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On March 12, 1996, "Kiss" released the live acoustic album "Unplugged". Few bands seemed less suited for an acoustic setting than "Kiss". For more than two decades the group had built its reputation on fire breathing, explosions, towering amplifiers and comic-book theatrics. Yet, when MTV invited the band to participate in its hugely popular "Unplugged" series, the result became one of the most surprising and historically important moments in the band’s career. At the time the lineup consisted of Paul Stanley , Gene Simmons , Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer. The band had already experimented with acoustic performances during fan conventions earlier in the decade, discovering that many of their classic songs translated surprisingly well to a stripped-down format. The performance was recorded on August 9, 1995 at Sony Music Studios in New York City. Instead of the usual spectacle associated with the band, the stage was filled with candles and warm lighting, creating a relaxed and intimate atmosphere that allowed the songwriting itself to take center stage. The set opens with "Comin' Home" , sung by Paul Stanley . Originally released on "Hotter Than Hell", the song adapts beautifully to the acoustic setting and immediately demonstrates how strong the band’s melodies and harmonies are even without distortion. Gene Simmons takes the lead on "Plaster Caster"  and "Goin' Blind" , both of which gain a darker and bluesier feel in the stripped arrangement. The setlist moves comfortably through different eras of the band’s catalog. Paul Stanley delivers strong performances on "Do You Love Me?" , "Sure Know Something" , "Rock Bottom" , "I Still Love You" , and "Every Time I Look at You" , songs that benefit greatly from the acoustic format. Simmons also leads "Domino" , "A World Without Heroes" , and the charming acoustic rendition of "See You Tonite" , a track originally released on his 1978 solo album. But all of this is just a warm-up for what comes next. The concert reaches its historic turning point when Stanley invites former members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss onto the stage. For the first time since the late 1970s the original lineup of "Kiss" stands together in front of a live audience. The crowd reaction is immediate and overwhelming. Ace Frehley takes the microphone for "the Rolling Stones" cover "2,000 Man" , one of the highlights of the performance. Then comes one of the most emotional moments of the entire evening when Peter Criss sings "Beth" , the song most closely associated with his voice. Hearing the original vocalist perform the song again with the band instantly transforms the concert into something historic. The reunion continues with "Nothin' to Lose" , sung as a duet between Eric Singer and Peter Criss, blending the voices of the band’s past and present. The performance closes with the band’s most famous anthem, "Rock and Roll All Nite" . In the acoustic setting the song becomes less of an arena explosion and more of a celebratory sing-along. Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer come back on stage. Gene Simmons , Ace Frehley and Peter Criss share the lead vocals while the the whole band and the audience enthusiastically joins the chorus, turning the finale into a joyful communal moment. That brief reunion on the MTV stage quickly proved to be more than just a nostalgic cameo. The overwhelming fan response helped inspire the legendary 1996 reunion tour, when the original members returned to the stage in full makeup for the first time in nearly twenty years. "Unplugged" therefore became far more than just another live album. It captured a unique moment where the past, present and future of the band collided on the same stage. By stripping away the costumes and theatrics, the performance revealed the strength of the band’s songwriting and reminded listeners that beneath the spectacle, "Kiss" had always been a band built on memorable songs. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

He is without a doubt one of the greatest and best-known bassists in Metal and he also a songwriter with supreme grace. Let's read some facts about Steve Harris. (Photo: Francesco Castaldo) He was born in East London on March 12, 1956, as Stephen Percy Harris. In his youth, he aspired to be a soccer player. He was spotted by a talent hunter and played for the youth team of West Ham United, the football team he is a fan of to this day. In the early teens of his life, he began to take an interest in rock music and at the same time he realized that he was not interested in becoming a professional soccer player Harris wanted to learn to play the drums but due to space constraints in his parent's home, he chose the bass guitar. In 1971 he purchased his first bass guitar which was an imitation of the Fender Precision. Harris taught himself how to play it. Just ten months after purchasing his first guitar, he had already joined a band called "Influence" and later changed its name to "Gypsy's Kiss". In February 1974 he joined the band "Smiler" and began writing songs for them, but the band members rejected them due to the fact that they were too complex. At Christmas of 1975, Harris formed "Iron Maiden". He got the inspiration for the band's name from the film "The Man in the Iron Mask", in which he saw a torture device named "Iron Maiden." Click the link to read more about Iron Maiden Formation . Exactly three years after the formation of the first lineup, on December 31, 1978, "Iron Maiden" will release its first recording known as " Soundhouse Tapes ". At this point the band included Steve Harris on bass, Dave Murray and Paul Cairns on guitar, Doug Sampson as a drummer and Paul Di'Anno as a singer. Before being signed by EMI in 1979, Harris worked as an architectural draughtsman for a firm in the East End of London. Later he even served as a street sweeper. Harris is the only original "Iron Maiden" member and the only one along with guitarist Dave Murray to appear on all 17 of its studio albums. Harris has a very unique unit style. He is considered one of the best and most influential bass players in the metal world and is also the one who is identified with the "galloping" style he manages to produce through playing with his fingers and without a pick, a style