record it in Nashville and take a producer who works and lives in Nashville. In October 2021, Slash and the conspirators released the official music video for the first single " The River Is Rising ", a rock bomb with Grunge touches, that features a slightly different sound and style from what we're used to so far from the band, which only left us an appetite for more new material. By the way, the Grunge touches that will remind you of "Alice In Chains" and "Soundgarden" can be heard in other songs on the album, such as " Whatever Gets You By " and " Spirit Love " with the Eastern sitar sound. On December 2021 the single " Fill My World " - Kennedy's love song for his dog was released. The song is led by a guitar riff who will surely remind you of something ... you just can not miss the resemblance to another "hit" that Slash co-wrote. The third single " Call off the Dogs " also reminded us of what Slash 's mother band could have done 35 years earlier, powerful high-pitched Hard Rock. The musical diversity of the album is reflected in songs like the catchy " C'est La Vie " with the "Talk Box" effect, the classic heavy metal riff of " The Path Less Followed ", the heavy boogie of " Actions Speak Louder Than Words " whose guitar line sound reminded us a bit "Led Zeppelin" and of course the epic and dynamic " Fall Back to the Earth ", which could have been the theme song in one of the James Bond's films and closes the album For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

She has been a regular candidate/winner in a number of consecutive Grammy Awards. She was a very talented athlete. And she no longer believes in full albums?? (Photo: Sheryl Crow) = Her full name is Sheryl Suzanne Crow and she was born on February 11, 1962, in Kennett, Missouri, USA. = She was a talented athlete and competed in the 75m hurdles on the All-State Track Athlete team. = She attended the University of Missouri at Columbia and graduated with a degree in music arts. = Her first band was "Cashmere" in which she was a member during her university studies. = Upon graduation she began working as a music teacher at Kellison Elementary School. = At that time she knew the producer Jay Oliver with whom she recorded radio commercials for various companies including McDonalds and Toyota. = From 1987-1991 she was the backing singer of Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Belinda Carlisle, Tina Turner, Stevie Knicks, and Bob Dylan. (Photo: Peter Still) = During that time she also participated in the soundtracks of movies and TV series like Cop Rock, Bright Angel, Stone Cold, and Point Break. = In 1992, Sheryl planned to release her first album, but since she felt it was too "produced" and not rough, she and her record company decided not to release the album. Songs from the album leaked and reached a number of record companies as various artists recorded her songs such as Celine Dion, Tina Turner, and Wynonna Judd. = In 1993, Sheryl joined the "Tuesday Music Club" band, where all members took part in writing and creating. Over time as they worked together they became Sheryl's backing band when Sheryl slowly took the lead. = In August 1993, Sheryl released her debut album "Tuesday Night Music Club", in the context of the name of the band with whom she wrote and recorded the album. = At first the album was short of success and was quite weak in sales until the third single from the album "All I Wanna Do" came out which in an instant became a hysterical hit and gave Sheryl a win of three Grammy Awards in 1995, Record of the Year, Best New Artist and Best Female Vocal Performance. = In 1996, Sheryl released her second album, which bears her name, in which she produced herself and played most of the instruments. The album touched on a large number of genres such as rock, blues, country, and folk. Here too there was a single that brought insane success to the album, "If It Makes You Happy" and once again it gave Sheryl two Grammy Awards that year for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Album. = The album was confiscated by the big retail chain Walmart because the song "Love Is a Good Thing" has a line that says Walmart sells guns to children. = In 1997, Sheryl recorded the theme song for the James Bond movie "Tomorrow Never Dies." = In 1998 she participated in Scott Weiland 's (Stone Temple Pilots) debut album playing the accordion. = That same year she released her third album "The Globe Sessions", which also earned her two Grammy Awards in 1999, Best Rock Album and Best Engineered Non-Classical Album. In 2001 she won another Grammy for the song "There Goes the Neighborhood". = She started her acting career in 1999 in the movie "The Minus Man" and from there she went on to star in a number of TV series and movies like NCIS, Cougar Town, Cars, Fairway to Heaven, and more. = In 2002 she released her fourth album "C'mon, C'mon". The album was dedicated to her ex-partner actor Owen Wilson and also became a tremendous success due to the single "Soak Up the Sun". This album had more poppy influences than the rock and folk that appeared on previous albums and this time too Sheryl goes to the Grammys and wins the Female Rock Vocal Performance Award with the second single from the album "Steve McQueen". = In 2003 she released a "best of..." album called "The Very Best of Sheryl Crow". = In 2005 she released her fifth album "Wildflower". This time there was no Grammy, she was indeed nominated for two awards but even though the album came in 2nd place on Billboard it did not win her any awards and it was less commercially successful than the previous albums. But... a re-recording of the second single from the album "Always on Your Side" with the singer Sting... was nominated again... but again without winning. = In 2008 she released her sixth album "Detours" which although it was going back to her rock roots, it was less successful than the previous ones and gave her one Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album. Sheryl's son participates in the album on the song "Lullaby for Wyatt". = That same year Sheryl together with the clothing company Western Glove Works launched its own jeans brand called "Bootheel Trading Company". = That same year she released her seventh album, which is a special Christmas album called "Home for Christmas". = In 2010 she released her eighth album "100 Miles from Memphis", which was Sheryl's first album not nominated for a Grammy. On this album, she collaborates with artists like Keith Richards, Justin Timberlake, and Citizen Cope as she goes more toward the R&B and Soul music of Memphis. = In 2013 she releases her ninth album "Feels Like Home", which is her first album not issued by the record label A&M but under the record label Warner Bros . This is her first Country style album, she said that the move to Nashville (the place of country music) and the connection to the community greatly influenced her music as the name of the album implies. = Four years later she released her tenth album "Be Myself" in which she returned to the rock style that characterized her more at the beginning of her career even though there were critics who saw it more as a pop album. = In 2019 Sheryl released her elevnth “Threads” which should have been her last full album, as