On September 29, 1976, "Rush" released their debut live album "All the World's a Stage". For us, this album is not just another "Rush" album. It's the album through which we got to know this amazing band To be precise, it's the album that takes us back in time to the exact point where we fell in love with this wonderful Canadian power trio, and it was love at first sound. Since then, more than forty years of total dedication to the band have passed and all this love eventually summarizes into one piece from the mini medley " Working Man / Finding My Way ", to the moment when the cousin from America arrived with a cassette tape that was entered an AKAI tape deck, the finger touched the play button and Neil Peart 's drum solo shook the speakers. With how many bands in your life have you fell in love with through drum solos? How many of you devoted yourself to a band without even listening to one of its songs? We are proud to say that it happened to us "big time" and that we even can pin-point this moment to the second when it all started: 9:15 minute of the " Working Man / Finding My Way " mini medley and the words of Geddy Lee : Ladies and Gentlemen The Professor On the drum kit ..." So let's tell you a little bit about this historic album (at least for us). This is Rush's first live album, which gives us a first glimpse into how this amazing band sounds live. The decade of the 70s was the decade of live performance albums. Many artists have released a live album at that time. It was a kind of test of courage. Artists were judged on their ability to play their material live. There were also those whose performance albums upgraded their careers and those whose documented live shows led to their big breakthrough. "Deep Purple"- "Made In Japan", "UFO"- " Strangers in the Night ", "Cheap Trick"- "At Budokan", "Uriah Heep"- "Live", "Led Zeppelin"- "The Song Remains The Same", "Rainbow"- " On Stage ", "The Who"- " Live At Leeds ", Frampton- " Frampton Comes Alive! ", "Kiss"- " Alive ! " and more. "Rush" definitely Did not intend to be exceptional in the matter. This album actually sums up the band's first four studio albums from its hard rock era. It was recorded during three consecutive performances to promote " 2112 " album on June 11-13, 1976, at the famous "Massey Hall" in Toronto, the home ground of "Rush". This album will also begin a tradition of the band summarizing every four studio albums by a live album. The name of the album is taken from the play "As You Like It" by William Shakespeare and it definitely illustrates what is inside the cover. As for "Rush" “the whole world is on stage” and they are not going to sound any less good than they sound in the studio. Indeed, not only does “Rush” does not sound less good than the studio albums, but on the contrary, we get an upgrade to a large portion of songs that sound bolder, rougher and even heavier than their studio versions. So true "Rush" didn't turn any 2 minute song into a 10 minute epic improvisation, as most bands did at the time, but they certainly where at the top of their game. This album best conveys how this band sounds live. It has almost no interference of mixes, production cuts and a variety of studio tricks that are common while editing a live album. It gives us the closest to how "Rush" sounds on stage, with no filters and almost no intervention. The album maintains a high and uniform level throughout. From the opening sentence: "Would You Please Welcome Home ... Rush!" to the wow-roars of Geddy Lee and the phrase "Man Ohhh Man" that followed in the brief conversation between the band members behind the scenes and the slamming of the door at the end of the show. Anyone who has said that "Rush" is not a hard rock band, feel free to listen to this album and see this power trio that sounds like an erupting volcano. Already at the opening of the album, with the energy bombs " Bastile Day " and " Anthem " you can hear the amazing guitar work of Alex Lifeson , which sounds heavier and precise. Alex is without a doubt the standout of this album and he leads all the songs with high hand. Listen to the riffs in the mini-medley of " Fly By Night " and " In The Mood " or his crazy solo in " By-Tor and the Snow Dog ". Even calmer songs like " Lakeside Park " or " In The Mood " sound more vigil and "alive" here thanks to his incredible guitar work. Don't get us wrong, it's not that Geddy Lee or "the professor" are not doing their best here, it is just the style of songs chosen from the first four albums allows more expression for Alex. The album also includes an abbreviated rendition of the masterpiece " 2112 " from which the two tracks (" Discovery " and " Oracle: The Dream ") were omitted, apparently not to exceed the time quota that was then customary in double vinyl albums. But the highlight of this album is undoubtedly the drum solo of the "Professor" Neil Peart during the mini-medley " Working Man / Finding My Way ". For hours we listened to this drum solo in loops, analyzing every pass, every snare blow, every dribble and every tapping on the cowbell that was perfectly synchronized with the floor tom. Neil Peart manages to become with a drum solo that did not bore the listener even for one second. It's sweeping, it's exciting, it sounds like a song played by an entire band and not like a drum solo. Just a school for drummers. In conclusion, "All the World's a Stage" introduces us to the immature, young and wild "Rush". Before the keyboards, before the virtuoso outburst and just before the first change of style and genre. This is an album that excellently sums up the band's hard rock era and a must-have for any "Rush" fan. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Here are some interesting facts about Alex Skolnick ,best known as the lead guitarist of the thrash metal band "Testament": (Photo: Reddit) = Alex Skolnick was born on September 29, 1968, in Berkeley, California. = He was raised in a non-traditional Jewish family. = His parents, Jerome Skolnick and Arlene, were both PhD graduates from Yale University. = His parents taught sociology at New York University and the University of California, Berkeley. = Skolnick began playing guitar at age nine. = He was influenced by guitarists such as Eddie Van Halen , Jeff Beck , Jimi Hendrix , Eric Clapton , Johnny Winter , and Randy Rhoads . Other influences included Frank Zappa , Michael Schenker , Yngwie Malmsteen , "Kiss", and "Scorpions". = He was a student of guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani . = In 1984, Skolnick joined the band "Legacy" (which would later become "Testament"), when he was only 16. He replaced original guitarist Derrick Ramirez. = "Testament’s" debut album, "The Legacy", was released in 1987. = He released " The New Order " with "Testament" in 1988. = In 1989, "Testament" released "Practice What You Preach". Which propelled by the singles "Greenhouse Effect", "The Ballad" and the title track "Practice What You Preach", and was a major breakthrough for The band. = In 1990, "Testament" released "Souls of Black", which was as an influential guitar album, being ranked number nine on "Guitar World" magazine's top ten list of guitar albums of 1990. = In 1992, Skolnick played on "Testament's" album " The Ritual "' which marked a major stylistic shift for the band, moving towards a heavy metal sound. = Skolnick left "Testament" in late 1992 to pursue different musical directions. = In 1993, Skolnick recorded and toured with the "Stuart Hamm Band". = He joined "Savatage" in 1994, recording the album "Handful of Rain". = He also played on "Savatage’s" "Japan Live '94" album. = In 1995, Skolnick briefly played with Ozzy Osbourne ’s band. = During the late 1990s, he led a funk project called "Skol-Patrol" in the San Francisco Bay Area. = He formed the band "Attention Deficit", with bassist Michael Manring and drummer Tim Alexander. The band released two albums "Attention Deficit" in 1998, and "The Idiot King" in 2001. = In the late 1990s, Skolnick collaborated with violinist Joe Deninzon in the band "Stratospheerius". = Skolnick moved to New York City in 1998. He enrolled at the New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music. He graduated with a degree in jazz performance. = In 2001, he briefly rejoined "Testament" to re-record old material for "First Strike Still Deadly". = In 2002, he formed the "Alex Skolnick Trio", which blended jazz with rock and metal influences. Their debut album, "Goodbye to Romance: Standards for a New Generation", was released in 2002. = In 2004, he made a guest appearance on "Lamb of God's" "Ashes of the Wake" album. = "The Alex Skolnick Trio" released their second album "Transformation" in 2004. = In 2005, he officially rejoined "Testament" for a reunion tour. = Skolnick was active in blending music with works of art and literature. He performed in various art galleries, including a project for Egyptian artist Nader Sadek in 2007. = In 2008, "Testament" released "The Formation of Damnation". = The "Alex Skolnick Trio" released their third album "Veritas" in 