On September 2, 1993 Neil Young & "Pearl Jam" an iconic live performances at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards: (Photo: Jeff Kravitz) "Pearl Jam's" collaboration with Neil Young at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards was a historical event that brought two different generations of music together. The event took place on September 2, 1993, and featured "Pearl Jam" and Neil Young performing Young's classic track "Rockin' in the Free World." This performance symbolized a powerful fusion of two generations of rock music—Young, often referred to as the "Godfather of Grunge," and "Pearl Jam", one of the leading bands of the grunge movement. The collaboration came at a time when "Pearl Jam" was at the height of their fame, following the massive success of their debut album "Ten" and just before their sophomore release "Vs." Neil Young, already an established legend, was experiencing a resurgence in popularity due to his association with the grunge movement that was influenced by albums like "Rust Never Sleeps", but particularly after the release of his 1990 album "Ragged Glory" and the live album "Weld", which echoed the raw, distorted sound that defined the genre. This bond between the two musical worlds was further cemented when "Pearl Jam" served as Neil Young's opening act during their tour prior the release of the album "Vs." and Neil Young used to bring them on stage during his encores to perform the song "Rockin' in the Free World" with him. This mutual admiration between Neil Young and "Pearl Jam" was so clear that it was only natural that the two would collaborate in the near future. The opportunity came at 1993 MTV Music Awards. "Pearl Jam" was the night's biggest winner when their video for "Jeremy" earned them four awards, including Video of the Year. They went up to perform "Animal" from their upcoming album "Vs." and then, on their second and last song performed that historical evening, they invited Neil Young as if they were returning a favor for all the times he did it for them. On stage, the chemistry between Eddie Vedder and Neil Young was electric. Young's gritty guitar work and distinct vocals blended seamlessly with "Pearl Jam's" intense energy. The performance was raw, loud, and full of the rebellious spirit that both artists embodied. It was also notable for its spontaneity and unpolished nature—qualities that set it apart from the more polished acts typically seen at such events. The MTV performance further cemented Neil Young's status as a major influence on the grunge scene and solidified "Pearl Jam's" position as a torchbearers of a new era of rock music. The collaboration was so well-received that it led to further work between the artists, culminating in "Pearl Jam" serving as Young's backing band on his 1995 album "Mirror Ball", which further blended their distinct sounds. Overall, the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards performance remains a uniqe moment in the history of rock, representing the meeting of musical minds that spanned generations and shaped the direction of the genres of rock and grunge. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 02.09.1985 I could not find a reliable source confirming the three Gary Moore quotations word-for-word, so I’ve followed your rule and converted them into narration rather than presenting them as direct quotes. The factual details about "Run for Cover", Lynott’s participation and the album chronology are consistent with available sources. Gary Moore later recalled that he was on holiday in Tenerife when his wife, reading the Sunday newspaper, suddenly began gasping in shock. He immediately understood what had happened. His close friend, musician Phil Lynott, had died. Moore described the news as devastating. It took him several days before he was able to cry, and several more months before he truly accepted that Lynott was not coming back. Even years later, he would sometimes dream that Phil was still alive and talking to him. The shock was enormous. Moore knew that Lynott had become dependent on painkillers and was drinking heavily, but only a few months earlier the two friends had collaborated on "Run for Cover", Moore's fifth solo album, released on September 2, 1985. Moore would later remember one of the things he valued most about Phil: even when they were not working together, he could always turn to him. Whenever Moore felt confused about what was happening in the music scene, Lynott had a way of putting everything into perspective and calming him down. It was that kind of guidance and friendship that Moore continued to miss after his death. In many ways, on January 4, 1986, Gary Moore lost his musical big brother, his former colleague in "Thin Lizzy", and a true friend who had always been there when he needed advice. In 1984, Gary Moore released "Victims of the Future", an album that successfully connected him with a younger heavy metal audience. He appeared at the "Castle Donington" festival and became an increasingly prominent name outside Britain as well. "Empty Rooms" demonstrated his ability to move naturally between tender balladry and powerful, heavy guitars. As mentioned, the final chord of the collaboration between these two musical giants was recorded on Moore's next album, "Run for Cover". They were joined there by two other musicians who had previously crossed paths with Moore: bassist Glenn Hughes, formerly of "Deep Purple", who had also worked with Moore in "G-Force", and former "Roxy Music" drummer Paul Thompson. Just before making his major transition to the blues and becoming a worldwide legend, Gary Moore recorded one of the less-discussed albums of his extensive career. Yet in many ways, it was actually one of its most important crossroads, and a rare opportunity to hear Moore at his best as a hard rock virtuoso. Moore, already known as an experienced and highly respected guitarist, proves here that his songwriting abilities were every bit as impressive, while delivering pure, commercial hard rock. Some of the material on "Run for Cover" recalls the "Thin Lizzy" period and the heavy metal sound of the early and mid-1970s. Other songs point more clearly toward the softer and more delicate material Gary Moore would record following this album. In that sense, "Run for Cover" stands at the junction of two possible directions his career could have taken at the time. Add the thunderous bass, the smooth vocals and the unmistakable presence of Phil Lynott, and you get an album that remains somewhat underrated. The two tracks featuring Phil Lynott sharing vocals with Gary Moore, "Out in the Fields" and "Military Man", are without doubt among the album's highlights. "Out in the Fields" is a powerful hard rock song based on the conflict in Northern Ireland known as "The Troubles". This ethno-nationalist conflict lasted for roughly 30 years, from the late 1960s until 1998, with its conclusion generally associated with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement that year. Although the conflict took place mainly in Northern Ireland, the violence occasionally spilled over into parts of the Republic of Ireland, England and mainland Europe. Alongside it, another anti-war song, "Military Man", fits perfectly into the album's atmosphere. Written from the perspective of a disillusioned soldier addressing his mother, it reinforces the darker themes running through this part of "Run for Cover". Gary Moore first recorded "Empty Rooms" for "Victims of the Future", released in December 1983. It became one of Moore's greatest solo successes and remains one of his finest love ballads. The song was re-recorded for "Run for Cover". Moore described it as "very personal. It wasn't written because I felt sorry for myself", explaining that it grew out of something he had personally experienced and something he believed everyone goes through at one stage or another. Those who worked closely with Moore often spoke about the extraordinary intensity of his talent. Don Airey, who had known and worked with him since their days in "Colosseum II", later said: "Gary was so talented I think it actually haunted him." Airey explained that once Moore picked up a guitar, he seemed to connect with something he could not entirely control. He regarded Moore as a true genius, but also believed that such genius inevitably came at a price. Moore's career was defined by dramatic stylistic changes, moving from jazz-rock to hard rock, tender ballads and, eventually, pure blues. Each transition represented more than simply a musical change. It also seemed like another attempt to find an inner peace that he never completely achieved. Although his earlier albums did not always enjoy major commercial success, they revealed the wild, daring and creative side of Gary Moore. For many fans, "Run for Cover" represents the peak of his hard rock period, the moment just before he turned toward the blues and found an entirely new and devoted audience. 