Pearl Jam's fourth album came out exactly 5 years after the album "Ten" and was released on August 27, 1996. This is the band's controversial album which marked the new direction it is going, after the albums "Ten", "VS" and "Vitalogy" which retained more or less the same musical style. "No Code" was undoubtedly a different species that caused the abandonment of some of the band's fans. It came out after the band's problematic and well-publicized tour, which was in the eye of the storm of their well-publicized confrontation with Ticketmaster. A confrontation that was also the trigger for the departure of drummer Dave Abbruzzese as a result of that confrontation (to this day we mourn his departure). Creating this album was also different and more difficult than its predecessors. The band members were tired and exhausted and were unable to work together in the studio. Jeff Ament even claimed that he was hardly a co-writer. Jack Irons (the one who brought the tape to Eddie) replaced Dave and was the only one who managed to connect the band, get them to talk about the things that bother them, and be their psychological mentor. Some say that without Jack this album would not have been released... Three singles were released from the album. "Who You Are" whose music was written by Jack Irons in collaboration with Stone Gossard inspired by drum solos by Max Roach, the American jazz drummer, "Hail, Hail" which is one of the songs that still somehow reminds us of the old (and good) Pearl Jam, and of course the melting "Off He Goes" that Eddie Vedder noted he wrote about himself, about the moments when he felt like he's just a shity friend- or in his own words: "This is about being friends with an asshole..." Although the album was a turning point for the band that included a musical change and received quite chilling reviews, it still reached number one on the Billboard 200 (which the album Ten failed to do at the time). The band celebrated in 2021 the 25th anniversary of the album with a special broadcast of a live performance which took place in Moline IL, on October 17, 2014, where the band performed the studio album entirely. Listen to the album on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Stone Sour's debut album, which also bears the band's name, was released on August 27, 2002. Let's share some facts about him... 1. The band, which was formed in 1992 even before Slipknot, went on a "break" in 1997 and returned to activity again in 2000, immediately after the Slipknot tour that supported the release of the album "Iowa". 2. When Slipknot was on hiatus after the tour, Corey Taylor (Slipknot's singer) found some free time and met with guitarist Josh Rand for a session of "pleasant" tunes. The two write 14 songs and feel that there is something serious here that can be worked on and decide to form a band. (Photo: Amazon.com) 3. The two enlist Slipknot guitarist Jim Root, drummer Joel Ekman, and bassist Shawn Economaki and begin work on the band's first album. 4. The first two singles that came out of the album were "Bother" which came out even before the release of the album as a single from the movie Spider-Man, followed by the single "Get Inside" which is also the band's first music video. The third single released a year after the album's release was "Inhale" . 5. The two singles "Get Inside" and "Inhale" nominated the band for the Grammy Awards in 2003 and 2004 in the Best Metal Performance category but did not translate into a win. 6. In contrast to Corey's crazy roars on Slipknot's albums, in this album Corey proves for the first time that he also has a very diverse singing ability and not just the ability to roar. These are the first buds of one of the most talented and great vocalists of our generation. Undoubtedly you can feel (as he also claimed) the influences of Soundgarden and Alice in Chains in his singing. 7. Although there are tracks on the album that feel like they were taken from Slipknot's hidden recordings, there are also quite a few songs that sound completely different and convey a kind of emotion and atmosphere that is first revealed by Corey and the band as in the song "Bother" and "Take a Number." 8. This album features three more members of Slipknot, Sid Wilson on the turntables, Denny Gibbs on the keyboards, and Dan Spain on the percussion. Listen to the album on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Thirty Seconds to Mars' debut album, which bears the band's name, was released on August 27, 2002. Thirty Seconds to Mars was founded by the Leto brothers in 1998, Jared Leto is the most famous of the two since he is a very successful film actor (Suicide Squad, Lord of War, Dallas Buyers Club, Requiem for a Dream and many more great ones). Anyone familiar with the last two in parentheses knows that Jared is a super-talented actor who performs roles that require dramatic mental and physical change. We encounter a lot of singers who become actors or actors who become singers, in most cases, the matter is not really successful and the talent does not exactly flow to the other areas. But in this case, Jared's musical talent is enormous, both in his ability to sing, in his ability to write, and in his ability to produce. Undoubtedly the guy is an avant-garde artist in every limb of his body. Jared took on the role of guitars and bass and Shannon Leto took on the role of percussion, meaning Jared does everything and Shannon supports him. The two have played together since childhood and have always dreamed of creating music and forming a band. So after a lot of sessions and rehearsals together they decided to expand and take on guitarist Solon Bixler and guitarist bassist Kevin Drake. The four have been plowing the little Los Angeles clubs for several years while at the same time, Jared finishes writing for the debut album. Along the way, they record a number of songs for the demo that rolled between the record companies and found itself on Immortal Records' contract with the band in 1999. (Photo: Chuff Media) In 2001 they decided to move into a secluded studio in Wyoming with producer Bob Ezrin producing bands like Pink Floyd, Alice Copper, Kiss, and more big and good. What a pleasure to take a producer you grew up on his records to show you the way and guide you on your first album, they felt he was the only one who could help them create the music they wanted. He helped them create an album with depth and meaning, understand the structure that the album should have, and direct them to create a whole concept rather than a collection of songs. The other producer who helped them on the album and also played some of the instruments was Brian Virtue who also produced big bands like Audioslave, Jane’s Addiction, Deftones, and more. The album was a concept album that focuses on human struggle and self-definition, Jared used personal texts that use elements and ideas from other worlds to illustrate real personal situations. Sounds a bit delusional and dramatic right? That’s how he is Jared, a frantically creative avant-garde artist who tries to use all his senses. The album combines sounds of rock and advanced metal with influences and elements from the new wave, "space" rock, and electronics but most of it feels like strong hard rock. This is without a doubt a very dynamic, different, and interesting album !! We really like this band that even performed in Israel at the beginning of the big break that came with their second album. Listen to the album on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

