On September 8, 1998 "Hole" released their third album "Celebrity Skin". It was a shimmering contrast to the rawness of their earlier work, signaling a bold new direction for the band. This album finds Courtney Love and her bandmates exploring a more polished, pop-oriented sound, with sharp hooks and glossy production that diverges from the grunge aesthetic of "Pretty on the Inside" from 1991 and "Live Through This" from 1994. This time, Courtney Love and the band set out to create what Love dubbed a "California album," reflecting on the glamorous yet toxic underbelly of Los Angeles. And indeed, "Celebrity Skin" balances the band's alt-rock edge with a surprising amount of mainstream appeal. "Celebrity Skin" is notable for its broader collaborative efforts. While Love remained the lyrical architect of the record, five tracks featured instrumental contributions from Billy Corgan of the "Smashing Pumpkins" , who helped Love sharpen her craft, pushing her toward more sophisticated song structures. This partnership, along with contributions from musicians like Jordon Zadorozny and "Go-Go's" guitarist Charlotte Caffey, added layers of complexity to the album’s sound. Despite this outside input, the core of "Hole's" identity remained intact, except for drummer Patty Schemel who was replaced by session drummer Deen Castronovo ("Journey", "Bad English", "Hardline"' and more) during the final studio sessions at the urging of producer Beinhorn. The album is layered with metaphors of drowning and death, symbolically reflecting the personal losses experienced by both Erlandson and Auf der Maur, as well as the haunting presence of figures like Jeff Buckley , who had passed away during the album’s creation. These motifs run through songs like " Dying " and " Northern Star ," where Love’s voice drips with raw emotion. Musically, "Celebrity Skin" represents a blend of '90s post-grunge and polished alternative rock, with Beinhorn's sleek production steering "Hole" toward a more accessible sound. This shift allowed the band to reach a wider audience. The title track, “ Celebrity Skin ,” opens the album with a blast of energy. It’s a biting commentary on Hollywood’s obsession with beauty and fame, propelled by a catchy, sun-soaked riff that makes it one of "Hole’s" most accessible songs. Love’s lyrics, both personal and biting, reflect her complicated relationship with stardom, balancing glamor and self-loathing. The song’s infectious chorus—“Oh, make me over!”—is emblematic of the album’s underlying tension between outward appearance and inner turmoil. Tracks like “ Malibu ” further exemplify this tension. Lyrically, it’s a reflection on recovery and rebirth, while musically, it’s a polished alt-rock gem that leans into radio-friendly melodies. The album as a whole presents a veneer of California sunshine, but it never fully lets go of the darkness underneath, a duality that Love masterfully plays with throughout. However, "Hole" doesn’t completely abandon their gritty roots. Songs like “ Awful ” and “ Playing Your Song ” still carry a biting edge, with Love’s snarling vocals and the band’s grunge-driven instrumentation cutting through the more refined production. This gives the album a sense of balance, ensuring that longtime fans won’t feel alienated by the band’s new sound. While "Celebrity Skin" might lack the raw emotional intensity of "Live Through This", it succeeds in creating a sonic landscape that feels fresh, cohesive, and distinctly Californian. Love’s vulnerability is still present, but it’s wrapped in layers of irony and detachment, reflecting her own struggles with fame during the 1990s. In the end, "Celebrity Skin" stands as a landmark album not only for "Hole" but also for 90s rock in general. It’s a testament to the band’s ability to evolve and adapt without losing their edge, and it remains an enduring piece of alternative rock history, blending introspection with the allure of Hollywood glamor. It is the band's most successful album to date and it is featured in the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On September 8, 1987, "Rush" released their 12th studio album, "Hold Your Fire". Let's get it out and put things on the table. True, this is the band's most electronic and commercialized album. God! Geddy Lee began composing the songs on a Mac using a sequencer developed for Apple. Alex Lifeson used a synthesizer and a drum machine while writing the music and Neil Peart used electronic drums and a trigger pad that activated electronic percussion, as opposed to using the percussion instruments themselves. Even Geddy Lee 's voice is the most mid-range we've ever heard on any of the band's albums. His familiar high-octave notes are almost absent in this album. These facts are so shocking and inconceivable that they should have been considered by the band's fans as betrayal even contempt. but no! It is precisely this album, the one that has gone as far as possible towards the mainstream, with sweet pop songs and a wall of synthesizers, samplers, sequencers, and electronic drums, that proves that "Rush" is much more than a band. It is a multi-armed organism, living, and breathing, with a big heart and a huge soul that stretches from one end of the world to the other. The truth must be told. Any other band that would have dared to make such a dramatic change in its sound and musical style, not only would have been immediately abandoned by its fans, but would also receive bad reviews from critics, and at worst may have had fatal consequences from their record company. But not "Rush" who manages to do the incredible and impossible and make her fans change along with her, develop with her and accept with great appreciation the musical change they are going through. Do you know another band that made its Hard Rock fans fall in love with Prog and Prog and Hard Rock fans accept and appreciate genres like Reggae, Ska, New Wave, Pop, and even Rap? There is only one band in the world that has done it, more than once or twice and in every such transformation, in every metamorphosis, in every such style development, not only has it not lost an audience but its appreciation has increased and it has added another circle of fans who have multiplied and accompanied it throughout through thick and thin. So true, this album was not initially well received among the band's devoted fans, but why does it matter? In the end, after several plays, those same fans began to appreciate this band even more and learned to accept, contain and love this album which also includes excellent songs. Despite its unusual style in the band's repertoire, this album stood the test of time, with songs from it dominating the band's setlists over the years, not to mention multiple plays on US radio stations, especially those of Classic Rock. This album has even produced quite a few "hits", as hard as it is to use that word when talking about "Rush". The album's big hit is without a doubt "Time Stand Still". This is the first song that Neil Peart wrote for the album. A pure and magical mainstream song that was a huge success in the charts on both sides of the ocean. It is the band's only song that gives credit to another artist, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Aimee Mann, known among others from the American new wave band "'Til Tuesday", who even sang together with Geddy Lee . By the way, this is not the only song on the album where Aimee Man contributed her voice. She also sings background vocals in the song " Prime Mover ", which was written by Neil Peart as a tribute to episode 57 of his favorite cult series "Twilight Zone" (yes, yes, the same series he also wrote a song for the album "2112"). Alex Lifeson admitted that the band thought a woman's voice would fit the chorus of the song. Geddy Lee was a fan of Kate Bush and Björk and first thought of them for the job. Later came the names of Cindy Lauper and Chrissie Hynde who celebrated her birthday yesterday, but both were not available for recordings at the time, so an equally talented singer and musician- Aimee Man was chosen. The opening track " Force Ten " is the last song written by the band for the album. While the band was in the studio, producer Peter Collins thought they should write another song because 9 songs are not enough for the album. So the band did write and record the tenth song at his request, and they did so in just three hours, and even found it appropriate to have fun with the name of the song - "Force 10" for the 10th song. Neil Peart recalled that he received from his friend Pye Dubois (who also helped write the hit "Tom Sawyer") lyrics to a song that he had not yet used, and so these lyrics were the ones that formed the basis for what eventually became the tenth song - "Force Ten". Already in this opening track, we notice the electronic dominance, with the heavy keyboards and the drum machine, with the dominant bass of Geddy Lee , who manages to remind us that this is Rush after all - a band of phenomenal and virtuoso musicians. Lee plays bass chords in this song. A new technique he began to use at the time. Geddy received the influence of playing in this way from his friend, the jazz player Jeff Berlin. The idea for the third song “ Open Secrets ” came from a conversation between Neil Peart and Geddy Lee about their friends and acquaintances who went on with their lives without dealing with issues they had, and the impact of neglecting and ignoring these issues on those friends’ lives. Geddy Lee noted that the song underwent many changes on the way to the result, with Geddy Lee 's groovy and dominant bass inspiring Neil Peart 's rhythm and vice versa. The fourth track on the album " Second Nature " is a quiet and calm song that talks about the great responsibility we have in the choices we make in our daily lives. Neil Peart said the words "Now I lay me down in dreamland" were influenced by an 18th-century bedtime prayer that hung over his grandmother's bed. It is interesting to note that the use of these prayer words is also made in the spoken words part of the song "Enter Sandman" by "Metallica". The opening track on the second side of the vinyl, " Lock and Key ", is one of the album's strongest and darkest songs, in which Neil Peart refers to the killer instinct hidden in each of us, and how we should control it and hold it behind "Lock and Key". This is one of the only times "Rush" writes an entire song, lyrics, and music simultaneously. Geddy Lee uses a 5-string bass guitar here. The