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 - 02.09.1977 In the modern world, the "first impression" has taken on a place of great importance. Once you have been labeled as problematic, your chances of succeeding become significantly smaller. The year was 1969, and in Ireland a band was formed that played hard rock, a relatively unusual style for the time. Its name was "Thin Lizzy", a band with tons of talent and an equally impressive tendency toward self-destruction, which occasionally earned them a reputation as troublemakers. A bad reputation, just like the title of their eighth studio album, "Bad Reputation", released on September 2, 1977. "Thin Lizzy" was originally formed by Eric Bell on guitar and Eric Wrixon on keyboards, both of whom had connections to the Northern Irish rock band "Them", the band associated with Van Morrison, together with Phil Lynott on bass and vocals and Brian Downey on drums, who had previously played together in "Orphanage". Lynott would become the undisputed leader of the band. Early in his career, while moving through several different groups, he struggled with his singing, something that was later linked to problems with his tonsils. During a period when Lynott was temporarily away because of illness, he was dismissed from "Skid Row" by his friend and bandmate Brush Shiels. Feeling uncomfortable about what he had done, Shiels later gave Lynott free bass guitar lessons, something that would prove enormously important to Lynott's future career. Lynott, who greatly admired Jimi Hendrix, would eventually become something of a working-class hero, almost an Irish equivalent of Bruce Springsteen. In his writing and playing, he combined Hendrix-like ambition with the poetry and streetwise intelligence associated with Van Morrison. But Lynott was determined to lead, and anyone who could not move in the same direction often found himself somewhere else before long. Of course, the band's growing problems with alcohol and drugs did little to help maintain healthy relationships in the day-to-day life of "Thin Lizzy". As mentioned, almost nothing came easily for "Thin Lizzy" during those early years, but their productivity was still impressive. After five albums in five years, the long-awaited breakthrough finally arrived with their sixth studio album, "Jailbreak", and its enormous hit "The Boys Are Back in Town". "Whiskey in the Jar" had already given them an earlier taste of success. Armed with an impressive catalogue of albums and a major new hit, "Thin Lizzy" set out to conquer America. But, as happened so often throughout the band's history, just when the light at the end of the tunnel seemed to be shining brightly, another moment of self-destruction arrived. Phil Lynott contracted hepatitis, forcing the band to interrupt its American campaign. Then, as if that were not enough, guitarist Brian "Robbo" Robertson, after drinking heavily, badly injured his hand when he became involved in a fight while defending his friend, musician Frankie Miller. The band was forced to cancel further dates in the United States, including shows in which they were supposed to support Ritchie Blackmore's "Rainbow", and once again "Thin Lizzy" began developing a bad reputation across America. While recovering from hepatitis, Lynott used the downtime to write much of what would become the band's seventh studio album, "Johnny the Fox". Meanwhile, the members of "Thin Lizzy", and Lynott in particular, felt that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to conquer America had slipped through their fingers. The man who ultimately paid the highest price was "Robbo". Robertson eventually returned to contribute lead guitar to three tracks on "Bad Reputation", "Opium Trail", "Killer Without a Cause", and "That Woman's Gonna Break Your Heart", but the album marked the beginning of the end of his time with the band and would become his final studio album with "Thin Lizzy". Lynott and his bandmates understood the situation and knew that something had to change. They brought in producer Tony Visconti, who had previously worked extensively with David Bowie. Visconti reshaped the band's sound, placing greater emphasis on Lynott's bass while softening and expanding their rough-edged hard rock with strings, saxophone, clarinet, keyboards and synthesizers. Visconti also tried to put an end to the late-night partying of the inseparable pair of Scott Gorham, who had joined "Thin Lizzy" in 1974, and Lynott. The album lifted the band back off the canvas. "Bad Reputation" entered the Top 40 of the US album chart and climbed to No. 4 in the UK, restoring the band's momentum and strengthening them ahead of the albums that followed, including "Black Rose: A Rock Legend", regarded by many as one of the creative peaks of their career. Beyond Visconti's production and Lynott's overflowing talent, special attention should also be given to the outstanding drumming of Brian Downey. Just listen to the title track, "Bad Reputation". Downey was, by any standard, one of rock's most underrated drummers, and his playing was one of the essential foundations of the "Thin Lizzy" sound. The album cover also reflected the depth of the conflict between Robertson and Lynott. Instead of presenting "Thin Lizzy" as a four-piece, Sutton Cooper's front-cover artwork featured only Lynott, Scott Gorham and Brian Downey, with Robertson conspicuously absent. Robertson did, however, appear with the band in a photograph on the back cover. 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Written By: Noam Asulin Release date - 02.09.2022 "Lady Silver" comes from Tel Aviv. The band consists of Max Spon (vocals and guitar), Daniel Krichevsky (guitars), Gal Motiuk (bass and keyboards), and Nir Hakim (drums). The band was formed at the end of 2017 and started recording in 2018. In 2019 the band released their debut EP, "Ladies First" and on Sep. 2022 released their full debut album, "Circus Pop", which is the subject of my review. The band aims to bring British rock to the small country of Israel. Already in their debut EP, it was possible to notice many influences from bands like "Arctic Monkeys" and more. The band defines itself as influenced by bands Like "Queens of the Stone Age", "Foals", "Arctic Monkeys", "The Black Keys", "Mother's Cake" and more. "Lady Silver" members note that on their debut album, they took the music in a slightly more modern direction, compared to their EP, released in 2019. The album begins with the song "Wondershow" which was released as a single in April 2021. There is no doubt that already in the first song you can feel many British influences. Max, the lead singer, sounds strictly British. An interesting point is that he studied in Manchester, so the English sound very natural coming from him. Lyrically, the song talks about reality TV culture and voyeurism ("Come and Quench Your Thirst For Voyeurism Through a Socially Accepted Prism"). I can't help but relate to this as one who thinks reality shows and social media have just taken over our lives. In the next song "News of the World" one might think that the singer is Alex Turner from "Arctic Monkeys". Max sings with a low and deep voice that is very reminiscent of Alex. The song talks about speculations that have been raised such as the possibility that the landing on the moon was not real, the earth is flat and China does not exist. "Pigeons" starts with an intro that is very reminiscent of "Knights of Cydonia" by "Muse", from the album "Black Holes and Revelations". Immediately after