A Sneak Peek... Breaking Benjamin's debut album was released on August 27, 2002 !! An album that marks the beginning of a band formed by Benjamin Burnley that went through a number of challenges, upheavals, and difficulties, especially by Burnley himself. Burnley formed the band in 1998 in California, playing mostly soft rock and covers for bands like Weezer and the Beatles. Upon leaving California Burnley disbanded the band and formed a new band called Plan 9. They began to play louder and heavier music than his previous lineup and began to gain momentum in the small clubs. Burnley's previous two band members have reunited with him and the band's name has been changed again but this time to Breaking Benjamin. For those who do not know, we shared that the band got its name from a complaint from one of the club owners in which the band appeared and Benjamin broke the microphone there. A radio broadcaster named Freddie Fabbri loved the band's material and frequently aired the song "Polyamorous". Following the broadcast and the band's performances, she gained momentum and the broadcaster decided to support and produce their first EP in order to obtain a record contract. In early 2002, the band performed at a special band discover event, where they were "discovered" by an agent of Hollywood Records and signed a contract. Immediately after signing, they went on to record the album with the support of producer Ulrich Wild. Although he had very great potential and many critics praised the album, he did not reach the top of the Billboard 200 but at least he got in there, as he did reach number two on the Heatseekers chart. 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 August 20, 2008, "Slipknot's" fourth album "All Hope Is Gone" was released The band's fourth album is so eclectic and created in such a hostile and difficult atmosphere that we cannot help but also make an eclectic review, so right now listen to the album on the link below and start reading... In 2008 the band members met in their hometown, and after 3 years they did not see each other, to record the album which on the one hand would be the band's most successful album, but on the other hand, would mark the end of the core that formed Slipknot. Unlike previous albums, the creation of this album belonged to all nine members of the band together. This is the first time they have sat down to write and process the songs together. But working together was accompanied by a great deal of aggression, quarrels, friction, and madness. It seems that in this album "Slipknot" takes parts of its previous albums and combines them with new elements. The opening song "Gematria (The Killing Name)" and "All Hope Is Gone" are crueler than we knew from the band before but are a bit reminiscent of the first album, "Gehenna" which is a bit reminiscent of the second album, "Dead Memories" and "Snuff" bring tragic and exciting moments. Listening to the album you often find yourself wondering where you are. Are you on the same album or did the player jump somewhere else? There is not so much flow or connection between the songs, they just throw you from place to place, and sometimes it even hurts. We think that is why there are a very small number of songs from the album that are remembered or known and there are a lot of songs that no one seems to have heard of. Photo: Roadrunner Records All the band members claimed it was their least favorite album, except for one guy: Joey Jordison ! Joey claimed it was exactly the album he wanted to create with "Slipknot", just the way he wanted it to sound and the result was his favorite. He may have been right because it was the band's first album to reach number one, until two years ago when "We Are Not Your Kind" also took first place. No wonder he felt this was exactly what he wanted because after everyone intervened with each other on how to play, how to sing, how to produce, and how to process... In the drum recordings, Joey locked himself in the room and recorded all the drum tracks on his own !! Clown said it was so frustrating and so offensive that everyone was on one side of the studio and Joey in another room locked up without anyone coming in. He said he wanted to blow up the door with his shotgun but he was afraid it would hurt someone. The lack of musical uniformity in this album... could it be that this was actually the reason Joey was fired? It's not easy to get nine people into the studio and get them to record an album, Jim Root said that's why he was disappointed with the album's producer Dave Fortman because he just could not get everyone to work together. From the beginning, some of the members came with an emotional charge because they were not given the opportunity to influence the previous albums. It's no secret that Clown, Corey Taylor , and Joey are at the forefront of the band's work. So with all the emotional baggage, the lack of direction on where this album is going, the frictions, and the internal politics... from here it just got worse throughout the creation of the album. Add to that the fact that Clown lost his dad and Corey went through a divorce and Joey locks himself in the room... Kindergarten party... this is it! They all claim that this is basically what made the album what it is, you can feel the cracks opening up, feel the tension, feel the frustration and emotional charge. The hostile conditions are what gave this album its aggression, its cruelty, and its eclecticism. From the opening song "Gematria" through the anthems "Psychosocial" and "This Cold Black" and the twisted song "Wherein Lies Continue" all are moments that make this record what it is. You range from melodies and moving lyrics to relentless bursts of energy accompanied by lyrics that make you depressed. But this is no surprise, in retrospect, this is basically the whole essence of the band. We owe a few words to the most exciting song on the album that won a chilling acoustic version at Corey's acoustic solo performances and is the song "Snuff" . It is very unusual in the atmosphere of the record, a ballad that has not been performed so far by "Slipknot" and is from start to finish a moving experience. The heavy bitterness that begins in the song, passes to heartbreak, and ends with a romantic release that is an epic story! As we mentioned at the beginning, this album also marked the dismantling of the core that formed the band. "Slipknot" was formed by Clown, Joey and Paul Gray somewhere in 1995. About