second track on the second side of the album " Mission " reveals to us where the album's name came from, opening with the words "Hold Your Fire". After Geddy Lee 's short vocal opening, Alex Lifeson comes in with his classic New Wave chords and proves how diverse and beautiful his playing can be, even though it's so minimalist on this album. At the same time, starting at 3:04 in the bridge part, you can hear Alex Lifeson 's power chords with the sound we are familiar with from the band's classic albums of the 70s. Before concluding we will refer to the band's most controversial song "Tai Shan" which is the penultimate song on the album. Many of the band's fans will tell you that this may be the band's "worst" song in all of its glorious musical career. Even the band members were quoted years later as sorry that the song was included on the album. We think that even though this is the weakest song on the album, it is still not the worst of the band. "Tai Shan" is a song about a sacred mountain in China and the emperor Huang Ti who used to summon all the spirits of the world to the top of the mountain in a spiritual and sacred ceremony. Legend has it that whoever climbs to the top of the mountain and raises his hands to the sky will live to the age of 100. Neil Peart uses here one of the interesting instruments he used during his career - a plastic bottle with water. He used a brush on these bottles to create the wind-blowing sound of the top of the mountain. The music for the song was influenced by classical folk Chinese music and is probably the band's most exceptional experimental experience. Incidentally Aimee Man's voice in the song "Prime Mover" is played backward in this song. And now you have to listen to this special album to understand what all the fuss is about : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Editor's Choice... And this time ... the album "Don't Break the Oath", the second studio album by "Mercyful Fate", which was released on September 7, 1984. Please note, this time it is not just our choice. This is a recommendation from the members of "Metallica", no less, who adored "Mercyful Fate" and even spent quite a time with them during the recording of the album " Ride The Lightning " which was released that year. What's more, the "Mercyful Fate" rehearsal room was near the recording studio where the members of "Metallica" recorded the album " Ride The Lightning ", with the songs "Fade to Black", "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "Escape" is written in the same rehearsal room of "Mercyful Fate". This album is in our humble opinion the pinnacle of "Mercyful Fate"'s work. We are aware that some will claim that the debut album " Melissa ", which was released a year earlier, is the better of the two. Well, "Melissa" as well as the EP released in 1982 - "Mercyful Fate" are both great albums that were the first buds to define a new Black Metal genre. At the same time, we still believe that as a complete and perfect piece of work this album surpasses the previous ones and is a good place to start, for those unfamiliar with the band. So for the benefit of those unfamiliar, "Mercyful Fate" is a Danish Heavy Metal band formed in Copenhagen in 1981 by singer King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann, both are also the band's lead writers. "Mercyful Fate" belongs to the first wave of bands that have defined the sub-genre of Black Metal, with a preoccupation with anti-Christ, Satanism, and various pagan rituals. The band's power is mainly based on the singer King Diamond 's vocals and his wide vocal range that simply serves as an additional instrument for the band, in addition to the duel-guitar playing of guitarists Hank Shermann and Michael Denner, whose collaboration resembles one of the great and well-known dues in metal - Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing from "Judas Priest". (Photo: Subcultureentertainment.com) This album is one of the most influential and well-known in the black metal scene, but not necessarily due to the musical style which mainly includes a combination of Heavy Metal roots such as "Judas Priest" we mentioned above, with progressive motifs, dynamic playing, and frequent rhythm changes, as illustrated in the album's closing song "Come to the Sabbath". The influence on the second generation of black metal bands comes from the writing themes on the album. This can be learned from the opening song "A Dangerous Meeting" which refers to a kind of dangerous séance ceremony. The lyrics blend perfectly with the dark and heavy riffs and the chilling and frightening singing of King Diamond . It is interesting to note that the ending riff of the song starting from 4:10 minute is reminiscent of the ending riff of the song "Shame On The Night" by "Dio" (starting at 3:21), from the masterful album " Holy Diver " which came out a year earlier. All the songs on this album maintain a high level of writing and performance, with King Diamond writing all the lyrics while the music was mostly written by Hank Shermann in collaboration with Denner and Diamond. Among the recommended songs, is the opening track mentioned above, "Desecration of Souls" with the sweeping rhythm and amazing melody in King Diamond's singing, "Night of the Unborn" with Timi "Grabber" Hansen's amazing bass work, the theme song that functions as a mini-epic song Over 7 minutes, the catchy "Gypsy" and of course the final song "Come to the Sabbath" the most "advanced" of all. For listening under the warning: "Not for the faint of heart": Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

This album is the complete opposite of the "Black Album" in any way you look at it (and not only on the cover colors of the black/white) and it was issued (according to the band's official website) on September 7, 1988. When you listen to this album and then to the " Black Album ", you realize very quickly what all the fuss was about around "Metallica's" upheaval. What was so different, and what significant change did the band go through? This album is what brought its success among metal lovers even before the success of the " Black Album " in the mainstream. This is the album that puts the stamp that "Metallica" is one of the metal promises that is going to march this genre into the future. So let's start telling the story... 1. Let's start with a quote from James Hetfield : "It was just us really showing off" Songs that are no less than 6 minutes, more than three or four riffs in a song, and a significant number of breakpoints and transitions. No doubt it feels that they came to prove something. They came to prove that they are talented, that they know how to write and create rhythmic, fast, and complex trash metal music and they most of all came to show that they can !! 2. James and Lars Ulrich brought the producer Mike Clink to work on this album because they really liked the work he did with "Guns N' Roses" on the album "Appetite For Destruction" (they even became obsessed with this album), but this combination did not last long and very quickly they stopped working with him until their veteran producer Flemming Rasmussen was available and came to replace Mike. 3. The first thing you notice when listening to the album is the sterile production and dry/shallow sound of the album. The guitars sound very high, synthetic with no low frequencies at all, the drums sound like dry beats without volume and we will talk more about the bass later. Rasmussen claimed that this was not his intention at all and that it was a move that took place in the mix/mastering stage. Photo: Photo: Ross Halfin 4. The two alpha males, James and Lars decided that the best way to create this album is when only the two are the ones who create, build, and assemble all the parts in the songs. There was no collaboration between the band members until the final stages of the recordings, even Kirk Hammet was invited to the studio only in the last ten days of the recordings. Not to mention Jason Newsted who recorded all the bass parts alone with the technician, without any of the band members or the producer !! As Lars called it: "It was me and James running everything with an iron fist" 5. The album was written and recorded in the shadow of Cliff Burton 's death. The bass player who was killed two years earlier left his friends stunned, hurt, and full of anger and aggression. Lars claimed they did not allow themselves to stop any activity because they feared they would lose the momentum they had gained and everything would be lost. They were afraid of drowning "in the depths" and disappearing from the face of the earth. So, after exactly one month and a day since Cliff's death, they have already performed with the band's new bassist Jason. Sure you're asking yourself but what about the bass story on the album ??? So let's move on to the next point. 6. There are a few different versions and stories about the bass saga on this album, unequivocally and without a doubt everyone will agree that you can't hear the bass at all on this album. Jason did not even hear the bass after his recordings and when he was present to hear in the final mix that he was completely gone he was disappointed and hurt to the depths of his soul. The question is Why? - Hetfield recently claimed on Loudwire that since they performed the mix while touring (then there were no headphones but only monitors) they were exhausted and due to the noise their ears could not pick up the loud sounds so they kept asking Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero, who were responsible for the mix to amplify the high frequencies. - Hetfield himself also claimed then, that since the frequencies and sounds of the bass were so identical to the guitar, they simply disappeared within. It was impossible to tell when the guitar started and when the bass was ending and for that Jason claimed, that was what he knew how to do. In his previous band, he and the guitars created a wall sound together, they played the same thing. Here no one has mentored or worked with Jason. - Steve Thompson, on the other hand, claimed that Lars came to him in the mix stage and asked him to lower the bass until he reached a point where he could barely hear it, and hence he will lower it by another 6-8 decibels. Steve thought it was a kid's joke or prank they wanted to do to Jason, but indeed Lars insisted it would be the final version. Feel free to listen to the version of the album with the bass amplified: 7. Metallica members call this album the "Complaints" album because of the lyrics of the songs. At the time Lars and James were regularly watching CNN to get ideas for the songs and also because their concern for issues related to the environment, politics, and society in general increased. Thus were written songs like " Blackened " which talks about environmental destruction, " And Justice For All " which talks about political corruption, and anti-war songs like " One ". 