on September 3, 1991 "Rush" decided to roll its lucky dice, with "Roll The Bones". This is the band's 14th studio album and its first released in the 90s. In June 1989, the band completed the tour that accompanied their previous album "Presto". The band members said they finished the tour with a taste of more and that they had a desire to continue with the column. After a short break that the band has taken for themselves, Alex, Geddy, and Neil take these positive energies with them to the studio and pour them into the songs. They described the creative process as optimistic, literally a "rebirth" within the band. This album continues the musical line of the previous album "Presto", which included moving away from the Synthpop style that took over the band's albums during the 1980s, reducing the dominance of the keyboards and returning to basic guitar-based rock. The style of this album is not much different from its predecessor, only this time the band is not afraid to have fun with other genres such as Funk and even a bit of Rap. The writing process has also changed and this time it starts with the guitar and bass of the Lee-Lifeson duo, as opposed to the writing that characterized some of the albums of the 80s and started with keyboards. Lyrically Neil Peart bases his writing on the concept of "risk-taking", a motif that runs like a second thread between the album's songs and also seeps into the album cover, which features the lucky dice representing the gamble and risk-taking. The album opens with the murmur of "Dreamline's" passing car and the "blocked" strings of Alex Lifeson's guitar, which synchronize perfectly with Neil Peart's stick blows on the rim of the snare drum. Geddy Lee's bass joins in the second bar and leads us hand in hand to the powerful entrance with the simple and catchy riff at the base of the song. Guitar-bass-drums that connect together, as one instrument, with the keyboard that accompanies in the background, and when Lifeson squeezes the guitar at 2:58 we understand that although only 4 years have passed since "Hold Your Fire" but we are light years away from the musical style that dominated it. The second track "Bravado" is a quiet and moving song that talks about dealing with failure. It is the contrast to the song "The Pass", a song no less exciting from the album "Presto" that talks about suicide. This song was described by Geddy Lee as one of Rush's best works, partly due to its special and different structure from the rest of the band's material. Alex Lifeson also noted that this is a special song for him especially because he recorded his solo spontaneously and in one take. He said it was late at night in the studio and he was supposed to improvise a solo, something not binding just to see how it sounded like on the pre-recorded song, but the emotion suddenly hit him and he came out with such a good solo that he just did not want to replace it. Neil Peart is also at his best here. At first, it sounds like a calm and quiet song that is very easy to play but if you listen to the drum roles towards the end of the song (start after 3:00) and you will understand how complex they are. And now that you have listened, we will tell you that Peart nailed it in one take !!!! What a legendary drummer. The theme song "Roll the Bones" is the big surprise of this album. The name of the song refers to a science fiction story by writer Fritz Lieber called "Gonna Roll the Bones". Peart also loved the pun and context of the dice that are also on the album cover. Geddy Lee said the band was in a good mood and they decided to have some fun so they included the Rap section in the middle of the song. Although some may think that Neil Peart is the one who recites the Rap section, it is actually the voice of Geddy Lee who has undergone a sound distortion and a lowering of the frequency. "Where's My Thing?" Is the band's first instrumental piece in a decade, since "YYZ" which was included on the masterpiece album "Moving Pictures" from 1981. The instrumental piece has another title - "Part IV, 'Gangster of Boats' Trilogy". This is a double internal joke by the band, both about the "fourth part of the trilogy" and the name "Gangster of Boats" that Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson threatened Peart they will give to the album, if he had a hard time choosing a more appropriate name. The band said they very much wanted to record an instrumental track on previous albums, but it never worked out because every time Geddy and Alex came up with music Neil brought lyrics that suited them like a glove. This time to make it happen Peart intentionally let Geddy and Alex finish writing the music and just did not provide them with lyrics. The other side of the vinyl opens up with "The Big Wheel" and the synthesizer sound that takes us 7 years back to the "Grace Under Pressure" era, but do not feel comfortable since that's just the intro, and immediately after comes Alex Lifeson's riff and reminds us that we're in the 90s again. This song proves that keyboards did not leave the band completely, they still exist in the background and it is a beautiful and refreshing addition to the overall sound of "Rush". The song "Heresy" was influenced by the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and Peart's optimism from the fact that people who lived under this regime regained their freedom. Geddy Lee claims that drumming in this song feels to him like the heartbeat of those people who have been freed from the shackles of communism. The song "Ghost of a Chance" is a song that talks about concessions that spouses have to make in a relationship for the relationship to succeed. Neil Peart was very proud of the lyrics as he claimed he managed to write a love song and at the same time evade clichés and tickling lyrics. It's also Alex Lifeson's favorite song on the album. He plays PRS guitar and his solo in this song is rated by him as one of his best solos ever. "Neurotica" includes the most catchy chorus on the album. Geddy Lee's amazing bass work, which sometimes sounds a bit jazzy, reminds us that he is one of the best bass players still walking among us. Alex Lifeson's riffs are heavy and yet catchy and the short solo with the dirty sound aligned with the perfect and so modest playing of this mighty guitarist on the album. The song that seals the album "You Bet Your Life" is for Geddy Lee the song the band had the hardest time recording, even though they really enjoyed playing it. The main difficulty was the right balance between the lead vocals and the background music during the chorus. Geddy says he is still not sure they were able to reach the right balance. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On August 5, 1989, "Soundgarden" released their second album, "Louder Than Love". Let us tell you some interesting facts about this album: 1. The album was recorded at the London Bridge Studios in Seattle in less than two months, between December 1988 and January 1989. 2. This is the band's last album with its original bassist Hiro Yamamoto. During the recordings, he began to distance himself from the band members, contributed less to writing, and also noted that he no longer enjoyed performing. Chris Cornell noted that Hiro just got tired of being a musician. 3. The album was originally supposed to be named "Louder Than Fuck" but the record company objected. 4. This is the band's first album to enter the Billboard 200. 5. 7 out of the 12 songs on the album were written exclusively by Chris Cornell. 6. Three singles "Loud Love", "Get on the Snake" and "Hands All Over" were released from the album. 7. The song "Loud Love" appears in the movie "Wayne's World". It's played in the background when Wayne meets Cassandra, but he does not appear on the soundtrack album. 8. The song also appears in the soundtrack of the movie "Lost Angels" from 1989. 9. The album earned the dubious Parental Advisory sticker and even caused marketing problems at a number of record stores that refused to sell it, mainly due to the lyrics of two songs: "Hands All Over" which included the line "kill your mother" and "Big Dumb Sex", which included The word "Fuck" throughout. 10. The music video of the song "Get on the Snake" was released only in 2010. 10. The single "Hands All Over" began a tradition to include cover versions on the B-Side. The B-Side in this case was "the Beatles" "Come Together." 11. The song was written as a protest song about the destruction of the earth by humans. 12. The song "Big Dumb Sex" was a kind of parody of the glam metal bands that used to include thick hints about sex in the lyrics. 13. "Guns N 'Roses" performed a cover version of the song "Buick Makane ("Big Dumb Sex") included on the album "The Spaghetti Incident?" 14. Guitarist Kirk Hammett noted that he wrote the riff for the song "Enter Sandman" after listening to this album. 15. The cover of the single "Deep Set" by the singer Greg Puciato is a homage to the album cover. 16. Beyond the twelve songs on the album, the band recorded two more songs that were left out. "Fresh Deadly Roses" which was included as a cover for the single "Loud Love" and "Heretic" was included as a second cover for the song "Hands All Over" (the first was the cover version of "Come Together" as mentioned). Both songs were later included in the 1990 EP "Loudest Love". 17. The song was first recorded in 1986 and was intended for the Deep Six collection, but was re-recorded during the sessions of the album. The song was also included in the soundtrack of the movie "Pump Up the Volume" starring Christian Slater, which was released in 1990. 18. Another track recorded during the sessions was "Twin Tower", but it was only released as part of the triple compilation album "Echo of Miles: Scattered Tracks Across the Path" which was released in 2014. 19. The singer and roommate of Chris, Andrew Wood was found dead from a heroin dose after Soundgarden returned from the tour that promoted this album. This tragic event severely affected Cornell and was the trigger for the project and the album "Temple of the Dog". 20. In a large part of the album's songs the instruments are tuned in the drop D tuning, which is lower than the standard tuning, which gives the album its dark and heavy sound. 21. The special tuning of the instruments and the heavy riffs on the album led to the obvious comparison to the band "Black Sabbath". Despite this, guitarist Kim Thayil noted that the band wanted to avoid being cataloged as a heavy metal band and therefore noted that they were influenced by bands like "Killing Joke" and "Bauhaus". (Photo: vinylchapters.com) 22. Some of the album's songs are played in unusual asymmetrical rhythms, such as "Get On The Snake" with a 9/4 rhythm and "I Awake" with rhythms of 9/8, 11/8, and 14/8. 