two years after this album was released, Paul died of a morphine overdose, and his death severely affected the band members, especially Clown and Corey. They did not know what would happen with the band's future and felt impossible to continue without him (somewhat reminiscent of Cliff Burton's story.) The day after his death, the rest of the band held a press conference with Paul's widow without the masks, a one-time event that never happened. About five years after the album's release, the band members officially announced that Joey had left the band. There are many rumors about the separation process and the reasons for the dismissals but it is known that Joey was suffering from a serious muscle disease as a result of which he could not keep up with the music. And another thing is known, that following this album there were very difficult disagreements about the musical direction between Joey and the rest of the band members. Aside from first place in the sales chart and Grammy nominations, this album brought "Slipknot" to the pinnacle of live shows at the time. In 2009, the band embarked on a world tour to promote the album, a tour defined by Joey as Mayhem !! From the very first show that took place in Seattle, the band members realized that this was going to be a tour from one of the greatest they knew, by the way, in this show Sid broke both of his legs when he jumped from a height of 4m during the show. For the first in a long time, they were excited and stressed by the show. Clown said they filled themselves with hatred and aggression so they could deal with the power and transmit the energies "Slipknot" wanted to transmit to the crowd. Indeed in June 2009, the peak of the tour took place, "Slipknot" for the first time in its career was the main headliner at the "Download" festival !! Corey cried inside the mask at the end of the show looking at his bandmates and knowing they did an amazing job, he felt they appreciate each other more (even if it was only for one moment). Since then, "Slipknot" has been the headliner festival for three times (2013, 2015, and 2019). By the way, it was during this tour that the band was supposed to visit us in Israel but the show was canceled !! Hopefully, someday it will come... And we will finish with a quote from Clown on the album: “I don’t have bad memories, I don’t have any regrets, I’m not mad at anyone, it’s just what a family does. A family fights. A family throws punches. A family bleeds, a family doesn’t talk, a family locks doors. That’s what we are, and that was my family’s last album”. Listen to the album on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Today its Shirley Manson's turn. Here are some facts about a Scottish musician and actress known as the lead singer of the Scottish-American rock band "Garbage": (Photo: Fanart.TV) = She was born in 26 August 1966 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her full name is Shirley Ann Manson. = Her father was a university lecturer and her mother was a big band singer. = Shirley Manson was raised in Comely Bank and Stockbridge, Edinburgh. She attended Broughton High School and the City of Edinburgh Music School. = Her first public performance was in 1970, at age four, singing "Never Smile at a Crocodile" with her older sister in an amateur show held at the local Church. = From an early age, she learned to play on various instruments: Recorder, clarinet, fiddle, and piano. She also joined a choir and school orchestra and started learning ballet at age seven. = Manson was bullied at school, causing her to suffer from depression and body dysmorphic disorder and engage in self-injury. = She wanted to become an actress, but was rejected by the "Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama". = Manson briefly modeled clothing for Jackie magazine. = She joined the Scottish rock band "Goodbye Mr Mackenzie" in 1984 as a keyboardist and backing vocalist. Her first release with the band was "Death of a Salesman" released the same year. = The band’s debut album "Good Deeds and Dirty Rags" was released in 1987 and the single "The Rattler" made the UK top 40. = Although MCA record label had no desire to further their commitments to "Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie", they expressed interest in recording an album with Manson. = Manson was signed to "Radioactive" as a solo artist, with the remaining "Goodbye Mr Mackenzie" members performing as her backing band, recording under the name "Angelfish". = In 1994 "Angelfish" released their self-titled album and single "Suffocate Me". = The music video for "Suffocate Me" was aired once on MTV's 120 Minutes. Producer and musician Steve Marker caught the broadcast and thought Manson would be a great singer for his band, "Garbage", which also featured producers Duke Erikson and Butch Vig, who produced bands like "Nirvana", "Sonic Youth", and "The Smashing Pumpkins". = Manson joind "Garbage" in 1994 and the band released their debut album "Garbage" in 1995. = The album went on to sell over 4 million copies with hit singles like: “Only Happy When It Rains”, "Queer", "Milk" and “Stupid Girl”. = Manson quickly became the public face of the band with her contralto vocal range, which has been praised as versatile and capable of conveying a range of emotions without being melodramatic. = In 1996 "Echo & the Bunnymen" had asked Manson to sing on their 1997 "Evergreen" comeback album. = In 1998 "Garbage" released their second album "Version 2.0" which included successful singles like "Push It", "I Think I'm Paranoid", "Special" and more. = During the two-year tour in support of "Version 2.0", Manson modelled for Calvin Klein. = In 1999 "Garbage" recorded the theme song to the James Bond movie "The World Is Not Enough", and Manson became the third Scotswoman to sing a Bond theme after Lulu and Sheena Easton. = In 2001 "Garbage" released their third album "Beautiful Garbage". The album featured Manson’s most personal lyrics. = During this period, Manson struggled with vocal issues and had a vocal cyst surgically removed in 2003. = In 2005 the band released "Bleed Like Me" which included the successful single “Why Do You Love Me”. = "Garbage" went on hiatus in 2005, but reformed for a benefit show in 2007. = In 2012 the band ended its 7 years hiatus with the album "Not Your Kind of People. = The band released its sixth album "Strange Little Birds", in 2016. The album was "Garbage's" first studio album to miss the top 10 in the United Kingdom. = In May 2016, Manson fell off stage into the pit during a performance at KROQ Weenie Roast, injuring her right hip, which required surgery in January 2023. = In 2021 "Garbage" released their 7th studio album "No Gods No Masters", which was supported by a tour with Alanis Morissette '. = In 2025 "garbage" released their 8th studio album "Let All That We Imagine Be the Light". It was recorded between 2022 and 2024 across sessions, partly at Shirley Manson's bedroom. = From 2019–2021, Manson hosted the music podcast "The Jump with Shirley Manson", interviewing musicians and discussing career-defining moments. = Manson has an acting carcareer. Among others she appeared in "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" in 2008 as Catherine Weaver. = Manson also participated in the video game Guitar Hero in 2009. = In 2019, Manson travelled to Santiago, Chile, to participate documentary telling stories of women who challenged armed conflicts - "Peace Peace Now Now". = Manson is involved in charity Work, including AIDS awareness, supporting "The Pablove Foundation", and raising funds for earthquake victims in Haiti. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Creed's debut album is a breakthrough album, it's something most bands don't experience but this album is the beginning of a powerful band that just exploded with an album, after an album and that's the story of "My Own Prison". Music is life... Our story begins in the Tallahassee prairie in California USA, somewhere in the mid nineties. When the grunge scene started to fade away and something else develops in the music world, it gets the name Post Grunge. Our two teen heroes Mark Tremonti and Scott Stapp which are at the same university and working as cooks in local restaurants, discover they have a common interest/talent. They both love to listen to music but also to create and write. The two start working together, playing and making music. They decide to dedicate their lives to music and form a band, they enlist Brian Marshall on bass, Scott Philips on drums and Brian Brasher on rhythm guitars (he will short after). The five riders start performing as a cover band in clubs, bars and even restaurants and occasionally thread original songs. They are still not cohesive in terms of musical identity and also have no name, they decide to randomly choose a name from a local newspaper and fall for an article titled "Naked Toddler", they adopt the name for several appearances until they choose the name "Creed" suggested by Brian inspired by his previous band name . (Photo: Hollywoodiconmagazine.com) Please enter your ID number... Our heroes lead the band, Mark is in charge of the music and most of the melodies (even some of the lyrics) and Scott brings his own additions and lyrics. They do not know what the future holds but they are sure it is their way and they go for it with all their might. They set up an impromptu rehearsal room in the living room of Phillips' house and begin working on the songs. Scott said that while writing, after they created 6-7 songs they did not really form their musical identity until the song "Grip My Soul", a song that was not released on any album or single, but it is the song after which the band members looked at each other and understood their musical identity, they realized that this is what they want to be. After that formative moment they wrote another 10-13 songs and start compiling a list for the debut album. Someone opened the door... The emerging band continues to perform wherever possible while inserting original songs between the covers. A guy named Jeff Hansen, who owns a club where the band appears and was very impressed with what he heard and decided to help the young gang. He connects them to a producer and multi-instrumentalist John Kurzweg, who is also a very cheap one and decides to invest $ 6,000 in the band. John invites the band to record at The Kitchen Studio, his home studio among the toys, beds, armchairs and other furniture in his house and everyone starts working. Indeed this combination works, a chemistry is created between the band members and the producer and after the members hear their music recorded for the first time they realize that they have something special here. They record 10 songs and release the album "My Own Prison" under their independent label Blue Collar Records, Mark's brother, Daniel Tremonti designs the cover. He chose a picture he took in a photography class in which his good friend sits bent over in the corner of an iron wall. Scott loved the picture and feels very connected to what it is generating and how it reflects the lyrics on the album. They took the materials and with a loan from Brian's father they printed 5,000 copies. They distributed the copies in shopping centers and stores, and within a month they managed to sell the entire quantity. Music spreads faster than fire... The album begins to resonate and a number of major record companies begin to take an interest in the band. The Wind-Up Records label is sending its new apprentice Diana Metzler to Tallahassee to look into the matter. She comes to the show where the band already has a pretty large local fan base and she is simply dazzled by Scott's stage presence and Mark's sound. She flies them to New York and within a week she signs them to the label, the young apprentice's first signing. Mark said that Scott and Brian took old pins, scratched themselves and signed the contract with blood !! The album is remixed and remastered and re-released on August 26, 1997. Diana along with Hansen who has meanwhile become the band's manager sends the album to various radio stations around the city in order to leverage the fan base that has already begun to establish in the city. The first single that also bears the name of the album starts playing on local radio stations and the music starts to spread. A radio station in the neighboring city of Georgia decides to play the song " Pity for a Dime " and the buzz is gaining even more momentum, the station invites the band to perform in the city. Scott said it was a moment he will never forget, they came to the club, went on stage and instead of performing in front of 600 people they discovered 6,000 people in front of them, at that moment they knew their dream was coming true !! The explosive chain lights up... The first single begins to spread beyond the small town, surpassing even the neighboring cities and reaching many cities across the US, taking over the top of the charts. After the two comes out one of the band's great songs " What's This Life For " written by Trimonti following the suicide of one of his high school friends. Indeed, he too continues his predecessors and conquers the tops of the charts across the US. The last explosion in the chain " One " comes out almost a year and a half after the release of the album and not only does it conquer the various charts but it enters the famous Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album stays 110 weeks in the Billboard 200, sells over 6 million copies and wins a place in The 200 best-selling albums of all time in the United States. Listen to the album on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Oh, how much we love this album... Even today, after decades of intense playing, we cannot get enough of it. Each song on the album has its own special charm and sound.... what a sound, what a crazy production. All of these make the album sound fresh as if it was only released yesterday. This album is the