she is interested in concentrating more on singles than on a full album. This album, like the previous two, was recorded in the private studio on her farm in Nashville. The album features many artists who have been a part of Sheryl's musical history such as Stevie Nicks, Maren Morris, Chris Stapleton, Eric Clapton, Sting Brandi Carlile, Johnny Cash, and many others. Sheryl said she is comfortable with the fact that this is her last album which is really a summary of her entire musical career. = In November 2023 she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. = So, although she mentioned she will avoid releasing full albums, in March 2024, she released her twelfth album "Evolution". The album received mostly positive reviews from critics, but was a commercial failure and peaked at number 90 on the UK Albums Chart, her lowest-charting album to date and did not enter the Billboard 200 U.S. charts. = Although she is very jealous of her privacy Sheryl had very well-publicized and famous relationships. There are rumors that she and Eric Clapton were in a relationship in the late 90s, actor Owen Willson was her partner and in 2003 she was in a significantly mediated relationship with cyclist Lance Armstrong who ended three years later. = In 2006 she underwent surgery to remove a breast cancer tumor after which she underwent long weeks of chemotherapy. In 2010 she set up a center for the early detection of breast cancer called the "Sheryl Crow Imaging Center" together with her surgeon Kristi Funk. = In 2011 Sheryl was diagnosed with a brain tumor called "Meningioma" which is a common tumor that is not harmful as long as its size is reasonable and does not affect the brain, she is under constant surveillance since. = She adopted two sons, one in 2007 Wyatt and the other in 2010 Levi = Although musically she is related more to bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Beck, Hole, R.E.M she has always been defined as pop or mainstream. = She performed at the Woodstock Festival in 1994 and 1999. = Sheryl is a social and political activist, does not refrain from expressing her support (for Obama) or her opposition (Bush) to political activists, and has taken an active part in numerous charity events and donations in the field of health and society. = Sheryl performed in Israel at the pick of her career in 1995 at the Blues Festival in Haifa. Listen to the latest album from 2024 on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Standing behind one of the great Nu-Metal bands of the 21st century, he is a multi-instrumentalist, a very talented producer and a third-generation American-Japanese. (Photo: Frank Maddocks) = His full name is Michael Kenji Shinoda. = He was born on February 11, 1977 in California to a Japanese-American father and mother who pushed him to learn to play classical piano music when he was only six years old. = When he was 13 he was already learning to play guitar and sing, he listened to jazz, blues and hip-hop. = He attended Agoura High School with Brad Delson and Rob Bourdon and formed his first band Xero with the two. = He continued his studies at the Art Center College of Design where he studied graphic design and illustration. There he also met Joseph Hahn . = After graduating, the four decided to embark on a musical career and set themselves the goal of making music and succeeding in the industry. = In 1996 they added bassist Dave Farrell and singer Mark Wakefield and recorded four songs on tape in Mike's room. = Mark left shortly after the recordings (Dave also left, but returned shortly after) and the band sent the demo to a skinny young guy named Chester Bennington , who came to audition and got the role. = The band Xero changed its name to Hybrid Theory and tried to get a recording contract, but everyone refused and was not interested in the six young people. Until a guy named Jeff, who helped them out in the beginning, got a role on Warner Bros.'s record label and signed the band, which changed its name to Linkin Park on a recording contract. (Photo: Mick Hutson) = In October 2000 the band released their first album "Hybrid Theory" which despite difficult confrontations with the record company, lack of faith and relentless attempts to change them, the Fantastic Six managed to release an album that flew them first class to the moon. = Already on this album Mike took a dominant role on the console and was fully involved in every technical aspect of the recordings. Mike and Brad would lead the musical path and then Mike would sit with Chester on the lyrics. This is how the two got to know each other, Chester would take out everything he went through in his writing and the acquaintance was made through the songs. = In 2002, Linkin's remix album "Reanimation" was released. This is one of the most important albums in the band's history and perhaps the most important in Mike's career. He created this album with both hands and carried it on both his shoulders. In one of the interviews he said... that what started as an experiment and play with two or three songs, became a complex, complicated and demanding project which he vowed not to do it again, but he did... = On this album he took the band's songs, disassembled them into pieces and reassembled them, layer upon layer. Many different artists participate in the album and together with the new elements created by Mike, this album got an unusual, mesmerizing and addictive sound !! = In the same year, Mike co-founded with Brad the record company Machine Shop Recordings . More precisely it is a Warner Bros. label that was given to Mike in the beginning and after a few years he took ownership of it with Brad. = The band's second album, “Meteora” came out a year later and despite insane expectations and huge pressure from all sides to be as successful as the first album, Linkin Park flew to number one on Billboard and was again an insane success. = On this album Mike has already taken on the role of producer and started directing the whole creative process of the band. He also took on the role of graphic designer while together with Han they designed the covers of the band's albums. = The guy does not stop to rest and a year later, in 2004 he initiates (together with MTV) the surprising and refreshing combination between Linkin and Jay-Z as he takes the band's songs and makes them a mashup with Jay-Z's songs. The album is called "Collision Course" and brings together two big stars in the music world at the time. = Back in the same year, Mike released one of the big covers of that year when he remixed the song "Enjoy the Silence" by the band Depeche Mode. = In 2005 Mike wanted to sharpen his "rapping" abilities and set up an independent hip-hop project called Fort Minor. Although the album features a large and diverse number of artists, the entire album was written, played (on all instruments) and produced by Mike himself. = In 2007 the band released their third album, "Minutes To Midnight" which was produced by Mike along with super producer Rick Rubin . The album was a turning point in the band's musical style, where it began its journey with experimental of new directions and disengagement from neo-metal. = In 2010 came out the band's fourth album "A Thousand Suns" which was also produced by