23. The song "Full on Kevin's Mom" was written by Cornell about a friend of his who slept with another friend's mother. 24. The lyrics of the song "I Awake" were part of a letter written by Kate McDonald - the girlfriend of bassist Yamamoto. 25. In 2011 the album was included in Q Magazine's list of the 50 heaviest albums in metal. 26. In 2017, the album was ranked 69th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 best metal albums of all time. Listen to the album on: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Iron Maiden's 17th album was released on September 3, 2021 and is titled: "Senjutsu" This album is released almost exactly 6 years after the previous album "The Book of Souls" in 2015, marking the longest gap between two "Iron Maiden" albums. However, it's clear that the wait was worthwhile. In our humble opinion (and we know we might be in the minority), this is one of the band's finest albums of the current millennium, even surpassing some from the last century. "Senjutsu" is connected to "The Book of Souls" not just by its release date. The band opted to record at the "Guillaume Tell" studio in France, the same location used for the previous album. The writing and recording approach was alike for both albums: the band would write a song, rehearse it, and then immediately record it while it was still fresh. Recording took place at the start of 2019 during breaks from the "Legacy tour". The covid-19 pandemic caused delays, but the band chose to postpone the release, even though the recording was complete. The album's title, "Senjutsu", is a Japanese term meaning "tactics and strategy", but it can also be interpreted as "skill and spell". These themes are prevalent throughout the album, as seen in the second single "Stratego", whose title speaks volumes. From the moment we first heard the single "The Writing On The Wall" on July 5, 2021, it was obvious that the album would be "mind-blowing." This track immediately emerged as the anthem!!! The classical guitar intro reminiscent of "Jethro Tull," which oddly brought to mind Ehud Banai's "Canaan Blues," along with the catchy riff featuring an oriental flair, resonated deeply with us. By the time the sweeping chorus hit, we couldn't help but sing along with Bruce, and it was clear that this song would become our 2021 anthem. The Writing On The Wall title refers to the story of the "Belshazzar Feast" from the book of Daniel. During this event, an inscription appears on the wall, which Daniel interprets as a prophecy foretelling Babylon's downfall. King Belshazzar of Babylon hosted a grand feast for a thousand of his ministers and concubines, where they drank wine from the vessels of the destroyed great temple. At that moment, a hand appeared, writing on the Western Wall near the "menorah" the words "Mana Mana Tekel and Persin." The king was terrified and summoned the sages of Babylon, but only Daniel could decipher the "writing on the wall" as a prediction of Belshazzar's kingdom's fall and Babylon's destruction. That night, King Belshazzar was killed, and Darius took his place. About a month later, the band released their second single, "Stratego". Initially, the melodic riff leading the song seemed like a "Rainbow" imitation to us. Steve Harris's galloping bass playing is reminiscent of his powerful bass work on "Powerslave", which is celebrating its anniversary today. However, as we delved deeper into the song, we grew to love it. It's a classic "Maiden" track with a modernized sound. Stylistically, it could have easily fit into the band's early albums with Bruce Dickinson, but here, the enhanced sound elevates the song, particularly with the addition of keyboards that sometimes accompany Bruce's vocals and occasionally the guitar riffs. It seems that these two singles are enough to prove how versatile and different this album is from the previous "The Book of Souls" album, even though the band chose to record both albums in the same studio ("Guillaume Tell" in France) and through the same process of writing and recording, as mentioned. This diversity is also reflected in the theme song, which is also the opening track, “Senjutsu.” An epic piece that crosses the 8-minute mark, it touches on all the band's sound elements and sets the tone for whatever comes next. Further proof of the band's versatility on this album can be found in the intro of the song "Lost in a Lost World." The classical guitars, Bruce's vocal effect, and the backing vocals remind us of the "Uriah Heep" sound. It is unlike anything else "Maiden" has done in the past 41 years. The song starts quiet and slow with Bruce's soft vocals and the caressing backing vocals, continues heavy with a mid-pace rhythm, and then reaches the anthemic chorus and the excellent instrumental part that follows. One of our favorite parts of the song is the one that starts at 3:40 minutes, with the guitar line accompanying Bruce's voice with such a beautiful melody. This section repeats itself at the end of the song starting at 8:06 minutes, and then it just breaks us into pieces. It is hard not to mention Bruce Dickinson's vocals. He simply surpasses himself on this album and proves that despite the passing years, the illness, and the erosion of his voice, he is still one of the greatest singers in metal and has a vocal range that may have shrunk a little over the years but still can be envied by many singers. By the way, "Lost in a Lost World" is one of the four songs on the album that Steve Harris wrote solaly, all of them cross the 9-minute line. Also this time, Harris is the main writer of most of the album's songs, which ends up with three epic songs written exclusively by him and spanning all together over a half hour of music. Along with Harris, there is also a very respectable representation of the Bruce Dickinson/Adrian Smith duo, who are responsible for writing 3 of the ten songs on the album, including the lead single "The Writing On The Wall". What's beautiful about this album is that next to the band's attempt to change and diversify, they still don't allow themselves to completely move away from the DNA that characterizes them. In almost every song on this album, you can find something that will remind you of the classic "Maiden". over the 82-minute album, we get elements from the band's various music over the years. From the glorious 80s, through the Blaze Bayley era to the band's greatest albums in the current millennium, such as "Brave New World" and "A Matter of Life and Death". A notable example is the song "Days of Future Past", which, according to Bruce Dickinson himself, aligns with the band's "Piece of Mind" and "Powerslave" era. Contrary to popular belief, "Days of Future Past" is not related to the "Marvel" comics or the "X-Men" movie series. It was inspired by the graphic novel "Constantine" and particularly its film adaptation starring Keanu Reeves. Additionally, there is no connection to The "Moody Blues" timeless album "Days of Future Passed". Interestingly, this is the shortest song on the album and features one of the most minimalist solos in "Maiden's" career. Following that is "The Time Machine," co-written by Janick Gers and Steve Harris, which concludes the first disc. This track stands out on the album, featuring an engaging guitar line, a captivating and expansive melody, and a stunning blend of the three guitarists alongside Bruce's powerful vocals. It's a highly dynamic song with numerous transitions and shifts in melody and rhythm, some of which evoke the classic "Maiden" sound, such as the section beginning at 3:11 minutes. The second disc begins with "Darkest Hour", a dramatic and thrilling track. It's another excellent song from the Bruce Dickinson/Adrian Smith duo. This ballad, while not typical of the band's musical style, showcases the album's remarkable diversity. Despite the album's lack of a consistent musical theme, it maintains a high standard without any missteps, fillers, or unnecessary moments across its 82-minute length. Bruce's breathtaking vocals deliver the lyrics superbly, and Adrian Smith's solo is tremendous and moving, possibly one of the best on the album. The album concludes with mind-blowing epic compositions by Steve Harris. Any of these pieces could serve as the final track on any of the band's albums. The opening track, "Death of the Celts," features Harris' exquisite bass playing and immediately establishes a folk-metal feel. This is particularly evident in sections like the one beginning at 5:15, where Harris' bass is influenced by Celtic music. The song manages to evoke the atmosphere and "vibe" of "The Clansman," one of the standout tracks from the "Virtual XI" album from the Blaze Bayley era.. The second track, "The Parchment", is an epic piece and a standout highlight of the album. It begins with a quiet and dramatic introduction that could easily fit into the soundtrack of a historical war film. At 1:10, it bursts into a remarkable, melodic, and sweeping guitar line with an oriental flair. Then, at 2:01, there's a shift that transports us directly into the oriental melody reminiscent of "To Tame a Land" from the "Piece of Mind" album. The song continues to evolve, featuring increasing rhythm changes throughout a thrilling instrumental section that spans 4 enjoyable and delightful minutes, ultimately bringing us full circle back to the quiet part that started the song. The third track, "Hell On Earth," is a war epic that concludes the album with a dark and thrilling atmosphere. After about two minutes, it shifts and immerses the listener in a battle-like ambiance. This classic piece is precisely how "Maiden" should end such an incredible album. It becomes evident here that this band excels at their craft. Harris' rapid bass charges into the fray, while Nicko McBrain's drums set the rhythm. The guitar harmonies intertwine gracefully, delicately, and at times aggressively, always paving the way for Dickinson's powerful vocals. If there were a guide on how "Iron Maiden" should sound, this song would likely be featured. Few bands possess a distinctive sound so uniquely their own, yet are able to evolve, diversify, innovate, and continue to captivate without altering their core essence. "Iron Maiden" is one such band, achieving this for nearly five decades, even if not always meeting the high standards they established with their first seven albums during the glorious 