fruit of the vision of one man, a genius and a perfectionist. This person conceived, planned and performed every detail on this album, from setting up the studio itself, through building the equipment, writing the songs, recording, producing to the final mix. This genius is called Tom Scholz and he is responsible for the amazing album "Boston", the debut album of "Boston", released August 25, 1976. The story of the album begins in the late 60's. Tom Scholz was a student of music technicians at the prestigious MIT, one of the best universities in the world in the field of science and technology. In those days Schultz began writing the music for what would become about 7 years later one of the best-selling debut albums in the world, selling more than 20 million copies. After graduating with honors, Schultz began working in the development department of "Polaroid Corporation". At night he played keyboards for various bands in Boston pubs and in his spare time he built a recording studio in his home basement, full with equipment, electronic components and effects. Schultz also knew how to play on various instruments. He began experimenting with innovative recording and sound technics, adding more and more instruments, channels, effects and sound layers. Schultz was a perfectionist and there are rumors that he recorded certain parts over and over again dozens of times until he reached a result that satisfied him. While working in the studio, Schultz, along with drummer Jim Masdea and guitarist Barry Goudreau, formed a band called "Mother's Milk". The band replaced a large number of singers until Brad Delp got accepted to the band, thus creating the basis of the band "Boston". The band continued to perform and at the same time Schultz and the other members recorded the songs he wrote. By 1973 the band already had a demo that included six songs. Schultz sent the songs to all the record companies he could think of. The songs on that demo tape were: " More Than a Feeling ", " Peace of Mind ", " Rock & Roll Band ", " Something About You ", " Hitch a Ride " and " Don't Be Afraid ", which will eventually be included On the band's second album, " Don't Look Back ". The band received rejection letters one after the other, some of which were even insulting. In 1975, After two years, Delp gave up and left the band. Schultz also gave up on performances and locked himself in the studio for hours in an attempt to improve the recordings. He enlisted the help of his friends, who were called to the studio from time to time, and re-recorded some of the songs and instruments. Equipped with a new and satisfactory recording, Schultz decided to use some of the connections and passed the recording to a friend from "Polaroid" whose cousin worked at the record company "ABC Records". The same cousin placed the tape on the desk of one of the company employees but it was forgotten there for weeks, until the same employee recalled it's existence and decided to listen to it. He got excited and contacted another friend, who was linked to "Epic" which immediately called Schultz and offered him a recording contract, but on two terms. One, was that Schultz present the materials live, in front of them, with a full band. The second, that the album will be recorded in a professional studio with a technician from "Epic". Enthusiastic Schultz was afraid to miss the opportunity and rushed to reassemble the band along with Delp and Guadro and at the same time enlisted bassist Fran Sheehan and drummer Sib Hashian. The band rented a warehouse from "Aerosmith" and preformed the live audition in front of the company members. Now Schultz had to overcome the second and higher hurdle, as most of the album had already been recorded and he did not intend to let any technician destroy what he had achieved over 7 years of perfectionist work. (Photo: Ron Pownall) Luckily for Schultz, he found an ally in John Boylan, who was entrusted with the production on behalf of the record company. Schultz sent all the band members to the Los Angeles Record Company's studio as a diversion, while he remained in Massachusetts and continued to work on improving the recordings in his basement. Not only did Boylan ignore the fact that Schultz stayed in his home basement, but he even flew his recording technician, Paul Grupp, to Boston to help Schultz record the acoustic instruments, as he thought Schultz's work on the acoustic was not good enough. After the recordings were completed, Schultz flew to Los Angeles to perform the final mixes. It is amazing to think that the end result of this album, with its amazing sound, included the same recordings from Schultz's basement with only minor additions and changes, which were recorded in studios in Los Angeles. Moreover, all the songs on the album except for one "Let Me Take You Home Tonight", which ends the album and was written by Delp, are the same songs from the original demo tape on which Schultz began working 7 years earlier. This album was defined as one of the most complex projects in the history of music, but at the same time it was also one of the cheapest, costing only thousands of dollars. All thanks to the initiative and execution of the genius Tom Schultz, who created most of this album with his ten fingers. This album demonstrates how perseverance and goal adherence ultimately pays off. This is a timeless masterpiece that features some of Rock's most beautiful songs. The opening song, " More Than a Feeling ", which was the first single released from the album in September 1976, reached number 39 on VH1's all-time best rock song rankings. The song is on the list of the 500 greatest songs of all time at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now hold on tight: the song was one of the influences on Kurt Cobain in writing the riff for Nirvana's song "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Cobain noted in an interview the following words about that famous reef: "It was such a clichéd riff. It was so close to a Boston riff." Schultz himself mentioned The Left Banke's song "Walk Away Renee" as the inspiration for this masterpiece and defined the song as a bitter-sweet ballad. By the way, the "Marianne" mentioned in the song is Schultz's cousin, who was a few years older than him, in whom Schultz was in love in his youth. Schultz noted that years later, when she found out he mentioned her in the song, she was really angry with him. The second track, " Peace of Mind ", released as the third single from the album, shows the perfect combination, repeated on this album, between the acoustic guitars and the sound of the electric guitar so unique to "Boston". This combination existed in bands like "Led Zeppelin", "The Who" and "Yes", but "Boston" improved it and brought it to perfection. Another hallmark of Boston's so unique sound is Brad Delp's incredible singing, whose harmonies have been achieved by recording repeated layers of his voice. It is interesting to note that the drum roles here were developed by Jim