8. The riff of the song " One " was based on an idea from the song "Buried Alive" taken from the album "Black Metal" by the band "Venom". 9. The song " One " is also "Metallica's" first song to have a music video. "Metallica" hired two filmmakers to create the "One" music video based on the 1971 film "Johnny Got His Gun". It conquered the MTV screen and became one of the most popular music videos of its time. read more about it here: " Metallica " One " Video Debuted on MTV ". 10. In order to continue showing the clip for the song without having to pay royalties to the creators of the original film, "Metallica"'s members acquired the rights to the film. 11. It is also the first song to be nominated "Metallica" for the Grammy Award and bring them to perform at the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989. "Metallica's" members debated the show and the nomination as it was against everything it represented, but they decided they could not give up such an opportunity to show the world who "Metallica" is. The fact that they eventually lost the award only strengthened their status and credibility among metal lovers. They called it 'GRAMMY Award Losers'. Read more about it here: " Metallica Vs. Jethro Tull ". 12. The album cover shows "Lady Justice" whose source is the goddess of justice from Roman mythology. She is shown full of cracks, tied with ropes, her scales full of dollar bills, and part of her chest bare. The painting was created by Stephen Gorman who developed the idea of ​​James and Lars to reflect on the topics the texts on the album talk about. 13. This is Metallica's second best-selling album after the " Black Album ". The jump in sales was meteoric versus the sales of "Master Of Puppets" which sold in real-time tens of thousands of copies, to an album that brought "Metallica" up to sell millions of copies. It reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 which was then unusual for a metal band and as we mentioned gave it a Grammy nomination. 14. The reviews of the album were divided, on the one hand, it was considered a groundbreaking, complex, progressive, and amazing album and on the other hand, some thought it was too ambitious and did not fit the band's capabilities and did not fit the genre of the time. Without a doubt, this is one of the most important albums in rock history, and as we started the review, if you read the review on the "Black Album" you will understand exactly why everyone is talking about this change that "Metallica" has gone through and why it has so influenced its fans and genre lovers in general. 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 6, 1987 "Pink Floyd" released their 13th studio album - "A Momentary Lapse of Reason". Here are 13 interesting facts about "Pink Floyd's" 13th album: 1. This is the first "Pink Floyd" album without Roger Waters, who left the band in 1985. The release of the album was accompanied by a legal battle over the use of the band name. Just 3 months after the release of the album this legal dispute was settled in a way that David Gilmour , Nick Mason , and Richard Wright could have used the band name. 2. The album was originally supposed to be David Gilmour 's solo album. Only at an advanced stage of writing did Gilmore decide to turn the album into a "Pink Floyd" project. 3. Most of the album was recorded at David Gilmore's private boat house - Astoria. Producer Bob Ezrin noted that the atmosphere there was peaceful and very special, which among other things gave him the inspiration for the special opening of the album, where the sounds of rowing in the river water are heard. 4. Richard Wright joined the recordings only late after his wife approached David Gilmour . This was after most of the keyboard parts had already been written, so Wright participated in the playing and contributed background vocals only in some of the songs. 5. Due to contractual matters Richard Wright could not serve as a full member of the band and was employed by David Gilmour at a weekly salary of $ 11,000. 6. Nick Mason was also not a full partner in the creation and playing in this album. His absence is especially noticeable in the songs " The Dogs of War " and " Sorrow " in which Carmine Appice and Jim Keltner were the drummers. 7. Nick Mason , on the other hand, got to contribute his voice on the spoken words of the songs " Signs of Life " and " Learning to Fly ". Mason's voice on the song " Learning to Fly " was recorded on his first solo flight. 8. The one who plays bass on the album is Tony Levin, who is known, among others, from "King Crimson". 9. Another interesting partner who co-wrote the song " One Slip " with Gilmore, is Phil Manzanera best known from "Roxy Music". 10. The album cover was aimed to annoy Roger Waters. The band invited none other than Storm Thorgerson to design the album cover. Thorgerson designed, among other things, the cover of Pink Floyd's " Animals ", an album in which Waters' dominance became essential. 11. To reinforce the message to Waters, the remaining "Pink Floyd" members were photographed on the inside cover, something that has not been done since the 1971 album " Meddle ". 12. The impressive Album Cover includes 800 beds that were rented ahead of time and brought especially to Saunton Sands Beach in North Devon - where some scenes from " The Wall " movie were filmed, and here's another statement from the band in the direction of Waters. 13. The tour that accompanied the album was among the band's most successful with 200 performances in front of about 4.5 million people worldwide and with revenues of over $ 75,000,000. The successful tour eventually yielded the 1988 double live album "Delicate Sound of Thunder". "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Today we will tell you about the phenomenal drummer Keith Moon who will forever remain 32 years old. (Photo: Thewho.com) Moon is one of Rock's most influential drummers. His influence is so dominant that even legendary drummers like John Bonham , Neil Peart , Mitch Mitchell, and others have said they were influenced by him. So let's tell 32 facts about Keith Moon's 32 living years: 1. He was born in London on 23 August 1946 as Keith John Moon. 2. As a child he was a hyperactive boy with a well-developed imagination, who was very fond of music. 3. At the age of 12 he started playing the trumpet in the school band, but did not really connect to the instrument that was also difficult to play for him. 4. He took drum lessons from drummer Carlo Little from the band "Screaming Lord Sutch", he paid 10 shillings per lesson. 5. The first serious band of which he was a member since 1962, was a cover band called "the Beachcombers". 6. The first musical influences on Moon were of Rhythm and Blues, Surf, and Jazz. He mostly admired jazz drummer Gene Krupa, and in the beginning, tried to emulate his style. 7. In 1964 he successfully auditioned for "The Who" replacing Doug Sandom. 8. The first single he recorded with the band was "I Can't Explain". The producer brought a session player to the studio as a backup because he thought that as a new drummer Moon would not be able to deliver the goods, but Moon tossed the session player out of the studio and performed his part flawlessly. 9. Upon joining the band he immediately caused a change in the dynamics of the songs, as his rhythms used to follow the singing, instead of playing a uniform and regular rhythm synchronized with the bass guitar. 10. He had a special playing style. While the popular patterned use of a rhythm consisted of Hi-Hat, Bass Drum, and Snare, Keith built his own rhythms as he ran on all parts of the drum set with almost no fixed pattern. He made increased use of Ride and Crash at the expense of Hi-Hat. 11. Over the years his drum set has grown and numbered more and more parts. 12. He was among the first drummers to use a double bass drum, when after a conversation with drummer Ginger Baker he decided to attach two bass drums together. Arranging the drum set in this way expanded his playing abilities. 13. Unlike John Bonham and Ginger Baker, although he was a tremendous drummer he did not like to perform drum solos at shows. 14. He was not a successful singer and therefore was not present in the studio while recording the singing parts on the band's albums. Despite this, you can hear him singing songs like "Bell Boy" and "Barbara Ann" from the album "Quadrophenia". 15. It was Moon's idea to incorporate a violin in the song "Baba O'riley" from the album " Who's Next ". 16. Moon was nicknamed "Moon the Loon" among his acquaintances, due to his insane nature. 17. He was known as someone who used to destroy and dismantle his drum set at the end of the show. 18. Sometimes he filled one of the drums with water and put goldfish in it. See here: 19. Other times he even put in his drum an explosive that exploded at the end of the show. In one case this explosion caused a slight deafening of Pete Townshend . See here: 20. Moon also built up a reputation for being a particularly destructive guy after destroying hotel rooms, friends' homes, and even destroying his own home. 21. In 1970 Moon was involved in a car accident outside a pub in London, in which run over his friend Cornelius Boland to death. He was acquitted of dangerous driving but this has haunted him all his life. 22. On March 17, 1966, Moon secretly married his then-pregnant girlfriend Kim Kerrigan. Their daughter Amanda was born 4 months later. 23. Moon is partly responsible for choosing the name of "Led Zeppelin". In May 1966 he participated in the recording of Jeff Beck's "Beck's Bolero". John Entwistle , Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones were also present at the studio. The recording introduced Page to the idea of ​​forming a supergroup, but when John Entwistle heard this, he immediately said that they would fall just like a lead balloon and Keith Moon sharpened the sentence, noting that they would fall like "Lead Zeppelin". 