80s. "Senjutsu" is an ambitious and extraordinary album. It's dauntingly lengthy, yet it contains all the elements needed to keep us engaged without skipping a track, which speaks volumes. It showcases a band with exceptional writing and performance skills and reaffirms why it remains the biggest metal band globally, capable of selling out tickets within 6 hours for a show scheduled over a year in advance (see "2023 Wacken Open Air"). It's official! From our perspective, the metal world should be divided into two eras: before "Iron Maiden" and after!!! For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music Track List: 1. Senjutsu (Smith/Harris) 8:20 2. Stratego (Gers/Harris) 4:59 3. The Writing On The Wall (Smith/Dickinson) 6:13 4. Lost In A Lost World (Harris) 9:31 5. Days Of Future Past (Smith/Dickinson) 4:03 6. The Time Machine (Gers/Harris) 7:09 7. Darkest Hour (Smith/Dickinson) 7:20 8. Death Of The Celts (Harris) 10:20 9. The Parchment (Harris) 12:39 10. Hell On Earth (Harris) 11:19 "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On September 3, 1990, the best "painkiller" was discovered in metal. The "Painkiller" album by "Judas Priest"!!! "Judas Priest" is without a doubt one of the bands that have shaped the metal world. True, "Judas" is not really one of the founding generation of the genre, but it was definitely there in the early years, influencing, teaching, and serving as a role model for the young metal bands that came after, from sound and musical style to appearance and performance. And like any good lecturer in academia, "Judas Priest" was always changing, developing, and learning on their own, until in the early 1980s, they seemed to crack the formula with a streak of masterful albums like "British Steel", "Screaming for Vengeance" and "Defenders of the Faith" which raised them to the top of the metal world. But just then, at the height of its success and popularity, "Judas Priest" presses the "Turbo" button and releases a commercial and synthesized album, which although we love it very much personally, managed to drive away some of its fans. And it did not end there, because the band's attempt to "fix while cruising" with "Ram It Down" almost led to multiple flips and a crash ... The first to pay the price for "negligent driving" was veteran drummer Dave Holland, who was replaced by Scott Travis who had previously played with "Racer X". Beyond the fact that Scott has become the band's long-lasting drummer who plays with them to this day, his addition to the band was one of the factors that made this album one of the band's greatest and one of the most notable in Metal. Travis brought with him a powerful drumming style and renewed energies, and although he was hardly involved in the creative process of the album, his influence was substantial and noticeable in almost every song. Scott Travis' influence can be heard already in the first few seconds of the album, with the double bass and the powerful and crazy drumming that sets the tone for the theme song "Painkiller". Travis' increased BPM seems to pull the guitars of Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing deep into Speed Metal, with one of the band's most powerful songs. It is not a coincidence that Rob Halford stated in an interview with "! Kerrang" magazine in 2013ת that this is the song that he is most proud of writing-wise. The "Painkiller" is a kind of cyborg, a metallic superhero, who appears on the album cover and came to save humanity from the forces of evil. But this album is not just Travis of course, it combines edgy riffs, melodic solos, and an unimaginable singing ability that breaks the sound barrier in supersonic booms. Glenn Tipton, K. K. Downing, and Rob Halford are simply at their peak both in terms of writing and performance. This album does not stop for a moment and does not give you a minute of rest, with an attack of chainsaw riffs, melodic solos, and powerful singing. "Hell Patrol" refers to U.S. Air Force pilots in the first Gulf War who bombed repeatedly in Iraq to prevent the firing of Scud missiles, the smoking guns of "All Guns Blazing" exploding at an insane rate of fire of Scott Travis and Ian Hill and all aimed for Destruction, "Leather Rebel" which is a sort of autobiography of Rob Halford and somehow manages to stay melodic and catchy despite the fast double bass rhythm, "Metal Meltdown" with the amazing guitar work of the duo Downing and Tipton on the verge of Thrash, the dark and heavy "Night Crawler" with The creepy recitation and chilling guitar section, the charged and melodic "Between the Hammer & the Anvil" and the warlike "One Shot at Glory", are all excellent songs that maintain a very high level, with a more or less uniformed sound and style. But then comes the surprise of the album. "A Touch of Evil" is a song that is strange and different compared to the rest of the album and without a doubt one of its greatest. This song is the only one co-written with producer Chris Tsangarides, who wrote its lead riff. Unlike most of the tracks on the album, this song is full of synthesizers played by none other than Don Airey who is familiar to us from his work with Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore, and of course "Deep Purple". What a melodic and amazing solo, on the classical border, Tipton gives here, what a mind-blowing singing by Rob Halford that on the one hand is very melodic and delicate and even reminds us of himself in the song "Night Comes Down" from the album "Defenders of the Faith", and on the other hand is rough and powerful with high notes touching the sky. This song chills us over and over again and it is definitely not just the ringing of the bell in its opening. The title of the song and the lyrics give the feeling that this is a kind of dark song that speaks of black magic or acts of the devil and evil, but Halford surprised us and noted that it is a kind of love song. Interesting to note, that the extended version of the album from 2011 includes another song - "Living Bad Dreams", which was recorded on the same album sessions, in which Don Airey also plays keyboards. This is a kind of quiet ballad, which is apparently left out of the album due to its slightly different style. This album reached gold status only one month after its release and is currently selling over two million copies worldwide. But more than the relative commercial success, this album restored Judas Priest's relevance, which it lacked in the second half of the 1980s. Unfortunately, it was then that friction began to emerge between the band members. Frictions that intensified due to Rob Halford's desire to start a side project. The rest of the band thought Halford should devote his entire time to the band, especially when they were regaining popularity. But growing pressure on Halford gave its signals when in 1992 he announced to the band members by fax, that he was leaving. Halford focused on his solo band "Fight" and his solo career in the following years, but will return to the mother band in 2005. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On September 3, 1984, "Iron Maiden" released their fifth studio album "Powerslave". This is the album that established the status of "Iron Maiden" as the largest heavy metal band in the world at the time. This album is basically the essence of Heavy Metal, the "bread and butter" of this amazing genre and one of its pillars, just before it was split into countless sub-genres with different and weird names. This is the band's second album with its classic lineup, which included Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Bruce Dickinson, and Nicko McBrain, and is also the band's first album where the lineup remains the same as the previous album. The story of this masterful album begins in December 1983, with the end of the successful tour of the previous album "Piece of Mind". The band takes a break of only three weeks and decides to repeat the same pattern that characterized the creation of the previous album, hoping to recreate the same success. They gathered at the Le Chalet Hotel in New Jersey for rehearsals, just as she did with "Piece of Mind". During the six weeks, they stayed at the hotel, the band wrote most of the material for the album, again similar to what happened with their previous album. From there the band moves to the "Compass Point" studio in Nassau the Bahamas, the same studio where "Piece of Mind" was recorded. Legendary producer Martin Birch, with whom the band previously worked, was chosen to produce the album as well. Also, like the previous album, the material of "Powerslave" dealt with poetry, literature, historical events, and favorite movies of the band members. The album opens with "Aces High", the second single released from it and one of the band's iconic songs. The name of the song is taken from a 1976 film of the same name starring Christopher Plummer. The lyrics are written from the point of view of the British Royal Air Force pilot who fought against the German Air Force during the "Battle of Britain" - the first battle in history that was entirely aerial. The intro to a slow and dramatic song as if simulating the plane on the runway as it drives before takeoff, then an explosion! Throttles are open all the way and the plane soars up along with the music at an insane speed of 134 BPM. And the rhythm, what a rhythm, listen to it carefully because it just tells us the whole course of the aerial battle. Dickinson is at his peak and he manages to convey through his voice what the pilot is going through during the fight, with the listener feeling as if he is right inside the cockpit. The solos of Dave and Adrian are simply complementing each other. The song opens with the words: "There goes the siren that warns of the air raid" words that soon enough will bare Bruce Dickinson's nickname as "The Air Raid Siren", as befits his mighty voice. The clip that came out for the song opened with Churchill's famous speech, which later became an integral part of the song at the band's performances. Contrary to expectation the person who wrote the song is Steve Harris and not Bruce Dickinson. It is interesting to note that the song "Tailgunner" from the album "No Prayer for the Dying" is a kind of sequel to the song "Aces High" and it describes the battle for Britain from a different angle. The album continues to explode with the big hit and the first single released from it "2 Minutes To Midnight". The song opens with the catchy and stunning reef of Adrian Smith that simply sweeps you away and makes your head move in involuntarily (and