2011. = In 2012, "Testament" released their eleventh album "Dark Roots of Earth". = Alex collaborated with pianist Randy Klein on the jazz album "What's Next?" in 2012. = Skolnick memoir, "Geek to Guitar Hero", was published in 2013. = In 2014, he released "Planetary Coalition", featuring over twenty musicians from five continents. Skolnick used various guitars, including steel string, nylon string, acoustic, and electric, for Planetary Coalition. = Alex Skolnick co-founded the supergroup "Metal Allegiance" in 2014, with with bassist David Ellefson ("Megadeth"), drummer Mike Portnoy ("Dream Theater"), and principal songwriter Mark Menghi. = "Metal Allegiance" released their self-titled debut album "Metal Allegiance" in September 2015. Skolnick contributed guitar work to the entire album, which featured guest appearances by musicians from bands like "Pantera", "Slayer", and "Lamb of God". = In 2016, "Metal Allegiance" released the EP "Fallen Heroes", dedicated to Lemmy Kilmister , David Bowie , and Glenn Frey . = "Metal Allegiance" released their second full-length album "Volume II: Power Drunk Majesty", in September 2018. = In 2016, "Testament" released "Brotherhood of the Snake"' theit 12th studio album. = In 2020, Skolnick and "Testament" released their 13th studio album "Titans of Creation". = On October 10, 2025, Skolnick and "Testament" plan to release the album "Para Bellum" = In 2009 "Heritage" released Alex's first signature guitar. In 2013, "Budda" released a signature amp for Skolnick, called "the Preceptor". Later in the same year Skolnick was signed to "ESP guitars". "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

"Stone Temple Pilots'" debut album was released on September 29, 1992, and is called "Core". It is one of the best-selling debut albums of all time, with sales of over 8 million copies. Twice as much as the album "Dirt" by the band "Alice in Chains", which was released on the same day. So the story of this album begins somewhere in 1986 when singer Scott Weiland met bassist Robert DeLeo . The two immediately join Robert's older brother Dean DeLeo on guitar and drummer Eric Kretz and begin performing at clubs in the Southern California area. In 1990, the band that goes by the name of "Mighty Joe Young" enters the studio and records its first demo. At the same time, the band continues to build its fan base in the California area, which catches the attention of the Atlantic record company which immediately signs them on a recording contract. During the recordings, the band receives a message from their lawyer that there is a blues musician named "Mighty Joe Young" and the band is forced to change its name to "Stone Temple Pilots", inspired by stickers that adorned their rehearsal room environment of the well-known oil company "STP". Among the names raised and matched the above acronyms were "Shirley Temple's Pussy" and "Stereo Temple Pirates". (Photo: Katrina Dickson) Hard to believe, but this masterpiece album, recorded in just five weeks and flew straight to the top of the charts, is an album that has created severe dissonance between fans and critics, most of whom "killed" it when it came out with words like "theft", "copying", "lack of identity". Compared to the bands like "Pearl Jam", "Alice in Chains", and "Nirvana". At the same time, from the 20s plus years of the album age, it can be said with certainty that the Southern band's album from San Diego, deserves all the existing superlatives, "by right and not by grace" and that it does not fall short of the other masterpiece albums of the four major Seattle bands. The first song recorded for the album is actually the short track "Wet My Bed" which was born from an improvisation by Scott and Robert when they were alone in the studio. At the end of the track, you can hear producer Brendan O'Brien enter the studio and say "All right, now what ?". By the way, Brendan is a super producer who has worked with bands such as "AC/DC", "Red Hot Chili Peppers", "Soundgarden", "Audioslave", "Rage Against the Machine", "Incubus", "Korn", "Mastodon", "Pantera", and more. After "Wet My Bed" everything was already flowing and the album was recorded in less than five weeks, as mentioned. The opening track "Dead & Bloated" opens with a kind of rough acapella and immediately after that comes Dean's heavy and dirty riff which sets the tone for the sound we will encounter later in the album. The song apparently talks about infidelity in a relationship, although Scott did not confirm it. An interesting statistic about the song, when the band was on a tour with "Linkin Park" in 2001, Chester Bennington would take the stage and perform that song with them. Chester would later take Scott's place only for a short time after the latter was fired from the band in 2013. From there we continue to “Sex Type Thing” which explodes on us like a volcano with Dean’s immortal and sweeping reef. Here is the place to note that Dean is the only guitarist in the band and he does an amazing job. Anyone who listens to the album and the thick and full sound is sure to have at least two guitarists here. By the way, this sound also goes well on stage, as we witnessed with our own eyes at the band's performance in Israel in 2019. Dean is without a doubt one of the great guitarists of the 90s, although in our opinion he is underrated. This is the first single the band released from the album and it was written about a girl Scott went out with and who was raped by three members of the high school football team she attended. Scott claimed the song was a screaming statement against rape. The song "Wicked Garden" is a song that was not released as a single from the album, however, it is one of the favorite songs by the band's fans. The lyrics were written by Scott about the ups and downs in life, including those that come as a result of drug use. The charming ballad "Creep" is a melodic and melancholy grunge ballad that is simply a classic! The music for the song was written by Robert, who noted that he was influenced by the song "Heart Of Gold" by Neil Young . In terms of lyrics, Scott who co-wrote the lyrics with Robert noted that he talks about the apathy of a teenage boy and the sense of non-belonging at that age. By the way, in 2001 a performance version of the song was released in collaboration with Aaron Lewis from the band "Staind". Also, this song was included in the soundtrack of the film "Black Hawk Down". The song "Plush" is probably the musical stamp of this band and is probably the band's biggest hit. A mesmerizing song with a very special and interesting chord structure that was influenced by a story about a young woman from San Diego who disappeared and was later found lifeless. Both the acoustic version and the album version are "devastating" equally, as if the band deliberately equipped us with two versions, one for each time or mood. And it is impossible to end the review without a word on the song that seals the album "Where The River Goes" . It's the band's longest song in its entire career which spans 8:26 minutes, definitely not typical of the genre and period. It is interesting to note that the band wrote the riff of the song the first time they met and jammed with Dean who replaced the band's first guitarist Corey Hickok. Dean the older brother by 5 years from Robert played hard to get and did not initially respond to requests from his brother and the other members to join the band. Then when he had already arrived, the magic happened and already in the first meeting, this song was written. Scott recalled that he was simply overwhelmed by Dean's playing and immediately wrote the lyrics to the song based on his feelings and the decision to flow like the river where life had taken him. Undoubtedly, this is an amazing album, and proved beyond any doubt that this band has a lot more to give later, as it did on other albums during the 90s. Listen to the album on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