Mike and Rick, in this album Mike performs more vocal pieces along with Chester and less rap pieces. What started already on the previous album and will continue on subsequent albums. = The band then released three more albums, "A Living Things" in 2012, "The Hunting Party" in 2014 And "One More Light" in 2017 when they were all produced by Mike. (Photo: James Minchin) = Remember he said he would not do it again? So he does it again... In 2013 Linkin releases its second remix album "Recharged". The album produced by the regular duo, Mike and Rick, includes 10 songs from the album "A Living Things" and one new song. In this album Mike takes Linkin's sound to the worlds of dance, dub-step and house. = Six months after Chester death Mike's feels he must vent all the pain, grief and distress that is contained within him. He said it was a very difficult, complex process and with a lot of concerns and insecurities. In January 2018 he expressed the trauma and released an EP called "Post Traumatic" which includes three songs, "Place to Start", "Over Again" and "Watching as I Fall". Each song was accompanied by a revealing ballot music video and talks about Mike's dealings with Chester's death. = Six months later he issued a full album bears the same name and includes 16 songs, the three songs that open the album are from the EP. The album was written and produced by Mike and features members of the Linkin and a large number of different and varied artists. = Mike who was very apprehensive of the band fans after the release of the album, got a warm and loving hug. The album was received by most of the band's fans with loving responses and Mike decides to go on a tour to promote the album. The tour included a visit in Israel, a performance that took place at the Tel Aviv port. The amazing thing was that on that tour Mike recruited the Israeli drummer Dan Maio. = During the COVID-19 Period, Mike released three albums called Dropped Frames, Vol. 1/2/3. The albums features material that Mike recorded in his home studio as he broadcasts them live on the internet. (Photo: James_Minchin) = In November 2024, Linkin Park made one of the most publicized comebacks in the world with the release of their eighth album, "From Zero". The album was released seven years after the band's previous album and seven years after Chester's passing. The band's lineup underwent several changes, but the most notable one was the incredible addition of musician Emily Armstrong, who stepped into Chester's role and performs all the "screaming" parts in the album and live performances. In our opinion, this is an excellent album that brings Linkin Park back to its roots while adding an exciting and unique twist. Listen to the "From Zero" album at: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On Febuary 11, 2022 Eddie Vedder released the album "Earthling". This is Eddie Vedder 's third solo album, coming out 11 years after "Ukulele Songs", released in 2011. Let's start with the fact that we think "Earthling" is Eddie Vedder 's real first solo album. Why? Because the excellent " Into The Wild " from 2007 is actually a movie soundtrack. A minimalist album in which Eddie did almost everything, but mostly plays the mandolin. It was followed by "Ukulele Songs" which as its name implies. An album that relies mostly on songs composed and played on ukulele. This is why we think "Earthling" can be seen as Eddie Vedder 's first true solo album. His first album to be accompanied by a full backing band, assembled especially for the purpose of recording the album. The band includes drummer Chad Smith and keyboardist and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, both from the "Red Hot Chili Peppers". The bass position is staffed by Andrew Watt, who is known from "California Breed" and who played the guitar and produced Ozzy Osbourne 's "Ordinary Man" album. Also in this case Watt produces the album. Vedder's live shows lineup includes bassist Chris Chaney known from "Jane's Addiction" and as part of the " NHC " supergroup, as well as singer and guitarist Glen Hansard known from "Frames" and "Swell Season". Hansard has already collaborated with Vedder on the soundtrack to the movie "Flag Day" which was released in 2021. The album also features a selection of well-known artists such as: Elton John, Ringo Starr , Stevie Wonder and Benmont Tench - Tom Petty 's keyboardist, who play in the song " Long Way ", so reminiscent of his original band. If the recent albums of "Pearl Jam" are the product of compromises between the band members, especially in the face of Vedder 's unconventional ambitions, then it seems that in this album Eddie Vedder takes full advantage of his creative freedom. This album has a collection of diverse songs, which feels like they were collected over the years, some may not have fit the musical line of "Pearl Jam", others have probably been rejected by it. What is certain is that most of the songs on the album are not the classic "Pearl Jam's" Eddie Vedder , and it is precisely there where Vedder's shine. It is interesting to note, that the album's last song " On My Way " is a kind of Vedder duet with his father, whom he did not know. A disc with five songs including vocals of his father Edward Severson Jr., rolled into Vedder 's hands. Vedder said that listening to his father's voice felt like he was leaving a message and he knew right then he had to do something with it. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 11.02.1985 “I think we really began to hit our stride mid-way through making the second album. It felt like all the grown ups had left us and let us get along with doing our thing on our own,” says Johnny Marr , guitarist of "The Smiths", reflecting on the changes the band experienced while working on their second album "Meat Is Murder", released on February 11, 1985. “I learnt how to put things together on the John Peel Sessions and I had learnt a lot through working with John Porter,” Marr continues. “ From then on, we didn’t work with a producer on albums .” Engineer Stephen Street recalls: “The first session I did with them was with John producing and I engineered. It was "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now", but the band then decided they didn't want to work with John on the next record, which became Meat Is Murder. They wanted to do it on their own". Stephen Street added: "They were still working with John Porter at the time, who co-produced the first album. I was working at Island Records’ studio in London, and they came in to do that song. I engineered the session, and afterwards Johnny and Morrissey took my number and said, ‘We’d love to do more work with you... Very soon after that, though, I got a call from Geoff Travis , and he said, ‘The guys want to have a go at producing the next album themselves, but would like you to be the engineer?’ I said, ‘I’d love to'" At the height of its industrial power, Britain had once been the workshop of the world. British goods were found across all five continents, even in emerging markets opening up in China and Japan. As exports expanded, Britain also became a large-scale importer of goods. But then the 1980s arrived, and the trend reversed. Britain became heavily dependent on imports, unemployment reached record levels, and the number of strikes continued to rise. By 1985, Britain was already deep into nationwide strikes. Many believed depression did not really exist, dismissing it as an excuse for the weak. Countless unemployed people faced an intensely pressured reality on their own. Then “Meat Is Murder” arrived, and Morrissey’s lyrics reached a new peak on this album. To build the album’s sonic landscape, Morrissey supplied Marr and Street with his personal copies of BBC sound-effects records. The album was harsher and more political than its predecessor. Morrissey even forbade the rest of the band from being photographed eating meat. He decided he wanted to raise more serious issues on English radio. Even he did not anticipate how effective this would be. As the cliché goes, Morrissey caused panic on the streets of London. He brought his political stance into many interviews. His targets included the Thatcher government, the British monarchy, and the famine-relief project "Band Aid". He actively promoted vegetarianism on live shows and in interviews. On another occasion, he persuaded a Scottish television program to broadcast footage from slaughterhouses during dinner time. Morrissey mockingly commented on the latter: “One can have great concern for the people of Ethiopia, but it's another thing to inflict daily torture on the people of England.” The British media were shocked when they heard what Morrissey and Johnny Marr had decided to call their second album. A BBC crew was sent to document the recording sessions, as if it were a declaration of war on the monarchy itself. Morrissey used the visit to explain to conservative journalists that the new album title was self-explanatory, he explained that the band used this title because they believe popular music should be used to convey serious messages. He explained that there are so many bands with millions of fans who don’t use their power to expand their listeners’ awareness, but he think that it's a sin. He added that If the bands' fans eat meat, he want them to stop and think about it, because there’s nothing in modern life that makes people consider this issue. In his opinion there's still a belief that there is no connection between the meat people eat and animals themselves. Animals are seen as something that wanders around in fields, while meat just appears on the plate. If Morrissey is the driving force behind the album’s messages, Johnny Marr , responsible for the music, guitars, and overall sound of "The Smiths", is the one who paves the path that delivers Morrissey’s words straight into the hearts of the fans. One of "The Smiths’" finest songs, “How Soon Is Now?” , was not included on the original UK release. The band added it to the American edition, placed directly in the middle of the record, and it has since become inseparable from the album. “I wanted an intro that was almost as potent as 'Layla.' When it plays in a club or a pub, everyone knows what it is,” Marr later explained about his masterpiece. The pulsing tremolo, the slide guitar layered above it, and the rhythm section of Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce prepare the listener for something unforgettable. Then, at precisely the right moment, Morrissey’s voice enters, delivering bombastic lyrics about crippling shyness in a song that became an anthem for the alienated and socially isolated. A decade later, "Love Spit Love" recorded their own acclaimed version, which found its way into the opening credits of the TV series "Charmed" (1998–2006). The album also displays a broader musical range than its predecessor, with rockabilly influences on “Rusholme Ruffians”  and funk elements on “Barbarism Begins at Home” , which addresses domestic tension and the physical punishment of children. Three songs on “Meat Is Murder”  focus on saving children from the education system and from brutal homes ( “The Headmaster Ritual” , “Rusholme Ruffians” ), and from meat consumption itself on the title track “Meat Is Murder” , which incorporates the sounds of cattle and pushes listeners toward new heights of hysterical carniphobia. As a deeply sensitive individual, Morrissey recognizes emotional cruelty as much as physical cruelty, attacking the cynicism that mocks loneliness on “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” . Despite feeling trapped in an emotionally barren world, Morrissey can still declare that his faith in love is still strong. “I was trying to draw on American music in a way that had been forgotten. I’m into writing with rhythms that are very infectious but don’t have any traces of James Brown in because I wanted my band to be different,” Marr explains. Marr also said that “Nowhere Fast”  was written about the feeling of living as a poor and hopeless person, looking with frustration at the aristocracy and the upper classes who ignore those life has passed by. The album cover features a 1967 photograph of American soldier Michael Wynn in Vietnam, although the slogan on his helmet was altered from “Make War Not Love” to “Meat Is Murder”. The original image was used in the documentary "In the Year of the Pig" (1968) by Emile de Antonio, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. On this album, Morrissey reaches out to young people and assures them they are not alone. Someone is there with them. At last, British listeners no longer had to settle for carefree, disposable pop, because “Meat Is Murder” was a work of art they could find genuine comfort in. For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On February 10, 1978, a miraculous thing happened in the Metal world. On the very same day, two masterpieces albums that redefined the concept of Metal music were released. One is Van Halen 's amazing debut album and the other is "Stained Class", Judas Priest's fourth album. This review focuses on the less "shiny" album of the two, whose impact is no less important. This is of course "Stained Class" by "Judas Priest". We have written and spoke much about the year 1970, the year in which in our humble opinion the genres of Hard Rock and Metal were born, with the release of the debut albums of "Uriah Heep" and "Black Sabbath", as well as the "debut" album of the MKII lineup of "Deep Purple" - "In Rock", All three were released within a few months of each other. These trio of bombs dropped in 1970 one after the other, completed the mighty and heavy blitz that had begun a year earlier with "Led Zeppelin's debut album , effectively establishing the existence of a new style of music. So if 1970 was the founding event in which the Hard Rock and Metal genres were forged and formed, then on February 10, 1978 two albums were released and in our opinion redefined the genre, breathing fresh air into it, becoming a very important milestone in the further development of these music genres. Keep in mind that in 1978 the Hard Rock and Metal genres were in retreat. The bands that belong to the founding generation have faded or disappeared from the world. "Deep Purple" fell apart, "Led Zeppelin" has not released any new material in two years and was a year before the softest album of it's career - In Through The Out Door . "Black Sabbath" has not released anything since " Technical Ecstasy " in 1976 and was one step away from the