not a word about the "borrowing" from Riot's "Swords and Tequila"). The song is based on the doomsday clock that represents the countdown to a nuclear war, with midnight representing a nuclear catastrophe. In September 1953 this clock stood at 2 minutes to midnight, following nuclear tests conducted by the two great powers several months apart. In 1984 - the year the album was released, the clock stood at 3 minutes to midnight, due to tensions between the USSR and the US, the highest reading of the clock since 1953. This amazing hit was written by Adrian Smith and Bruce Dickinson and the "old fans" between our readers will surely remember that the clip of this song was broadcast by Yoav Kutner musical in the mythological TV show "Zehu Ze", it was undoubtedly a defining moment for "Maiden" fans in Israel when a clip of the band was broadcast on Israeli television. The third track "Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)" is an instrumental piece composed by Steve Harris. This is probably the "weak" part of the album and maybe that's also why it's Maiden's last instrumental track to date. Weak or not, it's still "Iron Maiden" and the "weak" tracks are also mind-blowing, mainly thanks to the interesting guitar dialogue between Dave and Adrian. The fourth track, "Flash of the Blade", depicts Bruce Dickinson's love for fencing and tells the story of a medieval man who lives on his sword and seeks revenge. As you know, Dickinson is a professional fencer who came in seventh at the British Fencing Championships and represented his country at the European Championships in 1989. The dual guitar riff that opens the song fits the story and simply illustrates in an amazing musical way the battle of swords. This song was part of the soundtrack to the 1984 film "Phenomena" starring Jennifer Conley. The song that seals the first side of the vinyl "The Duellists" is probably the big brother of the previous song as it also talks about a duel. This time the song was written by Harris and is influenced by Ridley Scott's 1978 film of the same name. Something in the melody of the song is a bit reminiscent of the song "Where Eagles Dare" that Harris wrote for the previous album. Another song by the Dickinson-Smith duo "Back in the Village" opens the second side of the album with Adrian Smith's crazy riff. This song was also influenced by the TV series "The Prisoner" which influenced the writing of the famous song from the album "The Number Of The Beast". Dickinson uses the lyrics of the song in the terminology of a pilot and probably predicts his own future here and illustrates his love of aviation: "Take your chances, kill the engine, drop your bombs and let them burn." But the homage to the album "The Number Of The Beast" does not end there, the line "I see sixes all the way" and the number 666 that Dickinson whispers in the background, constitute a kind of small "tribute" to that masterful album. The theme song "Powerslave" is without a doubt one of the highlights of the album. The galloping and sweeping rhythm and oriental riff leave no room for doubt, this is one of the band's representative songs, a classic that puts us deep into its DNA. The song tells of a king in the Pharaoh dynasty who all his life taught and educated him that he was a kind of God. He is in the last hours of his life and does not understand how he is about to die, when in his last breath he promises to return as a mummy. The song was written by Dickinson and he claims he is referring to the song "Revelations" from the last album which was written about the English mystic Aleister Crowley - the founder of the religious philosophy Thelma. The epic piece that closes the album "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is a song written by Harris under the influence of a poem of the same name by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The piece stretched over more than 13 minutes and held the band's longest-running record for almost 30 years, until the release of the song "Empire of the Clouds" included on the album "The Book of Souls" and lasting about 18 minutes. The song tells of the ancient mariner who was cursed because he killed an albatross bird, his ship is swept south in the stormy sea, as he witnesses adventures along the way. It's a very musically complex piece, with a lot of rhythm changes and many influences from the progressive genre that are very close to Harris' heart. The story of the act blends well not only with the lyrics but especially with the music, with the center of the song we witness an instrumental piece led by Harris' bass playing and Murray and Smith's moaning guitars that simply lower us deep into the depths of the sea. By the way, this is the song that the band members testified that they most enjoy playing at shows. It is interesting to note that the album cover illustrated by Derek Riggs includes several encrypted messages embedded into the painting, including the face of Mickey Mouse, and captions such as: "WOT? No Guinness", "Indiana Jones was here 1941 wot a load of crap", "bollock". After the release of the album, "Iron Maiden" went on the biggest tour they had to date, which lasted almost a year. During the tour, the band visited places where they had not performed before and became the first heavy metal band to play behind the "Iron Curtain". The highlight of the tour was the band's performance in Rio, where they played for the first time in front of an audience of no less than 300,000 people. The album and the tour designed to promote it raised "Iron Maiden" to the rank of the biggest metal band of the time. The tour was recorded on audio and video during two of the four performances held at the Long Beach Arena in California, from March 14 to 17, 1985, and released on the double album and on VHS "Live After Death" - one of the greatest live albums of all time. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 03.09.1985 "One day it will happen, without us noticing, something will change, something will touch us, something will calm within us, and there will be nothing to fear." (Rita/Idan Raichel) In March 1998, at only 24 years old, Aviv Geffen divorced his childhood sweetheart Ilana Berkowitz. Later that year he would meet Shani Friedan, the model who would become his partner and wife for the next 24 years. Geffen had been one of the most controversial artists of the 1990s, inspiring a love-hate relationship among the public. But suddenly he seemed calmer. He had grown up, perhaps even become more settled, and the transformation was clearly reflected in his songs, which had always been deeply personal and, in many cases, blunt. Suddenly, he had softened. His point of view was no longer that of the rebellious adolescent he had once been. "Wake up, wake up, beloved homeland, because we are so tired, we need some rest," Geffen sings in "Wake Up", the opening track of his 8th album "Journey Diary", released on September 3, 2000. The song captured the feelings and atmosphere in Israel at the time it was written and became, in its own way, a love song to the country. Geffen later explained that he had originally written the phrase as "dark homeland", but after much hesitation changed it to "beloved homeland", believing that the softer wording would allow the message to reach a much wider audience. The decision helped turn "Wake Up" into a massive radio hit. In 2001, the Likud party offered Geffen NIS 1.8 million for permission to use the song in its campaign for the special election for Prime Minister, in which Ariel Sharon was running. Geffen declined the offer. There is little doubt that the rebellious Geffen of the early 1990s would have chosen the provocation of "dark" at almost any cost. Unfortunately, it is also a word that has become increasingly common today as a way of dismissing the other side. But the Geffen who entered the new millennium was a man who had already been through several personal journeys. Perhaps they made him less confrontational, but they also made him more capable of seeing someone different from himself and still extending a hand. Compared with the screams and distortion that had been such dominant elements on his earlier albums, "Journey Diary" revealed Geffen's growing affection for softer ballads. "You Deserve More", for example, is driven by prominent piano playing. Yet many of the themes that had occupied him in the past, including the army, destruction and death, return here as well. Whereas in the past his partner for duets had been rocker Berry Sakharof, this time Geffen's choices of Arik Einstein for "Journey Diary" and Shalom Hanoch for "The King's Courtyard" clearly reveal where he was now aiming. He was no longer satisfied with teenagers as his audience. He wanted their parents on his side as well. The connection between the Geffen family and Arik Einstein went all the way back to the "Lool" period of the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Yehonatan Geffen wrote songs that Einstein performed. Einstein was also a familiar presence around the family while Aviv was growing up. That relationship continued when Aviv Geffen asked Einstein to record "Cry for You" in 1995, a song Geffen had written in memory of his friend Nir Shpiner. Geffen later recalled that Einstein had called his mother after hearing his songs on the radio and asked her to bring him anything Aviv had thrown away. Following Yitzhak Rabin's assassination, "Cry for You" took on an entirely new meaning and became one of the songs most closely associated with the Candle Youth generation. The album's title track became an emotional duet with Einstein. During his own concerts, Geffen had frequently performed covers of "Atur Mitzchech" and "Avshalom", and for the recording sessions of "Journey Diary" he also recruited guitarist Haim Krio, who had played on Einstein's "Drive Slowly" in 1974. "Countless paths and an exit, recording it all inside a journey diary, to blend in without disappearing, recording it all inside a journey diary." Among the many songs he has written, Aviv Geffen has regarded "Journey Diary" as one of the works that best represented his maturity as a songwriter. Geffen later described how the collaboration with Arik Einstein came together. The two had known each other since Geffen's childhood through his father Yehonatan, and Einstein had followed Aviv's development as a songwriter long before they finally recorded together. While working on the new album in 1999, Geffen wrote "Journey Diary" and invited Einstein to the studio. They met at Zaza Studios, where Einstein recorded several