24. In 1971 he was a guest on Frank Zappa's "200 Motels" movie. He played a nun who was afraid to die from a drug overdose. (Photo: Soundsof71.tumblr.com) 25. In 1974 he appeared in the movie "Son of Dracula" The movie also starred Ringo Starr , John Bonham , Peter Frampton, Harry Nilsson, and more. 26. He also played David "Ernie" in the 1969 film " Tommy " based on the band's rock opera. 27. Keith played with John Bonham on the same stage at the "Led Zeppelin" performance on July 23, 1973. 28. In 1974 he released his only solo album called "Two Sides Of The Moon" inspired by the masterful "Pink Floyd" album released a year earlier. 29. This album failed commercially and Moon hardly drummed in it, he left it to Ringo Starr among others. 30. His last night in life was as a guest of Paul McCartney in the movie "Buddy Holly's Story." 31. He died in his sleep on September 7, 1978, at the age of 32, from an overdose of chlormethiazole, a drug he had taken as part of his alcohol withdrawal attempts. The death happened in the apartment he rented from singer Harry Nilsson, exactly the same apartment where Cass Elliot was found dead 4 years earlier, also at the age of 32. It was not an intentional suicide, he was just so drunk that every time he woke up he did not remember taking the pills. 32. He is ranked second on the list of the 100 greatest drummers of all time, after John Bonham who was influenced by him. 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Wrote :   Ori Anaby   Album review - Itay Mazilo – Age of Disbelief Release date – 6.9.2024 What do you think about when you hear the phrase "a masterpiece album"? England in the 1970's? Seattle two decades later? Scratch that, let's move to the Israeli scene: What do you think about when you hear the phrase "an Israeli masterpiece album"? Are you thinking about those last couple of decades of the last century once again? Long story short, listen up: There is a masterpiece album that is both Israeli and in English, and it is brand new. This album is "Age of Disbelief" by Itay Mazilo. Ten years have passed since Itay released his debut album, "So Far the View". Have you heard of slow cooking? Well, I'd say a decade is pretty slow. Although this album brewed slowly, the final product proved to be worth the wait. The album has eleven songs that not only stand by themselves, but intertwine into a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. As much as I hate the compliment "it's good on an international level", Itay's album (and his music in general) certainly justifies this superlative. It's not hard to identify the influences of different artists from abroad on Itay's music, but he succeeds in creating his own style and he doesn't sound like he imitates others. Honestly? You wouldn't have been surprised if some of the songs in this album were released by a band like "Foo Fighters". Yes, it is really that good. You don't believe me? It makes sense. After all, this is an age of disbelief. The best way to be convinced that this album is really as good as I say it is would be to just... listen to it. In order to give you an incentive to do so, let's dive into the songs of the album together.   Dead End Road A dead-end road right off the bat? That's part of the point. The first words of the first song already say something about the period we are living in. If everyone's telling endless stories and you have to struggle just to figure out the basic facts, no wonder it's so hard to believe anyone. In such a state of uncertainty, Itay suggests that we take a ride on a dead-end road. An interesting idea, but the truth is that our journey is only starting. In this song, you can already notice the kind of music that characterizes the first half of the album. The album has a structure similar to that of a mountain or a hill. It starts relatively calm, then the tempo increases until you reach the middle of the album. After two songs of a musical "peak", there is a sort of "decline" and the second part of the album is calmer. Luckily, the first song gives us a boost of musical energy so that we can start the climb. Moving on.   Age of Disbelief The second song of the album, the title track, is in my opinion the song with the most powerful lyrics in the album. You can quote almost every line from this song and it will be very relevant in a discussion about the state of humanity nowadays. We are overwhelmed by huge amounts of information and our ability to filter what's important is diminishing. The problem is that incorrect information (not to mention false information) can have significant and even fatal consequences. Our inability to deal with this flood of information might lead to frustration, to a feeling of living in a cage with a tiny screen, as the song says. The days go by, the sense of time fades and we begin to lose touch with reality as we are busy all day scrolling through some feed. There is a world out there, one that is bigger than the device we hold in the palm of our hand, but we are getting disconnected from it. I could've written a lot more about the text and its possible interpretations, but this is only the second song in the album and we have a long way to go. The music in the song isn't as rageful as the text might appear to be, but it does complement it nicely. You can hear the frustration by the current situation, the desire to change it and maybe even hope that it is possible to do so. By the way, this is the last song Itay released as a single before the album was released.   Hey Child! Speaking of the last single released from the album, we're now moving on to the first one, which was released two years ago and even won the title of "Song of the Year" by "Ze Rock" radio station at the time. Since then, "Hey Child!" is something I commonly say when talking with Itay. But who is this child really? Maybe it's an inner child? When we look at the world, certainly nowadays, we sometimes feel like children. The world can seem so big and scary and we just want someone to take care of us. As he did in the previous song, Itay suggests we change our point of view and look beyond our own needs and desires. After all, isn't that what growing up is all about? It is true that we are afraid and want others to take care of us, but for that to happen we have to be willing to do the same for them. Caring needs to be mutual for the whole thing to work. When it comes to music, the song is almost a microcosm of the entire album. It starts calm, increases the pace until a certain peak and towards the end it calms down again. Turning Faithless We're almost at the "peak" of the album, but that doesn't mean we can't stop for a moment and take a deep breath. Listening to the musical respite that Itay composed for us, we can once again reflect on the state of the world and our place in this whole story. These reflections reoccur throughout the album and the lyrics of this song deal with them as well. Once again, we deal with the feeling that the world is very big and we might get lost in it and feel small. This feeling is frustrating and it is very easy to lose faith in situations like these. Faith in ourselves? Faith in others? Faith in something greater? The answer most likely varies from one person to another, but I think that a lot of people can relate to the feelings Itay describes in this song (and in the entire album). All relaxed now? On your feet then! We have one hell of a summit ahead of us.   Lost the Music "Hey ho". No, this isn't a reference to the "Red Hot Chili Peppers" song. This is the transition between the chorus and the second verse. Before Itay released this song as a single, he uploaded a teaser to social media that was simply that "hey ho". As soon as I heard it, I knew that this song was going to be something special and indeed it was. This song is an explosion of quality rock and roll that could have easily fitted in international rock charts. Every note in the song is a delight and the connection between them is simply a work of art. It's a little ironic given the song title, but this is the music I am happy to find and help other people discover. The text continues to correspond with its predecessors. We have lost trust, we have lost faith, we feel small in a big world, stuck on a dead-end road, so what is left for us? The music! Without it, we are truly lost. Up to this point, I haven't mentioned the booklet that Itay published to accompany the album (I will say a few words about it near the end). A few pages before this song, Itay reminds us to be grateful for the songs that saved our lives time and time again. Don't lose the music! But who's losing? Just wait 'till you see the music that awaits you in the second part of the "album peak". I won't tell you yet, maybe just whisper... This is a Whisper Ladies and gentlemen, this is rock and roll!! It's not a whisper, it's an erupting volcano of superb music. Plenty of distortion, wonderful guitar work and other instruments that complete the picture along with Itay's singing. You want more? You got it! Itay brought some serious backup: Inbar Koprak and her powerful voice that even "just" as backing vocals takes the song to a whole new level. A song that blows your mind right from the first note to the last. I'll say it again: If a song like this was released abroad, it would have burned up the charts. There is a lot of pain in the text. A deep wound that no matter how much you try to treat it quietly, in the end it turns from a whisper to a scream. Once again, we notice the feeling of loneliness and the terrible frustration that follows. Things accumulate until everything explodes, and with this ultimate release that this song provides us, we are ready to start the "descent from the peak" and reach the quieter part of the album.   Layers Upon Layers After the two previous songs released a lot of tension, we reach the layers below. All those things that the eruption of the musical volcano brought up and are now exposed on the surface. Fear, sadness, uncertainty. Layers that we peel off on the way to the inner core. Itay is not afraid to touch these exposed nerves and he does so with a soft and caressing musical touch. This tenderness will accompany us as we progress towards the end of the album.   Ten Years in a Heartbeat   How can you make ten years go by in a single second? Maybe with a piano. In the shortest song of the album, it's just Itay and the piano. Together they take us further to the next song, where we will say goodbye to the mountain motif and move on to a completely different landscape.   