Masdea, but re-recorded by Sib Hashian as part of the improvements Schultz made to the recordings. Schultz wrote the song about his friends at "Polaroid Corporation" and his own unwillingness to climb the ranks of the company's top management. Delp himself defined this song as an example of Schultz's ability to combine the harmonies of "the Beach Boys" with the heavy guitar sound of "Led Zeppelin". "Guitar World" magazine chose this song as one of the 50 best rock songs of all time. The third track, " Foreplay / Long Time ", is one of the most complex and long tracks on the album, something on the verge of Progressive. "Foreplay" is the keyboard-driven instrumental section based on the "Hammond B3" organ that appears as an introduction to the song. "Long Time" includes the vocals and came out as the second single from the album and it stands on its own. Schultz noted that this was the first song he ever wrote and recorded, back in 1969. "Rolling Stone" magazine defined the song as a combination of "Yes" and "Led Zeppelin". The three solo tracks in the second part of the song are played by Barry Goudreau. The other side of the vinyl opens with " Rock & Roll Band ". Many thought the song told the story of "Boston", but this was not the case. "Boston" was not a band at all until the mix stage of the album. The song was written following Schultz's conversation with drummer Jim Masdea who was in the Boston pub and club scene and told Schultz about the struggles of local bands to get a recording contract. The song " Smokin' " was originally called "Shakin" and contrary to popular belief does not deal with marijuana. The song tells about the feelings when listening to music. The song has received several cover versions, one of the most interesting of which is that of the thrash metal band Anthrax. " Hitch a Ride " was originally called "San Francisco Day" and Schultz used to play it in shows of the first variations of "Mother's Milk". The song opens as a quiet and pleasant acoustic ballad and develops with the takeover of the Hammond organ and electric guitars. The song features one of the most beautiful solo pieces on the album that spans about half of the song. The album ends with two recently written tracks: Schultz's " Something About You ", originally called "Life Isn't Easy" and was Schultz's last demo in 1975, and "Let Me Take You Home Tonight" which is the only song Delp wrote and also plays acoustic guitar. Boston's debut album is considered one of the greatest albums in rock history. It is on the list of the 200 greatest albums of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and in the book "1001 albums that you must listen to before you die". Schultz's perfectionism will help him put out more masterpieces, but it will also cause a relatively slow creation process with huge intervals between albums. In the early 1980s, Schultz founded "Scholz Research & Development, Inc." The company will market, among other things, the successful guitar amplifier "Rockman", which was invented by Schultz. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Here are some facts about Vivian Campbell, known as the lead guitarist for "Dio" and "Def Leppard". (Photo: Kevin Winter) 1. He was born Vivian Patrick Campbell on August 25, 1962, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 2. At the age of 12, Vivian Campbell started playing guitar, utilizing a Telecaster Thinline and a Carlsbro Stingray amp. 3. By the time he was 15, Campbell joined a band called "Teaser", which later evolved into "Sweet Savage", a band associated with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM). 3. In the early 1980s, Campbell rose to prominence as replacing Jake E. Lee as the guitarist of "Dio", a legendary heavy metal band fronted by Ronnie James Dio . 4. Campbell played a pivotal role in the band and contributed to the band's sound, although Ronnie James Dio , Vinny Appice , and former "Rainbow" bassist Jimmy Bain already had most of the songs for the album " Holy Diver " prepared. 5. "Holy Diver," Dio's album featuring Campbell's guitar work, was released in 1983 and became a significant success. 6. Continuing with Dio, Campbell contributed to albums such as " The Last In Line " (1984) and " Sacred Heart " (1985), which also achieved commercial success. 7. Sadly guitarist Vivian Campbell, who no doubt fit into this lineup like a glove, was fired by Dio in the middle of a tour that supported the album " Sacred Heart ". 8. His last release with the band was the live album "Intermission" released in 1986. 9. Before Campbell was fired from the band, he and his bandmates participated in the " Hear 'n Aid " project, which aimed to raise money for the famine in Africa. Dio, Campbell, and Bain wrote and composed the song "Stars", which was performed by the leading artists in heavy metal at the time. 10. In 1987, Vivian Campbell took a significant step by joining "Whitesnake", which had recently recorded their album " Whitesnake ". 11. Despite not being involved in the original album tracks, Campbell re-recorded the guitar solo for the single release of "Give Me All Your Love." 12. Throughout his time with "Whitesnake", Campbell's relationship with lead vocalist David Coverdale became strained due to personal conflicts involving their wives, impacting the band's dynamics. 13. Following the tour supporting "Whitesnake's" self-titled album, Coverdale informed the band that the next album would be written solely by him and guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, leading to Campbell's departure. 14. Campbell's relationship with David Coverdale eventually found resolution during a tour where "Def Leppard" and "Whitesnake" shared the stage in 2008. 15. In 2015, Campbell returned to the "Whitesnake" stage for a special performance of "Still of the Night" in Sheffield, signifying a symbolic reconciliation. 16. After departing "Whitesnake" in December 1988, Campbell took on diverse musical projects. In 1989 he played guitar in 3 songs from Lou Gramm 's second solo album "Long Hard Look". 17. That same year he played acoustic guitar on the song "Desperate" taken from "Vixen's" debut album. 18. In 1989 he also produced the first demo for "Riverdogs", a band he later officially joined. 19. In 1990 he was part of their debut album "Riverdogs". Campbell will rejoin the band for their later releases "World Gone Mad" (2011) and "California" (2017). 20. In 1991, Campbell joined Lou Gramm 's new band "Shadow King". That same year he released their eponymous album with them. 21. In 1992 he played lead guitar on two songs from "Gotthard's" eponymous debut album. 22. That same year, Vivian Campbell joined "Def Leppard", taking over the role of lead guitarist after the passing of Steve Clark in 1991. 23. Campbell made his "Def Leppard" debut at a club show in Dublin and later performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, showcasing his new role in the band. 24. Despite facing challenges, including a diagnosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013, Campbell continued touring and playing with "Def Leppard". 