vocal takes. Geffen wanted to make corrections, but Einstein felt the performance was finished and saw no reason to keep working on it. Geffen later tried to persuade him to return to the studio for one small correction, but Einstein jokingly promised that he would come back on his motorcycle. Geffen waited for hours before realizing that Einstein, who of course did not ride a motorcycle, had been joking with him. The song was released as it was. Geffen explained that he had written the lyrics about his own journey through life and specifically wanted Einstein on the song because he was searching for something that would give it a sense of timelessness. Other songs on the album deal with the elusive attempt to achieve genuine happiness, as in "Airplanes", while "Look to the Skies" revolves around anxiety, sorrow and loss. In "Drawn Guns", Geffen writes about a soldier returning home from military service carrying what appears to be combat trauma. He carries psychological wounds and pain from his service, while the song explores the internal conflict between attempting to return to ordinary life and living with the experiences he cannot leave behind. Interestingly, a later edition of the album included "Heavy Rain Is Going to Fall", a Hebrew cover of "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" by Bob Dylan. The song had been translated into Hebrew by Yehonatan Geffen, who also participated in the recording. The new journey diary of Aviv Geffen ended as an enormous success, selling approximately 40,000 copies. The album gave Geffen the confidence he needed to part ways with his longtime producer Moshe Levy and head toward a completely new adventure with Steven Wilson under the name "Blackfield". That collaboration would also give new life to "Scars" from "Journey Diary", which became "Scars" on the duo's debut album "Blackfield". For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

"Audioslave's" third and final album was released on September 4th, 2006, so let's talk about some "Revelations" !! We open with a quote from Tom Morello about how he describes the album: "Earth, Wind and Fire meets Led Zeppelin" Musically this album is a little different from the band's two previous albums. If we've heard so far "Rage Against the Machine" / "Soundgarden", now we hear "Audioslave". It feels like this album was “one step forward” in the development of the band that is already crystallizing as something whole and starting to experiment together in musical directions. If in previous albums they were very reminiscent of the style of "RATM" they are already starting to take on a different hue and create a special and unique identity that characterizes them. If we talk about the fact that on the second album, they started to form a band in everything related to managed conduct, being, and working together, here it is already reflected in the musical nature. Photo: Interscope Tom and Chris Cornell said they brought more soul and emotion to this album with a lot of soul and funk touches that are felt very nicely in the songs "One and the Same", "Jewel Of The Summertime", "Somedays" and "Original Fire". Beyond the structure of the songs that seem to go from rough riffs to more rhythmic/pleasant rhythms, Chris' lyrics also talk more about life, love, and even political positions, unlike the previous albums which touched more on gloomier and more painful issues. Tom testified that on this album Chris did not smoke, drink, or use drugs so it could also be what contributed to the change... They produced this album for the first time with producer Brendan O'Brien and not with Rick Rubin with whom they produced the previous two albums. But do not worry, you will also find here songs (and parts of the songs) with the attacking power of the "raging trio", the hard rock that gives in the head like "Shape Of Things To Come", "Revelations", "Sound Of A Gun" and "Wide Awake". It is impossible to ignore the timing of the album and what happened after it... This album came out a year after the second album and right after the band members returned from a tour of the previous album. It seems like someone told them, guys... hurry up because we do not have much time left and we need to wrap up. Immediately upon completion of the album recording, Chris began work on his solo album "Carry On" released later in May 2007, and on the theme song of the film James Bond when the rest of the band began working on the reunion of "RATM" (February 2007). There were no future plans for the band and even a tour to support the album that had just been released was not in sight. And indeed on February 15 Chris officially announced that he was leaving the band as a result of disagreements and musical inconsistencies. We later discovered that despite all the talk about the band connecting as a band and that on the album they feel they are getting a unique hue and they are also writing as a band, they are actually falling apart from within. We won’t go into much of the details of the breakup because we came to enjoy the album, but we’ll just tell you that the disagreements were probably mostly about business conduct between Chris and the rest of the band and the form of management. Chris claimed that everything became a negotiation, for every little thing he wanted to do he had to negotiate as if he were signing a contract. This is probably what broke him (he did not even officially announce to the other members about his departure) and he decided to leave to continue his solo career. We’ll also end with a quote from the band’s latest song, “Moth,” which was recorded for the album as a result of the producer’s pressure to record another last song, a quote that might prove that Chris knew it was the end. “I don't fly around your fire anymore” So let's leave the controversies in the past and enjoy the music because that's basically what we're left with from this amazing band and from Chris himself... Listen to the album on: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

The breakthrough album of the band "System Of A Down", known as "Toxicity", was released on September 4, 2001. We decided to bring you 11 facts you may not have known about this exploding and militant album. The quartet teamed up with the giant producer Rick Rubin and after four months of musical experience they came out with 44 minutes of unbridled insanity that combines harmony, outbursts, harsh lyrics, and even Armenian heritage. Before we begin we will tell you that this album came out a day after uncontrollable riots, as if the universe had signaled in its path what was going to happen with the release of the album. The night before its release, the band planned to hold a free show in an abandoned hangar in their hometown. The equipment was ready, the record company organized a number of bouncers, the band warmed up and everything was ready to go! Towards the start of the show, a huge number of fans began to arrive, much larger quantities than planned or allowed. The police established a command center to try to control the event but failed to do so. The band and the record label decided to cancel the show to avoid safety risks and events that might harm the audience. But the audience was outraged and took it all out... amplifiers were destroyed, musical instruments had crashed and the stage become a battlefield. It seems to us that there is no better way to describe what is happening on this album than this story. So here you go, 11 facts on this explosive album: 1. The burst of creativity was uncontrollable and the band members recorded 33 demos over four months. They had no idea how many or which of the songs were going to enter the album. It was so hard for them to choose that they postponed the decision as much as they could, which almost led to the postponement of the album release. In the end, they chose 17 songs that they mixed and from them, they chose 14 songs for the album. 2. The song bearing the name "ATWA" is an acronym for Air Trees Water Animals. The song was written by guitarist Daron Malakian and was inspired by Charles Manson's story and cult. Manson used the acronym to promote a message of harmony through nature. 3. All three singles from the album - "Chop Suey", "Toxicity" and "Aerials", occupied one of the top ten places on the "Modern Rock Tracks" chart. The songs came in seventh place, third place, and first place, respectively. "Aerials" is the only "System" song to reach number one to date. 4. The songs on the album are full of lyrics that sometimes say a lot and sometimes say nothing. Serj Tankian, the band's lead singer, wrote all the songs on the album and Malakian contributed his part in six songs. Producer Rick Rubin said that Serj has the ability to make you feel something even if you do not understand exactly what he is saying. Even his heap of incomprehensible words conveys feelings and sensations. 5. You must have noticed (either you did not see the movie or you did not notice) but in the animated film "The Secret Life of Pets" there is a scene in which the song "Bounce" is played. In this scene, the noble poodle is revealed as a metalhead the second his owner leaves the house. Watch the scene here: 6. The album came out a week before the tragic events of September 11th and took first place in the Billboard 200 during that week. It’s hard to think the band has achieved one of its biggest successes in such a tragic week. 7. Unlike the band's first album, Malakian decided that on this album he did not want thin guitars but lots of layers, lots of thickness. He said he was trying to create a loud and angry sound so instead of one or two guitar tracks he put on this album 12 guitar tracks per song. 12 layers of guitars that sometimes play the same thing and sometimes make different sounds. 8. One of the most important and exciting songs on the album for the band is the controversial song, which is hidden at the end of the album. The song is called "Arto", after the Armenian musician Arto Tunçboyacıyan who is featured in the song. The song includes singing by the band members and uses only percussion, inspired by Armenian culture. 9. During the recordings, Malakian, and drummer John Dolmayan used to fight each other. In one case, the two disassembled each other and ended up in a hospital with stitches in all sorts of organs in the body. Serj, for his part, thought the band had reached the end of its journey. The other two see this as one of the "cool" events in the band's history. 