comes a bouncy tempo with guitars that make me want to dance. The fifth song "Honey" takes a more relaxed direction, but also talks about technology and how today everything is drained to followers on Instagram and that there is a lot of hatred from people who are just keyboard thugs. ("Carry on, Ignore the Haters, they're Just Keyboard Gladiators") One of the strongest songs on the album for me is "Nothing Changes (But the Name of the City)". The song is very fun to listen to, the guitars sound wonderful and what makes the song special for me is the rhythm change that puts the song in a more theatrical direction, with violins that connect us directly to the next track "You Are the One". The ninth song "Magic and Science" is in my opinion the strongest song on the album. Every time I listen to it I feel enchanted, just as the name of the song implies. The chorus is simply wonderful and infectious. This is a love song with a twist. When I asked Max the singer about the meaning of the song, I was told that this song is a collection of his thoughts. The song tries to show the commitment and love one has towards music and at the same time a romantic love that is equal in importance and passion to the love of music. Max chose to incorporate paraphrases from songs he admires such as "I Never Loved Anything Until I Loved You" by "Queen of the stone age". You can totally hear it in the line "I Don't Think I Loved Anything Until I Met You". Max explains that the scientific part of love is the chemicals in the brain, and music is also a form of mathematics. Not being able to understand why it's so exciting is the magical part of the whole thing. You can notice that the album is divided into two parts. The first part talks about reality technology and culture and shows a dark side. The second part of the album tries to end it on a more optimistic note, with the help of love and romance songs. In conclusion, I think that the members of "Lady Silver" definitely kept their promise for music that gives a serious British rock vibe, with influences like "Arctic Monkeys", "Muse" and more. You can't go wrong with it. The messages in the songs make the album not only fun to listen to, but also very interesting. The album reflects the shortcomings that technology and the desire for peeking into the life of others have brought with them and reflects on the problems related to adoration, emptiness, and baseless speculations. Before ending, I must mention the wonderful production of the album and Max's dominant vocals. This is an album that sounds and feels international, with a production that would not embarrass large international bands. If you like British rock you absolutely need to give this album a listen. to listen: Deezer, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

And then they were two... On September 1, 1997 "Genesis" released their 15th album "Calling All Stations". This is the last piece of music released under the name "Genesis", but it's a pale shadow of what this great band has produced in the past, even compared to their previous album "We Can't Dance". Over the years, "Genesis" faced quite a few upheavals, but it seems that each time it actually came out of them strengthened. It started in 1974 when its charismatic lead singer Peter Gabriel decided to leave. The band, which was sure that it was impossible to continue without him, suddenly discovered Phil Collins as a singer and came out with one of its greatest albums "A Trick of the Tail". Then, in 1978, the band suffered the departure of lead guitarist Steve Hackett who contributed significantly to the sound and writing process of the band, but even then, the three remaining members managed to emerge from this departure strengthened with the album "...And Then There Were Three...", which began the "journey" of "Genesis" from the heart of the progressive rock consensus to the bear hug of pop and the mainstream, with the meteoric success they will experience in the 80's. But not this time! In 1996, Phil Collins decides that his two parallel and successful careers are a little too much for him. After a long and successful tour with "Genesis" he decides to leave what he had for as a second home in the last 25 years and focus on his solo career. And so, "Genesis" finds itself, once again, without its charismatic singer who was also a full partner in the writing. The two remaining members Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford who insisted on moving on, were forced, for the first time in the band's history, to choose an outside musicians to help them record the material they had written for a new album. But unlike the previous times, the current change in the line-up was fateful and violated the delicate balance on which the band's glorious career rested over the years. The choice of Rutherford and Banks for a singer was quite surprising, to say the least. In the past, "Genesis" has survived tough line-up changes by relying on the band's own members, but this time it was different, because Rutherford and Banks couldn't take on the vocals duties and certainly not the drums. They could have chosen any other singer to try and step into Phil Collins' big shoes, but they chose Ray Wilson, a fairly anonymous singer who had the one-off hit "Inside" from 1994 by his band "Stiltskin" (yes, the famous song from the commercial Levi's commersial). In contrast, to fill Phil Collins' huge void as a drummer, Rutherford and Banks relied on not one, but two drummers. Nick D'Virgilio from the neo-prog band "Spock's Beard" and the Israeli Nir Zedkiyo, who played with various artists from Yehuda Poliker to Chris Cornell. To tell the truth, as much as Ray Wilson is a great singer and we really like the tone of his voice, he didn't really have a chance to step into the big shoes of Phil Collins. He joined the band after most of the album had already been written and probably even if he had been a full partner in writing he would also have lacked the glue that Collins had that connected the old trio so well. Although Ray Wilson occasionally participated in writing the lyrics of songs included on the album, such as "There Must Be Some Other Way", "Not About Us" and "Small Talk", it was still not enough. The album was missing the all-important addition of Phil Collins and his amazing talent to produce catchy songs that would instantly become hits. Tony Banks later admitted that if Phil Collins had been there, he just know that this album would have taken off somewhere else. The album includes 11 songs spread over 70 long minutes, without any significant hits. There is no doubt that there are some beautiful and special moments here, but this is no longer "Genesis". Despite Wilson's admirable effort and his very unique voice, he didn't fit the band's DNA, but to his credit, there is hardly any other singer in the world who could have fit. The hole left by Collins was simply unfillable. He is so identified with the band that we think that there are those who have trouble even distinguishing between "Genesis" hits and hits from his solo career. And some of you may ask, if this album has the talented duo of Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford with an excellent singer, then why didn't it work this time? We believe that the fans were not ready for a new, different and softened version of "Genesis". They weren't ready to accept the band without the person who was so identified with it. It is not impossible that if Rutherford and Banks had worked under a completely different name, everything would have looked different. On the one hand, they would give Wilson a clean, fresh start that would avoid the comparison to Collins, and on the other hand, they would allow him to be part of the creation and the final product. We are sure that excellent songs like the theme song "Calling All Stations", the hit "Congo" and the ballad "Shipwrecked" would have worked better under another band name and not "Genesis" and we can only wonder if this collaboration with Wilson could have continued if it was a new band. "Calling All Stations" did not sell well in the US, which caused the band to cancel their American tour, and with the cancellation, the plans to record a follow-up album as a cohesive band were