release of their last album with Ozzy Osbourne , an album devoid of a uniform musical direction that moved away from the classic metal that defined the band. What’s more, on that year Punk has established itself and threatened to swallow the Metal dinosaurs, with the virtuoso musicians making them archaic, outdated and irrelevant. Then, just like in a Hollywood movie, right before it's all over, the superhero comes out of nowhere and saves the day. This time there where two superheroes, coming from both sides of the ocean, simultaneously and well coordinated, managing to perform a wonderfully synchronized reviving procedure saving the fading genre, breathing new and fresh air and even redefine them, Literally! If we stay in the movie world, then Judas' first three albums were just the promo for the glorious film series that will follow. In the first three albums Judas was still searching for her musical identity, K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton honed their playing style and Rob Halford explored the boundaries of his voice. What’s more, Judas’ all-too-famous twin guitar sound was still thin and unpolished. Then come "Stained Class" and "Judas" undergoes a kind of upheaval, an external and internal change, which not only established its musical identity, but also was a millstone for all the metal bands that would follow. In terms of external change, Judas abandons their jeans and T-shirts in favor of leather clothing, studs and accessories reserved only for S&M lovers, with Rob Halford adopting the famous leather hat and whip in his hand. (Photo: Fin Costello) In addition, the band changes it's logo with the gothic font that accompanied it in the first two albums in favor of the diagonal classic logo, with the jagged writing that accompanies the band albums to this day. At a later stage the band members will admit that this change was their answer to the growing Punk scene. In terms of the inner change, the band moved away from the blues and prog influences that accompanied their first albums, while Tipton and K.K. thickened and hardened their dual guitar sound, Halford sharpened his screams and the new drummer Les Binks brought a fast and wild drumming style, that added tremendously to the end result. The lyrics have also become darker and the song titles like " Saints In Hell, Savage " and " Beyond the Realms of Death " will proove it. But the change the band went through was not only reflected in all of these. The writing process was also different, with all the band members, including the new drummer, contributing to the creation process. It is interesting to note that this is the only "Judas" album where all the band members participated in writing the material. In addition, K.K. claimed that this album was the first time he had taken a different approach when it came to solos. If in the previous albums K.K. came to the studio with a written solo and only polished it during the recordings, then in this album he wrote them all during the recordings. It's just amazing to think that solos of songs like " Exciter ", " Savage ", and " Beyond the Realms of Death ", were written live, in the studio. What's even more amazing, is that this particular album, that redefined metal both in terms of sound and looks, was produced by Dennis MacKay who came from genres of Jazz and Prog. Dennis MacKay worked with bands like "Curved Air", "Brand X" and "Mahavishnu Orchestra", before working on this Judas' album. It's interesting to think what would have happened if "Judas" had worked with a hard rock producer, Like Martin Birch for example. What's beautiful about the story of this album is that even though it's not a perfect one, it's still managed to create a huge explosion, a supernova that has spread everywhere, in terms of geographical location time, dressing style, attitude, sounds, rhythms, and melodies, that will reshape the Metal world and become a model for the bands that came later. The opening song " Exciter " is probably one of the first Speed Metal songs ever written. The crazy opening of new drummer Les Binks with the double bass drum, was accidentally written during the band's sound check on the tour that accompanied the album "Sin After Sin". And this crazy drumming blends in with the fast riffs of Tipton and K.K. and raises the average BPM threshold, in a way that will challenge future generations and force them to work harder on technique and speed. The solos in this song are just mind blowing. Great playing and composition, wild technique and beautiful melody. As if the guitars make background sound to each other and create insane harmony (3:35 min). The main riff in the theme song " Stained Class " is led by the galloping rhythm, which was later adopted by "Iron Maiden". Similarly, the bass line in the song " Saints In Hell " resonates through the strings of Steve Harris ' bass guitar in the song "Wrathchild". The melody in Rob Halford 's vocals on the track " White Heat, Red Hot " corresponds with the melody in Hetfield 's vocals in the song "The Four Horseman" and the falsetto vocals in the opening song " Savage " undoubtedly inspired King Diamond 's whistling voice. And the guitars, oh the guitars, just about every metal band that came later and includes two solo guitarists, adopted the song structure and style that allows two guitars to conduct difficult solo battles, on the one hand, while on the other hand blending harmoniously and melodically, without losing identity and uniqueness of each one of the musicians. This album also features one of Judas Priest's most beautiful songs in their entire repertoire. " Beyond the Realms of Death " is simply an amazing masterpiece that sets new standards for all the metal ballads that will follow. And it is impossible to end this review without a few word " Better by You, Better Than Me ". It's a song dated back to 1969, originally known from "Spooky Tooth". "Judas" simply gave it a new identity, with an amazing performance that surpasses the original. This song was the reason for filing a lawsuit against the band, claiming it included covert messages that encouraged suicide. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed but until then the band had stopped performing it on live gigs for several years. It is interesting to note, that this song was the last to enter the album. There is no doubt that this album helped shape the face of the metal map and served as a role model for the bands that came after it. Although not as famous and successful as his co-starring brother "Van Halen" debut who came out that day on the other side of the ocean, it is still a very important album whose contribution to the development of the genre is enormous. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

