One of the great virtuoso guitarists in metal Yngwie Malmsteen is celebrating his birthday today, and we are thrilled to tell you some interesting facts about him: (Photo: Blabbermouth.net) 1. He was born on June 30, 1963 in Stockholm, Sweden as Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck. 2. At the age of seven he heard about the death of Jimi Hendrix, an event that influenced him to hold the guitar, although years later he noted that Jimi Hendrix did not influence his playing. 3. Already at the age of 10 he formed his first band "Track on Earth" with his school friends. 4. At the age of 12 he changed his last name to his mother's maiden name - Malmsten and with the addition of the letter "e", meaning Malmsteen. He also changed his first name from Yngve to Yngwie. 5. In his youth he was greatly influenced by classical music, especially that of the virtuoso violinist Niccolò Paganini and the composers Johann Sebastian Bach and Antonio Vivaldi. 6. Malmsteen developed a technical, eloquent and very unique style of playing the guitar, imitating Paganini's concerto works. 7. At the same time he found great inspiration in the playing of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore who influenced him greatly. Other influences on Malmsteen as guitarist were Brian May of "Queen", Steve Hackett from |Genesis|, Uli Jon Roth from |Scorpions| and more. 8. At the age of 19, in 1983 he joined the band "Steeler" which also included singer and guitarist Ron Keel. Malmsteen was a part of the band's debut album "Steeler" which was released in 1983. 9. Later that year he joined the band "Alcatrazz" which included singer Graham Bonnet. A year later he recorded with them the album "No Parole from Rock 'n' Roll" which was released in 1984. He also was a part of the live album "Sent Sentence" which was released after that. (Photo: Metalkingdom.net) 10. In 1984, Malmsteen released his first solo album - "Rising Force". On this album, Yngwie also played all the bass roles. 11. It was supposed to be an instrumental album as a side project for "Alcatrazz", however after singer Jeff Scott Soto joined the band, Yngwie left Alcatrazz and concentrated on his solo career. 12. It is interesting to note that the drummer on that debut album was Barrie Barlow who played with "Jethro Tull". 13. Malmsteen's debut album won the Guitar Player Magazine Best Album Award. 14. Yngwie's second album "Marching Out" from 1985 has already been released under the name of Yngwie's band which got its name from the debut album "Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force". 15. On his third album, "Trilogy", which was released in 1986, Malmsteen returned to play all the bass roles, in addition to guitar parts. 16. This album introduced to the world the amazing abilities of Malmsteen who in his playing and style helped and contributed to the development and publication of the neo-classical style. 17. In 1987, two "Rainbow" band members - bassist Bob Daisley and singer Joe Lynn Turner joined Yngwie's band. 18. That same year Malmsteen had a serious car accident, he was unconscious for a week and when he woke up he discovered that nerve damage had been done to his right hand. At the same time, his mother also died of cancer. 19. In 1988 he released his fourth album "Odyssey" with Joe Lynn Turner and Bob Daisley. It became the most successful album of Malmsteen's career. 20. That same year a special model of Fender Stratocaster guitar was released in the name of Malmsteen, making Malmsteen and Eric Clapton the first two artists to receive a Fender guitar model in their name. 21. In 1993, Malmsteen was arrested for gun threats against his future wife, but the complaint was eventually droped and Yngwie was released. 22. In 1996, Malmsteen was a guest on the song "Jealousy" by the band "Human Clay" which includes members of his former band, singer Jeff Scott Soto and bassist Marcel Jacob. 23. That same year he was also featured on "Saxon's" live album "Denim and Leather". 24. He was also a guest on two songs from the Johansson brothers' album "Johansson / Sonic Winter" which he had previously played with in his band. 25. On his 35th birthday, Malmsteen released the album he considers as his masterpiece - "Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra", in which he is accompanied by a classical orchestra - the Philharmonic of Japan. 26. In 2000 he added another significant singer to his band who was previously part of Rainbow - Doogie White. 27. In 2003 he joined Joe Satriani and Steve Vai as part of the G3 tour. 28. In 2003 and 2006 he was featured on keyboardist Derek Sherinian's albums. 29. He took the inspiration for the title of the album "Unleash the Fury" from 2005 from an incident that happened to him on a flight to Japan in 1988, where he got drunk, fell asleep and was woken up by a flight attendant who poured water on him. Yngwie was quick to respond by saying - "You've released the fucking fury!" Recorded by one of the passengers. 30. In 2007 he received the Medal of Honor in the Xbox Guitar Hero II game, which allowed very outstanding players who gain over 1,000 and more accurate notes to receive the Yngwie Malmsteen Award. 31. In 2008, Yngwie replaced his lead singer again, bringing in Tim "Ripper" Owens, with whom Yngwie recorded the song "Mr. Crowley" as a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. 32. Time magazine ranked Yngwie ninth on the list of the greatest electric guitar players of all time. 33. In 2003 he collaborated with Ronnie James Dio on the cover version of Aerosmith's song "Dream On". 34. Malmsteen has performed twice in Israel. On April 27, 2010 at the Hangar in Tel Aviv, and on September 12, 2018 at Reading club. 35. Yngwie has released 22 studio albums to date as part of his solo career, the most recent being "Parabellum" released on July 23, 2021. And now go click on the link and listen to some of his best works in the playlist that we have prepared especially for you: Click Here. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