shelved. Banks and Wilson were actually ready to record another album. They felt that the European tour consolidated the band that began to feel like a cohesive unit, but poor sales and the lack of interest from the music world caused Rutherford to lose interest. For Listening: Spotify, Youtube, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 01.09.1995 "And when the rain falls and I feel bad, the tears are washed away and go nowhere... And there was also a woman who loved me from Europe. When I lost her, I lost a little of my sanity too." Sometime in the early to mid-1980s, when I was old enough to understand these things, I realized that I had a grandmother who had survived the Holocaust. I did not hear many stories about the Holocaust from her. My grandmother preferred to suppress those memories rather than expose us to the horrors she had endured. As her grandchildren, we were told that she had worked as a nurse in a hospital. The mark on her arm made it very clear that she had been through Auschwitz. Years later, after she passed away, I discovered that she had hidden from us the true extent of what she had endured there, a reality far removed from the story we had been told. It was 4:00 in the morning at the "Logos" Club. "Tractor's Revenge" had finished its show, and the band's frontman and founder, Avi Balali, stepped out onto the deserted streets of Tel Aviv. Suddenly, he encountered a street cleaner who began speaking to him in a mixture of Hebrew and Romanian. Balali asked him what he was doing here. The cleaner told him that he was a new immigrant. Back in Romania, he had worked as an ophthalmologist. Here, he was cleaning streets. The fragility of life, and the enormous gap between the life the man had known in Romania and the reality waiting for him in Israel, inspired Balali to write the cabaret-style "Bicycles and a Book" ("Ofanayim VeSefer"), from "Kitchen Cupboards" ("Aronot Mitbach"), the fourth album by "Tractor's Revenge", released on September 1, 1995. "Kitchen Cupboards" was, in many ways, the direct result of the diverse body of work Balali had accumulated during the preceding years, including his collaborations with the Batsheva Dance Company on "Anafaza" and "Kyr", as well as composing soundtracks for theater. "As a result, channels opened up to me that I had never known before. It healed me." That healing also came through major changes in his personal life, as Balali became a husband and a father. Balali took his thoughts about that Romanian immigrant and the fragility of his life and connected them to the Holocaust of European Jewry, and to the horrifying transformation experienced by people who had once been successful businessmen and ordinary citizens, only to become a persecuted people whom the Nazis sought to annihilate. And if we jump forward in time for a moment, one cannot help but think of the residents of the Gaza border communities, who at one moment were living peacefully amid their pastoral surroundings, only to find themselves, a few hours later, facing atrocities that the eyes and the mind still struggle to comprehend. The road to "Kitchen Cupboards" began with the rock opera "Samara", written by director and playwright Hillel Mittelpunkt, who had previously found success with the rock opera "Mami", in June 1992. Dana Berger was cast in the leading role alongside Uri Katzenstein. Berger was supposed to become the rebellious 1990s version of Mazi Cohen, while the production carried a sharp and controversial political message. The play dealt with an Israeli reservist haunted by the ghost of a Palestinian woman who had been killed during a military operation. The music was written by "Tractor's Revenge", which within just four years had established itself as one of Israel's most diverse and accomplished rock bands, a group that left everything on the stage. But various problems prevented "Samara" from taking off. After only ten performances, it disappeared into the depths of history, while leaving "Bicycles and a Book" behind as one of the starting points on the road toward the recording of "Kitchen Cupboards". Here’s the next part, keeping the Face/Off tone and formatting: Just before the recordings began, "Tractor's Revenge" lost their excellent drummer Danny Makov, who had been with the band since its formation. Now, however, the time had come for him to seek new experiences in England. Some time later, he was replaced by the young 17-year-old drummer Aviv Barak, who settled in remarkably well. About a decade later, he would take part in "Algiers"' album "Engines Forward". At around the same time, "Tractor's Revenge" signed with "Hed Arzi" and recorded their fourth album. "Kitchen Cupboards" is an extraordinarily diverse album, combining progressive rock, cabaret, Irish and Greek music, along with Middle Eastern and Latin elements, all laid over an electronic foundation. And all of this arrived against the backdrop of the final convulsions of Israeli rock, which was about to fade from the mainstream, as the calm weekend sound of Galgalatz was preparing to take over the airwaves, while the country was being shaken by bloody terrorist attacks and the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. What is remarkable is just how much courage the members of "Tractor's Revenge" had to ignore all the surrounding noise and everything happening around them, and simply bring out what was sitting inside their hearts, creating the music that interested them in that particular moment. Balali wrote "Talk to Me" after being inspired by music he heard while visiting the island of Crete, music that reminded him strongly of Irish music, but with a trance-like twist. I found confirmation that Sam Harris photographed the "Kitchen Cupboards" artwork/promo material, but not the full Balali quote word-for-word. So I removed the quotation marks and kept it as narration, exactly according to your rule. Around the time "Kitchen Cupboards" was released, British photographer Sam Harris was staying in Israel. Balali recalled that Harris had worked with "The Prodigy" and "Massive Attack", connected strongly with the music of "Tractor's Revenge", and offered to shoot the promotional photographs for the album. He also came up with ideas for two music videos and created the clips for "Talk to Me" and "Bicycles and a Book". From "Ice Flower", through "Talk to Me", "Bicycles and a Book" and "Buffalo", the excellent cover of "Memories" by "Earth & Fire", the grunge-flavored "Labyrinth", and the title track "Kitchen Cupboards", which receives its own treatment using a back-splicing technique, Avi Balali, Ilan Green, Ophir Leibovitz, Aviv Barak, Eyal Shahar and Galia Hai on viola never stop steering the listener in unexpected directions. Despite being strikingly different from almost everything surrounding it, "Kitchen Cupboards" stood out as an album overflowing with sounds and eclectic styles, driven by the lyrics of Avi Balali, a musician who is always thinking, always dreaming, and knows how to take what his mind absorbs, turn it into something tangible, and blend it with the warmth of his voice. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On September 1, 1980 "Saxon" released its 3rd album "Strong Arm of the Law". This album stands as a cornerstone of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), embodying the raw energy and working-class ethos that defined the movement. As the band's third studio album, it followed the success of "Wheels of Steel" earlier that same year, solidifying "Saxon's" reputation as one of the leading forces in the burgeoning metal scene. From the opening track, "Heavy Metal Thunder," the album delivers a relentless barrage of powerful riffs, anthemic choruses, and Biff Byford's distinctive, soaring vocals. The song itself became a defining anthem for the genre, encapsulating the rebellious spirit and sonic intensity that NWOBHM was known for. With its fast-paced tempo and aggressive guitar work by Paul Quinn and Graham Oliver, "Heavy Metal Thunder" set the tone for an album that refuses to compromise on its heaviness. The title track, "Strong Arm of the Law," is another standout, offering a gritty narrative inspired by a real-life encounter the band had with the force of law. According to guitarist Graham Oliver, the title track was inspired by an incident where the band was driving in Whitehall and was subsequently pulled over and searched by the security detail of then British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. The lyrics, coupled with the pounding rhythm section provided by Steve Dawson on bass and Pete Gill on drums, convey a sense of defiance against authority that resonated with fans. The song’s mid-tempo groove contrasts effectively with the album's faster tracks, showcasing "Saxon's" ability to balance aggression with melody. Tracks like "Taking Your Chances" and "To Hell and Back Again" maintain the album's momentum, featuring galloping rhythms and memorable hooks that highlight the band's tight musicianship. "20,000 Ft" is another highlight, with its high-octane energy and vivid lyrics that paint a picture of high-speed aerial combat. The song's frenetic pace and dynamic shifts make it one of the album's most exhilarating moments. The album also delves into historical themes with "Dallas 1 PM," which recounts the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The track is slower and more contemplative, providing a stark contrast to the rest of the album while still maintaining the intensity that "Saxon" is known for. The haunting melody and Byford's somber delivery lend the song a weighty emotional impact. "Strong Arm of the Law" is a concise album, clocking in at just over 37 minutes, but it packs a punch with every track. The production, handled by the band and Pete Hinton, is raw and unpolished, which suits the material perfectly. It captures the live energy of "Saxon", making the listener feel as though they are front and center at one of the band's electrifying performances. Overall, "Strong Arm of the Law" is not just a highlight in "Saxon's" discography but also a seminal album in the history of heavy metal. It captures the essence of the NWOBHM movement, with its combination of speed, power, and working-class grit. 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 - 01.09.1989 In October 1988, singer Tanita Tikaram released "Twist in My Sobriety". At around the same time, American glam metal band "Mötley Crüe" checked themselves into rehab, hoping to regain some sobriety of their own. Yes, this was one of those make-or-break moments. The members of "Mötley Crüe", led by bassist and co-founder Nikki Sixx, had become completely consumed by drugs. Sixx later wrote in "The Heroin Diaries": "Alcohol, acid, cocaine... they were just affairs. When I met heroin it was true love." He estimated that he overdosed "about half a dozen times." On December 23, 1987, Sixx overdosed on heroin once too often. He was reportedly declared clinically dead for two minutes before a paramedic, who happened to be a "Mötley Crüe" fan, revived him with two shots of adrenaline, indirectly keeping not only Sixx alive, but the band's career as well. That shocking event did more than save "Mötley Crüe"'s career. Some might say it ultimately upgraded their lives. With a clearer, healthier outlook, and with a gifted producer named Bob Rock, who would later work with bands such as "Metallica" and "Bon Jovi", "Mötley Crüe" recorded their fifth studio album, "Dr. Feelgood", released on September 1, 1989. Sixx was born Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna Jr. on December 11, 1958, in San Jose, California. He was raised partly by his single mother, Deana Richards, and partly by his grandparents after his father abandoned the family. Feranna grew up listening to "Deep Purple", Harry Nilsson, "The Beatles", "The Rolling Stones", Elton John, "Queen" and "Black Sabbath". He later discovered "T. Rex", David Bowie, and "Slade". While living with his grandparents, Feranna became a juvenile delinquent. As a teenager, he broke into neighbors' homes, shoplifted and was expelled from school for selling drugs. His grandparents eventually sent him to live with his mother, who had moved to Seattle. Feranna stayed there for a short period and learned to play bass guitar after buying his first instrument with money he made from selling a guitar he had stolen. At the age of 17, he moved to Los Angeles and supported himself with odd jobs, including working at a liquor store and selling vacuum cleaners over the phone, while auditioning for various bands. Among them was "Sister", before he went on to form "London" in 1978. During this period, Feranna legally changed his name to Nikki Sixx. At the beginning of the 1980s, Sixx left "London" in search of a new band. He had already become familiar with the drumming abilities of "Suite 19" member Tommy Lee and approached him. Lee and Sixx began playing together while continuing their search for a guitarist. Then an advertisement in the Los Angeles newspaper "The Recycler" caught their attention: "Loud, rude, aggressive guitar player available." The guitarist behind the ad was Bob Deal, who would later legally change his name to Mick Mars. A former member of "White Horse", Mars was already an experienced player on the Los Angeles club circuit. Sixx and Lee contacted him, and after a brief audition, Mars joined the developing band. Now all they needed was a singer. After a brief and unsuccessful attempt with another vocalist, they turned to "Rock Candy" frontman Vince Neil, whom Tommy Lee knew from high school. Neil initially resisted the invitation but eventually agreed to join. The name "Mötley Crüe" came from Mick Mars, who remembered an incident from his days with "White Horse" when one of the band's members described the group as "a motley looking crew". Mars remembered the phrase and wrote it down as "Mottley Cru". The members played around with the spelling, eventually settling on the name "Mötley Crüe". During their early days, the four musicians played around Hollywood and Los Angeles, where they met their first manager, Allan Coffman. The band's debut single, "Stick to Your Guns / Toast of the Town", and first album, "Too Fast for Love", were both initially released independently through their own Leathür Records label. "Mötley Crüe"'s growing success on the Los Angeles club circuit, along with approximately 20,000 copies of "Too Fast for Love" sold independently, helped earn them a contract with major label "Elektra Records". But as mentioned earlier, the destructive lifestyle of the band's members nearly tore "Mötley Crüe" apart. From Vince Neil's fatal car accident in 1984 to Nikki Sixx's clinical death and return to life following his heroin overdose, the excesses were rapidly catching up with them. The band's management finally intervened and sent the members to rehab, with the exception of Mick Mars, who got sober on his own. Before long, "Mötley Crüe" were clean, sober and ready to begin the chapter that would lead to the biggest album of their career. The traumatic experience the band had endured, combined with their meeting with producer Bob Rock, pushed "Mötley Crüe" toward a more polished and accessible sound. Bob Rock's production style was completely foreign to the band. They were accustomed to recording quickly and leaving much of the work in the hands of producer Tom Werman. The perfectionist Rock approached things very differently. Nothing was left unresolved in the studio, even if that meant spending days working on the same guitar part. Mick Mars, for example, was pushed to repeat and perfect guitar lines again and again until Rock was satisfied with the result. Rock's perfectionism made a real impression on both Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx, who had grown up listening to artists such as "Cheap Trick" and David Bowie, for whom production was an integral part of the music. The result was the album that propelled "Mötley Crüe"'s career to another level. Commercially, "Dr. Feelgood" would eventually sell more than six million copies in the United States alone, while musically the band's playing sounded tighter and more focused than ever, helped enormously by the fact that the musicians were finally recording without the cloud of drugs and alcohol hanging over them. "Dr. Feelgood" also revealed more dimensions than the decadent glam-metal image that had defined "Mötley Crüe" throughout much of the decade. Alongside the familiar sex, drugs