February 10, 1978 is a very important date for Metal. On the very same day, two influential albums which in a sense saved Hard Rock and Metal, were released. The first, is " Stained Class ", the fourth album of "Judas Priest", and the other is the amazing debut album of "Van Halen", which is the subject of our review. In a simply cosmic and unplanned way, these two albums acted as catalysts that breathed new life into metal, on both sides of the ocean, redefined Hard Rock and Metal and becoming a very important milestone in the further development of the genres. They came out at a time when Hard Rock and Metal were in retreat, a year when Punk had established its status and Disco and Pop ruled the music world and at a time when "Rock" had become a dirty word. Before you continue, we encourage you to read the review of the album " Stained Class ", which was released on the same day and that year, only on the other side of the ocean. If you have read, then you already know that in 1978 the "founding generation" Hard Rock and Metal bands faded or disappeared from the face of earth. They became less and less relevant and were considered old, heavy and outdated. Then, came a talented young guitarist named Eddie Van Halen . He takes the Hard Rock and Metal of the veteran dinosaurs and sticks an adrenaline syringe straight into their hearts. He replaces the sensitive finger touches on the guitar fret with brutal hammer blows, filters out the bluesy playing style and replaces it with a unique and innovative playing that redefines the electric guitar and combines tapping, quick fingering and harmonics. Now add to that the energetic appearance, the virtuosity and the sheer charisma, and you will understand why "Van Helen" saved Rock, just like that, literally. Do not get us wrong, the revolution created by the band's debut album is not only attributed to Eddie Van Halen , absolutely not! But it just would not have happened without him. So how do you create such a revolution? To understand this we have to go back in time, to 1972, Southern California, where the band originally called "Genesis" was formed, by brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen . The Dutch-born brothers were the sons of jazz musician Jan van Helen who played clarinet, saxophone and piano. They started learning classical piano at the age of 6. When they started playing rock and roll, Alex played guitar and Eddie on drums. But as soon as Alex heard his younger brother pick up the guitar and play more naturally, he forced him to change instruments and became a drummer himself. In 1974 they hired an amplification system from David Lee Roth and he was soon invited to join them as the band's lead singer. Roth accurately answered the definition of a "rock star." He was unusually charismatic, his appearance, attire, movements, manners were just what the band needed to become a successful. He may not have had a great voice, but his screams blended perfectly with the band's energetic sound. Bassist Michael Anthony was later recruited, to replace the band's original bassist. They immediately recognized his talent as bassist and lead singer of the band "Snake" and invited him to join them. After the lineup was completed, the band began plowing the stages. They began to gain appreciation and audiences in the Los Angeles pub scene, when Gene Simmons from "Kiss" discovered them in 1976 and decided to produce a demo tape for them. Simmons passed the tape with a recommendation to "Kiss" record company, but they foolishly replied that the band had no chance of succeeding. Eventually in 1977 Warner decided to sign them on a recording contract. In mid-1977, Ted Templeman of "Warner Bros. Records" was present at one of the band's performances in Hollywood. He was so impressed and within a week they had already signed a recording contract. Not only that, but Templeman also became the producer of their debut album, which was recorded in just three weeks, back in the fall of 1977. Templeton who really liked the way the band sounded Live, made sure the production would convey in the best way how the band sounded on stage. Indeed, the production was minimalist with a minimum of overdubs and effects. (Photo: music.fandom.com) The album opens up with " Running with the Devil ", to the sound of passing cars. The idea to record the horns was by Gene Simmons ' and they were already included in the demo tape he produced for the band. These were the car horns of the band members. They disassembled them, put them in a box and connected them to a battery powered by an external foot switch. After recording, they slowed down the sound to produce the "Doppler effect" so that the horn would sound like a passing car. The lyrics of this song were influenced by the song "Runnin' from the devil" by the funk band "Ohio Players". It apparently talks about the difficulties of a young band on stage and in ways caused "Van Halen" much trouble associating them with the cult of Satan. It has often been voted as one of the greatest Heavy Rock songs in history. The second track " Eruption ", is in our opinion the best to represents the hysterical revolution that this album has created. This short instrumental track that was the b-side of the opening song, made Eddie Van Halen and the band legends. This piece, which appears as an intro to the song " You Really Got Me ", got a life of its own and bought Eddie a place at the guitarists' Olympus. It demonstrates Eddie's perfect playing technique and the sound that was then considered so innovative and unique. Not many know, but this piece is based on the intro to the song "Let Me Swim" by "Cactus" and it was not supposed to go on the album at all. It was a piece that Eddie had been playing in live shows since 1976. Eddie did not think it was good enough for the album but he rehearsed it in the studio and the recording device kept working. Templeton who heard the result insisted that it will be a be part of the album, although Eddie claims he made a mistake there that every time he heard the piece he would get upset that it had not been corrected. This mighty track, which introduced Eddie Van Halen's two-handed tapping technique to the world, became a cult piece in performances when Eddie manages to perform it even more impressively. We have a small confession. we just can not listen to " You Really Got Me " without the introduction of " Eruption ". For us, this is one song, special and unified, and it is no wonder that it's clip connects the two tracks. It's a song originally written and performed by the "Kinks", back in 1964. It is considered one of the first songs to feature a rough guitar riff, with Dave Davies achieving that sound by piercing the membrane of his amp, creating a buzz sound. It was the first single the band released. Eddie Van Halen did not like it because he thought the first single should be an original track, but the record company's bet was great, since the "Van Halen" version even surpassed the original, which was perfect in itself. Amazingly this song was the "Kinks'" first hit, and fourteen years later it also became Van Helen's first hit. It's a bouncy song with a perfect riff, and to this day whenever David Lee Roth releases this "wow" at 0:06 to the song, our body starts to twitch in involuntary movements. The lyrics to the song " Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love " were written by David Lee Roth about "casual sex", that David was suspected of, as part of his "rock star" character. The music was written by Eddie and it is amazing that he thought it was not good enough and did not even introduce it to the band, until after a year. He wrote it with the aim of sounding like a parody of the Punk style that was spreading around the world at the time. Whoever makes the