25. He released 6 studio albums with the band, the first "Slang" from 1996 and the last "Diamond Star Halos" was released in 2022. 26. Alongside his band commitments, Campbell released a solo album titled "Two Sides of If" in 2005, showcasing his affinity for blues music. Terry Bozzio plays drums on the album. "ZZ Top's" Billy Gibbons guests on two songs, and Joan Osborne on one other song. 27. In mid-2010, when "Def Leppard" was on hiatus, Campbell joined "Thin Lizzy", one of his favorite band. 28. In 2012, After the tour, he asked Jimmy Bain and Vinny Appice both from the original lineup of "Dio" to get together for a "Dio" tribute project that ultimately became "Last In Line". 29. They released "Heavy Crown" in 2016, showcasing a positive reconnection with his Dio legacy, followed by their second album "II" from 2019. 30. In 2014 Campbell played the guitar solo on the song "Gangbang at the Old Folks Home" from "Steel Panther" album, "All You Can Eat". "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Here are some interesting facts about Geoff Downes - English keyboardist known as a member of "The Buggles" "Yes", "Asia" and much more: (Photo: vinylwritermusic.wordpress.com) = He was born on August 25, 1952 in Stockport, Cheshire, England, to musical parents; his father was a church organist, and his mother was a pianist. = Downes attended Stockport Grammar School and later graduated from Leeds College of Music. = His musical influences include Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson, and Dave Sinclair. = During the 60s Downes displayed his early talent, playing keyboards with several local bands. = After moving to London, he worked as a session musician and composed advertising jingles. = In the years 1975-1977 Downes played in various bands, including "She's French" and "Gary Boyle's band". He also worked on a theatre production of "The Wombles". = In 1977 Downes met Trevor Horn while auditioning for Tina Charles' backing band, leading to the formation of "The Buggles". = In 1978 Downes and Horn briefly formed the group "Chromium", recording the album "Star to Star" with Anne Dudley and Hans Zimmer. = In 1979 "The Buggles" achieved worldwide fame with the release of their hit single "Video Killed the Radio Star", which became the first video clip ever played on MTV . = In 1980 "The Buggles" released their debut album, "The Age of Plastic". = The same year Downes and Horn joined "Yes", contributing to the album " Drama ". Downes became the first member of "Yes" with a music degree. = In 1981 "Yes" disbanded and Downes worked with Horn on "The Buggles'" second album, "Adventures in Modern Recording". = The same year Downes co-founded the supergroup "Asia" with Steve Howe , John Wetton , and Carl Palmer . = In 1982 he played in one song from Kate Bush's album "The dreaming". = In 1982 "Asia" released their debut album, " Asia ", featuring the hit single "Heat of the Moment." The album spent nine consecutive weeks at number 1 on the Billboard charts. = In the years 1983 and 1985 "Asia" released their second and third album, "Alpha" and "Astra". = In 1985 Downes played in Agnetha Faltskog's album "Eyes of a Woman". = In 1986 he co-produced the "Nothing in Common" single for "Thompson Twins". = In the years 1986-1990 Downes left "Asia" briefly but rejoined in 1990, remaining a consistent member since then. = In 1986 Downes produced the Album "GTR" of Steve Howe and Steve Hackett 's supergroup "GTR". = In 1987 he co-produced Mike Oldfield 's album "Islands". = In 1989 Downes participated in a remake of "Deep Purple's" "Smoke on the Water" to raise funds for Spitak earthquake victims. = In 2001 he released his first studio album with John Wetton . = In the years 2005-2009 Downes continued his collaborated with John Wetton on the "Icon" project, releasing three studio albums an EP and a live DVD. = In the year 2006 Downes joined Alan White 's band, "White", for their debut album. = In 2006 Downes reunited with the original "Asia" lineup and continued touring with them until 2008. = In 2008 "Asia" released "Phoenix", the first new album by the original lineup since 1983. = In 2010 Downes released the solo album "Electronica".  = In 2011 he rejoined "Yes", recording "Fly from Here" and returning as their full-time keyboardist. = In 2012 Downes co-founded the "Downes Braide Association" (DBA) with Chris Braide, releasing the album "Pictures of You". = Until 2023 Downes will continue to release 4 more albums under the "DBA" title. = In 2012 he co-wrote most of the songs on "Asia’s" 12th studio album " XXX ". = In 2013 Downes joined the quirky, humor-oriented project Deckchair Poets, contributing to albums like "Searchin' for a Lemon Squeezer" and "Who Needs Pyjamas?" = In 2014 "Yes" released the album "Heaven & Earth" with Downes as a key contributor. = In 2015 he was featured in Greg Lake 's album "Ride the Tiger". = In 2017, After John Wetton ’s death, Downes continued "Asia’s" "Legacy" album with Billy Sherwood as bassist and vocalist. = In 2021 Downes contributed to "Yes’s" album "The Quest". = In 2023 Downes was part of "Yes’s" release of "Mirror to the Sky". = Downes has been married three times, with two daughters from his first marriage. He lives in South Wales with his third wife, Martine, and step-son, Louis. = Downes entered the Guinness Book of Records for playing 28 keyboards in a single performance. = Over the years Downes collaborated and was featured in many artists' albums, such as: Steve Howe , John Wetton , Nektar, Billy Idol, Billy Sherwood. = Downes cites "Yes’s" " Drama " as the album he is most proud of. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Singer Rob Halford is celebrating his birthday today. (Photo: Jim Louvau) Here are 16 interesting facts about the "Metal God" with the infinite range of vocal: 1. He shares the same birthday as Gene Simmons from "Kiss" and guitarist Vivian Campbell from "Def Leppard" and former "Dio". 2. Before starting his musical career he worked in a cinema that screened pornographic films. 3. He returned to "Origins" when he played a familiar role in a porn tape store, in the 2002 film "Spun" which also starred the actor Mickey Rourke. See here: 4. He is a die-hard cat lover. In an interview he gave in 2020, he testified that he has about 100 cat shirts in his possession. 5. In 2010 he participated in an advertisement for the communications company "Virgin Mobile". He played a priest. See here: 6. Rob also served as a lighting technician in the theater before joining "Judas Priest", this contributed to his theatricality in performances and among other things to the idea of ​​entering the stage on a motorcycle. 7. Speaking of a motorcycle, in the last song that ended the last show that sealed the tour to promote the album " Painkiller " he fell off his motorcycle and broke his nose. This prevented him from continuing his last encore with the band. He left immediately afterwards, until the reunion in 2003. 