Dreamsailor Anchor aweigh ! We climbed a mountain, almost finished descending it and now we are suddenly sailing? Does anyone even remember that we started on a dead-end road? And what a dream cruise Itay has arranged for us here, with the help of two wonderful backing singers. Together, they navigate a stormy sea of ​​thoughts and dreams. The song tries to find a way to sail past the storm and maybe, in the end, find some peace. Is it possible to reach that peace in reality or only in dreams? I don't know, but at least for the four minutes of the song you can just close your eyes and immerse yourselves in the vocals and the music that combine perfectly into a song that is pure pleasure.   I Summon Beauty After all the storms, explosions, frustration, and other difficulties that the album deals with, what are we asking for? Maybe we can summon some beauty? Some truth? We want something to take comfort in. Comfort you said? No problem. Follow me to the last song of the album. Consolation The album ends on a relatively optimistic note. Itay offers us some consolation. True, the situation is difficult and there is a lot of pain and frustration. We started the album on a dead-end road and now Itay shows us a possible direction to move forward. His offer: Release the pain, let go of the past and flow forward with time, towards the future. Easier said than done. There is no doubt that Itay is aware of that, so all he can do is make a suggestion. The real comfort that Itay gives us is the music, not only of this song but of the entire album.   So? Did I convince you? Much like Itay, in the end all I can do is make a suggestion. I have been observing the Israeli music scene for some time. Many things go under the radar and some of them are really good. To me, Itay's album is beyond that. There is a reson that I used the phrase "a masterpiece album" right at the beginning. I wholeheartedly think this album deserves to be called a masterpiece. Perseverance; creativity; choosing the right partners for the journey and connecting all the parts into a whole that is much greater than the sum of them. Itay truly mastered all those aspects. Not only does he put his heart into it, he also goes the extra mile. Not wanting the album to only be experienced through the cold and alienated cyberspace, Itay also released the album as a CD. Holding an album in your hands; smelling the scent after taking it out of the wrapper for the first time; inserting it very carefully into a computer or a sound system; wearing your headphones and/or turning up the volume and then, in one magical moment, pressing "play". No streaming service in the world could ever replace those sensations. Itay didn't stop there. A booklet was released alongside the album. In addition to the lyrics, the booklet contains beautiful photos and additional texts that Itay wrote. Combine that with the music and you get a complete experience that you won't find anywhere else. I said I could only make a suggestion, so here it is: The holidays are upon us. Buy yourselves a holiday gift and if not for yourselves then for the people you love. Of course, you can buy the album on all streaming services, but my suggestion is to at least buy the booklet as well, just so you'd have something tangible to hold in your hand. Its combination with the album is a significant upgrade. In the end, the only way you will (maybe) believe the things I wrote is if you check it out for yourselves. Take an hour to listen to the album (it's not that long, but it's always good to play it safe). Hold the booklet in your hand, have the album ready to be played on quality speakers (not your phone's!), take a deep breath and... press the button. Enjoy an album that is a masterpiece. 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 Scottish singer-songwriter and folk-rock musician - Al Stewart: (Photo: Fanart.TV) = He was born Alastair Ian Stewart on September 5, 1945, in Glasgow, Scotland. = He moved to Wimborne, Dorset, England, with his mother after his father died in a 1945 plane crash. = Stewart attended Wycliffe College, Gloucestershire, as a boarder. = At age 19, Stewart moved to London, pursuing a career in music. = In 1965, he performed at "Bunjies" Coffee House and became MC at "Les Cousins" folk club, where he shared the stage with Paul Simon and Cat Stevens. = Paul Simon became a mentor and a friend to Stewart during Simon's time in London in 1965, while he was separated from his musical partner Art Garfunkel. = Stewart's first recording was on Jackson C. Frank's debut album from 1965, playing guitar on "Yellow Walls". = Stewart's first single, "The Elf," was released in 1966, featuring guitar work from Jimmy Page . = His debut album, "Bedsitter Images", was released in 1967, showcasing his early folk style. It had an ambitious production, including a 35-piece orchestra. = On November 3, 1967, Stewart performed at the Royal Festival Hall, London, marking his transition from small folk clubs to larger venues. = Stewart’s 1969 album "Love Chronicles" featured the first use of the F-word on a mainstream album and had contributions from members of "Fairport Convention" under pseudonyms, Jimmy Page and Richard Thompson. = In 1970, Stewart performed at the inaugural Glastonbury Festival. = Stewart's third album, "Zero She Flies", was released in 1970, marking his first chart success in the UK. = Stewart released "Orange" in 1972. It was written after a tumultuous breakup with his girlfriend and muse, Mandi, and was very much a transitional album, including "The News from Spain" with its progressive rock overtones featuring Rick Wakeman on piano. = His 1973 album, "Past, Present and Future", marked the beginning of his focus on historical themes and included "Nostradamus," which gained popularity on US radio. = Stewart's "Modern Times" (1975) was his first collaboration with producer Alan Parsons and featured the hit "Carol." = In 1976, Stewart achieved international success with "Year of the Cat", which reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200. = The title track from "Year of the Cat" became his most famous song, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. = Stewart followed up with "Time Passages" (1978), another platinum album, featuring the hit title track, which peaked at No. 7 in the U.S. = In 1980, Stewart released "24 Carrots", which included the hit single "Midnight Rocks" (No. 24 US). = Stewart released the politically themed album "Russians and Americans" in 1984, reflecting Cold War tensions. = In 1993, Stewart dedicated his album "Famous Last Words" to his late collaborator Peter Wood. = Stewart collaborated with former "Wings" guitarist Laurence Juber on the concept album "Between the Wars" (1995), focusing on major historical events between 1918 and 1939. = In 2000, he released "Down in the Cellar," an album themed around wine. = Stewart's 2005 album, "A Beach Full of Shells", continued his storytelling tradition, with songs about historical figures and events. = In 2008, he released "Sparks of Ancient Light", which included songs about William McKinley and Hanno the Navigator. = Stewart and guitarist Dave Nachmanoff released the live album "Uncorked" in 2009. = In 2010, Stewart performed at the Glastonbury Festival's 40th anniversary. = In 2017, Stewart received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. = Stewart has released 16 studio and three live albums and workes with many artists such: Peter White, Alan Parsons , Jimmy Page , Richard Thompson, Rick Wakeman, Francis Monkman, Tori Amos, Tim Renwick, Dave Nachmanoff Laurence Juber and more. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On September 4, 2015, "Iron Maiden" released their 16th album - "The Book of Souls". What was not said about this album? A grandiose, bombastic, most ambitious, the first double album of "Iron Maiden"'s career, It is all right! But if you peel the layers from each song one by one, you will find that it is not much different from what the band has done in recent years. Here you will find biting and kicking tracks reminiscent of "Be Quick or Be Dead", sweeping, "bold" and "brave" moments that will correspond with " Brave New World ", dark and gloomy songs in the atmosphere of " The X Factor " and of course epic and grandiose works in the magnitude of "Rime of the Ancient Mariner ". At the time "The Book of Souls" came out, it was the largest gap from any other two "Iron Maiden"'s albums (it was released 5 years after " The Final Frontier "), many believe the band worked on it for a very long time due to its length or Bruce Dickinson 's cancerous tumor. But this is not the case! Although this album is the band's longest album, with no less than 92 minutes of music, although it includes the band's longest track ever, which spans over 18 minutes, this album is one of the quickest to be written and recorded. The album was ready for release as early as the end of 2014 and was fully recorded before singer Bruce Dickinson was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his throat. The release of the album was delayed from December 2014 to September 2015 just to allow Bruce to recover from the tumor removal. The reason for such a long and grandiose album to be written and recorded in such a short time (about three months) is probably due to the different working methods that the band has adapted this time. Unlike previous albums, this time the band members wrote the songs in the studio, rehearsed them, and recorded them on the spot, spontaneously and with as few repetitions and corrections as possible. This method of working also gave most of the songs a sense of "live recording". This is also probably the reason that this album came out so long. Dickinson noted that after they finished working on 6 songs he turned to Steve Harris and told him that if they did not stop now it would become a double album. Eventually, the band members agreed that each song is an integral part of the album and if it has to be a double album, then that's what it will be! The grandiosity of the album can be felt right from the first track. " If Eternity Should Fail " is a long and complex track that crosses the 8-minute bar, whose style and character match the epic creations that usually seal the band's albums and do not open them. This song was intended for the solo album of Bruce Dickinson who began writing it along with guitarist and producer Roy Z, who accompanied him on his solo career. The keyboards