effort will hear in this song a recording of an electric sitar on which Eddie plays. Eddie's guitar riff in this song was sampled by "Apollo 440" in their song "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Dub". The first side of the vinyl ends up with the fast-paced " I'm the One " with David Lee Roth 's amazing vocals and Alex's edgy "Double-Kick" drumming. It is interesting to note that the band "4 Non Blondes" performed a cover version of this song in 1994 and the band's drummer had to learn the "double-kick" technique a few days before the recording. Although the other side of the album does not reach the level of the first perfect side, there are still some memorable anthems like " Jamie's Cryin '" written about a girl who regrets a one-night stand with a guy and wants a more serious relationship. The riff of the song is sampled in the song "Wild Thing" by Tone Loc. And there's the amazing " Atomic Punk ", with the palm muted strings at the opening, " Ice Cream Man " which is a cover of John Brim's 1953 song and of course the surprising " Little Dreamer " with the blues scents, Michael's beating bass and the two harmonic vocals that accompany David Lee Roth . "Van Halen" became one of the most successful debut albums of all time, whose impact on the Hard rock and Heavy Metal scene was substantial. It became a big hit around the world, when just five months after its release it had already sold a million copies in the US only. The album continued to sell like crazy until it entered the prestigious "Diamond Albums", with sales over 10 million copies. And if that's not enough, this album is included in the "Rolling Stone" Magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, as well as that magazine's 100 Greatest debut Albums of All Time. The instrumental track " Eruption " is at the top of every possible greatest solos list and among other the second place at the list of the greatest solos of all time by "Guitar World" magazine. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On January 24, 1986, Ozzy Osbourne 's fourth studio album, "The Ultimate Sin", was released in the US (February 10, 1986 in UK). This album was released 3 years after the previous album " Bark At The Moon ", the longest gap compared to Ozzy's first three albums, which were released between 1980 and 1983. The reason for the long time it took to release the album, was mainly because Ozzy was not fit to work on a new album for a long time. His drinking problems worsened and culminated in entering the Betty Ford Rehabilitation Center, from which he was released in 1985. Ozzy said he was so stoned that he had no idea which institution he was in and that Sharon was able to persuade him to go there, only after she promised him that they will teach him how to drink like a gentleman there. It did not end there, because as soon as he entered the institution Ozzy asked the manager where is the bar. While Ozzy was busy rehabilitating, the talented guitarist Jake E. Lee managed to write enough material for an entire album. But after what happened on the previous album (" Bark At The Moon "), he demanded that Ozzy will sign a contract protecting his rights, before he even share one note with him. This demand will lead to Jake E. Lee 's dismissal. As well known, bassist Bob Daisley and guitarist Jake E. Lee wrote the vast majority of the material for the previous album, but in the end, they did not receive any credit for their work, when Ozzy Osbourne got all the writing credit. Moreover, the contract presented to them at the end of the recordings of " Bark At The Moon " was the opposite of what they were promised, this caused a great deal of resentment on the part of Daisley, who had experienced such behavior from Ozzy on the first two albums as well. Disagreements between Daisley and Ozzy eventually led to Daisley's dismissal, with Phil Soussan being brought in to replace him. Despite that, it did not stop Ozzy from re-inviting Daisley to return to the band and assist him in writing the lyrics for the reviewed album and surprisingly Daisley, once again, caved in and re-joined the band. Jake and Daisley went into the studio with drummer Jimmy DeGrasso to record demos for the material they wrote, but this band did not survive in light of Ozzy's commitment to the "Black Sabbath" reunion show, as part of Live Aid . Eventually, Degerso and Daisley were replaced before the recordings by drummer Randy Castillo and bassist Phil Soussan, who even co-wrote the biggest hit from the album " Shot in the Dark ". This song was written by Phil Soussan, Ozzy Osbourne and Steve Oberland, who did not get credit for writing it. It's the only song on the album not written by Jake and Daisley. It was originally written years earlier for Soussan's previous band "Wildfire" and was performed in 2012 by Soussan with the band "FM". The title of the song refers to the 1963 film " The Pink Panther ". Soussan who was a fan of "The Pink Panther" film series, originally wrote lyrics influenced by the film, but Ozzy changed them a bit to something a little darker. This song that ends the album has become one of Ozzy's big hits. This album was originally supposed to be called "Killer of Giants" like the name of the song on the second side of the album, but Osborne changed it at the last minute to "The Ultimate Sin", after the album's opening song. Those two mighty songs competed for the album title, are probably the best of it. The theme song " The Ultimate Sin " opens with the drumming of Randy Castillo, whose rhythm reminds us of the opening of "Run To The Hills" by "Iron Maiden". The resemblance is so high, that every time we hear this opening we are sure that the guitars of Dave Murray and Adrian Smith are about to enter. But make no mistake, we are not at all disappointed by Jake E. Lee 's heavy and catchy riff. What a beloved and amazing gifted guitarist who makes sure to pad the heavy and monotonous riff with intelligent guitar licks. These little ones like in the 3:07 to song and 3:16 of it just blow our minds over and over again and make us long for this great guitarist. " Killer of Giants " is simply a tremendous masterpiece. The opening of the arpeggio with the reverb and the sudden transition to classical guitar with Ozzy's vocals is simply ingenious. What an amazing melody in Ozzy's singing, absolutely one of his best moment. The bridge before the chorus that begins with the words "Giants Sleeping" starting at 1:49 melts us down every time again. Written by him or not, gave credit or not, Ozzy is just a great singer worthy of all the superlatives! But this album is definitely not just those three great songs we mentioned. " Secret Loser " features a very catchy guitar riff and is one of the fastest and most beautiful songs on the album, with amazing chords that soak up a very strong atmosphere to Ozzy's emotional and melodic vocals. " Thank God For The Bomb " features a cheerful and cynical chorus influenced by the Cold War that took place during the recording of the album and manages to sweep us over and over again with its insane energies. " Fool Like You " with the sound of the palm-muted strings in the intro, simply takes off starting from the bridge at 2:58 and continues to evolve with Jake's crazy solo and Castillo's