and Sunset Strip excess, the album occasionally looked beyond the party. "Time for Change" offered an unusually idealistic call for social change, while "Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)" dealt, with the band's typically provocative sense of humor, with a man discovering that the woman he desires is involved with another woman. It was hardly a philosophical reinvention, but it showed that the Crüe could occasionally look beyond their familiar world of hedonistic excess. The album opens with the short intro "T.n.T. (Terror 'n Tinseltown)", which includes a sampled female voice saying, "Dr Davis, phone please." The same sample can also be heard on "Queensrÿche"'s "Eyes of a Stranger", released the previous year. The album's first single and title track, "Dr. Feelgood", takes us straight back into the streets of Los Angeles. Sixx wrote it around the intersection between the Sunset Strip scene and the drug trade, focusing on the dealers who supplied the lifestyle that had almost destroyed the band. The second single, "Kickstart My Heart", turned Nikki Sixx's near-death experience into one of "Mötley Crüe"'s most explosive anthems. Sixx wrote it after his 1987 heroin overdose and the dramatic attempt to revive him, with the title referring to the story of paramedics using adrenaline to get his heart beating again. Instead of celebrating drugs, the song channels that near-death experience into speed, adrenaline and the rush of being alive. The ballad "Without You" was written by Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars about the relationship between their bandmate Tommy Lee and actress Heather Locklear, who was then best known for television series such as "Dynasty". Lee and Locklear had married in 1986, and the song presented a surprisingly romantic side of "Mötley Crüe", far removed from the band's usual tales of excess. "Metallica" drummer Lars Ulrich was impressed by Bob Rock's production on "Dr. Feelgood". When "Metallica" began searching for a producer for their next album, Rock was brought in to work on what would become their self-titled fifth album, "Metallica", better known as "The Black Album". Rock would go on to produce "Bon Jovi"'s "Keep the Faith" as well as "Metallica"'s subsequent studio albums through "St. Anger". His involvement with the latter went even further, as Rock also performed the bass parts on the album following Jason Newsted's departure from the band. "Dr. Feelgood" also featured an impressive collection of guest musicians. Steven Tyler of "Aerosmith", Bryan Adams, Sebastian Bach of "Skid Row", and Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander of "Cheap Trick" all contributed backing vocals, adding even more star power to an album that already sounded bigger and more ambitious than anything "Mötley Crüe" had recorded before. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Released on August 31, 2004, "Leviathan" marked the arrival of Mastodon as one of the most important metal bands of the new millennium. At the time, the Atlanta quartet had just begun to break out of the underground with their debut "Remission". Known for their crushing sludge riffs and relentless energy, they had already carved a reputation as a band unafraid to challenge boundaries. With "Leviathan", they decided to reach even further. Inspired by Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, the band crafted a concept album that would not only define their sound but also reshape the landscape of modern heavy music. The recording took place at Robert Lang Studios in Seattle with producer Matt Bayles, who had previously worked with acts like Isis and Botch. The result was an album that combined Mastodon’s sludge-metal roots with a newfound progressive edge, layering intricate rhythms, shifting time signatures, and atmospheric passages into a cohesive whole. It was the second chapter in the band’s elemental tetralogy, symbolizing water, following the fiery aggression of "Remission". The album begins with "Blood and Thunder", a track that bursts open like a storm at sea. Its riffs crash like tidal waves, and its chorus, featuring a guest roar from Clutch’s Neil Fallon, has become one of the most iconic moments in Mastodon’s career. It sets the tone perfectly for the odyssey that follows. "I Am Ahab" keeps the momentum with frantic drumming from Brann Dailor, his fills tumbling like rolling surf beneath Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher’s razor-sharp guitars. Then comes "Seabeast", a song that shows Mastodon’s ability to blend heaviness with haunting melody, capturing both the beauty and the terror of the ocean. On "Iron Tusk", the band leans into primal groove, its riffs swinging with hypnotic power, while "Megalodon" surprises with an almost southern-rock breakdown before snapping back into metallic fury. "Naked Burn" slows things down just enough to let the melodies breathe, before the instrumental closer "Joseph Merrick" drifts the album into eerie calm, like a ship fading into fog. Upon release, "Leviathan" was met with overwhelming critical acclaim. It was named Album of the Year by Revolver, Kerrang! and Terrorizer in 2004, and has since been hailed as one of the greatest metal albums of the 21st century. Rolling Stone placed it at number 46 on their list of the 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time. Commercially, it pushed Mastodon into the global spotlight, selling over 100,000 copies in the U.S. within two years and earning the band spots on major tours alongside Slayer and Slipknot. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

A Sneak Peek... Disturbed's fifth album "Asylum" was released on August 31, 2010. This is the fourth consecutive album that put the band straight at number one on the Billboard 200. On this album, David Draiman decided to go further and darker with the lyrics, but it also affected the music. In the songs, David shared experiences and especially messages on topics that are important to him and experiences he had in recent years. Dan tried to calm it down a bit and saying in interviews before the release of the album that they are not trying to lead a protest or revolution movement but are definitely trying to get people to think and try to look at things a little differently. In the period following the band's previous album, David went through a difficult period from which he drew inspiration for writing the lyrics. His wife left him, he was betrayed by his best friend, and in addition, he had to put his beloved dog for many years to sleep. The first single from the album "Another Way to Die" talks about global warming and the use of the earth's resources to the point of non-existence. The third song on the album "The Infection" refers to David's depression, like a creature that eats you from the inside out. One of the most famous and powerful songs for us as Jews is the song "Never Again" which refers to the Holocaust, especially to those who deny it and especially that it will never happen again. David is the grandson of a Holocaust survivor. You probably now remember the founding moments when the band performed in Israel and David gave an exciting and sweeping patriotic show, let's remember together !! The album was a bit of a musical change in the band's style but without a doubt retains its characteristics and presents the band on one of its talented, complex, and accurate albums !! Listen to the album on: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