There are not many artists we know who managed to do what "Iron Maiden" did in the 1980s. This is one of the only bands known to us that managed to produce 7 masterpiece albums in such an amazing sequence. No falls, no stumbles, no "fillers" or weak songs. Simply Masterpiece after Masterpiece, timeless albums that even after almost 40 years can be listened to from beginning to end without skipping or getting bored from one track or another. On September 29, 1986 "Iron Maiden" released the sixth album from this inconceivable sequence, and managed to amaze us once again. We must say, even this time when we held the vinyl purchased at "Allegro" record store on Sheinkin Street in Tel Aviv, in our hands, we were sure it would be very difficult to surpass the masterpiece " Powerslave ". After all, this is the album that made "Iron Maiden" the biggest Metal band in the worls at that time. But already during the bus trip back from Tel Aviv to Ramat Gan, as we stared at one of the special covers ever created for any album, we realized that something very special was waiting for us inside. Eddie appeared on the cover in the form of a cyborg. He was standing with a laser gun drawn, in a futuristic world that seemed to us like a combination of the movies "Blade Runner" and "Back to the Future", two movies from the genre we loved so much at the time. The name of the album and the song titles fit in well with the concept of "science fiction", and as we delved deeper into the cover we discovered more and more details and clues related to the band. So much so that it was clear to us that at least in this context this album surpasses its predecessor. When we reached the scriptures for the word "gin" ("ג'ין") and the four Hebrew letters that make up the explicit name of "the one", that the third commandment forbids us to bear his name in vain, it was already love at first sight and that was even before we heard one note from the album. This may sound silly to you, but try to think of the feeling of an adolescent Israeli boy who sees a caption in Hebrew letters on the album cover of one of his favorite bands. The build-up that the same boy went through during the trip home, just exploded when the tip of the needle landed on the first strip of vinyl, it was already a total admire. The sound of the guitar synthesizer effect that flooded the speakers left no room for doubt, his favorite band crossed the speed of light and flew forward in "time", also in terms of its updated sound. And no, there was no astonishment or disappointment here as described by some of his friends who did not like the new sound at first, but quite the opposite. A few months earlier, "Judas Priest" had released the album " Turbo ", which already included the guitar-synth sound, and this transition made by "Iron Maiden" sounded very natural to him, especially when she did it in such an amazing way and without losing even a tiny fraction From her identity. The story of this very special album in the "Iron Maiden" repertoire, begins with the end of the "World Slavery Tour" that accompanied the previous album - " Powerslave ". The band members finish it exhausted and shattered. This tour was grandiose on every scale. Starting with the bombastic production and stage set and ending with the length and number of performances the band made during it. It lasted for almost a year in a row and included close to 200 performances, including one historic performance that was the first from a Metal band's behind The "Iron Curtain". During this tour, the band performed in front of millions of fans, with only one performance in Rio, Brazil, attended by about 300,000 people. At the same time, the band was working on the iconic live album and video " Live After Death ", which were released in 1985. After the tour, the band took a break of several months to rest, spend time with their families, but also to write and experiment with new equipment, especially the guitar and bass synthesizer effect. The band decided to take their time and not rush with the recording and this is also one of the reasons that this is the band's first album not released exactly in the year following the previous one. Singer Bruce Dickinson really wanted to get the foot off the gas this time around and make a different album. He arrived at the studio with acoustic songs, but these were rejected by the rest of the band. Bruce did not let his ego lead him and gave way to others ideas, which contributed much to the prominence of the mighty and talented guitarist Adrian Smith on this album, and to the fact that he wrote exclusively (lyrics and music), three of the album's eight songs. Although the band states that there was no intention to produce a concept album, some of the album's songs deal with the subject of "space" and "time" and especially Steve Harris ' fears and complexes from the futuristic and unknown world. The album opens up with the statement of intent " Caught Somewhere in Time ", a song that best sums up the overall vibe of the album. The song written by Steve Harris was inspired by the 1979 film "Time After Time", which is about time travel. "If I said I'd take you there, would you go, would you be scared?" Sings Bruce Dickinson and manages to convey in his thrilling poetry the fear of time travel, when later we discover the heavy price the protagonist is required to pay when he risks losing himself along the way. On the one hand this song reveals the new and updated sound of "Maiden", but on the other hand the band proves that no effect, even if it is a synthesizer, can change its DNA. Steve Harris ' pulsating and galloping bass, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith 's amazing solos and Nicko McBrain 's powerful drumming, are still here and they are "stuck in time" and are not going anywhere. The second track " Wasted Years " is the first single released from the album and the biggest hit from it. It had probably been Maiden's closest to mainstream track, without losing its unique sound. This is the first song out of three written by Adrian Smith and is also the most different from the other songs on the album. Beyond the fact that this is the only song on the album that has no guitar or bass synthesizer effect, it is the least mystical and most realistic song out of it. The song was written following the band's long tour about the "time" wasted on the road instead of with the family. The original name of the song was "Golden Years" in which Adrian Smith urges us not to look back on the wasted lost years, but always to look ahead. Also the next track " Sea of ​​Madness " is a song written exclusively by Adrian Smith , who simply spark on this album and proves once again that he is a writer with supreme grace. On the one hand the heaviness in the riffs between the verses, on the other hand the perfect melody in the bridge and chorus, which only intensifies with the amazing submission of Bruce Dickinson . Without a doubt one of the most powerful and beloved songs on the album. The song that seals the first side of the vinyl " Heaven Can Wait " is another song by Steve Harris that was influenced by a movie of the same name from 1978. A complex and dynamic song that includes several transitions, including the epic stadium part starting at 3:35, where the band allows the audience and the stage workers to go up to the stage and sing with them "Wow wow wow ....", see example here: The second side of the vinyl opens with " The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner ". Another mighty song by Steve Harris that starts as slow as in the warm-up before the run, then erupts in a mighty sprint that only gets louder, although ostensibly this is a "long distance" run. How beautiful are the harmonies between Dave Murray and Adrian Smith guitars and what an energetic singing of Bruce Dickinson , who despite the fast rhythm manages to illustrate to us the loneliness of a long distance runner, and all we have left is to wonder if Steve Harris wrote the song about himself? Probably not... because it is likely that the song was influenced by the movie of the same name that was released in 1962. From here we move on to the second single from the album and the third song written by Adrian Smith - " Stranger In A Strange Land ". This song is without a doubt competing with the first single "Wasted Years", for the title as best song on the album. The song was written by Smith following a conversation with an Arctic explorer who discovered a body buried in ice, which had been preserved there for years. Adrian wrote about the same "stranger in a strange land" who set out to explore the land of ice, died during the journey and his body was preserved for 100 years, until futuristic researchers found it. The song opens with Steve Harris ' beating bass and continues with Smith's catchy riff, wrapped in synthesizer sounds that add to the drama and atmosphere of the story, which only intensifies through Dickinson's emotional singing. This is one of the few songs from "Iron Maiden" that ends in a fade-out. We're nearing the end with " Deja-Vu " which begins with the melodic and melancholic bass inro and develops into a song in a fast and edgy rhythm. Another catchy song whose chorus just does not come out of your head, in a way that makes you feel as if "you were already here", or in the lyrics of the song itself: "Feel like I've been here before ..." Similar to the previous album, here too, we ends up with an epic track - " Alexander the Great ", which passes chronologically between time stations in the history of Alexander the Great, from Macedonia, through Alexandria and Egypt to Persia and Babylon. Here too the contribution of the synthesizer sounds add to the atmosphere and cannot be ignored, especially in the instrumental part which also includes the amazing guitar work of Dave Murray and Adrian Smith . As perfect and flawless as this album is, it is just a preparation for the "bible" of metal, an album that changed the whole concept of the genre - " Seventh Son of a Seventh Son ". The imaginary concept will become a full concept, the guitar-synth effect will be upgraded to a full synthesizer, and the epic stories will get a facelift that will be spread over an entire album. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On September 29, 1992, "Alice in Chains" released its second album "Dirt". This is one of the greatest albums of the 90s and one of the ultimate statements of modern music. This album is a tragedy of contrasts between the creator and the listener. A musical paradise wrought in the fire of the artist's inner hell, a whole of wholeness formed from the shards of the writers' souls, a heavenly beauty made up of thousands of scars. This is a painful and creepy document that is a window into the feelings and thoughts of Jerry Cantrell and Layne Staley at the time. It deals with the issue of hard drug addiction in such a direct and overt way that there has been no equal since the masterful album "Velvet Underground & Nico", where Lou Reed honestly wrote about his experience with the song "Heroin" and told us how he waits for "Man" to sell it for $26 In the song "I'm Waiting for the Man". You could even say that "Dirt" is actually a concept album about heroin since most of its songs deal with this deadly drug in one way or another. "Dirt's" musical style is much heavier and gloomier than its predecessor, an album with a lot of sadness and rage, the most "metallic" grunge of the early '90s, and despite that, it was a huge success, quite a bit of which is attributed to the shaky and "breaking" lyrics of Jerry and Layne. This album managed to produce five successful singles and became the best-selling album by "Alice in Chains" to date. It also entered a high spot in almost every possible ranking list of the 90s and is ranked 6th and most respected in Rolling Stone magazine's big grunge album list as well as in the list of 1001 albums you must hear before you die. The writing session between Layne and Jerry continues on this album as well with an advantage for Jerry who also became more vocally dominant on this album. On the other hand, Layne wrote for the first time and played the guitar in two songs on the album. (Photo: Chris Carroll) The background to this amazing work begins with a tour designed to promote the previous album "Facelift" released in 1990. In September 1991 the band rides the wave of success of the album "Facelift" which becomes the first grunge album to reach "gold" status in sales and the band's future looks promising. But then the record company makes a tactical mistake. It brands the band as a metal band and teams it up for the "Clash of the Titans" tour along with bands like Anthrax, Megadeth, and Slayer. The tough crowd of the thrash giants fails to connect and the band is humiliated and receives boos during its performances. In November 1991 the band enters the studio to record their next album, but a dream dreamed by drummer Sean Kinney caused them to change the plan and go for an EP called "SAP" which was released in February 1992. Dream or reality, it was an ingenious move. The band managed with just four acoustic songs to erase the mental image that the record company was trying to equate to it. And if the four songs from "SAP" still haven't got the message across, then the back cover of the EP sure did. It shows the band members peeing on their old photos and saying hello to the image that was forced on them. This is it! The move is complete. The band was ready for its big breakout. Four months later, in June 1992, the music video for the song " Would? " was released. Which is designed to promote director Cameron Crowe's " Singles" film. The clip shows a completely different "Alice" both externally and musically. They look deliberately "anti-metallic" and sound like nothing else there has been until then. It was a song you could not remain indifferent to. A masterpiece that opens with Mike Starr's pulsating bass line and Sean's rolling African drumming, which without any warning grabs you with no ability to resist, and you're addicted. A masterpiece in which each of the instruments seems to be alone in the studio, playing solo for itself, but somehow all of them merge together and form a meteoric connection. This song also closes the album, which Cantrell wrote as a tribute to his good friend Andrew Wood from the band "Mother Love Bone" who died in 1990 and is undoubtedly responsible for the band's big break and the tremendous anticipation from the upcoming album. The song talks about the weaning process and what happens after it, with the last part of the song ending with the question of whether the future is more promising. Hence the question mark in the title of the song. Cantrell sang all the stanzas in the song and lined up the chorus. At the end of each line in the verses, Layne completes Cantrell in the harmonies of a second voice, and the combination between them is simply amazing. It's unbelievable that Layne had to convince Cantrell to sing and how great that Cantrell agreed because the combination of voices between them on this album is undoubtedly "divine" and is responsible for quite a bit of its so unique sound. This "appetizer" called " Would? " is definitely not a one-off and despite the magnitude of the anticipation for its release, this masterpiece called “Dirt” left no room for disappointment. The album opens with the angry cries of Staley and Cantrell with " Them Bones " and with Cantrell's chromatic riff that throws us in unusual beats of 7/8 which later become 4/4. This change of rhythm pushes this song strongly forward and is exactly what makes this band different and so special in the grunge landscape from the early 90s. A short, compressed, and sharp song like a knife that for 2:30 minutes manages to shake you and smash your "bones", against the backdrop of Cantrell's sarcastic lyrics that preach to you to just live and not be afraid of death because we all end up like bones. The song " Dam That River " continues at a fast pace and is led by Cantrell's heavy and nervous riff, with his blues-metal solo after the second verse and back again until the abrupt end. And this time, Jerry and Layne's vocal harmonies blend into the verse, with Layne singing the chorus alone. According to the explanatory note in the booklet Music Box, while Cantrell and Sean were fighting, Sean broke a table on Cantrell's head, and in response, Cantrell wrote the song. In the third track, we slow down the tempo a bit with " Rain When I Die " which includes perhaps Cantrell's best guitar work on the album. The only song that gives credit to all the band members opens with the slow bass line and Kean's strange rhythm when later Cantrell enters and manages to produce strange and varied sounds from the guitar that blend nicely with his and Layne's voices and the Doom atmosphere. From here we move on to one of the great songs from the album " Down in a Hole ". It's a song with simple lyrics and breaks. Each line here is more destructive than the other and has the potential to become a tattoo or be engraved on tombstones. It's a power ballad that Cantrell wrote to his girlfriend Courtney Clarke, which undoubtedly shows how painful, hurt, and exposed he is. The vocal combination between Cantrell and Staley in this song is just amazing. Two voices sing separately but merge into one voice that roars and shouts. Just think of the level of sensitivity of Staley who even though he did not write the lyrics presents the song as if it is his own and is completely identified with him. It is interesting to note that Cantrell was initially afraid to play the song to the band because he thought it was too quiet, but the band loved it and it was good that way. Immediately after the song " Sickman " and the fast and mechanical rhythm cut into a slow waltz, we reach one of the highlights of the album " Rooster ". Rooster was a nickname for Cantrell's father as a child in light of his "Show Off" personality and the hair curls he had and later adhered to as part of his service in Vietnam. Rooster is also a nickname for soldiers carrying an M60 machine gun as well as for the unit in which Cantrell's father served in Vietnam, but the prevailing opinion is that these versions originated by mistake. The song, written by Cantrell while living in Chris Cornell's home, is told from the point of view of a simple soldier serving in Vietnam and conveys the atmosphere of the war and also the post-trauma that followed. A gloomy and slow song that opens with guitar items caressing and howling in pain and later develops into a roaring and angry blues-metal. In the song, " Junkhead " Layne tries to tell us what it means to be addicted to hard drugs, to heroin. Layne explains to us that you can't really understand what's going on in a drug addict's mind until you become one. This song connects lyrically to the song " God Smack ". Staley wrote the song together with Jerry Cantrell and based it on his addiction to heroin, providing us with a cold look at the addiction process, with sentences like: "Stick your arm for some real fun, So your sickness weighs a ton". Not for nothing did Jerry Cantrell define these two songs as the band's