roles that accompany the song were written by him in Roy Z.'s bedroom. Bruce noted that the band took his demo and worked on it. Immediately after that comes the fast and edgy " Speed ​​of Light " written by Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith and completes a sequence of two songs that Bruce is involved in writing straight at the opening of the album. It hasn’t happened since “ Powerslave ” and it says a lot about Dickinson’s unusual dominance on this album, which we’ll continue to write about later. In its atmosphere, the song reminds us of " Be Quick or Be Dead " from the album " Fear Of The Dark ". It is also the first single released from the album that was accompanied by a spectacular video clip, which is a kind of homage to four decades of gaming and video games. Adrian Smith noted that this song is the result of his rediscovery of the pentatonic scale. He started playing with it and making different variations on it on his guitar and the result is reflected in the song. Bruce noted that this song is a kind of tribute to Deep Purple, a band that all the band members really like. He said that when he heard the riff it immediately reminded him of "Deep Purple's" "Burn" and then he said to Adrian, let's put in also a scream in the style of Ian Gillan , right at the beginning of the song. We slow down a bit with " The Great Unknown " which is similar to the opening song "If Eternity Should Fail" and corresponds with themes like good and evil, life and death, both of which could fit like a glove in the album " A Matter of Life and Death ". Musically the song begins in a relaxed atmosphere that is quickly broken by a "circle of violence". In this way, the first verse opens in calm and quiet, before erupting with a heavy sound in subsequent verses, literally reflecting the calm and peaceful world that gives way to a violent and evil one. By the words "The Great Unknown" Steve Harris and Adrian Smith refer to death and they describe how violence distorts the good qualities and allows death to flourish and give birth to more death. " The Red and the Black " was written by Steve Harris and it opens with his chord passages on bass guitar, until the entry that takes us, in terms of melody and rhythm, directly to 1984, into the arms of the "Rime of the Ancient Mariner". This piece spans over 13 minutes but at the same time is one of the most melodic and catchy tracks on the album. It turns out that the words Harris wrote were not simple for Bruce Dickinson to sing. Harris said that Bruce told him that he could not sing those words and that he did not understand how difficult it was sometimes for a singer to sing a certain sequence of words that did not really roll over the tongue. Harris noted that Bruce is such a great singer and he told him that he was sure he would nail it, as so he did. We move on to the fifth song " When the River Runs Deep " which can easily burn your car clutch. It ranges from fast-moving verses to slower bridges and choruses, in a way that will exhaust your gearbox. But do not worry, sometimes what is unhealthy for your car is actually great for your body because this song is just perfect for running with measured rest between sprints. The theme song " The Book of Souls " ends the first album epically. What a beautiful opening with the keyboards and acoustic guitar and what a classic "immediate" entrance. The keyboards that simulate strings add to the "Kashmir" oriental atmosphere of the song. Bruce's singing is inspiring. Despite his effort to touch the high notes (probably also due to the cancerous tumor he faced while recording the album), he repeatedly proves why he deserves the name "The Air-Raid Siren". Lyrically the theme song corresponds with Eddie's character on the album cover, which draws from the Mayan culture, which believes that souls live forever, even after death. To test the authenticity of the image on the album cover, the band hired "Mayanist" scholar Simon Martin, who also translated the song titles into hieroglyphics. Although this is not a concept album, the reference to souls and life after death exists throughout. Steve Harris who co-wrote the song with guitarist Janick Gers explained to "Classic Rock" magazine that the song came from the Mayan culture of South America that intrigued him in the same way he was interested in ancient Egypt with the album " Powerslave ". The Mayans believed in the "Underworld" and were afraid of losing their souls and this mystical element was the key to the song. Harris also admitted that the flowing and fast riff is quite similar to the " Losfer Words " excerpt from " Powerslave " even though unlike the previous riff this time Janick Gers wrote it. The second album opened in a storm with the fast-paced " Death or Glory " written by Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith . This is one of the shortest songs on the album with a simple melody throughout the verses and an amazing tune in the bridge section. It must be said that for some reason the guitar work here reminded us in some way of "Thin Lizzy". " Shadows of the Valley " is a great song that gets a little lost in the musical abundance that this album has to offer and which could easily have been a hit, just in case it was part of one of the band's albums from the nineties for example. The triple-guitar work in this song is noteworthy, especially the spectacular solos given here by all three members: Janick Gers , Adrian Smith , and Dave Murray . The keyboards that accompany Bruce Dickinson 's vocals throughout the song add a lot to the song's unique sound. " Tears of a Clown " written by Smith and Harris is one of the most beautiful gestures of "Iron Maiden" in its entire glorious career. The melancholy song was written about the depression and suicide of actor Robin Williams in 2014. The lyrics are a kind of farewell to the band members from him and are probably the best that was written for the album. It is a simple song, but at the same time very intimate and moving. We continue with the melancholy atmosphere with the bluesy solo which opens " The Man of Sorrows ", which sounds to us like it was taken from a ballad of "Scorpions". The guitar work of Dave Murray , who also co-wrote the song with Harris, especially his Legato technique, is simply perfect and unprecedented. His playing also determines the general atmosphere of this melancholy song, which is a direct continuation of the previous one, both musically and lyrically, and is the corridor that will accompany us toward the epic end of the album. This is the place to sort out that this song has nothing to do with the song of the same title from Bruce's solo career, from the 1997 album "Accident of Birth". The highlight of this album is the amazing work that completes it. " Empire of the Clouds " is a wild 18-minute piece written exclusively by Bruce Dickinson . The song in which Dickinson also plays the piano for the first time, tells the story of the British airship "R101", which crashed in northern France on October 5, 1930, during its maiden flight. During the recording, Dickinson read the crash report of the R101 and it gave him the idea for the song. He composed the piece on Steinway's grand piano in the studio, inside a soundproof glass box, during the breaks the band took during the recording sessions. According to Adrian Smith , Dickinson worked on the song for about a month on his own and it was a big challenge for the rest of the band members who later had to learn it and follow Dickinson's piano, just from the instructions he gave them along with producer Kevin Shirley. Nicko McBrain is experimenting with a variety of percussions, including a gong to recreate the airship crash. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

He is an artist in every part of his body, actor, musician, producer, singer and composer and he was born on September 3, 1961. Photo: Kfir Ziv = Yermi was born in Chicago, USA as Jeremy David Kaplan, the third of four brothers. On July 4, 1969, when he was 8 years old, Yermi immigrated to Israel with his family. = His father, Irving Kaplan, was a television director which led Yermi to play several roles in tv series and movies. = He appeared in the poetry segment In Our Post Office, which was broadcast in the seventies in many rebroadcasts on educational television, as part of the series "Neighbors" for learning English for the 5th grade. In "The Adventures of Scooterman", in the role of Oswald, the nephew of Dr. Upbaked (in the episode "The Accidental Astronaut"). He also participated in the western "Phantom Kid" in 1975, and played the role of Ephraim Levy in the Israeli film "Operation Jonathan" by Menachem Golan in 1977. = In 1978, while studying at the Tel Aviv Alliance High School, Yermi together with another guy named Rami Kleinstein who studied a grade below him, founded the band "Eclipse". The two also included Yermi's brother, Aharon and Dori Amarilio. The band won first place in a talent competition in youth city, recorded several songs and even appeared on the popular show "Ad Pop". = Yermi was indeed a drummer in the band, but over time he became a gifted multi-instrumentalist and learned to play a wide variety of instruments with great talent. = During his military service, when he plays in several bands, including "Eclipse" Yermi receives an offer to replace Sami Abzerdel, the drummer of the band "Tislam" who was considering leaving. Yermi liked the idea but in the end Sami decided to stay in the band. = After his military service Yermi began to study law at Tel Aviv University but the interest did not last and after a short time he abandoned his studies in favor of traveling abroad. Yermi was looking to travel and discover new places but also to discover himself, to find his independent musical path. = In 1986, after returning from abroad, Yermi became involved with his friend from school, Klinstein, and participated in Klinstein's debut album "On the Day of the Bomb" which was released that year. He recorded background vocals on the album and participated in the writing of the song "Where I Stand". That year he also wrote English versions of Rita's songs, for an album she recorded in the Netherlands. = On Kleinstein's recommendation, Yermi was signed by Roni Brown to the "Helicon" record company which he managed. Yermi worked on new songs and even recorded two of them "Looking for" and "Caps it" which were supposed to be part of his debut album, but the album was not completed