He is one of the greatest musicians of the 90s and one of the greatest voices of all time. We do not really know how to open this review so let's just start... (Photo: Jeff Lipsky) 1. His full name is Christopher John Boyle and he was born on July 20th, 1964, and raised in Seattle, Washington 2. After his parents divorced, his two older brothers and three younger sisters adopted his mother's last name - Cornell. 3. Already at a young age Cornell had to deal with depression, he was lonely and avoided social relations. He had many fears and also suicidal tendencies that he had to deal with all his life. These were mainly the reasons why drugs and alcohol were an integral part of his life. 4. Growing up at home with alcoholic parents was the "best" refuge for a child suffering from depression and it contributed greatly to his exposure to alcohol and drugs. Already at the age of 12, he started consuming alcohol and various drugs that were available at home. He said that alcohol is what led to heavy drugs, he gives you the confidence that you can take any drug possible and nothing will happen to you. 5. His first exposure to music was around the age of 9 when he found a collection of "The Beatles" records in the basement of an abandoned house on the street where he lived. For several years he listened only to these albums. (Photo: Gie Knaeps) 6. Although he learned to play the piano and guitar, the first instrument that made him love rock music was a snare drum that his mother bought him. Aside from drugs and alcohol, the refuge that saved him was music, it was his means of channeling all his hard feelings and emotions out, living with himself peacefully and genuinely. 7. In 1982 Chris was a drummer in the band "Face to Face" which he formed together with bassist Duncan Elder and guitarist Bruce Sandelin (Photo: tumblr.com) 8. It appears that in the same year Chris formed another band called "The Shemps", a cover band that performed in small clubs in Seattle. The band also included bassist Hiro Yamamoto and guitarist Kim Thayil. (Photo: Wikimedia) 9. In 1984, Cornell's most famous band "Soundgarden" was formed. Hiro on bass, Kim on the guitar, and Cornell on the drums and vocals. A year later they enlisted drummer Scott Sundquist to allow Chris to concentrate on singing but he very quickly left and was replaced by Matt Cameron. (Photo: Jay Blakesburg) 10. In 1987 the band signed with the label "Sub Pop" which was the mainstay of the grunge scene and released their first EP "Screaming Life", a year later they released their second EP "Fopp". These two EPs created a very big buzz around the band and it became a popular band in Seattle. 11. In 1988 the band signed with the label "SST Records" and released their debut album "Ultramega OK", the album created huge exposure for the band and even a nomination for a Grammy Award. As a result, "Soundgarden" was signed with the big label "A&M Records" and became the first band from the grunge scene in Seattle to sign a record deal with a big label. 12. In 1989 the band released their second album "Louder Than Love". On this album, "Soundgarden" first introduced its special time signature (a rhythm that is not arranged in 4 regular bars) and took it one step further toward metal. This is their first album to enter the Billboard 200 and this is also Hiro's last album with the band replaced by bassist Ben Shepherd. 13. In March 1990 Chris lost his good friend Andrew Wood, the two had very close friends and Wood's death had a very severe impact on Chris. He thought going out with his band on a tour would help him overcome the loss but he realized he was wrong and as soon as he returned from the tour, along with drummer Cameron and friends from Wood's band "Mother Love Bone", Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, and "new" friends Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready they created the album and temporary band "Temple Of The Dog" which was all created in Wood's memory. They released their self-titled album in 1991. (Photo: tumblr.com) 14. In the same year when the grunge scene became big in the US and just before it broke into the rest of the world, the band released their third album "Badmotorfinger". With singles like "Jesus Christ Pose", "Outshined" and "Rusty Cage". With a Grammy nomination, the album became to be one of the most successful. They became the band that brought it to the mainstream and was the preparation for the success of the next album. 15. In 1992 Chris takes part in "Alice In Chains" EP called "SAP", together with Mark Arm from the band "Mudhoney", the two get credit in the album's liner notes as "Alice Mudgarden". 16. In 1994 the band released their fourth album "Superunknown". It's considered the band's most successful album, reaching number one on the Billboard 200 and producing singles such as "Spoonman", "The Day I Tried to Live", "Black Hole Sun", and "My Wave" and "Fell on Black Days". The album was nominated for three Grammy Awards and won two. (Photo: soundgardenworld.com) 17 .In 1994, two songs Chris Cornell had originally written for Ozzy Osbourne ultimately found their way to Alice Cooper. "Stolen Prayer" and "Unholy War" were included on Cooper's album "The Last Temptation". Cooper made several lyrical and structural changes to fit the album's concept, while Cornell also contributed vocals to "Stolen Prayer". Cooper later said the song became one of his favorite tracks on the album. 18. In 1996 the band released their fifth album "Down On the Upside". On this album, the band moved away from their grunge roots and experimented with other musical genres, with less powerful riffs and the additions of instruments with acoustic sounds. The album did not succeed like its predecessor. It produced singles such as: "Pretty Noose", "Burden in My Hand", "Blow Up the Outside World" and "Ty Cobb/Rhinosaur". 19. After the tour to promote the album, disagreements began between the band members, especially between Cornell and Kim. Cornell wanted to keep moving from the heavy reefs and distortion to other directions and Kim opposed the idea. By 1997 it was no longer possible to bridge the gaps and one of the five big bands of the grunge disbanded. 20. That year Chris experienced a very difficult time, his big band broke up and his marriage fell apart as well. He felt he had nothing to hold on to and the accelerating depression took over completely. He isolated himself from everyone and deteriorated severely with drug use and starvation. 21. In 1999 Chris released his debut album "Euphoria Morning". From the album came the single "Can't Change Me" which was nominated for a Grammy and the single "Preaching the End of the World", but despite that, it was not a great success. However, the tour turned out to be a dizzying success, accompanied by huge demand throughout the United States. 22. In 2000, courtesy of producer Rick Rubin, Chris joined the "Rage Against the Machine" trio and co-founded with them one of the great supergroups in the rock world "Audioslave". A deadly and powerful combination of three musicians with a singer who can break down walls. Strong lyrics are combined with strong riffs, and dynamics combined with a melody that can shatter anything that stands in their way. In 2002, the band's debut album bearing the band's name was released and included the singles: "Cochise", "Like a Stone", "Show Me How to" "Live", "I Am the Highway" and "What You Are". The album was a great success and reached number 7 on the Billboard 200, to this day it is considered the band's most successful album. 23. After struggling with his fears, in 2002 Cornell put himself in a rehab facility and decided he needed to completely change his life. In an interview with Guitar.com magazine in 1999, Chris talked about dealing with depression: "Sometimes it's just a chemical reaction. It doesn't seem to come from nowhere or for any reason and whenever I was in a kind of depression, I tried over the years not only to imagine what it feels like not to be there, but to try to remind myself that I can just wake up the next day and it can disappear because that way It happens, not worrying about it. When I feel great, I remember the depression and think about the differences of how I feel and why I would feel that way and not create an emotional response one way or another. You just have to understand that these are life patterns and you just have to get through them." (Photo: Interscope) 24. In 2005 the lethal band released their second album "Out of Exile" which went straight to number one on the Billboard 200 and came out with the singles: "Be Yourself", "Your Time Has Come", "Doesn't Remind Me" and "Out of Exile". Cornell said that on this album he wrote the most personal songs he had ever written, especially in light of the period he went through 5 years before. 