most honest songs, or in his own words - "most openly honest". Interestingly, Staley and Cantrell said that the second half of the album builds a narrative about the progression of a heroin addict, from messing in drugs just for fun to descending into hell. The first track in this narrative is " Junkhead " and the second is the theme song " Dirt ". Although the song does not specifically refer to drugs, it certainly looks directly into Staley's suicidal thoughts, which are a direct result of the heavy use of drugs. Staley does not try to beautify things and writes harsh lyrics that describe in chilling detail the way he is going to take his life. He even leaves instructions on how to clean up the mess he will leave behind, literally in the lyrics of the song: I want to taste dirty, a stinging pistol In my mouth, on my tongue I want you to scrape me from the walls And go crazy like you've made me But although the theme song " Dirt " fits well with the narrative of the heroin addict, in several interviews conducted with him, Staley scattered hints from which we can learn that the song may have been written about his fiancee Demri Parrott. He referred to the album cover which corresponds with the theme song and noted that it is a form of "revenge" on a certain person who actually "buried" him, saying: "The woman on the album cover is kinda the portrayal of that person being sucked down into the dirt, instead of me". What can perhaps bridge the two different versions for the meaning of the song, is the explanation that Parrott was the one who introduced Staley to heroin. By the way, Parrott herself was a heavy user of heroin and she passed away in 1996. In the short part " Iron Gland " Tom Araya from "Slayer" is hosted. The segment started with Cantrell's riff annoying the band members and then Cantrell added the reference to "Black Sabbath's" "Iron Man". The songs " Hate to Feel " and " Angry Chair " were written by Staley who also plays guitar there. Cantrell noted that he thinks "Angry Chair" is a masterpiece and that he is proud of Staley for writing here and the fact that he plays guitar here. One interpretation of the lyrics of the song is that Layne's father used to punish him when he strapped him to a chair in front of a mirror, but there is no support for this. In any case, it's hard not to hear the pain in Layne's broken voice. The song " Hate to Feel " is another song from Staley in which he ascertains how he fights pain using heroin. A very dynamic song that includes rhythm changes, breaks and stops with Cantrell's amazing guitar work. What makes the album "Dirt" so amazing is its sincerity. The heroin dominated here in an almost absolute way that did not allow the band members to write on almost any other subject, otherwise, it was just fake. The heroin will seep very deep into the band's veins and the first casualty will be Mike Starr who vacated his spot immediately at the end of the tour. The heroin will continue to seep in a way that will make it very difficult for the four members to function as a band. "Alice In Chains" will indeed manage to release an amazing EP and an excellent album. It will also manage to connect to one divine moment in the immortal unplugged show , but in a very sad and unfortunate way, the “heroin” that inspired the amazing piece called “Dirt” is also the one that brought the end of its classic lineup. And there is also a small Israeli corner related to this tremendous album. On the 30th anniversary of the album, the Israeli musician Adir Laybo and friends recorded "Dirt" in its entirety, from start to finish as a tribute to the album and the great band. You can listen to the amazing results on all platforms, including here : Listen to the album on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On September 26, 1981, "Iron Maiden" made the best decision of it's career, with recruiting Bruce Dickinson officially to the band. (Photo: Imdb) Dickinson, who began his musical career in 1979 with the band "Samson", made his first acquaintance with "Iron Maiden" in 1980, when "Maiden" warmed up his band "Samson". Even then he thought they were good, but did not dream that in such a short time he would join the band that warmed up his band. After the Samson band performance at the 1981 "Reading" Festival, Rod Smallwood, the director of "Iron Maiden", approached Bruce Dickinson and invited him to his room behind the scenes. In this small room, Rod suggested that Bruce will audition for "Iron Maiden". For Samsung's performance at the 1981 Reading Festival, see here: Bruce who was not so pleased with "Samson"'s style and saw the potential in "Iron Maiden", was interested, but he had some questions for Rod. He wanted to know whether he would get creative freedom and if Paul Di'Anno knows that the band was looking to replace him. In the end Bruce agreed. The audition took place early September 1981 in a rehearsal room in London's Hackney district. Bruce Dickinson listened to the members of "Iron Maiden" perform the songs " Prowler ", " Sanctuary ", " Running Free " and " Remember Tomorrow " and later he was asked to perform the same songs together with the band. Bruce claims that in addition they played songs that they all knew mutually. Before this historic audition, Bruce Dickinson was asked to send a tape to the band and we are lucky that this tape is on line and we can witness the moment when Bruce opened his mouth and sang for the first time songs of "Iron Maiden". Listen here: Bruce of course passed the audition and the official announcement of his joining the band hit the media just today in 1981. ... "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On September 28, 1988, Ozzy Osbourne released his fifth studio album "No Rest for the Wicked". The album marks a significant chapter in Ozzy Osbourne 's solo career, released at a crucial time when he needed to re-establish his presence in the metal scene. Coming off a series of personal challenges and facing criticism after " The Ultimate Sin ", this album not only reinvigorated his sound but also introduced a fresh lineup that would leave a lasting impact, with the addition of a fifth member - keyboardist John Sinclair, but most notably with guitarist Zakk Wylde who replaced Jake E . Lee after he was fired by Ozzy in 1987. The album stands as a defining moment in Ozzy Osbourne ’s solo career, since not only that it marked a creative resurgence for Ozzy but also introduced guitarist Zakk Wylde , whose signature style would become synonymous with Osbourne’s sound for years to come. From the outset, Wylde’s impact is undeniable. His gritty, Southern-influenced tone and explosive pinch harmonics give the album a raw energy that redefined Ozzy’s music. Wylde’s playing—marked by furious solos and heavy, chugging riffs—can be heard throughout the record, particularly on tracks like " Miracle Man " and " Bloodbath in Paradise ." His arrival signaled the beginning of a new sonic era for Ozzy, with Wylde’s dynamic guitar work becoming an integral part of Osbourne’s identity moving forward. The album’s opening track, " Miracle Man ," is a scathing attack on televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, who had publicly criticized Ozzy. In 1985, Ozzy was "in the spotlight" after a teenager committed suicide and it was claimed that it was because he was listening to the song " Suicide Solution ". Swaggart went on a crusade against rock music and took every opportunity to come down on Ozzy. Finally, Ozzy had the last laugh in 1987 when Swaggart was caught with a prostitute and confessed to being addicted to pornography. Wylde’s blistering riffs drive the song, while Ozzy’s snarling vocals deliver biting commentary on hypocrisy. Meanwhile, " Devil's Daughter (Holy War) " further exemplifies the synergy between Ozzy's dark lyrical themes and Wylde's aggressive, fast-paced guitar style. Another major factor in "No Rest for the Wicked’s" success was the return of bassist Bob Daisley, a key collaborator from Ozzy’s earlier solo records. Daisley’s contributions to the album’s songwriting and bass lines were crucial, especially in tracks like " Miracle Man " and " Breaking All the Rules ." However, Daisley’s involvement wasn’t without controversy, as he later sued Osbourne over unpaid royalties, continuing the legal battles that had previously strained their relationship on the albums " Blizzard Of Ozz " and " Diary of a Madman ". As was expected, after the album's recording was complete, Daisley was once again fired, and replaced by Geezer Butler . The album's thematic content often delves into Osbourne’s personal demons, nowhere more evident than in " Demon Alcohol ." The track reflects Ozzy’s own struggles with addiction, blending a reflective narrative with a high-octane arrangement. Interestingly, "Judas Priest’s" Rob Halford stepped in to sing the song during rehearsals when Ozzy faced vocal strain, offering support behind the scenes in a show of metal brotherhood. Another notable collaboration on "No Rest for the Wicked" came from "Motörhead’s" Lemmy Kilmister , who contributed to the lyrics of " Bloodbath in Paradise ." The song, which tackles the horrors of the Manson Family murders, blends Ozzy’s eerie lyricism with Lemmy’s raw, gritty style, giving it an even more sinister edge. Lemmy’s involvement helped deepen the dark atmosphere that permeates the album. A standout track, " Crazy Babies ," showcases a more playful side to Ozzy, with its catchy, rebellious chorus and infectious high-energy guitar riff, courtesy of Wylde. The song feels lighter than the darker themes present on other tracks, yet its punk-like attitude and Wylde's fast, intricate guitar work keep it firmly rooted in the metal genre. "Crazy Babies" reflects Ozzy's defiant spirit and knack for crafting memorable hooks, making it one of the album's more accessible and radio-friendly cuts while still maintaining the heaviness fans expect. Meanwhile, " Breaking All the Rules " slows down the tempo, giving space for a more brooding atmosphere and allowing Ozzy to explore themes of defiance and freedom. The song is an anthem of independence and rebellion, with Ozzy delivering lyrics about rejecting societal constraints and carving one’s own path. Wylde’s guitar work complements the song's mood, mixing soaring melodies with grinding riffs that underpin the theme of breaking away from norms. The video clip for the song already featured Geezer Butler who replaced Bob Daisley after he was fired from the band. " Fire in the Sky " It is one of the most beautiful songs on the album. It delivers an epic sound with an amazing intro that builds up towards the entrance, with Wylde's guitar syncopated at a slower tempo, further showcasing his versatility. John Sinclair's keyboard work on this song is one of the best on the album and adds to the epic sound. The album closes with " Hero ," A song on the original album was a hidden track that came after a few seconds of silence. It's a slightly anthemic track that balances grandeur with the album’s darker tones, bringing a sense of resolution to the chaotic journey. It wraps up the record on a note of triumph, despite the storm of heavy themes explored throughout. It is interesting to note, that the Japanese version of the album included a bonus track named " The Liar " - a beautiful ballad led by John Sinclair piano playing. "No Rest for the Wicked" also marked a significant career milestone for Ozzy, earning him his first-ever Grammy nomination for the song " Miracle Man " in the Best Metal Performance category. This recognition highlighted the album’s impact and cemented Ozzy’s place as a heavy metal icon in a new era. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On September 28, 1991 "Metallica" performed in front of a crowd of 1.6 million people. (Photo: Reddit) "The Monsters of Rock festival" in Moscow in 1991 stands as a monumental event in both musical and political history, forever etched into the collective memory of rock fans and historians alike. On September 28, 1991, only a month after the "August Putsch" failed, 1.6 million rock and metal music fans converged in Moscow at "Tushino airfield" for the first open-air rock concert, as part of the "Monsters of Rock" series. The concert was completely free, causing many people to flock to the concert, making it one of the largest rock concerts ever held. This unprecedented turnout represented a staggering gathering of people, a number that had only been matched a few times in history. The sheer scale of the event is often captured in iconic aerial shots, showing a sea of people stretching as far as the eye could see, illustrating the enormity of the crowd that came to witness the performances that day. For "Metallica", the event marked a pivotal moment in their career. The band had recently released their self-titled album, commonly referred to as the " Black Album ," which propelled them to new heights of global fame. Their performance at "Monsters of Rock" in Moscow is considered one of their most momentous and celebrated concerts, with their powerful set contributing to the festival’s legendary status. The thunderous energy "Metallica" brought to the stage in their 10 songs setlist, reverberated through the audience, with hits like “ Enter Sandman ”, “ Creeping Death ” and " For Whom the Bell Tolls " amplifying the raw emotion of the event. Their performance, immortalized on video released in 1992 - "For Those About to Rock: Monsters in Moscow", has become a symbol of the band's dominance in the metal genre at the time and remains a touchstone for rock music history. Without diminishing the greatness "of "Metallica's" performance, we have to mention the closing act of the festival, the band that the Russian people demanded to see as the main act - the legendary "AC/DC". Starting with " Back In Black " they played a stellar two-hour set complete with fireworks, gigantic half-naked blow-up dolls, and their legendary " Hells Bell ". It was a mind-blowing show that made a lot of impact on both, the crowd and the band that would later said that they got phone call from Boris Yeltsin inviting them back to Moscow. However, the significance of the festival transcended music. Moscow in 1991 was undergoing a seismic shift, politically and socially. The Soviet Union was teetering on the brink of collapse, with the dissolution officially happening just months later in December. The atmosphere of uncertainty, combined with the people’s longing for freedom, made this free, open-air rock concert all the more impactful. It was the first time the Russian public had the chance to experience a major Western music event without the restrictions that had long governed the country under Communist rule. The concert became a symbol of newfound freedom and openness, providing the Russian people with an exhilarating taste of the culture they had been denied for so long. "Metallica’s" performance, alongside other legendary acts like "The Black Crows", "Motley Crue", "AC/DC" and "Pantera", resonated with the feelings of rebellion, freedom, and change that permeated the air. In retrospect, the concert became a defining moment in rock history, an emblem of the cultural and political shifts that would soon shape the world. The video footage of "Metallica’s" performance, capturing the overwhelming size of the crowd and the intensity of their set, has since achieved iconic status, symbolizing not only the power of music, but also the end of an era in global history. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On September 28, 1978 "Black Sabbath" released their eighth studio album "Never Say Die!" The album title and theme song - "Never Say Die!" Were very far from the reality that struck the band's faltering lineup. Despite the title, which ostensibly constitutes a statement of intent on the part of the band, this heroic lineup that was among the founders of the Heavy Metal genre and released a considerable number of masterpiece albums, has been dying out. Shortly after the tour to promote the album, singer Ozzy Osbourne was fired, and this album will go down in the history of music as the last album recorded by the band's original lineup. What led to the dismal and why even though it is probably the band's weakest in the Ozzy era, it's still an underrated album? Stay with us and find out. So, as already known, the first cracks in the cohesive lineup that formed the band, began to appear already on the band's fourth album " Vol. 4 " which was released 6 years earlier. These cracks deepened over the years, and the band members' drug and alcohol addictions only worsened the situation, to the point that work on the band's previous album - " Technical Ecstasy "(1976), was done almost solely by Tony Iommi , while the rest of the band spent most of the time on the Florida beaches and/or drowning in drugs and alcohol. The severe drug and alcohol addiction gave its signals on all the band members, but the impact was particularly devastating for singer Ozzy Osbourne , who before recording the album simply left the band. Determined to continue with the recordings, the band members decided to look for a new singer to replace Ozzy Osbourne . They chose singer Dave Walker who was known from various bands like "Savoy Brown" and "Fleetwood Mac". Walker received a phone call from Tony Iommi in November 1977, inviting him to join the band. On his way from San Francisco to London, Walker wrote the lyrics to a song that would later become " Junior's Eyes ." Walker even performed the first version of the song with "Black Sabbath" on the BBC's "Look! Hear!" program, as well as the song " War Pigs ". However, shortly after Walker's one and only appearance with "Black Sabbath" and about three months after his departure, Ozzy Osbourne decided to return to the band. Thus ended the short affair of "Black Sabbath" with Walker. The song " Junior's Eyes " was eventually recorded for the album "Never Say Die!", But since Ozzy refused to use Walker's lyrics, Geezer Butler was forced to write new lyrics to the song. You can listen to Walker perform the song with "Black Sabbath" here: It