It was without a doubt one of the biggest and best shows ever held in Israel, and no, we're not just referring to the Metal genre. Those who were at the show, know this very well, those who were not, heard mythological stories about the "earthquake" that happened there, literally!!! The newspaper headlines the next day said it all: "Metallica tore up the park", "There has never been a show like this in Israel", "World Champions" and more... On June 30, 1993, "Metallica" took the stage of HaYarkon Park in Tel Aviv as part of the never-ending tour "Nowhere Else to Roam" that accompanied the band's "Black Album", and gave the audience an energetic and perfect performance that lasted two hours and 45 dense, electrifying and powerful minutes! This is the first metal show of this magnitude that was held in Israel (and no, we did not forget "Guns" who visited the same stage about a month earlier, but with all due respect and love, "Guns" is not really metal). It was the first time when such a large audience of metalheads were in one place, jumping, raging, and roaring their souls in the most energetic show we've seen up to that point. How energetic??? Ask the 150 "Motherfuckers" who needed medical treatment during and after the show, and maybe you'll begin to understand what happened on that historic night that united all metal lovers in Israel (and more...) under one flag! It may sound clichéd, but the world of metal concerts in Israel can be divided into before and after this historic performance, which on the one hand brought a lot of new audiences into metal and on the other hand managed to heal the rifts with the old fans who felt a little "betrayed" when the band released the "Black Album". Those who read our reviews and listen to our shows, already know the personal story of one of "Faceoff" team, about how he discovered "Metallica" and Thrash Metal, somewhere in the early 80s. The boy developed with the band, experienced with them in real-time the loss of its phenomenal bassist Cliff Burton and breathed a sigh of relief when the needle touched the first groove, on the first of two vinyls, of the album "...And Justice For All". But precisely then, he lost them with the release of "The Black Album" because he (falsely) thought that they had "sold their soul", when they abandoned this mighty genre that they were among its founders. Then, on June 30, 1993, it all changed!! "Metallica" gave the "performance of a lifetime" which by a cosmic coincidence happened precisely on the birthday of that boy who has since grown up, and he receives the greatest gift he could receive. He gets the band he grew up with back. "Metallica" appeared on stage as that boy remembered it, when he first discovered them 10 years earlier. Powerful, frantic, aggressive, and kicking. "Metallica" gave that evening the best performance he had ever seen in Israel and those tens of thousands who were there would probably agree with him. Since then, the boy fell in love again and devoted himself totally to the band and to the "Black Album", and we believe that so do many Israeli metalheads who experienced the band in real time and felt a sense of "betrayal" when the "Black Album" came out. The big "comeback" of the band on stage, in front of the old fans could be seen already in the first minutes of the show, which opened with the classic "Creeping Death". The energetic band members ran around the stage like a frenzy and gave their all, as if it was their last show on earth! Two hours and 45 minutes of madness with a shattering and devastating setlist that included two encores, a bass solo, a guitar solo, great sound and lighting, pyrotechnics and flames that drove the audience crazy, showing their love to "Metallica", ranging from shouts of joy to enormous pogo circles that had not been seen before in Israel (And of course the public singing of "Axl the gay..."). And the band, it also returned a lot of blood, sweat, and fire!! They spoke a lot to the audience, complimented them and it was obvious that they too were overwhelmed by the warm reception of the Israeli audience and their love for them. Another proof that this was one of the biggest concerts in Israel, can be found in the fact that even the band itself chose the concert held in Yarkon Park as one of only 10 concerts! From the "Black Album" tour, of which was broadcast on the band's channel as part of the "Black Album's" thirtieth-anniversary celebrations. In November 2021, the band launched an exciting, huge, and ongoing archive project called "The Metallica Black Box", in which it shared with fans a wide variety of memorabilia, articles, photos, clothes, records, and rare audio and video content throughout a 40-year career. As part of the aforementioned project, on February 19, 2022, the phenomenal, tremendous, and unforgettable performance of "Metallica" that took place on June 30, 1993, in Yarakon Park, Tel Aviv, was broadcast live!!! The historic performance that was held in Israel out of hundreds of performances that took place in the years 1991-1993 was included it in the "black box" and made sure to broadcast the performance live!!! And just to drive you crazy a little more before the end and to congratulate the super fan of the band "Markman", here are some examples of the memorabilia he has from that show... Setlist: The Ecstasy of Gold Creeping Death Harvester of Sorrow Welcome Home (Sanitarium) Of Wolf and Man Wherever I May Roam The Thing That Should Not Be The Unforgiven Disposable Heroes Bass Solo Orion / To Live Is to Die / The Call of Ktulu Guitar Solo The Four Horsemen For Whom the Bell Tolls Fade to Black Master of Puppets Seek & Destroy Battery Nothing Else Matters Sad but True Last Caress One Enter Sandman "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Editor's Choice... On June 29, 2018, "Bullets For My Valentine's" released their sixth album "Gravity". We are not objective because we have already mentioned in one or more of our shows that we think this great band could have been Metallica's direct next generation before the black album. They have a wonderful combination of sawn-off riffs with melodic, insane drumming and sweeping lyrics, they have undoubtedly flowed in the thrash metal / metalcore genre. But this album is a significant change in style... Some even called it the "bastard