10. The album earned the band two Grammy Award nominations in 2003. One of the nominations was for the song "Aerials". The band refused to perform the song at the Grammys, claiming that a performance at the Grammys was suitable for bands like "N'Sync" or singers like Britney Spears. 11. The sentence you hear at the opening of the song "Chop Suey!", In which Serge says "We're rolling suicide", is actually the original name of the song during the recordings - "Suicide". Listen to the album in a safe place on: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On September 3, 1991 Richie Sambora released his first solo album "Stranger in This Town". Richie Sambora’s debut solo album, "Stranger in This Town", is a deeply personal exploration of blues, rock, and introspective balladry. Best known as the lead guitarist for "Bon Jovi", Sambora used the band's 17-month hiatus as an opportunity to step out of the shadow of his band and into the spotlight as a solo artist. This album, released just a year after Jon Bon Jovi's own solo effort, "Blaze of Glory" (1990), marked a significant departure from the high-energy, arena-rock sound that had defined "Bon Jovi". "Stranger in This Town" is a testament to Sambora's versatility. He not only sings lead vocals but also co-produced the album, responsible for all string arrangements, and of course plays guitar throughout the album, revealing his deep affinity for the blues. The album was recorded with the help of "Bon Jovi" bandmates Tico Torres on drums and David Bryan on keyboards, alongside renowned bassist Tony Levin. A special guest appearance by Eric Clapton on "Mr. Bluesman" adds a layer of authenticity to the album’s bluesy vibe, solidifying Sambora's credibility as a blues musician. The opening track, "Rest in Peace," written by Sambora and Bryan, immediately distinguishes this album from "Bon Jovi’s" anthemic rock hits. This atmospheric, bluesy piece field with whining guitars and Sambora’s abstract vocals, is more of an intro for the next track "Church of Desire". The title track, "Stranger in This Town," encapsulates the album's essence, with Sambora’s vocals and guitar work expressing his raw vulnerability as a solo artist, as hinted in the title. The blues influence is palpable, particularly in this track and tracks like "One Light Burning," the latter was co-written with members of Sambora's former club band, "Shark Frenzy", which also co-wrote and "The Answer," and "Ballad of Youth", the more "Bon Jovi's" style song in the album. "Mr. Bluesman" stands out not only for Clapton’s guest appearance but also for its deeply personal lyrics, where Sambora seems to seek guidance from the blues legends who came before him. The track "Rosie," originally intended for "Bon Jovi's" "New Jersey" album was co-written with Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Child and Diane Warren, adds a rock edge, and fans may recognize bootleg versions featuring the full "Bon Jovi" lineup. long time "Bon Jovi" collaborator Desmond Child also co-wrote "Father Time" - maybe the most touching and personal songs on the album. "Ballad of Youth" was released as the album’s lead single, followed by "One Light Burning" and the title track "Stranger in This Town", each accompanied by a music video. "Mr. Bluesman," featuring Clapton, was also released as a promo single, further highlighting the album's blues credentials. Additionally, "Church of Desire" was released as a promotional single in the United Kingdom, and "The Answer" and "Rosie" were similarly promoted in Japan. Over the years, Sambora has occasionally revisited songs from "Stranger in This Town" during "Bon Jovi's" tours, most notably performing the title track on the "Lost Highway" Tour in 2008. The album’s production, handled by Sambora and Neil Dorfsman, is polished but not overly slick, allowing the organic qualities of the music to come through. The closing bonus track, a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary," serves as a fitting tribute to one of Sambora’s influences, showcasing his ability to honor the past while making the song his own. "Stranger in This Town" is a compelling and heartfelt solo effort that offers a glimpse into Richie Sambora's artistic identity beyond "Bon Jovi". The album is a showcase of his talents as a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter, revealing a depth of emotion and a connection to the blues that might surprise those who know him only as a rock guitarist. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Released on September 2, 2022, this album marked the sixteenth studio release by "Megadeth". After six years of silence since "Dystopia", and through storms of personal struggles, health battles, and lineup changes, Dave Mustaine returned with an album that feels like both a reckoning and a resurrection. In 2019, just as the band began preparing new material, Mustaine was diagnosed with throat cancer. While he fought for his life, the world itself collapsed into the pandemic, delaying tours, recordings, and forcing the entire creative process into fragments of stolen time. Sessions stretched from 2019 to 2021, scattered and haunted, giving the record a darker weight that seeps through every riff. And then came the rupture. Longtime bassist and co-founder David Ellefson, the familiar anchor of "Megadeth’s" sound for decades, was dismissed in 2021 after a public scandal and controversy that rattled the fanbase. For many, it felt like the breaking of an old brotherhood. Yet instead of collapsing, Mustaine chose survival. "Testament’s" Steve Di Giorgio was brought in to re-record all bass parts, delivering technical ferocity and precision that honored "Megadeth’s" legacy. Soon after, James LoMenzo returned to the fold, restoring a link to the band’s 2000s era and giving new life to their touring lineup. The lineup changes did not end there. "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" marked the first full studio appearance of drummer Dirk Verbeuren, whose machine-gun precision and creative power elevated the music to new heights. It also became the swan song for guitarist Kiko Loureiro who co-wrote most of the music on the album with Mustaine. After a short intro, the title track "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" sets the stage with grim atmosphere, starting with slow arpeggiated chords, turning into razor-sharp riffs and pulling the listener into a narrative of plague and decay. Mustaine’s voice, gravel-edged from both age and illness, carries defiance in every word. (And No! Mustaine claimed that the song was not specifically written about the coronavirus pandemic). Then comes "Life in Hell" and charges forward with relentless thrash intensity, corresponds with "Metallica" and echoing the band’s classic ferocity. Mustaine said that the song was written about all the turmoil that took place in the band, not just his cancer. "Night Stalkers", featuring Ice-T, becomes a cinematic ride through covert operations. It's about the 160th Battalion secret helicopter division of the U.S. Army, and it's all the black-ops helicopters that go in at night. Verbeuren’s drumming spits flames of artillery fire beneath Mustaine’s snarling delivery and Kiko Loureiro's haunting guitar playing. And how beautiful is the instrumental and melodic transition that elevates this song to an epic level.. The haunting "Dogs of Chernobyl" is a centerpiece. Beginning with mournful acoustic guitar melodies, it builds into catastrophic thrash, conjuring images of love lost in radioactive wastelands. It is both brutal and poetic, and one of the finest songs in the band’s late-era catalog. The song was based on the 2012 horror movie "Chernobyl Diaries". "Sacrifice" follows with venomous riffs and lyrical bite, a track that feels like Mustaine channeling both fury and prophecy about dark magic - a writing topic that Mustaine has tackled in the past. Then comes "Psychopathy" the short instrumental intro for "Killing Time", one of the catchiest songs on the album. No wonder it was planned as the leading single from it, but then after the album release date was delayed, the band decided to release "We'll Be Back" instead. "Soldier On!" takes a steadier, groove-driven march, embodying persistence in the face of collapse. It's more mid-tempo and melodic with groove elements and although it features much military imagery, it is actually about how you need to be brave when walking away from a relationship. "We’ll Be Back", the first single, delivers pure thrash devastation. Its battle cry of vengeance and survival earned a Grammy nomination, proving "Megadeth" can still wield fury like few others. This song also opened a new chapter in the visual legacy of "Megadeth". "We’ll Be Back" became Chapter I of a five-part short film telling Vic’s origin story—violent, apocalyptic, and relentless. "Night Stalkers" served as Chapter II as Vic awakens as a vengeance figure, while the album’s title track became Chapter III, pushing the saga into plague-ridden warfare. "Life in Hell" expanded the myth as Chapter IV, and finally, "Killing Time" closed the series as Chapter V, tying the threads of betrayal, revenge, and survival with Vic’s redemption and rescue. For the first time in the band’s history, Vic wasn’t just an icon on the cover—he became a living, breathing character in a cinematic narrative. It was also a deliberate throwback to the mythology of "Rust in Peace", when Vic was more than just imagery—he was the band’s alter ego. The record closes with a playful nod to punk and rock roots with covers of "Police Truck" ("Dead Kennedys") and Sammy Hagar's "This Planet’s on Fire (Burn In Hell)" (featuring Sammy Hagar himself). When the album finally emerged from years of uncertainty, it soared to number three on the Billboard 200, topping charts worldwide. Critics hailed it as a return to form, comparing it to "Endgame" and even "Countdown to Extinction". For fans, it was more than music—it was proof of resilience, a reminder that even after cancer, scandal, and a global standstill, "Megadeth" could rise again. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