8. It was his sister Sue who made the connection between him and "Judas Priest". At the time, she dated Bassist Ian Hill through whom Rob was accepted into the band. Hill later married Rob's sister which made them brothers-in-law who play in the same band. 9. He used a real machine gun and fired futile bullets at the stunned audience during a tour of the " British Steel " album. This happened at the end of the song "Genocide". (Photo: ultimate-guitar.com) 10. In 1986 he was completely cleansed of drug and alcohol addictions. This did not stop him from singing background vocals in the song "Feel Good Hit of the Summer" by the band "Queens of the Stone Age" also known as "Nicotine, Valium, Vicodin, Marijuana, Ecstasy and Alcohol". 11. He has appeared as "Black Sabbath" lead singer on three different occasions. He first replaced Ronnie James Dio in two performances in 1992, after Ronnie James Dio refused to be Ozzy Osborne's opening act. The second time he replaced Ozzy Osbourne during one of the band's performances as part of the 2004 "Ozzfest". 12. Although Halford is a car collector he only got his driver's license at the age of 38. 13. Halford played the harmonica in songs, "Rocka Rolla" and "Cheater" from "Judas Priest"'s first album. 14. He wrote all the guitar roles for the album " War of Words " of his band "Fight" which he formed after leaving "Judas Priest", so technically he also knows how to play the guitar. But he stated in an interview that he is probably the worst guitar player in the world. 15. He "came out" only in 1998 during an interview with MTV and was pleasantly surprised by the reactions and support he received from metal fans. 16. The movie "Rock Star" starring Mark Wahlberg was originally supposed to be called "Metal God". Halford's lawyers claimed it was already Halford's trademark and threatened to take legal action if the movie producers did not choose a different name for the film. The film's producers were convinced and changed the name. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On August 28, 2006, "Iron Maiden" released its 14th studio album - "A Matter of Life and Death". (The album was released in the US, Canada and Japan on September 5 and in Italy and Finland on August 25). Let's start with the fact that this is the only album of "Iron Maiden" that has not been mastered. The material you are listening to sounds exactly as it sounds in the studio during the recordings, without console games and equalizers of any kind - "Pure Direct !!!" It was a conscious choice of the band that sought to sound most natural and close to the original. This is the third album since the glorious comeback of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith to the band, and the third in a row with Kevin Shirley producing the previous two albums alongside Steve Harris . The album cover and its title hint at what's going on inside. Although this is not a concept album, most of the songs on the album deal with death and war over the bloody history of mankind. The title "A Matter of Life and Death", is taken from a British film about World War II which was rated by the British Film Institute as the 20th of the 100 best films to come out of the United Kingdom. The band started to write the material for this album after two world tours that accompanied their previous and successful album " Dance of Death " from 2003. Although this is not the first "Iron Maiden album that included Progressive material, it is probably the band's first album in which the dynamics, changes Frequent rhythms and complex composition became the goal. The first single released from the album - " The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg ", is a statement of intent regarding the complexity of the album, which includes only 10 songs spread over 72 minutes. This is an epic piece that tells the story of Benjamin Brig, whose biography was published simultaneously on a special website that the band uploaded in parallel with the release of the single. The person who allegedly set up the site was a cousin of the same Benjamin, who allegedly came across an old picture of him in his grandmother's house after she passed away. The same "cousin" allegedly set up the site in an attempt to search for Benjamin and on the site his biography could be read. Benjamin Briggs was born on September 3, 1939, the day the Allied forces declared war on Germany following the invasion of Poland. Benjamin's parents died in a terrible fire that occurred in their home in 1947 and Benjamin was sent to an orphanage. He was a very smart boy but tended to be lonely and did not connect with the other children in the orphanage. He experienced nightmares at night and used to draw them. In 1954 he left the orphanage and began working as an undertaker. He later traveled the world, but on June 18, 1978, his traces disappeared. His cousin set up the site specifically for the purpose of the search, that anyone who knew details about Benjamin's whereabouts would contact him, and so it was. One of the site's visitors announced that he had details about Benjamin and scheduled a meeting with his cousin for August 14, 2006 - the day of the single's release. Like the background story, the composition of the song is dynamic and complex. The first two minutes are a quiet introduction in which Harris' bass guitar is heard with a kind of chords, with Bruce Dickinson in the background as a mouthpiece for Benjamin's voice, which invites the listener to hear his story. Later in the song explodes with one of Maiden's beautiful riffs and with melodic and amazing singing that develops as the song progresses. This dynamic and epic style is found in other notable songs from the album, such as: " These Colors Don't Run " which talks about the heavy price the patriots pay on the front lines of the war, and " The Longest Day " which gives us details of the invasion of Normandy in World War II, which took place on 6 June 1944 and lasted until August 30, 1944, and the amazing “ Brighter Than a Thousand Suns ” which foretells an impending nuclear holocaust and includes Adrian Smith playing on a synthesizer. The war line takes a slightly different angle with songs like " The Pilgrim ", “ For the Greater Good of God ”, and “ Lord of Light ” that address the role of religion in conflicts between peoples. There are no weak moments in this album. Even the shorter tracks like the second single " Different World " which rumors say is a tribute to Phil Lynott or " Out of the Shadows ", fit in perfectly here. If we look at Iron Maiden's albums since their reunion in 2000 as one whole piece, as opposed to the number of strong songs on each album individually, we think that it's one of the band's best albums of the current millennium. No wonder then, that even the band itself chose to play it from start to finish in a tour designed to fully promote it. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website