hybrid of Linkin Park-style radio rock" that didn't really sound like a compliment. Anyway, this band is very talented, especially Matthew Tuck the band leader and lead writer, so we recommend you spend 41 minutes and 47 seconds of your time listening to the album at: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On June 29, 2004, "Rush" released its only EP, "Feedback". While preparing for the band's world tour to mark 30 years of activity, "Rush" surprised their fans by releasing an eight-track EP - "Feedback" containing cover versions of artists who influenced the Canadian power trio. When you open the album, which also in the CD version looks exactly like a vinyl album, you find an excerpt written by Neil Peart which explains the reason for the very existence of this EP. The band wanted to salute the bands that influenced them, a kind of tribute to the bands that they used to perform cover versions of their songs somewhere in their early days, at the garage or school basements in Willowdale Ontario, at a time when they were not yet known and familiar. It is also a commemoration, for the 30 years the band have been together, a kind of look back on the years that have been and where they are today, while respecting those they have learned and been influenced by along the way. Or in the words of Peart's words: "It was April of 2004, but Geddy, Alex, and I were channeling back to 1966 and 1967, when we were thirteen- and fourteen-year-old beginners. We thought it would be a fitting symbol to commemorate our thirty years together if we returned to our roots and paid tribute to those we had learned from and were inspired by. We thought we might record some of the songs we used to listen to, the ones we painstakingly learned the chords, notes, and drum parts for, and even played in our earliest bands. The tracks on this collection are songs we liked from the era that we thought we could 'cover' effectively (meaning not too many backing vocals), and have some fun with. The music celebrates a good time in our lives, and we had a good time celebrating it." As you already know with this wonderful trio everything has to be accurate, perfect and at the highest level, so even on the cover album the result was no less than fantastic. Rush bomb-shells us with 8 rock-blues-psychedelic classics, all from 1965-1970: two from "The Yardbirds", two from "Buffalo Springfield", one from "The Who", one from "Love" and two other songs of covers "Cream" "and" "Blue Cheer" did back at the 60's. No doubt these songs have received quite a few cover versions in the past, but "Rush" did it differently. They chose a slightly different direction from the previous cover versions that just tried to resemble the original, bringing their own interpretation into the songs, injecting them with boiling energy and uncompromising power. Although these are 40-year-old songs (when the album was released), "Rush" managed to make them sound new, fresh and relevant. The fun the trio had in the studio just screams out of the speakers, and you can clearly hear how much the bandmates enjoyed playing them. The opening song "Summertime Blues" - originally by Eddie Cochran, was also performed by "The Who", but "Rush" gave the credit to "Blue Cheer", whose version of the song is the nearest to "Rush" DNA. The song opens with Alex Lifeson's guitar feedback and tells us why "feedback" was chosen for the album's name. The song illustrates how "Rush" can take a simple song and make it its own. It is easy to hear why this version is much better than the original and all the covers made for this song, which serves as a musical compass for the rest of the songs on the album. The next song, "Heart Full of Soul" is a 1965 song from "The Yardbirds". You can hear Rush's version of the song soothing freshness and pushing it forward, especially in Alex Lifeson's guitar roles and Geddy Lee's vocals that sound clearer and more accurate than ever. From there we move on to what has become one of the leading protest songs against the Vietnam War, "For What It's Worth" by "Buffalo Springfield," written by Stephen Stills. The combination of Alex Lifeson's acoustic and electric with Geddy Lee's harmonic vocals provide the fertile ground on which the entire song is based, with Neil Peart having to literally hold back here, with what appears to be his most minimalist drumming of his entire career. Another perfect performance that even surpasses the original. The fourth track from the band "The Seeker" is probably the most powerful track on this mini album. Lifeson's screaming riffs, Geddy Lee's bold bass and Peart's solid and precise drumming do justice to this song and take it to a whole other dimension. Alex Lifeson's solo is reminiscent of "Rush's" rough sound from their first albums and Geddy Lee's voice sounds so tailored to the song that one can think it's an original song by the band. We return to "Buffalo Springfield" in the fifth track - "Mr. Soul", this time in a song written by Neil Young for the band. This is the darkest song on this mini-album, with a production similar to the one from the band's previous album "Vapor Trails". Listen to the sound in Lifeson's guitar riff and Geddy Lee's doubled vocals, and you will understand the resemblance to that album, which only due to its gloomy production was remixed 10 years later. The resemblance to the psychedelia of "The Byrds" in the song "8 Miles High" cannot be ignored when listening to Lifeson's solo in this song. The sixth song "Seven and Seven Is" brings us the same psychedelia, by the band "Love" from the album "Da Capo" released in 1966, only this time at a higher intensity. This is the first song where Neil Peart and Geddy Lee can finally go wild and play freely, all thanks to the wild nature of this song (by the way also in the original version). In the seventh track we return to a visit from "The Yardbirds" with the classic "Shapes of Things". The song gets a Rush-style metallic "spike" here. This is another section that allows Neil Peart and the rest of the band to let go and express themselves, especially in the second part of the song, starting with Lifeson's solo. The track that closes the album is "Crossroads", originally by Robert Johnson, familiar to us from the performance of the "Cream". This is perhaps the best cover on the album for an immortal song, which is performed here accurately and brilliantly by the trio, just an excellent piece to sign the album. The mini-album "Feedback" received excellent reviews both in terms of song selection and performance. For example, the All Music catalog praised the album and noted that fans hear "Rush" like they have never heard before. In conclusion, this is a very light and fun album to listen to, which classic rock lovers will surely enjoy, an album that the band members must have really enjoyed recording. To listen to the album: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Today is the turn of legendary drummer Ian Paice. (Photo: Pinterest.com) He was born in Nottingham, England on June 29, 1948, as Ian Anderson Paice. Paice is the only original member of the "Deep Purple" to have played in all of its various lineups. He got his first drum kit when he was 15 years old. He learned to play them alone, audibly. It was not an easy task since Paice is left-handed, so in parallel with learning the instrument itself, he also had to teach himself techniques that would allow him to play on a kit of right-handed drummers. By the way, Paice is not the only left-handed drummer. There are other such celebrities, including Ringo Starr, Phil Collins and Stuart Copeland. His first band was called "Georgie & the Rave-Ons". By the time he was 17 he had already released his first Single with them. In 1966 he joined the band "MI5" which later changed its name to "the Maze", which also included singer Rod Evans. In 1968 the two formed the first lineup of "Deep Purple" which also included Jon Lord, Ritchie Blackmore and Nick Simper. After the dissolution of "Deep Purple" in 1975, Paice formed the band "Paice Ashton Lord" in 1976, with whom he released the album "Malice in Wonderland", in 1977. In 1979, at the request of David Coverdale, he joined "Whitesnake". During his time in the band, the masterful albums "Ready An' Willing", "Come an' Get It", "Saints & Sinners" and the amazing live album "Live... in the Heart of the City", were released. In 1982, Paice joined the band of guitarist Gary Moore and recorded the album "Corridors of Power". The two later formed the band "Gary Moore Band" and released the album "Victims of the Future" and two live albums, "Rockin 'Every Night - Live in Japan" and "We Want Moore!". In 1984 with the unification of "Deep Purple" MKII lineup, Paice joined the band and has been a member of it ever since. As the only regular member of "Deep Purple", Paice has released 23 studio albums 3 EP's and 51 live albums. (Photo: Fin Costello) Paice has also collaborated with quite a few artists and played on others' albums, such as "the Velvet Underground" on the album "Squeeze", Paul McCartney on the album "Run Devil Run", George Harrison, and more. Despite the (usually) minimalist look of Ian Paice's drum set, his playing style is very powerful and dynamic. Paice has also wrote quite a few songs as a composer. His unique and amazing playing abilities can be found in many of Deep Purple's songs, the most notable of which are the 9-minute drum solos during the song "The Mule" on the album "Made In Japan" and the songs "Child In Time" and "Flight of the Rat" ". "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On June 29, 1999, it officially began!! The band, consisting of a group of talented individuals with behavioral disorders and self-destructive tendencies yet brimming with motivation, officially launched. Today marks 23 years since Slipknot released their debut album. Here's how it all began... It all began in the mid-90s in Des Moines, a remote town that serves as the capital of Iowa. At night, after everyone had gone to bed, three individuals—Paul Gray, Shawn Crahan, and Joey Jordison, gathered at the gas station where Joey worked and started making history. These three core members of the band began developing material to create a demo album, aiming to reach audiences through radio stations. Without a recording contract or support from any record company, they took matters into their own hands. They ventured into the "SR Audio" studio in their city to pursue their dreams. Known even then for their intense energy and stage presence at shows, they aimed to capture that talent on the album by recording everything live with analog equipment, avoiding digital interference. The demo cost approximately $40,000, which they funded themselves. After much hard work, dealing with mix issues, and album production, the band's first demo, titled "Mate.Feed.Kill.Repeat," was released in October 1996. The demo album featured Anders Colsefini on vocals, Donnie Steele, Mick Thomson, and Josh Brainard on guitars, Paul Gray on bass, Shawn Crahan on percussion, Joey Jordison on drums, and Craig Jones on electronics. After completing most of the recordings, guitarist Donnie left the band. The band self-distributed the demo and attempted to secure airtime on local radio stations, but without success. No radio station played their songs seriously enough to attract interest from any record label. After the demo album's failure, the members decided to change their approach and brought in singer Corey Taylor to replace Anders, aiming to give the songs a more melodic sound. They returned to the studio to refine their material, creating slightly more melodic and accessible songs. In early 1998, the band recorded their second demo (details about it are scarce), specifically targeting record companies and featuring five songs of entirely new material. One of the standout tracks on the album was "Spit It Out". With the help of the band's manager, Sophia John, they secured the support of producer Ross Robinson (Korn, Limp Bizkit, The Blood Brothers). Ross listened to the album and signed the band to his independent label. Revising their course proved successful, as the band garnered significant attention from record companies. With Ross' assistance, they ultimately secured a seven-album deal with "Roadrunner Records." Notably, the band has released all their albums to date with this label. Armed with a record contract, the ecstatic members relocated to Malibu, California, and began working on their debut album at "Indigo Ranch Studios," produced by Ross Robinson. The recordings were intense and wild. Ross, who quickly recognized the band's unique energy during performances, aimed to capture that in the studio. Like their demo album, everything was recorded in an analog manner, contrasting with the rising use of Pro Tools at the time. Although the drum parts were completed in just three days, the rest of the album took longer to record. During the Christmas break, the members returned to their hometown for a brief rest, but came back to the studio without guitarist Josh Brainard. Josh was replaced by Jim Root and joined by DJ Sid Wilson. Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to present to you........ Slipknot!! (Photo: Slipknot PR) This album unveiled a hallucinatory and terrifying composition by nine members, all clad in industrial overalls and wearing grotesque masks. The words 'fear' and 'anxiety' come to mind when viewing the album cover. This marked Slipknot's introduction to the world! They gained prominence as the Nu-Metal genre was gaining traction and admiration globally. While other bands were rough, tough, and heavy, none were quite like "Slipknot"! They were the angry, mentally unstable, twisted, and unpredictable siblings of the same genre, representing what was and still is Extreme Metal! With this album, they pushed metal's boundaries to the extreme and redefined "intensity" in the music world. Here are the band members who contributed to this album and launched Slipknot's career: (#8) Corey Taylor – vocals (#7) Mick Thomson – guitars (#6) Shawn "Clown" Crahan – percussion, backing vocals (#5) Craig "133" Jones – samples, media (#4) Jim Root – guitars (#3) Chris Fehn – percussion, backing vocals (#2) Paul Gray – bass, backing vocals (#1) Joey Jordison – drums, mixing (#0) Sid Wilson – turntables This is how it appeared in the year the debut album was released: We encourage you to find a secluded spot, increase the volume, get ready, and click the link: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Limp Bizkit's fifth album "Gold Cobra" was released on June 28, 2011! This is the band's fifth album to arrive after 8 years of hiatus (we know there were EPs and at least two compilation albums), and the first since "Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water" with all the original band members. In 2001 Wes Borland left the band and guitarist Mike Smith from the band "Snot" was recruited to record the album "Results May Vary" which was released in 2003. Then... Wes Borland came back... and Fred Durst who was a bored millionaire, decided he wants to release an album. These guys have decided to explode and put out everything they have on this album, Wes' mowing guitars, Fred's "deep" and cutting lyrics, Otto's (not the magazine's) booms, Sam's bass, and the "Lethal" DJ's scratches, they all come to give in, to flip the thatch for you and to dismantle your shape !! As we mentioned several times in our podcasts, despite being an intelligent guy and a talented musician, most of the time Fred's writing is superficial and his sentences are a collection of gibberish words, with no meaning. True, sometimes there is depth and sometimes there are even themes, but most of the time they are there to express Fred's 'appreciation' of a particular person or to describe "love" relationships between people or more correctly species. Let's put it on the table, Limp Bizkit's music is not music for contemplation, deep thoughts or emotions, and enlightenment (although there are some serious meanings from time to time). Their music is mostly to party, make you go wild, take out aggression, and even lose your temper. Break up as much as possible to the sounds of metal and rap and let no one tell you what to do. So give Fred some slack with all regarding lyrics and focus mostly on the music. Indeed, this time too, after 8 years of hiatus they are undoubtedly delivering the goods, giving us a very strong album reminiscent of their first album, and putting out all the aggressions in riffs, scratches, programming, and samples. It sounds like they are back to their youth and completely ignoring the fact that more than 20 years have passed since then. (Photo: Ryan Burchfield) As for the lyrics, do not expect substantial improvement this time either. Fred is probably sure he's a teenage boy who takes out all his frustration and anger through the words of anyone who interacts with him. He's angry about the "Autotuned", he gets off the "Douche Bags" in Beverly Hills "90.2.10", he sends the listeners to "Find Life" on "Get A Life" and urges them to buy "Shotgun" to be prepared for "Shark Attack". Finally, he makes it clear to you unequivocally that if you do not want to go out as a "Loser", then just leave everything and walk away with "Walking Away", because otherwise, he will come, yes the "Gold Cobra" will come and bite you. So “Why Try” ?? Just indulge in rage, power, vent, and aggression, and release the "Killer In You"! Now that you understand the link between the songs, feel free to listen to the album on: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