was not the only song from the album that Ozzy refused to sing. Walker was also involved in writing the final song from the album - " Swinging the Chain " and Ozzy simply refused to sing it, so under these circumstances, the one who sang it very successfully was drummer Bill Ward . " Breakout ", which was another song in which Walker was involved, also underwent a metamorphosis and became an instrumental track on the album, due to Ozzy's refusal to sing it. Drummer Bill Ward said that this behavior of Ozzy and his refusal to sing songs in which Walker was involved in, forced the band to try to rewrite the materials during the mornings and record them at night without going over, correcting, improving and tightening them, which is why this album sounded the way it is. Ozzy told his version of the event and noted that he returned directly to the studio, after three months in which he was out of the band. During this time he lost his father and was in a very difficult mental state and under the heavy influence of drugs and alcohol. He said he had insomnia so he would get up early in the morning and go to the studio as early as 7:00 AM to record, but the rest of the band members who were under the influence of drugs would get up late and arrive at the studio towards noon, by this time Ozzy was already deep in alcohol and drugs, not been able to record. Despite that, there are quite a few gems on this album that make us wonder if this is the band's most underrated album? The theme song "Never Say Die!" Is simply excellent. A great song that other bands have failed to write even in decades of career. " Junior's Eyes " is an amazing track and it's clear why the band insisted on leaving it on the album, despite Ozzy not wanting to sing it, even if it involved rewriting its lyrics. " A Hard Road " with the slow boogie rhythm proves that despite all the difficulties, not only has the band not lost it but all its members without exception can transcend themselves and sing background vocals together here. And there's also the amazing " Air Dance " with the jazzy influences and shaky piano playing of keyboardist Don Airey and " Johnny Blade " with Airey's synthesizer intro and Bill Ward 's rolling drumming, and more. Despite the incoherence between the songs on the album, this album was relatively commercially successful. After the album's release, "Black Sabbath" will go on a tour that will also mark 10 years since its inception. One of the tours of the "Hammersmith Odeon" on June 19, 1978, was even recorded on video and you can see for yourself that the band is still at its peak. Despite this, Geezer Butler during the tour people would greet the band for another 10 years of fruitful music making and he would roll his eyes and think to himself that they would not last even a year. Indeed, so it was. Immediately after the end of the tour, the band members will fly to Los Angeles in order to record their next album. Tony Iommi would describe the process as extremely frustrating. Ozzy Osbourne's addiction got worse and worse and his behavior became unbearable, so much so that it was clear to everyone that he could no longer serve as a member of the band ... And so Ronnie James Dio 's era in "Black Sabbath" began... For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

He was considered a prodigy bass player who would have expected greatness, had he not died in an unfortunate accident and is only 24 years old. Here are some interesting facts about Cliff Burton, bassist of "Metallica": (Photo: https://www.notreble.com) 1. He was born on February 10, 1962, as Clifford Lee Burton, to a mother from a Jewish family from Germany and a father who worked as a road engineer. 2. The first instrument on which he began playing at the age of 6, was the piano. 3. His older brother died of a cerebral aneurismת when he was only 13 years old. That same year he started to play bass. He swore to become a great bass player as a tribute to his brother. 4. To achieve his goal Cliff used to train 4-6 hours a day. He was discovered to be a prodigy and after about two years had already surpassed his teacher in bass playing. By the way, Burton devoted many hours to training even after joining "Metallica". 5. He noted that he was greatly influenced in his playing by bassists Geddy Lee , Geezer Butler , Stanley Clarke, Lemmy  Kilmister , and Phil Lynott . 6. Burton was also heavily influenced by classical music and Southern Rock music. Among the artists Burton loved and were not of the metal genre was: "R.E.M.", Peter Gabriel , "Yes" and "The Police". 7. In his youth, Burton earned the nickname "Cowboy" since he used to wear a straw hat. 8. Back in high school, Burton formed the band "EZ Street" in which Jim Martin played guitar and Mike Bordin drums, both from "Faith No More". 9. In 1979 Cliff along with "EZ Street" won a youth band competition, one of the songs played by them was "Rebel Rebel" by David Bowie . 10. In 1982 he joined the band "Trauma" with which he recorded the song "Such a Shame". The song became a hit and was included in the compilation album "Metal Massacre II" by the record company "Metal Blade". 11. He first met James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich when he performed at the "Whiskey A-Go-Go" club, with his band. He played the solo piece that would later become the instrumental " Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth) ". James and Lars were stunned by Cliff's playing. They of course invited him to join their band immediately. 12. Cliff agreed but on one condition. That the band will move from Los Angeles to San Francisco, his hometown. The band agreed and indeed everyone moved to live in San Francisco. 13. The solo track " Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth )" from " Kill 'Em All ", is one of Rock's greatest and most appreciated bass solo tracks. The track consists of several solo pieces that Cliff used to play in performances and that were put together into one track. The track highlights Cliff's playing level and his virtuoso abilities as well as his ability to compose and control the bass guitar with effects like distortion and wah-wah that were known to be used mostly on a guitar. 14. Burton was the one who coined the name of "Metallica's" first album. The album's original name was supposed to be "Metal Up Your Ass" but when the record company refused to release it with that name, Burton responded: "Just kill 'em all, man!". 15. The image of the blood-stained hammer was also inspired by him. Kirk Hammett said Cliff used to walk around with a hammer in his bag wherever he went. 16. Cliff co-wrote six of the eight songs on the " Ride The Lightning " album. 17. Cliff wrote the immortal riff for the song " For Whom the Bell Tolls ". The intro to the song is also played by him with a bass guitar with a distortion effect. 18. The opening of the track " Damage, Inc. " was written and played entirely by Burton. He uses 12 recording channels, that include harmonies and effects of his bass guitar. 19. The instrumental track " Orion " is one of Cliff's favorite tracks, in which he contributes a lot to its writing. There are two solos of Cliff with bass on this track, which are sometimes confused to be a guitar solo. The first starts at 1:42 and continues until 2:13 and the second starts at 6:36 and ends at 6:55. Cliff also uses the Wah-Wah pedal on this one. 20. James Hetfield has a tattoo with the notes from the middle bass section of " Orion ", on his left arm. 21. James Hetfield also sometimes wears a ring with a silver skull that belonged to Cliff. (Photo: Amazon.com) 22. " Orion " was also played at Cliff's funeral, which was held on October 7, 1986. 23. Cliff was influenced in writing " Orion " from the composition "Come, Sweet Death" by Johann Sebastian Bach. 24. And the death did indeed come, when on September 27, 1986, Burton was killed in a car accident, after the bus on which the band was traveling during their European tour flipped and buried him underneath. 25. Before the horrific accident, the band members drew cards for choosing their sleeping places on the bus. Cliff and Kirk Hammett drew cards from a deck to decide who would choose the best place to sleep. Cliff pulled an ace of spades from the deck and won, choosing the place that would cause his death. 26. Burton's last appearance with "Metallica" was held at Stockholm's Solnahallen Arena in Sweden on September 26, 1986. 27. Cliff received credit for the song " To Live Is To Die " from the album " ...And Justice For All " which came out after his death. James Hetfield noted that it was a homage to their good friend. 28. "Megadeth's" song " In My Darkest Hour " was also written by Dave Mustaine in Cliff's memory. Dave claimed that when he first heard about Cliff's death he sat down and wrote the music for the song in one take. 29. "Anthrax" went even further and dedicated an entire album - "Among the Living" to him. 30. So did the band "Metal Church" with the album "The Dark". 31. In a 1986 interview with him, Cliff noted that his Metallica's favorite song is " Master Of Puppets ". 