or issued. These songs were performed for the first time at the concerts of the "Doppler Phenomenon" band with whom Yermi played at that time. = At that time Yermi was in a relationship with the singer Dana Berger . Their separation served as an inspiration for their friend Hami Rodner, who wrote about them the song "Nafalt Hazak". When the song was released on the radio it caused a media storm, but eventually became a hit. = Yermi went to find his musical path again and this time he went to the USA for several months. Apparently even then it still didn't happen because when he returned to Israel in 1989 he started playing in a number of different bands. Yermi played guitar in the band "Eifu Hayeled", he played drums in the "Taarovet Escot" band and was a vocalist in the "Explosion Survivors" band. = None of the bands really broke out at that time, until 1991 saw the release of the debut album of "Taarovet Escot" which was a great success for which Yrami left the other bands. = The band was founded by Assaf Amdursky and Amir "Django" Rossiano, who were childhood friends, at the end of 1989. Amdursky added Yermi, after Hami Rodner met the two at the "Desert" pub, where the three worked together for a short period. = The debut performance of "Taarovet Escot" took place in December 1989. At the beginning of its journey, the guitarist Yuval Lieblich was also a member of the band. In October 1991, the band released their debut album on the "Had Artzi" record company. Almost all the songs on the album were written and composed jointly by Amdorski and Django, except for the song "I'm not ready to leave here" which was written and composed by Yermi. The arrangements and musical production were performed jointly by the three members of the band. The band's biggest hit from the album was "My Intimate Room", which gained great popularity on the radio and in the Israeli rock scene in those years, which was also the band's only hit. = In 1992, Yermi participated in the recording of the debut album of the band "Doppler Phenomenon", he performed the role of drums and participated in writing the song "Kotefet". = In the same year, he participated in a rock opera called "Sexodos", written and directed by the vocalist of "Doppler Phenomenon", Baruch Friedland, an opera performed at the Arad Festival, in a musical production by Gilad Atzmon, together with the band "Taarovet Escot". = In April 1993, during the work on the second album of "Taarovet Escot" Yermi left the band, as a result the band broke up and each of its three members went on their own solo career. = This time it seems that the timing was right and in 1994 Yermi founded the "Flower Band". The band signs with the record company "NMC" and releases its debut album "Yermi Kaplan and the Flowers" which is actually Yermi's first solo album. All the songs on the album were written and composed by Yermi, with most of them talking about pain and also a little hard to digest musically. = The album doesn't really take off until the band goes on tour during which Yermi bursts into consciousness. His strength and great talent is revealed as a charismatic vocalist and an engrossing performer, his presence on stage is frenzied, as he never stops being in constant motion. Among the successful songs of the album were "Modedet", "Lama Lo Hegat" and "Masheho Hayav Lehishtanot". = Still in the same year, he records a new cover for the song "Gali" by Ehud Manor and Kobi Oshrat, in honor of a Hanukkah Special held at the IDF's Gala. The cover was included as a bonus in a later edition of the album "Yermi Kaplan and the Flowers". = His second album "Good Morning" was released in 1995 and this time Yermi was without the Flower Band. Also in this album, all the songs were written by him, including "Hadafok Haze" and "Sooner or Later". = In 1996, he wrote, composed and recorded the song "Already Now" which was the opening song of the series "Inverted" which became a hit and was a great success. The song was included as a bonus on the "Good Morning" album, in a later release. = In 1999 his third album "For Worse and Better" was released. Most of the songs on the album deal with family and relationship issues, of which the songs "Kola Vebra", "Opportunity" and "For Bad and Good" were successful. Similar to his previous album, Yermi wrote the lyrics and melodies and produced the music for this album as well. = In 2003, his fourth album, "The Lost Time", was released, which received good reviews. The album was produced by him and by Eyal Katsav and included a number of hits, including "Rishon Shabbat", "Start from Zero" and "I will change". = In May 2004 the band "Taarovet Escot" reunited for several performances, in November 2007 they reunited again for a one-off show, and again in September 2011, in honor of Yeremi's 50th birthday. = In 2006 Yermi participated in an episode of the series "The Champion" as an ophthalmologist. In 2007 he played in the children's series "Rosh Gadol" and the drama series "Maybe this time", and in 2010 he played in the series "Pilots' Wives". = In 2010, his fifth album "Desire" was released, from the album several singles were released that were successful such as: "Everybody can", "How right you are" and "You will have more". = In 2015 he released the album "Patish", which combines rock and electronic music, together with Spencer Russo, Matan Spencer and Uri Russo, a pair of young producers. The album was financed by the audience through the Headstart campaign. = In 2019 he produced a cabaret show called "Yermi Kaplan performs Elton John", in which of course he performs Elton John 's greatest hits while in between he combines historical details about Elton's career. The show is performed to this day. = In 2020, just before the outbreak of the COVID virus, he released a new single called "In the end I'm left with nothing" and immediately after that he released another single called "I'll bring you back in time". = In May 2023, Yermi announced a break from performances due to an unexpected surgery on the neck vertebrae, which put the function of his limbs in danger. He underwent a complex procedure designed to preserve the function of his organs, and in July of that year he shared a photo of himself from the hospital bed and expressed his gratitude for the messages, concern and care he received. He Shared: "So now that I've come to terms with my situation, I'm taking action. I'm doing it with a very heavy feeling and after much deliberation. The reality phase - I'm forced to stop and postpone all performances from the date set for the surgery until a complete recovery (about three months). The 'Yermi does Yermi' tour which has not yet started and has already sold hundreds of tickets, will have to wait." = Yermi collaborated and was involved in writing, arranging and producing many songs with many artists including the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, Lior Farhi, Hami Rodner, Dana Berger, Eliran Avitar Levy and many others. = As of today, Yermi performs as a guest and is on tour with the "Yermi Kaplan Performs Elton John" cabaret and 'Yermi does Yermi'. Listen to Yermi's compilation album: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Talented singer, bassist, guitarist, and songwriter Blackie Lawless celebrates his 65th birthday today. (Photo: Wallpaperflare.com) He was born on September 4, 1956, as Steven Edward Duren. Steven grew up in the Staten Island area of ​​New York and received a Baptist Christian upbringing as a child. He is of Irish, French, and Indian descent and also has Jewish roots. It was his brother who made his first acquaintance with the guitar. He got his first guitar when he was 9 years old. Steven has been influenced by bands like "AC/DC", "Black Sabbath", "The Beatles", "Kiss", and Alice Cooper . The first band he was a member of was called "The Underside". At age 14 he was sent to a military boarding school, but was thrown away after a year. At the age of 16, he joined the band "Black Rabbit" and later moved to "Orfax Rainbow". In 1975, at the age of 18, he replaced guitarist Johnny Thunders in the "New York Dolls", who retired during a tour. Blackie completed the remaining performances in his place. After half a year he retired along with Arthur Kane, they both moved to Los Angeles and formed the band "Killer Kane" which released one EP. Blackie was then called Blackie Goozeman. In 1976 he formed the heavy metal band "Sister" which also included guitarist Randy Piper who would later form W.A.S.P. with Blackie. Nikki Sixx will later join the band, but Blackie fired him shortly after. Nikki will move from there to "Motley Crue". Already at that time, Blackie used gimmicks during the band's performances, such as lighting his boots on stage or eating worms. He formed "W.A.S.P." In 1982, during this time he moved to play bass guitar. The name W.A.S.P. Represented the acronym "White Anglo-Saxon Protestant" but also "We Are Sexual Perverts" - a meaning that is more in line with the essence of the band and the idea it tried to represent at the beginning of its journey. W.A.S.P. belonged to the Shock-Rock genre and its motto, right from the first single, was to offense and horror! From the moment of its inception and even before the release of its first album, W.A.S.P. the band was in conflict with conservative organizations, due to the use of rude and abusive words, as well as contempt and humiliation of women. In the clips released by the band, there were often naked women, and the singer and bassist (then) Blackie Lawless used to walk around in leather pants with a disc of a chainsaw between his joints. The band released its debut album in 1984. Read more about the album here : On their second album " The Last Command ", Blackie and W.A.S.P. changed their musical style a bit toward heavy metal. After guitarist Randy Piper left W.A.S.P., Blackie made the transition from playing bass guitar to playing guitar. The band's third album - "Inside the Electric Circus" was the first to introduce Blackie as the guitarist. To date, Blackie Lawless has released 16 studio albums with the band, most recently in 2015. In 1987, Blackie co-wrote the song "Scream Until You Like It" with W.A.S.P. for the movie "Ghoulies II". Beyond being a musician Blackie also "played" in films such as "Can't Stop the Music" from 1980. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