He's a superstar !!! He is Aviv Geffen and he is THE Israeli Rockstar !! So let's get to know a little bit about who once called us a fucking generation !! Photo: Ronen Fadida 1. His full name is Aviv Baruch Geffen, he was born on May 10, 1973 in Ramat Gan but grew up in Moshav Beit Yitzhak. 2. He was born to a couple of talented and famous parents, his father, Yehonatan Geffen is a poet, writer, playwright, songwriter, and a lot more. His mother, Nurit Geffen, is an actress and TV anchor. Aviv has a sister, Shira Geffen, who is also a talented and famous, actress, playwright, writer, screenwriter, and director. 3. Only 11 years old Aviv made his first appearance on the show "Eighths in the Air" on channel one where he sang the song "Kolech Bat 40" which he composed for a song written by his sister Shira Geffen, in honor of their mother's birthday. 4. He studied in the middle school of the Ruppin Academic Center but was expelled from thereafter at a year-end party he dedicated a love song to his literature teacher. 5. After being expelled from he began to study at "Rimon" music school where he met Karin Ofir, the daughter of the actor Shaike Ofir, after which they soon left the school together. 6. After leaving Rimon, Aviv began looking for musicians for his first band "Cats in the Pipe" with which he recorded his first song "Friend" when he was only 17 years old. The band recorded the song in order to impress the record company "Hed Artzi" to get a record contract. 7. The young and fresh band did not manage to get the contract at first but after the intervention of Haim Shemesh (one of the main figures in the Israeli rock of the 90s), they managed to get the desired contract and recorded their first album. 8. When he was only 18, in 1992 Aviv released his debut album "It's Just the Moonlight". Aviv wrote and composed all the songs on the album produced by Moshe Levy, the Cats in the Pipe changed their name to the "Hataoyut" and became the regular band that accompanies Aviv. Photo: "Use pursuant to Section 27A of the Copyright Law" 9. The album was written in light of the difficult experiences that Aviv went through at the time, such as the divorce of his parents, his good friend who was killed, and his girlfriend who left him became one of the most important albums in the history of Israeli rock and a milestone in its development. The album includes big singles like: "A Billion Wrong", "Moonlight", "We're Both Equal" and "Last Night". 10. Some of the texts on the album deal with criticism of the army and the government and the combination of Aviv's statements in an interview that was published in the 7 Days newspaper about his non-service in the IDF. Initially, it was reported that Aviv did not enlist because he refused to serve in the army but a few years later it was reported that he did not serve due to a medical problem, scoliosis due to which a platinum rod was implanted in his back. 11. In the same year, Aviv began starring in the famous TV series "Inyan Shel Zman" which focused on the plots of 11th-grade students in a high school in North Tel Aviv, discussed the problems of adolescents, and dealt with issues such as: school, adolescence, love, IDF recruitment, Drugs and more... In 1993 he left the series which continued until 1996. 12. In the same year... he starred in the film by director Zuri Maimon "The Beach Boys", for which he also wrote and sang the theme song. And he also composed the song "You are missing me here" for Nurit Galron, whose lyrics he composed together with his sister Shira Geffen. 13. In 1993, Aviv's second album, "Cloudy Now", was also released, arranged, and produced by Moshe Levy. The album was dedicated to his friend Nir Spinner and Geffen also wrote and composed all the songs on this album. This album included an even larger number of successful songs such as: "Cloudy Now", "Song of the Rags", "Crying on the Grave", "Maybe", "Do not Worry", "On the Sea of ​​Galilee at Sunrise", "The Children", "You Fallen" And "Ilana." 14. The album was a much greater success than its predecessor and the song "Cloudy Now" became one of the most played songs on the radio that year and in the annual choral chart of "Reshet Gimel", Geffen won the title of Singer of the Year. 15. After the album's release, following its great success, Aviv began to form a growing fan base that he calls "Children of the Moonlight" 16. In the same year, Geffen wrote and composed all the songs, for the debut album of the singer "Keren Hecht", which is also named after her. Except for one song called "His Head" which he wrote based on Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Singles were released from the album: "Forever", "Hannah", "On Condition to Return" and "Give Me Alone". 17. In 1994, Aviv released his third album, "Aviv Geffen III", this time without the band "Hataoyut". The album reached gold status within a few days and established Aviv's status as one of the most prominent artists in Israel. The album expresses the mental problems of an adolescent just before he was drafted into the army. Among the prominent songs on the album were: "Is Being In Love With You", "Getting Lost", "Respect", "Suicide", "The Closest Alone", and "I Set With Happiness", in a duet with Lior Tevet. "Is being in love with you" won the title of "Song of the Year" on the "Reshset Gimel" and Aviv once again won the title of "Singer of the Year". 18. In 1995, Aviv released his fourth album, "Nowhere." The album was recorded in London and caused a stir in Israel due to the song "Nowhere", which included the line "Whoever goes there drunk, it's the prime minister" which was a hint at rumors about the drinking habits of the then prime minister - Yitzhak Rabin. Following this, the song was disqualified for broadcast on the radio. Singles released from the album: "We Loved", "Angel" and "Peace". 19. In 1996, Aviv released his fifth album, "The Letter", where he returned to collaborate with the band "Hataoyut" and Moshe Levy. Among the familiar songs on the album were: "Tomorrow Will Never Come", "You Have Me", "The Excuse", "The Letter", "Sad Without You", "Seasons", "Jealousy" and "Rebellion of Tears", written following the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. The album also includes Aviv's performance of the song "Cry for You" at a rally in memory of Rabin, held a week after the assassination. 20. In the same year, Aviv published the book "The Forbidden Songs", which contained the lyrics and characters of his songs from the albums released from 1992 to 1996. 21. We usually do not tend to mention compilation albums, but in 1997 Aviv released the double compilation album "Full Moon - The Collection" which in addition to the 20 songs from his previous albums and songs that were shelved from them, two new songs were added - "End of the World" with Berry Sakharof And "Shir Tikva." Both became rock anthems and entered the Israeli music classic. 22. In 1998 the album "Hollow" was released, again without the "Hataoyut" and with the artistic advice of Berry Sakharof, which was expressed in a louder album, with an emphasis on electric guitars and effects. The album was recorded in London and was different from Aviv's previous albums in terms of sound, which was more metallic than Aviv's usually warm sound. The album was not a great success, but the hits "Good Morning Iran" and "Superstar" still came out strong. 23. In 1999 the 7th album "White Nights" was released. The album is mostly based on Aviv's divorce from Ilana Berkowitz and was characterized by softer and more melodic songs than its predecessor, such as: "Our Song", "Romeo and Juliet", "White Nights", "Mexico" and "Silence". 24. In the same year, Aviv began an intimate tour, with keyboardist "Hataoyut" Daniel Salomon, in which he performed without the band, accompanied by piano and guitar. The tour has been a great success and since then, Aviv has been out every winter for an intimate tour. 25. In 2000, Aviv's 8th album "Journey Diary" was released, a melodic and complex album, which expresses a more subdued line of Aviv, compared to the screams and distortions that were customary on his previous albums, mainly due to the song "Leather Skins" with the phrase "beloved homeland". In the album, Aviv hosts Shalom Hanoch in the song "Hatzer Hamelech" and Arik Einstein in the song "Yoman Masa". This album was the last in which Geffen collaborated with Moshe Levy as a music producer. 26. In the same year, Aviv invited the band Porcupine Tree, which he admired to perform in Israel. Following the band's performance, Aviv met with the band's lead singer Steven Wilson and from there began to form friendships and musical partnerships. Aviv, who was looking to break through the borders of Israel, wanted to form the band that became "Blackfield" with Steven. (Photo: Blackfield) 27. In 2002, Aviv's tenth album "Memento Mori" ("Remember Death") was released. It was recorded in Copenhagen, Denmark. The album is dedicated to Aviv's grandmother, Geula, who passed away that year, and includes the song "Sad Song" written in her memory. Other released singles: "Going Forward" and "Keren Or". 28. In 2003, the documentary film "Aviv" came out, directed by Tomer Heiman, is about the life of Aviv. The film opened the Bangkok International Film Festival and won the sympathy of the Thai audience. 29. In the same year, Aviv published the second book, "The Forbidden Songs II", which contains the lyrics to the albums released from 1997 to 2002. 30. In the same year, Aviv released a joint song with the Arab hip-hop band "Blood". In addition to the song "Innocent Criminals" written by Tamer Nafar, the band's lead singer, and composed by Geffen and even filmed for him, Aviv was seen in an IDF uniform, which caused a stir in light of Aviv's history. 31. In 2004, Aviv participated in a 12-episode reality show called "Aviv Geffen's Blog" on the Yes network. The blog was broadcast from Aviv's home and was also broadcast live on the Internet. 32. What started as an EP in 2001 became the band's full-length debut album "Blackfield". Wilson and Aviv recorded 10 songs together with two of them being the English version of Aviv's songs, "Cloudy Now" and "Scars", Wilson sang all the songs on the album except the two. 33. In 2005, Aviv published his first book, "Children of Sunday," which briefly visits important stations in his life. 34. In 2006 Aviv released his eleventh album "With Time", the album was produced for him by Ofer Nissim, who worked with Aviv on all the songs released singles were: "With Time", "Tomorrow", "For You", "It's Just The heart that hurts you "and" there is no time under the sun ". 35. The album also came out in a special edition and included a bonus album called "Out of Competition" which is an acoustic album that combines acoustic versions of previous Aviv songs and instrumental tracks. 36. In 2006 Aviv wrote and composed most of the songs for Ninet Tayeb's debut album "Barefoot", which he also produced musically. Only two days after its release the album received the title of Gold Album. 