beautiful drum passes. The first few seconds of " Lightning Strikes " remind us of the immortal riff of "Crazy Train" a bit, but we have absolutely no problem with that, just give us more of this amazing guitarist. This album became Ozzy's most successful album to date, with sales of over a million copies in the US alone, within three months of its release. The album was also a success on the charts and immediately after its release the band went on a successful tour. After the tour, the band began working on the next album, but the tensions between Jake E. Lee and Ozzy Osbourne eventually led to his dismissal by Sharon Osborne via telegram, without any justification. Due to his dismissal before the recording of the album, Bob Daisley, again, did not receive credit for his contribution in the first prints of the album, but this was corrected in the later prints, to prevent a lawsuit. Despite all that, Daisley will return to collaborate with Ozzy on the next album, as well as a young guitarist that replaces Jake - named Zakk Wylde . Despite the album's success and the fact that it includes at least two of the greatest songs in his repertoire, Ozzy noted that it is his least favorite album from his solo career. Ozzy explained that he had no problem with the songs, but he thinks that the production, made by producer Ron Neusson, is not good enough. Ozzy pointed out that if there is one album of his that he wants to remix, it is "The Ultimate Sin". For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music . "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Today we will tell you about The Rev - who was, among others, the drummer of "Avenged Sevenfold" and one of its founders: (Photo: Ethan Miller) 1. He was born in Huntington Beach, California on February 9, 1981. His full name is James "Jimmy" Owen Sullivan. 2. The musical influences on him were Frank Zappa and "King Crimson" on one side and "Pantera", "Metallica", and "Slayer" on the other. 3. He noted that the drummers who influenced him the most were: Vinnie Paul Abbott , Mike Portnoy , Dave Lombardo , Lars Ulrich , and Terry Bozzio. By the way, he also noted that drummer Tommy Lee had a visual influence on him. 4. Jimmy got his first drum set (a toy kit) already at the age of 5. His mother stated that they purchased the set for him to prevent damage to the furniture on which he was drumming around the house. 5. From an early age he was a prodigy in drumming. He transcribed and taught himself to play particularly difficult metal tracks, including "Pantera", "Metallica", and "Slayer", when eventually he played tracks of "Dream Theater" and "Rush", all on the amateur drum set he got as a child. 6. His parents took him to see a live performance of "Metallica" when he was 12 years old. 7. He received his first serious drum set only at the age of 11, when by the age of 13 he was already able to play complex solo pieces he had written himself. See in the video below: 8. Already in high school he started playing in several bands, but the first serious band with whom he also recorded an album named "Origin Edition" in 1999, was "Suburban Legends". 9. In the same year he also co-founded "Avenged Sevenfold", with M. Shadows who was his neighbor. 10. He released his first album with the band - " Sounding the Seventh Trumpet " in 2001, when he was only 19 years old. (Photo: My Space) 11. At the same time The Rev was a part of a side band called "Pinkly Smooth", along with guitarist Synyster Gates, his friend from "Avenged Sevenfold". 12. The band released one album in 2001 called "Unfortunate Snort". Jimmy was also serving as the lead singer and keyboardist of the band. 13. Jimmy developed a unique playing technique called "the double-ride thing" or "the Double Octopus" as he called it, which involves a quick double of the tempo between the double bass and two ride cymbals simultaneously. The technique can be heard in songs such as "Critical Acclaim", "Crossroads", "Dancing Dead" and more. Want to see why he called the technique "double octopus"? watch here for example in seconds 25 and 2:14 min. of the song "Almost Easy": 14. Beyond his amazing drumming Jimmy was also a singer and pianist in the band. His singing can be heard in a number of "Avenged Sevenfold" songs such as: "Afterlife", "A Little Piece of Heaven", "Almost Easy", "Scream", "Critical Acclaim" and more. 15. In addition, Jimmy was also a full partner in writing the songs in the band. He brought ideas for piano, lyrics, guitar riffs, and more. For example, he wrote 4 of the 10 songs on the album "Avenged Sevenfold", including the ingenious and perfect masterpiece "A Little Piece of Heaven", which Rev wrote alone and also contributed to singing, piano, and orchestral arrangements. 16. Jimmy noted that over the years he received guitar lessons from Synyster Gates. He also knew how to play bass guitar. 17. He loved the 1990 film "Jacob's Ladder". The film would later be the inspiration for the video clip for the song "Nightmare". 18. His partner Leana "Silver" Mcfadden appears with him in the "funeral" scene in the video clip for the song "Seize the Day". 19. Jimmy had a drum set that included three Bass drums. At one point the system also included 11 different cymbals and 7 toms. (Photo: Unknown) 16. Sullivan passed away on December 28, 2009. At first, the cause of his death was unknown and investigators were unable to reach an unequivocal determination. But a year later it was announced that his death was the result of the use of a large number and variety of drugs and dangerous substances at once. It is not known if the drug use was done unintentionally, as a suicide attempt, or simply excessive consumption. 18. The band's fifth album - "Nightmare" was released about six months after his death and includes a number of tributes to Rev. 19. The moving ballad "So Far Away" was written entirely by guitarist Synyster Gates. Originally the song was supposed to be written as a tribute to Syn's grandfather but after Rev's death, he changed the lyrics and dedicated the song to the legendary and beloved drummer. 20. The video clip of the song takes place in Huntington Beach, exactly where the band was formed and from there it moves to the studio where the rest of the band plays, with pictures and videos of Rev in the background. 21. The songs "Victim" and "Save Me" are also lamentations and mourning for Rev. 22. Rev wrote the song "Fiction" only three days before his death. The song was originally named "Death", but the band members changed it during the recordings. The last sentence he wrote in the song and is also the last he wrote before his death, is simply chilling: "I know you'll find your own way when I'm not with you". 23. On the cover of the album there is a tribute to the legendary drummer, and there is the caption of the word FOREVER with the letters Rev highlighted and prominent, on the tombstone that appears on the front cover. 24. The one who recorded the drum roles that Rev did not manage to finish for the album, is none other than Mike Portnoy who was then a member of "Dream Theater" and whom Rev admired. 25. After his death, Rev won the Best Drummer Award in the "Revolver Golden God Awards" competition. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website