25. That same year Audioslave became the first American band to perform in front of a live audience in Cuba and it was also the band's longest show. 26. A year later the band's third album, "Revelations" was released. Tom Morello described the album As "Earth, Wind and Fire" meet "Led Zeppelin". Only two singles came out of the album: "Original Fire" and "Revelations". Morello said it was amazing to see Chris fight alcohol and drugs and stay clean in the recordings of the band's albums. 27. Cornell wrote all the lyrics on Audioslave's albums but the music was written by everyone together. Both Morello and Cornell said that the process of writing and creating together was significantly better, more mature, and more creative than with their previous bands. 28. In 2007 the supergroup came to an end, the rage trio reunited for a short time with Zack de la Rocha, and Cornell continued his solo career releasing his second solo album "Carry On", which reached number 17 on Billboard but was not a huge success, Chris said that many materials on the album are songs he could not have released with Audioslave. The singles from the album were: "You Know My Name", "No Such Thing", "Arms Around Your Love" and "She'll Never Be Your Man". 29. In 2008 Cornell wrote the song "Light On" for David Cook, one of the participants in the seventh season of "American Idol". Cornell was impressed by David Cook's performances in the show, especially the one of "Billie Jean," which was faithful to Chris' version from the album "Carry On" and decided to write the song for him. 30. In 2009 Cornell released his third solo album "Scream", the album was completely different from anything Chris had done up to that point. It is just like it sounds, Chris Cornell meets Timbaland, a poppy production of music with Chris' voice and lyrics. The two said that this is the best album they have created, which by the way, was Chris' most successful and reached number ten on the Billboard 200. 31. In the same year, Chris made his first appearance in Israel in front of 10,000 people at the exhibition center in Tel Aviv. 32. In 2010 after 12 years of hiatus "Soundgarden" returned and reunited. The first song to come out after the reunion was "Live to Rise" which was recorded in 2012 specifically for the movie "The Avengers". This is not the only song Cornell wrote for a movie/tv series. Listen to the playlist at the end of this review and you will find out more. 33. In 2011 Chris embarked on one of the most amazing tours of his career (in our opinion), one of the most exciting, honest, and sweeping shows called "Songbook". The shows that took place mostly in the US included songs from Chris' entire repertoire. In November of that year, the album of that tour came out which is a must-have album! 34. In 2012, Cornell came to Israel for the second time and held two performances, one at "Nokia Hall" in Tel Aviv and the other at the "Shoni Amphitheater". 35. At the end of 2012, Soundgarden's sixth and final album "King Animal" was released, 16 years after the release of the fifth album. Three singles came out of the album: "Been Away Too Long", "By Crooked Steps" and "Halfway There". All band members felt that this album was a direct sequel to "Down The Upside" as if only a year / two had passed since the album. 36. A seventh album was also due out, but after Cornell's death, the band decided to break up. There are still some details about the existence of a seventh album and the band members are trying to end the recordings with Cornell's voice but they are experiencing delays, it is currently unknown if this is true or when it is due out. 37. In 2014 Cornell gain arrived in Israel, this time with his band "Soundgarden" for a phenomenal show at Bloomfield Stadium, we have no way of describing what this show did to us and the imprint it left on us, let's say that Kim's guitar echo still resonates in our heads even today. (Photo: Valerie Kuypers) 38. In 2015 Chris released his latest solo album "Higher Truth". This is a calm and relaxed album that Chris recorded with producer Brendan O'Brien and it feels like Chris’ last breath. 39. In May 2016 we were privileged to see Cornell at the Tel Aviv Hall of Culture, in one of the most exciting performances of our lives, it was a "Songbook" style performance where Cornell performed alone on stage with an acoustic guitar, fully exposed giving out his soul. There was another performance in "Caesarea" as well. 40. On May 18, 2017, Cornell was found lifeless by his security guard in the shower in the MGM Grand Hotel room in Michigan after a "Soundgarden" show at the "Fox Theater". The cause of death was defined as suicide by hanging. 41. Throughout his career, Cornell has collaborated with artists such as "Slash", "Zac Brown Band" and "Santana". We have prepared a special playlist for you, for such a talented and special artist that for sure we have not been able to cover his entire career or even explain what impact he has had on the world of music. 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On August 31, 1999, Megadeth took "Uncalculated Risk" when she released the album "Risk". This is the band's eighth studio album and the first since 1990 that included a change in the band's lineup, with drummer Jimmy DeGrasso replacing Nick Menza. It is also the latest album featuring guitarist Marty Friedman who later left the band. The album's name came from a comment from Metallica's drummer Lars Ulrich, who told Dave Mustaine that he should take more risks when it comes to the band's musical line. The risk was indeed taken and the result was an unusual album that was radically different from the rest of the band's albums. "Megadeth" has completely abandoned the Thrash Metal style that characterized its classic albums, and created an album that included different and varied musical styles, from Industrial, through Alternative, Grunge, Glam Metal, and even Country Rock. The fundamental change in style can already be heard in the opening track "Insomnia" which takes us deep into the Industrial style and a combination of Electronic Metal a-la "Nine Inch Nails". Immediately after that comes "Prince of Darkness" which certainly does not sound like a tribute to the real Prince of Darkness. This is the album's darkest and heaviest song, and whoever listens to it will immediately understand how far the band has gone. If this song would have entered the "Rust In Peace" album, for example, it would have been considered a ballad. The song "Crush 'Em" and its opening track "Enter the Arena" were intended by Dave Mustaine to serve as an entry song for wrestling matches, but it's a song with a rather bland melody that is hard to see which WWE star decide to enter the arena with it. Even Mustaine was quoted saying that this is perhaps the most idiotic song he has ever written. Jean-Claude Van Damme probably thought otherwise, because this song was included in the soundtrack to the movie "Universal Soldier: The Return," which was released that year. "The Doctor Is Calling" features slight Doom touches and is Dave Mustaine's attempt to sound dark and mysterious. The really interesting opening riff reminds us of "Metallica's" "The Thing That Should Not Be", and the question is why an artist in Mustaine's class, who created so many classics with his own hands, was not more careful and invited himself to the obvious comparison. "I'll Be There" is a kind of rock ballad that would not embarrass any Glam Metal band and is one of the band's catchy songs. The second single "Breadline" is not far away and is definitely meant to flirt with commercial radio stations. "Wanderlust" features a "Wild West" vibe that for some reason reminds us of Bon Jovi's "Dead or Alive" minus the slide guitar. "Ecstasy" could easily have been a hit in early 90s alternative charts. It seems to us that you have already grasped the idea, as this album continues to be scattered among a variety of styles without one clear direction, and this is just a small problem. The bigger problem, is that Dave Mustaine decided to release this album under the name "Megadeth". Had this album come out for example under the name "MD.45", as a solo album or another side project, it might have been received more sympathetically, since by and large there are no bad songs here at all that we even like, only they are completely non-Megadeth ones. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website