32. In 1987, "Metallica" released a collection of videos in Burton's memory called "Cliff 'Em All". 33. In 2009 Cliff entered the "Hall Of Fame", with his band "Metallica". His father - Ray Burton was present in the hall during the ceremony and took the stage with the band members. Sadly Ray Burton who was very active in commemorating Cliff's memory passed away in 2019. 34. In 2018, Alameda County, California, the city where Cliff grew up, set February 10 as Cliff Burton's day. This was done following pressure from fans. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Editor's Choice... And this time "Shout at the Devil" the second studio album by "Mötley Crüe", which was released on September 26, 1983. In our humble opinion, this is the band's best album! True, the albums "Dr. Feelgood" or "Theater of Pain" may have been more successful, both in terms of sales, hits, and rankings in the various charts, but there is something about this album that makes it surpass them on several levels. This is the whole, the complete package. From the cover, through the album title, the general dark atmosphere that runs like the second thread between all the album's songs and ending with the fact that it had something real, something authentic, it was recorded just before the band's big break and before the commercialized glam explode in the music world. Know what? We'll go even further, this album is one of the greatest heavy metal albums of the era. Although the band shouted glam, In appearance and even in sound, although everyone who will open the inside cover of the album and see the band members' photos, could not help thinking that this band is a gimmick. Still, this album, is considered by us as a pure heavy metal that deserves to be included among the major albums of the genre at that time. we mentioned the complete package, so the original cover of the album was all black and included the pentagram shape, one of the symbols of Satanism. The original name of the album was supposed to be "Shout With The Devil", which could look like a denial of Christianity and the embrace of Satanism, so the word "With" was replaced by the record company with the word "At" to slightly soften the shock for Christian conservatives. Not that it helped "Motley Crue", but at least the record company was calmer... The content of the album also conveyed "concept" even though it is completely not like that. The album opens with the intro " In the Beginning " which gives the feeling that this is an album with a story that has a beginning, middle and end. The instrumental section " God Bless the Children of the Beas t" also adds to the sense of "concept" and the general dark atmosphere that the album has. Even the songs titles " Shout at the Devil ", " Looks That Kill ", " Danger " correspond with the overall dark theme, while the album's sound is metallic, even a classic ballad like " Too Young to Fall in Love " doesn't sound out of place in the overall landscape. Even the choice to record a cover version of the Beatles' " Helter Skelter " was apparently not accidental. It is a song that was identified with the despicable deeds of Charles Manson and it blends wonderfully with the rebellious atmosphere of the album. In conclusion, this is a recommended and excellent album that definitely deserves to be included in the list of major heavy metal albums of the era. For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

One of our favorite bands, "Alter Bridge", released their fourth album "Fortress" on September 25, 2013. So let's spill out some guts before we jump into the water... This is without a doubt a fine album (due diligence below), another step forward in the band's development after AB III . The abilities of all the band members and especially of Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti rise here a respectable stage and are presented to the glory of hard rock and metal. Each time, they manage to bring themselves to a different place and create music that on the one hand is very faithful to the sound and dynamics of the band and on the other hand diverse, innovative, and a little different. There are songs on this album that need to go into the Pantheon and proof of that is the inclusion of many of the songs in the band's tour. Anyone who knows the band knows that they are an indescribable bunch of workaholics. When Miles is not with Alter then he is touring or recording with Slash and in between working on a solo album. Tremonti also has a solo career that is gaining momentum (when at that time Creed was still a bit existing), drummer Scott Phillips formed together with members of the band Sevendust a band called Projected, and bassist Brian Marshall just working hard to enjoy the good life! So after a 3-year hiatus when everyone was busy with their eyes, the company teamed up in January to start working on the next album. And what a great album this talented bunch has created. (Photo: therockpit.net) The album opens with "Cry of Achilles" which feels bigger than the band has ever done, from a musical, dramatic and epic masterpiece. No doubt an opening shot of what awaits us below. Already here we feel as if something new is happening here and a whole new world of musical works is about to reach our ears. It is followed by a formidable cluster bomb, the first single from the album "Addicted to Pain" . It's the perfect choice for the album's first single, combining the aggressive and rolling riffs with Miles' melodic vocals. We're just getting started and already Tremonti is coming to the third song "Bleed it Dry" with one of the heaviest riffs on the album and not only, but also with one of the most beautiful solos on the album, we have already warned several times that it is very dangerous to release this guy, even a little. Beauty ... Now a little relaxed, although Miles' opening overture is a bit surprising and stressful at first, especially in light of the words about the despair and betrayal, we love and indulge in "Lover" which is just great. The "The Uninvited" that comes after it is simply a deadly combination of Miles and Tremonti that feels like playing with each other and we are watching (listening) from the side and having fun. "Peace Is Broken" is an expected altar song, but then comes a little twist with "Calm The Fire" which starts very differently and continues to roll in hard rock ahead. But then ... so ... comes one of our favorite songs on the album, a song that in the live show just blew our lashes and eyebrows together. "Waters Rising" begins with Tremonti as lead singer, for the first time in history Tremonti is the one who leads the song in terms of singing, and the combination of friends is just deadly !! We have already talked about this here on our page, that Tremonti turns out to be a talented singer with incredible energies and strengths. As he leads the houses and also the chorus and Miles joins him in the chorus and enters the breaking section, this song I just bombed. What a power !! What energy !! You can replace the reactor in Dimona only with this song !! (Do not be ashamed to press the repeat button, we pressed!). We very much hope that from time to time they will perform such songs on subsequent albums as on the new album with the song "Forever Falling" !! Well let's wash our faces and continue with "Farther Than The Sun" , once again someone forgot to tie Tremonti, and now wonder why we have to hold tight so we don't fall, even though the chorus in this song kind of drops the dynamics of the song. The "Cry a River" that comes after it is a bit reminiscent of it but let's move on to "All Ends Well" which is a different kind of ballad that speaks from mom's throat and makes you sing along with her. The song that closes the album "Fortress" feels like a kind of sequel to the song that opens the album, this is the most experimental song on the album according to the band and indeed it is a fine ending to a very fine album !! Two things we feel must be noted here: 1. Alter's music style is not something we have not heard before but ... and there is a big but here. Tremonti's amazing talent on the guitar and Miles' amazing talent in singing (he's also an amazing guitarist, look at the shows) are what makes this band special. The combination of the two leads to amazing creations that just make you fall in love and we have no better way to explain this! 2. Disclosure, first we did not like this album. It smelled like nylons, like buying a new car or furniture. Something created on a production line that consists mostly of robots or computers. Something on this album felt too mechanical, produced, and polished to the point of exhaustion. It was as if someone had forced the band members to create an album, so they went into the studio, threw all sorts of ideas to Pro Tools on the computer, and made an album out of it. But very quickly we realized or rather we felt we were wrong and made a big mistake !! Listen to the album on Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website