37. In 2007 Blackfield II's second album by the band Blackfield was released. Unlike the previous album which was recorded over almost three years in London and Israel, this time Wilson came to Israel for six months in which the album was recorded continuously. That same year, the band released a DVD and live album called Blackfield - Live in New York City. 38. In 2008, Aviv and Ofer Nissim produced an album for the anonymous singer "Alex", which he took under his wing and accompanied her on his performances. 39. In the same year, Aviv released a double live album, which includes songs performed during his performances over the summer of 2007. The album also included a DVD with clips and rare live clips from his family's home camera. The performance singles "The Garden of Sins" and "Big Dreams" came out as singles. On March 6, Aviv has a big show in honor of the launch of the album, which featured Berry Sakharof, Assaf Amdursky, and the lead singer of the "B-J" band Robin Gibb. 40. In July 2008, Aviv published the song "The Child of All of Us", which he wrote about the abducted soldier Gilad Shalit. (Photo: Mick Hutson) 41. In 2009, Aviv's first international solo album was released, bearing his name. Before the release of the album, Aviv released the single "It's Alright", which entered the playlist of the NME radio station. Another single that came out is "It Was Meant to Be a Love Song" which entered the top five music videos on NME. 42. In 2011 Blackfield's third album Welcome to my DNA was released. This time Aviv was the one who led the writing and he is also the one who sang this time more than Wilson, who sang as a lead singer in only five of the eleven songs. 43. In 2012, Aviv's 12th album was released called "Mosaic". The album includes a number of collaborations, including three songs that Aviv wrote with Idan Raichel: "Thorns", "Railroad" and "Dolls". A song he wrote with Sharon Lifshitz "Nostalgia" and a song with Eviatar Banai "The End of the World". 44. In the same year, Aviv began holding the "Rock Ball" music festival, which also features other musicians and artists, from Israel and around the world, and continues to this day. 45. Beginning in 2012, Aviv began serving as a mentor on the reality show "The Voice Israel." 46. ​​In 2013 the band Blackfield released their fourth album Blackfield IV, as a trend that started already on the previous album, Aviv took a bigger part in this album in writing and creating as Wilson focused on his solo career. Although the two worked together and collaborated on writing some of the music and lyrics, the vast majority as well as the lead of the album was done by Aviv. 47. In 2014, Aviv released the album "Cracks". The album included the singles: "A New World", "I would sing to you", "Pain for Pain", written for his father Jonathan Geffen, and "Turns Around", which he performed together with singer and creator Matti Caspi. "Revolving" was a huge hit and was most heard on the radio throughout 2014. 48. In the same year, Sgt. Matan Gottlieb was killed in Khan Yunis during Operation Eitan. Matan, who had been a fan of Aviv Geffen since a young age, managed to be at his show a few days before his death. Aviv then wrote the song "War Harvest" about him. 49. In 2017, Aviv released the first single "Who I Am Today", to date he has released five more singles: "Come to Me" with Orit Shahaf, "Until the Light Shines", "Hallelujah", "Swing" written for his eldest son and " You are not alone "with the participation of Mikiagi and Dudi Levy. But the album as a whole has not yet been released. 50. In the same year the band Blackfield released their fifth album Blackfield V. This time the two returned to collaborate equally Wilson invests more time in writing and creating the album, this album is produced by none other than Alan Parsons. 51. In 2018, Aviv participated in the TV show "Aviv Or Eyal" with the singer "Eyal Golan". A reality shows that deals with the discovery of musical talents by judges Aviv Geffen and Eyal Golan, who represent two styles of music that are opposite to reality. 52. In 2020, Aviv released a joint single with Avraham Fried called "In the Drought", which he wrote and composed. In May 2021, Aviv appeared with Fried in the Sultan's Pool in two shows for the ultra-Orthodox religious public and apologized to this public for the background of some of his songs from the past that may have harmed it. 53. In 2021, Aviv judged on the reality show "The X Factor Israel", to find an Israeli representative at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, along with Neta Barzilai, Margalit Tsanani, Miri Mesika and Ran Danker. 54. In March 2022 came out the series "Lunar Years", which created a spring and follows the beginning of his career, in the early nineties. 55. In May 2023, Aviv celebrated his 50th birthday with a huge concert in Yarkon Park, the show was attended by over 40,000 people and it hosted Mati Caspi, Ninet Taib, Rami Portis, Barry Sakharoff and more. 56. In the same month, Aviv published a children's book called "Silverline", dedicated to his children Dylan and Eliot. The book was edited by his father Jonathan Geffen, who died about two weeks before the book was published. 57. In May 2024, Geffen received an honorary doctorate from Bar-Ilan University. Listen to Aviv's latest album "Cracks" on Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On September 10, 1996, "Suede" released their third album "Coming Up". This is the album with which the band broke into worldwide consciousness. It is also the band's most successful album to date. Out of the album came no less than five singles that entered the top ten in various charts all over the world. "Trash" was the first to be released as a single even before the release of the album. It was the band's first single written without guitarist Bernard Butler and featured the first writing collaboration between Brett Anderson and Richard Oakes. It was followed by "Beautiful Ones", which was originally called "Dead Leg" following a threat by bassist Mat Osman on guitarist Richard Oakes. Osman threatened Oaks that if he will not write a "hit" that would enter the top ten he would make sure to break his leg. Of course, Oaks "survived" after the song became a big hit. "Suede" did not stop and continued with the third single and one of the most beautiful ballads of the nineties: "Saturday Night". The music video for the song was produced by Pedro Romhanyi, who also "handled" two other music videos for the band: "Animal Nitrate" and "Beautiful Ones". The "bomb shelling" continued with the fourth single, "Lazy", which proved to all that the collaboration between Brett Anderson and Richard Oaks is simply meteoric. Pedro Romhanyi also directed this clip. The band finished with the fifth and final single released from the album. Like its predecessors, this song also entered the top ten on the British chart. "Filmstar", with its oriental scent, introduced the band's musical diversity. The success of the album is intensified by the fact that only two years earlier "Suede" was at a low point in their short musical career. The downturn came after their second album, "Dog Man Star," failed in sales. Following the meteoric success of its debut album, the relevance of "Suede" was suddenly questioned. In an instant, the band became an uninteresting act, while watching the British media praise and glorify its colleagues, “Oasis” and “Blur”, who became the hot thing at the time. Add to that the fact that one of the band's main pillars, guitarist Bernard Butler, left and you have a deep crisis that could have threatened the future of "Suede." Butler's departure was no small matter. Beyond the fact that Butler was an excellent guitarist who greatly influenced the band's special sound, he was also its lead songwriter, along with Brett Anderson. But Suede members did not say desperate. They worked hard to find a new guitarist to replace Butler. The task was not easy as Butler was a key player in the band. In the end, Richard Oakes, who was a fan of the band and was only 17 years old, was chosen from among 500 different candidates for the guitarist position. What’s amazing about Oaks, is that he was the only guitarist who didn’t do an audition in front of the band but sent a demo tape to its fan club. Armed with the young spirit of a 17-year-old guitarist, the band entered the studio. The writing process was different from the previous two albums. If on the previous albums Brett mostly wrote the lyrics and Butler the music, this time the creative process was done by all the band members. In addition, the band decided to enrich its sound with the addition of keyboards. Thus, on the recommendation of drummer Simon Gilbert, his cousin, Neil Codling, was recruited to the role of keyboardist. Codling was also a co-writer of the songs and remains in the band's relatively stable lineup to this day (except for a brief break between 2003-2001). To avoid further shocks, the band decided, after some deliberation, to continue working with their previous producer, Ed Buller. It is interesting to note that during the deliberations the names considered for the role were, among others, Brian Eno and Flood, who is known for his productions for "New Order", "Depeche Mode", "U2" and "Nine Inch Nails". (Photo: imdb.com) The material written for the album was more accessible and catchy compared to previous albums and even a bit "Popish". The creative process was particularly fruitful. In addition to the ten songs that entered the album, the band also wrote the song "Young Men". The song was left out of the album, as producer Buller, thought it was too dark compared to the rest of the album's catchy tracks. This song eventually came out as a b-side to the song "Beautiful Ones" and was included in the double masterpiece album "Sci-Fi Lullabies" which was released in 1997 and included 27 songs that were not included on the band's albums. In the end, the album turned out to be a huge success for the band. It included an incredible sequence of hits and garnered rave reviews from critics. You could say that this album even saved the band from disbanding, as it is very likely that it would not have survived another commercial failure. If that wasn't enough, this album brought back the relevance of the band, which was fading in the face of the success of bands like "Oasis" and "Blur". It seems that in the end, the name of the album predicted the future of the band. The album brought "Suede" "up", exposed them to a large and diverse audience, and earned them worldwide recognition and great appreciation. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website