"AC/DC's" ninth album (or tenth if you count the albums released in Australia), "Fly On The Wall" was released on June 28, 1985. This album is considered by many to be one of the weakest albums of this great band. We think a little differently. So true, the year 1985 finds AC/DC in a not-so-simple situation. A new breed of young metal bands like "Ratt", "Motley Crue", "Def Leppard" and "Twisted Sister" dominate the dome and sell millions of albums with the help of MTV, and suddenly AC/DC has to fight for its place at the top. Now add to that the internal problems involved in the departure of Phil Rudd - their regular drummer for a decade and the task of locating the new drummer Simon Wright. Five years earlier the band was at the height of its success with the most perfect comeback album Back In Black, and suddenly after a mediocre "Back to the Roots" album that received mixed reviews ("Flick Of The Switch"), it suddenly had to prove itself again in front of a young generation that grew into glam And the hair metal of the early 1980s. The band is in at a crossroads. They have to choose whether to go with the flow and dedicate themselves to the God of MTV and attract the attention of the new generation of "rockers", or to stay true to themselves and believe they can do it again (after all, they've already died and rose again from ashes). Admit it, you were not prepared for this, but "AC/DC" chose not to choose. They are left standing at the crossroads squinting left and right with no ability to decide where they want to turn. On the one hand, "AC/DC" tries to please the MTV audience and releases a VHS tape that includes five clips of the songs: "Fly on the Wall", "Danger", "Sink the Pink", "Stand Up", "Shake Your Foundations". On the other hand, Angus and Malcolm decide to produce the album themselves in an attempt to recreate the immature and simple sound from their first albums (a fact that will probably hurt the sound of the album a bit). Surprisingly, despite the indecision and perhaps precisely because of it, "AC/DC" released an album that probably saved their career. The band manages to produce (unintentionally) the formula, which on one hand will retain its old and loyal audience, and on the other hand, will attract a younger audience. The VHS tape got airtime on various music shows, especially "Headbangers Ball" and this exposes the band to the MTV generation, but not only. The band receives a surprising offer to be part of the soundtrack to Stephen King's film "Maximum Overdrive". The soundtrack that comes out a year later is called "Who Made Who" and it includes songs from different periods of the band alongside songs from the album "Fly On The Wall", which got a re-production and especially a balance correction and Brian Johnson's increased voice that did not sound good on the original album. The collection of songs in the soundtrack will also include "Who Made Who", a single that will bring the band relative success in the sales charts, but it will mostly give the band greater exposure because it is actually a sort of Greatest Hits album that allows a new audience to know some of the band greatest moments. It turned out that although "Fly On The Wall" is not considered one of the band's major albums, it is the one that probably managed to save them. The rough production of Malcolm Young and Angus Young, the clips released for MTV, and, yes, even the story that made headlines at the time about serial killer Richard Ramirez who was allegedly a fan of the band, left the band deep in consciousness and probably also were the cause for getting the offer to be a part of the Stephen King's new film "Maximum Overdrive" in 1986. So true, when it was released the album "Fly On The Wall" received cold reviews. Even the sales (only a million copies in the United States) indicated that this was not one of the band's highs. At the same time, there are great songs on this album that have managed to overcome production issues and remain relevant for over three decades thereafter. Songs like the theme song, "Shake Your Foundations", "Playing with Girls", "Sink the Pink" and more are an integral part of the endless soundtrack of this great band and will stay with us forever. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

"Bon Jovi's" sixth album, "These Days", was released on June 27, 1995, so let us tell you 25 facts about it: 1. Two names were considered to serve as the title of the album: "Open All Night" and "Strip", but they were rejected in favor of a title that represented the name of a song from it "These Days". 2. This is the band's first album without bassist Alec John Such. 3. Who replaced him informally in the band was bassist Hugh McDonald. 4. Hugh McDonald's informal membership ended in 2016, after becoming a formal member of the band. 5. The album as a whole tends in a darker direction than the band's previous albums. 6. According to Bon Jovi the album was influenced by the age of grunge and alternative and bands like "Pearl Jam", "Tool" and "Nine Inch Nails". 7. The album was produced by Peter Collins who was chosen by the band following his achievements with bands like "Rush", "Queensrÿche" and Alice Cooper. 8. Recordings of the album began at Bon Jovi's private studio - Sanctuary I, in Woodstock New York. 9. The recordings were stopped in the middle and the band continued to record the album in Los Angeles, due to the fact that near the recording studio the metal band Fear Factory recorded the album "Demanufacture" and the huge noise interfered with the band and the recordings. 10. With its release, the album jumped straight to number one on the UK charts, washing away Michael Jackson's "History" album. 11. Since then the album has been at the top for 4 consecutive weeks. 12. Five successful singles were released from the album that entered the top ten in the charts. 13. This is the highest number of singles to enter the top ten on the UK charts, of all Bon Jovi's albums. 14. The opening song "Hey God" was influenced by a case where Richie Sambora watched from his limo window on a homeless man living inside a cardboard box. He felt guilty, told Jon Bon Jovi about the case and the two wrote the song about it. 15. The theme song "These Days" is the most played song in the band's performances from the album. 16. The song "(It's Hard) Letting You Go" was written by Bon Jovi for the movie "Moonlight and Valentino" in which he also appeared. 17. The song "Diamond Ring" was originally written for the 1988 album "New Jersey". 18. The song "My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms" was written during a session where Jon Bon Jovi experienced a writing barrier, so he leaned on the song "Bed of Roses" as the anchor from which he began writing. 19. The song "Damned" is based on a man's affair with a married woman. 20. Due to the great success in parades and sales in Europe, the album was released a year later in an expanded version called "These Days Special Edition" and included a disc with 8 bonus tracks. 