The enigmatic lead guitarist of the iconic band "Soundgarden", is more than just a maestro on strings; his journey through music is akin to a sonic rollercoaster intertwined with personal anecdotes that make his story truly unique. (Photo: Mauricio Santana) = He was born in Seattle, Washington on September 4. Growing up in a culturally diverse setting, he cultivated a passion for music at a young age, inspired by his exposure to various genres. = His mother was a music teacher who studied to be a concert pianist at the Royal Academy of Music. His father earned a degree in chemical engineering, received employment in Chicago and moved there with his family. = He learned to play the guitar when he was 12 years old, at that time he also started to write lyrics. = In 1977, he formed his first band "Bozo and the Pinheads", a punk rock band. They did both original songs (written by Thayil) and cover tunes ("Sex Pistols", "Devo", and the "Ramones"). Their first gig was at a school talent show in front of about 500 people. = In 1980 he played guitar in a post-punk band called "Identity Crisis", which released a 7" inch EP called "Pretty Feet". = Thayil met Hiro Yamamoto at Rich East High School. He graduated, along with Hiro, at Rich East High School in 1979, the same school Bruce Pavitt (the founder of Sub-Pop) graduated from 2 years earlier. = He and Yamamoto decided to move to Olympia, Washington, to study at The Evergreen State College, but they were unable to find jobs and decided to move to Seattle. There, Thayil earned money as a DJ for KCMU and earned a degree in philosophy at the University of Washington. (Photo: Wikimedia) = Thayil becomes involved in Seattle’s burgeoning punk and heavy metal scenes. His early influences include bands like "Black Sabbath", "Led Zeppelin", and punk acts such as the "Ramones". = In Seattle the two met with singer/drummer Chris Cornell . Chris and Yamamoto formed a cover band called the "Shemps" which performed around Seattle in 1983. After a while Yamamoto left the band and was replaced by Thayil. Cornell and Yamamoto stayed in contact, and after the "Shemps" broke up Cornell and Yamamoto started jamming together, and were eventually joined by Thayil. = In 1984 the three formed the band "Soundgarden" included Cornell (drums and vocals), Yamamoto (bass), and Thayil (guitar). The band named themselves after a wind-channeling pipe sculpture titled "A Sound Garden". (Photo: Jay Blakesburg) = In 1985 the band enlisted Scott Sundquist on drums to allow Cornell to concentrate on vocals. The band traveled around playing various concerts with this lineup for about a year. = Their first recordings were three songs "Heretic", "Tears to Forget" and "All Your Lies", that appeared on the 1986 compilation album for C/Z Records called "Deep Six". It also featured songs by fellow grunge pioneers "Green River", "Skin Yard", "Malfunkshun", the "U-Men", and the "Melvins". = In 1986, Cornell's then-girlfriend and future wife, Susan Silver started managing "Soundgarden". In the same year, Sundquist left the band to spend time with his family and was replaced by "Skin Yard"'s drummer, Matt Cameron . (Photo: vinylchapters.com) = A "Soundgarden" performance one night impressed KCMU DJ Jonathan Poneman who offered to fund a release by the band, so Thayil suggested he team up with Bruce Pavitt. Poneman offered to contribute $20,000 in funding for Sub Pop, effectively turning it into a full-fledged record label. "Soundgarden" signed to Sub Pop, and the label released "Hunted Down" in 1987 as the band's first single. = Through Sub Pop, the band released the "Screaming Life" EP in 1987, and the "Fopp" EP in 1988, and a combination of the two, "Screaming Life/Fopp", in 1990. These EPs created a very big buzz around the band and it became very popular in Seattle. = Thayil became acclaimed for his guitar work, which was typically characterized by heavy riffing, and was cited among other grunge guitarists as an influence and a pioneer of the "Seattle Sound." = In 1988 the band signed with the label "SST Records" and released their debut album " Ultramega OK ", the album created huge exposure for the band and even a nomination for a Grammy Award. As a result, "Soundgarden" was signed with the big label "A&M Records" and became the first band from the grunge scene in Seattle to sign a record deal with a big label. = In 1989 the band released their second album " Louder Than Love ". On this album, "Soundgarden" first introduced its special time signature (a rhythm that is not arranged in 4 regular bars) and took it one step further toward metal. This is their first album to enter the Billboard 200 and this is also Hiro's last album with the band replaced by bassist Ben Shepherd. =  In 1991 when the grunge scene became huge in the US and just before it broke into the rest of the world, the band released their third album " Badmotorfinger ". With singles like "Jesus Christ Pose", "Outshined" and "Rusty Cage" and a Grammy nomination, the album became one of the most successful. The band became known for popularizing grunge music and setting the stage for the success of their next album. = In 1994 the band released their fourth album " Superunknown ". It's considered the band's most successful album, reaching number one on the Billboard 200 and producing singles such as "Spoonman", "The Day I Tried to Live", "Black Hole Sun", and "My Wave" and "Fell on Black Days". The album was nominated for three Grammy Awards and won two. The album was a critical and commercial success, solidifying Thayil’s reputation as a leading guitarist in the grunge scene. = In 1996 the band released their fifth album " Down On the Upside ". On this album, the band moved away from their grunge roots and experimented with other musical genres, with less powerful riffs and the additions of instruments with acoustic sounds. The album did not succeed like its predecessor. It produced singles such as: "Pretty Noose", "Burden in My Hand", "Blow Up the Outside World" and "Ty Cobb/Rhinosaur". (Photo: soundgardenworld.com) = Thayil joined singer Johnny Cash, bassist Krist Novoselic of "Nirvana" and drummer Sean Kinney of "Alice in Chains" for a cover of Willie Nelson's "Time of the Preacher", featured on the tribute album Twisted Willie, released in January 1996. = After the tour to promote the album " Down On the Upside " , disagreements began between the band members, especially between Cornell and Thayil. Cornell wanted to keep moving from the heavy reefs and distortion to other directions and Thayil opposed the idea. By 1997 it was no longer possible to bridge the gaps and one of the five big bands of the grunge disbanded. = In 1999, Thayil formed a punk band, named "No WTO Combo", with Jello Biafra ("Dead Kennedys"), Krist Novoselic ("Nirvana"), and Gina Mainwal ("Sweet 75"). The band was formed to celebrate and further the rampant protest activity against the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999, which was held on November 30, 1999. This was Thayil's first live concert since the breakup of "Soundgarden". The show was recorded by Mark Cavener and mixed by "Soundgarden" producer Jack Endino; it was released as the album "Live from the Battle in Seattle" in May 2000. = In the same year he collaborates with Chris Cornell on the latter’s solo album " Euphoria Morning ", contributing to the song “Can’t Change Me.” = In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named Thayil number 100 on the list of the "100 greatest guitarists of all time" = In 2004, Thayil played guitar for "Probot", Dave Grohl 's heavy metal side-project. He was featured on the songs "Ice Cold Man" and "Sweet Dreams." = In 2006 he collaborated with Japanese experimental music group "Boris" and American drone metal band "Sunn O)))" on the album "Altar". = In 2009, Thayil played with Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd at a show in Seattle at the Crocodile Cafe that was headlined by Tom Morello 's "The Nightwatchman". It was the first time the three had played together in public since the band's 1997 breakup. = In 2010 after 12 years of hiatus "Soundgarden" returned and reunited. The first song to come out after the reunion was "Live to Rise" which was recorded in 2012 specifically for the movie "The Avengers". This is not the only song Cornell wrote for a movie/tv series. = At the close of 2012, "Soundgarden" released their sixth and last album, " King Animal ," 16 years after their fifth album. The album produced three singles: "Been Away Too Long," "By Crooked Steps," and "Halfway There." The band members unanimously agreed that this album felt like a direct continuation of "Down The Upside," as if only a year or two had elapsed since its release. = A seventh album was scheduled for release, however, following Cornell's passing, the band opted to disband. There is uncertainty surrounding the status of the seventh album, as the band members are working on completing the recordings with Cornell's vocals, but they are facing delays. At present, it remains unclear whether or when the album will be released. = In 2018 Thayil joined "MC50", a 50th-anniversary tour for "MC5", as a touring guitarist. = In 2020, Thayil played guitar solos on the song "The Firebird" for the jazz fusion band, the "Barret Martin Group". = In 2021, Thayil played lead guitar and Matt Cameron played drums for a track, "Only Love Can Save Me Now", on "The Pretty Reckless" album "Death By Rock And Roll" . = In December 2020, Thayil, Novoselic , Jennifer Johnson, Jillian Raye, Jeff Fielder and Ben Smith performed the song "Drone" at the Seattle Museum of Pop Culture's tribute to "Alice in Chains". = In 2021, Thayil appeared on "Mastodon's" double album "Hushed and Grim", playing lead guitar on the track "Had It All." = In 2021, Thayil, along with Cameron, Novoselic , guitarist Bubba Dupree, and vocalists Jennifer Johnson and Jillian Raye, formed the group "3rd Secret". Their self-titled debut album, which they recorded with producer Jack Endino, was released in April 2022. The group also performed at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. = Thayil keeps collaborating with many different artists in many different spectrums of music and we are sure we will keep hearing his music or his influences. = One thing is for sure, we will never, never ever forget the sound of his guitar distorted humming keep loudly shredding the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel-Aviv in 2014. His guitar echo still resonates in our heads even today. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website