21. The original version of the album included 12 tracks, 6 of which were co-written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, two by Jon Bon Jovi alone, and four in collaboration with Desmond Child. 22. The Japanese version of the album included 2 more songs: "All I Want Is Everything" and "Bitter Wine". 23. Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora wrote about 40 songs for the album, of which only 12 were selected. 24. The album reached number two on "Q" Magazine's 1995 Great charts. 25. He also won "Kerrang" Magazine's Album of the Year. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On June 27, 1970, a historic and significant event in the history of "Queen" took place. (Photo: Flickr.com) Freddie Bulsara takes the stage for the first time with members of the band "Queen" then called "Smile". The band then included Brian May on guitar, Roger Taylor on drums, Freddie Bulsara (Freddie Mercury) on vocals, and Mike Gross on bass. Gross replaced the band's former bassist/singer Tim Staffell, who left and joined a band called Humpy Bong. This historic show, which took place on June 27, 1970, took place in the town hall of Truro in the county of Cornwall in England, which will later become the Hall For Cornwall. Drummer Roger Taylor was a native of the city of Terror, to which he moved with his family when he was 7 years old. The person who organized the show was Taylor's mother. This was a charity show of the Red Cross held in front of 200 people and the band members earned 50 pounds each for it, a nice amount for the period and circumstances. Taylor's mother placed two ads in the Brighton newspaper to promote the show. Although the ads were still published with the band's name as Smile, just before the show, the band members decided to take the stage with the name Queen after Freddie insisted. The show opens with "Stone Cold Crazy" which 4 years later will be part of the band's third album "Sheer Heart Attack". The rest of the songs on the show were a mix of original material like "Father to Son" which would be released later on the album "Queen II", along with cover versions of Little Richard's songs. Brian May later noted that given the nature of the show they played more cover versions than original material. People in the audience will tell that Freddie's performance was tremendous, he sounds like he's been doing it for years. He had a tremendous stage presence and sheer charisma that swept the band forward. Roger Taylor noted years later that his mother who organized the show was simply shocked by Freddie's performance. He had a tremendous voice and he had not even yet developed at that time his familiar and powerful singing technique. Gross will later be replaced by John Deacon, Freddie Bulsara soon changes his last name to Freddie Mercury and the rest is history. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

It's a little hard to believe, but on this day, June 27, two most legendary and influential bassists passed away. (Photo: www.thewho.com) The first, Chris Squire from "Yes", and the second meteor - the legendary John Entwistle, the bassist of "The Who" who is considered one of the most important and influential bassists in Rock, who was known for his wild and powerful playing and therefore received the nickname "Thunderfingers". So let's tell you 20 important facts about John Entwistle: 1. He was born on October 9, 1944, in a western suburb of London named John Alec Entwistle. 2. His musical career began when he was 7 years old, then began to learn to play the piano. 3. At the age of 11, John moved to play the trumpet and from there to French horn. 4. His playing skills led him to become part of the school orchestra. 5. He met Pete Townshend in his sophomore year and the two formed their first jazz ensemble "the Confederates". 6. After one show together their band switched from jazz to rock and roll. 7. At one point John decided to switch to playing the guitar, but because he had thick and big fingers he finally chose a bass guitar. 8. He built his first guitar on his own at home. 9. Roger Daltrey later asked Entwistle to join his band "the Detours". He was a year older than Entwistle and attended the same school. 10. After joining Daltrey's band, Entwistle did his best to get Pete Townsend to join the band as well. Indeed, in 1963 Daltrey fired all the band members except Entwistle and joined Townsend as a guitarist, while giving up playing the guitar and switching only to singing. 11. Later Keith Moon also joined the band as a drummer and in 1964 the band changed its name to "The Who". 12. Entwistle will release ten albums along with "The Who", from 1965 to 1982. 13. He was also the first of the band members to release a solo album in 1971, releasing a total of 7 albums during his solo career. 14. Over the years, Entwistle has managed to have another nickname - "The Ox". The nickname "The Bull", came to John because of his tremendous eating abilities as well as the way he performed on stage in a frozen position. 15. During his membership in the band, John co-wrote well-known songs, including "The Ox" (his nickname). (Photo: www.thewho.com) 16. He developed a very unique playing on the bass and took full advantage of the potential inherent in the instrument as he turned it into a leading instrument. 17. He called his unique playing technique on the bass the "typewriter." The technique places the right hand over the strings so that all four fingers can tap the strings rhythmically. This way of playing allowed him to play faster and more dominantly. 18. He was among the first to use "double amplification", with the high and low tones being sent in separate signals to different amplifiers. This caused a load of amplification and much equipment and speakers designed for him on stage, in what became known as "Little Manhattan." 19. Entwistle was among the first to make use of steel bass strings, which were developed especially for him. 20. John Entwistle passed away on June 27, 2002, at the "Hard Rock Hotel" in Las Vegas. The cause of death was determined to be a heart attack that apparently resulted from drug use. It happened just one day before the start of the planned "Who's" tour in the United States. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Editor's Choice... And this time on a masterpiece album by an excellent band, but in our opinion not well known and appreciated. On June 27, 1989 "Gretchen Goes to Nebraska", "King's X" second studio album, was released. This is one of the most important albums in its impact on the development of the progressive metal genre. A concept album that tells a short story conceived by the band's drummer Jerry Gaskill. So for those unfamiliar with the band, "King's X" is a power trio from Houston USA, which was founded somewhere in 1979 in Springfield Missouri by bassist and singer Doug Pinnick, drummer Jerry Gaskill and guitarist and singer Ty Tabor. The three called themselves "the Edge" and added rhythm guitarist Dan McCollam who was soon replaced by Kirk Henderson - Tabor's friend. The quartet played in pubs as a cover band that played mostly classic rock songs. In 1983 Henderson leaves the band, and Phoenix, Gaskill, and Tabor decide to continue as a trio. They change the band's name to "Sneak Preview" and release their first album of the same name, back in the same year, self-funded and independently labeled. However, this album fails to arouse interest and the band finds itself without the possibility of releasing another album or funding from a record company. In 1985 the band moved its operations center to Houston in an attempt to connect with the "Star Song" Records record company based in Houston. This attempt was unsuccessful however the band met Sam Taylor who was a member of the board of "ZZ Top" in Houston. Sam soon became the band's director, producer, and mentor, to the point that many see him as the band's fourth member. Sam was the one who convinced the trio to change its name to "King's X" and even pushed them to change their style to more complex and experimental music. With Sam's help, the band managed to sign a contract with "Megaforce Records". (Photo: Soundcloud.com) In 1988, the band released, for the first time, an album under the name "King's X", this was "Out of the Silent Planet", which name was given from a book by the same name by the British writer C. S. Lewis. The album was praised by the fans and music critics, but also by artists who greatly appreciated the original sound and new style that the band brought with it. For example, Rex Brown and Dimebag Darrell from "Pantera" mentioned that this was the sound they were looking for in "Panthera" and that at that time they were listening to this album non-stop. This example illustrates well why later on "King's X" had the name of a band whose fans are artists themselves. On "Gretchen Goes to Nebraska", the band took their all-too-unique sound and style a step further. The combination of the heavy progressive of another power trio - "Rush", together with singing that draws from the harmonies and melodies of "the Beatles", got an extra twist here with the addition of new instruments such as sitar, dulcimer, and flutes. The musical style also evolved and received further diversity, with a combination of psychedelic motifs, hard rock, and gospel mixed with progressive. Lyrically, the album revolves around religion and Christianity, which will later lead to the band's cataloging under the genre of "Christian Rock", a move that will probably affect its future and undermine its publicity and success. For example, "Over My Head" is a song in which the gospel and church atmosphere is well evident. The song was written by Pinnick five years before it was recorded for the album. He recorded it on a cassette in his home studio and when the band went over materials for the album he came across it. He was very surprised that his bandmates really liked it. The lyrics were influenced by Pinnick's grandmother who brought the music to his life. Pinnick is ​​an African-American and his grandmother exposed him as a child to gospel singing in church and at home. Pinnick noted that the structure of the song is influenced by the song "Let Love Rule" by Lenny Kravitz. He believed that Kravitz's song has "The Beatles" vibe, it's being built and evolving, but precisely when it comes to the chorus there is a kind of a drop. He noted that this was the first time he had heard an anti-climax chant that still managed to do the job. In the song "Pleiades" the band confronts the injustices that can be done in the name of religion and specifically the burning of Giordano Bruno, a 16th-century Italian philosopher, mathematician, and cosmologist who was burned just because of his views. Criticism from another direction can be heard in the song "Mission", which refers to the brainwashing that preachers pass on to television viewers in the name of Christianity. It is interesting to note that the album's mesmerizing opening song - "Out of the Silent Planet" is identical to the name of the band's previous album, thus creating a kind of continuity between the two albums. The title of the song and album came from the title of the book by the British author C. S. Lewis, which bears the same name and is the first part of his science fiction trilogy. Well, the name of another song on the album - "The Difference (In the Garden of St. Anne's-on-the-Hill)" is taken from a chapter in the third book in the same trilogy called - "That Hideous Strength". The album also features "Summerland", a kind of ballad with a catchy, melodic, and sweeping arpeggio chord sequence, "Fall on Me" with the amazing vocal harmonies, "Don't Believe It" with Gaskil's excellent percussion work, and Tabor's innovative guitar sound, Which sounded in the solo as Dimebag Darrell's guitar would sound a few years later, and of course the amazing "The Burning Down" that seals the album and brings us back to the same atmosphere in the song that opened it. This album is probably the pinnacle of the band's work. A masterpiece that contributed greatly to the development of the prog-metal genre, and forms a connecting thread between "Rush's" prog albums from the 1970s and "Dream Theater's" works in the 1990s. An album with a unique sound and style that is a must for fans of the genre. And now all you have left to do is to listen: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website