familiar to us from songs like "The Trooper" and "Run To The Hills". In addition to being a bassist, Harris also plays keyboards in some of the band's songs and also sings background vocals. Harris is also the band's lead writer and he is influenced in his writing mainly by historical events, books and movies. He is also responsible for mixing and producing some of the band's albums and even some of its music videos. The musical influences on Harris were from the field of classical rock, hard rock, and Progressive rock. In 1991, Harris collaborated with two tennis players John McEnroe and Pat Cash and released a single with them, that also featured his friend Nicko McBrain and singer Roger Daltrey . The single included a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" and was released as part of the "Life Aid Armenia" charity project. In 2012 Harris released his first solo album "British Lion" and in 2020 his second solo album was released as part of "British Lion", called: "The Burning". "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

1967 was one of the most important years in the development of rock and psychedelia. A sequence of masterful albums released at a dizzying pace, shaped the map of world music. The Beatles' " Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ", Pink Floyd's "Piper at the Gates of Dawn", Cream's "Disraeli Gears", Hendrix's "Are You Experienced", and "Bold As Love", The Doors' debut album, "The Velvet Underground & Nico" and more, redefined Rock genre and changed the world of music forever. 24 years later, an equally important musical revolution takes place. 1991 was one of the most important years in world's music, the year when the alternative became mainstream. It was a call of an entire generation growing up in the eighties and crying out for a change, which came big time, with the start of the new decade. R.E.M.'s "Out of Time" album was one of the first to be released in that amazing year that brought the wind of change to the music industry, and it is the first of the " Class Of 91 " series of reviews. So to understand the revolution that took place in that historic year, one has to go back a little bit of time. In order to understand the revolution that took place in that historic year of 1991, one needs to go back in time a bit to the beginning of the 80's. In the 1980s the music industry was split in two: On the one hand, there was the mainstream world, where the pop and rock stars stood out. They received vast airplay on commercial radio channels and repeated broadcast of clips on MTV. It was the world that ruled with big money and fame. On the other hand, in a parallel universe, there was a poor industry of "alternative music" - a category that at the time included everything that was not mainstream. Punk, Funk, Metal, Industrial, Indie and more. It was an underground world of pirated, low-budget radio stations, shabby recording studios and underground cassettes. These two parallel worlds were so different and polar that no one could have imagined that they could be bridged. But in 1991 everything changed .... In the late 80s underground music become more and more popular. It all started without any assistance from the media and commercial radio stations. Continuous performances by "Alternative" bands, flyers and street ads helped spread the word - Generation X has taken over the music world! Early in it's career R.E.M. was considered an "underground" band, which in the early-80s was not really accepted in the mainstream music industry. But things changed as the decade was coming to an end. R.E.M. Released five critically acclaimed albums between 1983-1987, but did not manage to break through the glass ceiling of the "alternative" world to commercial success. However, in 1988 the band was signed to the major record label Warner Bros. Warner was the first to recognize the impending change in the world of music and in the same year also signed Jane's Addiction on record contract. In doing so, R.E.M. And Jane's Addiction were the first alternative bands to be signed to a major label, thus starting the great revolution that will be completed 3 years later. The 4 young men of Athens Georgia took full advantage of the chance given to them by Warner, and in 1988 produced their most commercially successful album, up to date - "Green". The album released singles such as " Orange Crush " and " Stand ", sowing the seeds for what would come three years later with the album "Out of Time", one of the first alternative albums (it's a bit strange to define it that way today) released in the amazing year of 1991. The band entered the studio to record "Out of Time" after a planned one-year break, the first since its inception. This break was due to a tremendous attrition of the band members who were exhausted after a long and tedious tour that accompanied their album "Green". On the one hand, "Out of Time" is a direct continuation of the unique combination of alternative-pop-rock-folk from "Green". On the other hand the band made a conscious decision to write the songs using instruments that are not inherent to the rock genre. The same musical instruments will also find their way into the recording studio and will enrich the musical diversity of the album. In this way, Peter Buck's mandolin became a more dominant instrument than it was on the previous album and bassist and singer Mike Mills further enriched the range of instruments he plays, with a variety of keyboard instruments, such as piano, organ and more. In addition, the band was assisted by outside musicians who added a variety of strings and brass instruments to the album. And if that's not enough, for the first time the band was assisted by guest singers such as KRS-One, who performs the rap part in the opening song " Radio Song " and Kate Pierson from the "B-52", who is featured in three songs: " Near Wild Heaven ", " Shiny Happy People " and " Me in Honey ". Four successful singles were released from the album, led by the hit " Losing My Religion ", which "burned" the radio stations and especially the MTV, with the famous clip that could not be missed. This song, which began with guitarist Peter Buck's failed attempt to play the mandolin, will overnight cn "R.E.M." as one of the great and successful bands of the 90s. The next single is the Poppy and sweet " Shiny Happy People ", which included Michael Stipe 's famous (and some say notorious) duet with Kate Pierson, with the bouncy and colorful video clip. After releasing this single it was already clear, "R.E.M." managed to break through the glass ceiling and complete the metamorphosis that transformed them from a mediocre alternative band to a formidable mainstream giant that fills stadiums. And there was " Near Wild Heaven " where Mike Mills takes the lead, singing the duet with Kate Pierson, and the fourth and final single - " Radio Song " - the opening track from the album which included a collaboration with rapper KRS-One. More then 30 years have passed since its release, and it appears that the real magic of "Out of Time" is found in songs that have not become big radio hits, and will form the bridge to the magic that will take place on the band's next album - "Automatic for the People". Songs like " Half a World Away ", " Texarkana " and " Country Feedback " just sound more and more special as the years go by. "Out of Time" will mark the beginning of the flood of alternative albums that will change the face of the music industry and conquer "mainstream". This album will reach top charts, both in the United States and the United Kingdom, spending 109 weeks in the American charts and 183 weeks in the British chart. The album sold about 5 million copies in the United States alone and over 18 million copies worldwide. It has won three Grammy Awards, one of them for "best alternative music album". For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music . "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Released on March 10, 1992, "Body Count" is the debut studio album by the band "Body Count". By the early 1990s Ice-T  had already established himself as one of the most influential voices in West Coast hip hop. Albums like "Rhyme Pays", "Power", and "O.G. Original Gangster" turned him into a fearless storyteller who addressed crime, racism, and police brutality without hesitation. Yet long before becoming a rap pioneer, Ice-T was deeply influenced by rock and heavy metal. Growing up in Los Angeles he listened to bands like "Black Sabbath" and "Slayer", and the idea of forming a metal band had always been part of his musical ambitions. The roots of "Body Count" actually go back to the mid-1980s when Ice-T befriended guitarist Ernie C in the Los Angeles club scene. The two shared a deep love for heavy metal and often talked about forming a band long before the idea became reality. During Ice-T ’s rap concerts they occasionally performed heavy songs together as a side project, gradually assembling a full lineup that included Mooseman on bass, Beatmaster V on drums, and D-Roc on rhythm guitar. What started as a playful experiment between friends slowly evolved into a fully functioning band. That idea eventually became reality when the musicians officially formed the band "Body Count". Their goal was not to create a rap project with guitars but a real metal band that would combine hardcore riffs with Ice-T ’s sharp social commentary and storytelling. The public first encountered the project on Ice-T ’s 1991 album "O.G. Original Gangster", where the track "Body Count"  introduced the band to listeners. The reaction was immediate. Fans were intrigued by the unexpected fusion between thrash metal aggression and hip hop attitude. When the band entered the studio to record their debut album, they captured a sound that felt raw, loud, and confrontational. Ernie C’s sharp guitar riffs dominate the mix while Ice-T alternates between rap phrasing and hardcore shouting, creating a style that was almost unheard of at the time. One of the album’s first explosive moments arrives with "Body Count's in the House" , a furious declaration that the band had arrived. Fast thrash riffs and pounding drums drive the song while Ice-T unleashes an aggressive vocal performance that immediately establishes the tone of the album. Another standout track is "Bowels of the Devil" , one of the heaviest moments on the record. The song explores the psychological trauma experienced by soldiers returning from war, combining dark riffs with intense storytelling. With "There Goes the Neighborhood" , the band directly addresses critics who believed a Black rapper had no place in heavy metal. The track turns that criticism into sarcasm and defiance, celebrating the band’s refusal to follow musical boundaries while delivering one of the album’s most memorable riffs. A somewhat disturbing moment appears in "Evil Dick" , a dark narrative track built around a heavy, slower groove-driven riff. Ice-T  tells the story of a predatory character in a style that feels like a monologue from a horror film. Then, at 2:42, after a short spoken-word section, everything turns chaotic. The guitar erupts, the tempo doubles, and the “threatening” character seemingly performs a wild sexual act, accompanied by moans and groans that carry the scene almost to a frenzied climax. But the song that ultimately defined the album’s legacy is "Cop Killer" . Written as a protest against police brutality, the track sparked a massive controversy across the United States. Police unions and politicians condemned the song, accusing the band of encouraging violence against law enforcement. The backlash eventually led Ice-T to remove the track from later pressings of the album, although he defended it as political protest and social commentary. The album’s cover quickly became one of the most recognizable images associated with the band. The stark skull logo with the band’s name carved into the forehead reflects the raw and confrontational spirit of the music and helped establish the visual identity of "Body Count". Despite the controversy surrounding "Cop Killer" , the album reached the Top 40 on the Billboard 200 and became one of the earliest examples of hip hop colliding with heavy metal. Years before bands like "Rage Against the Machine", "Korn", and "Limp Bizkit" would bring rap-metal into the mainstream, "Body Count" had already opened that door. Even decades later "Body Count" still sounds raw, rebellious, and fearless. It remains a landmark debut that proved heavy music could carry the voice of social protest just as powerfully as hip hop. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Today we will tell you about keyboardist Rami Jaffee, best known as a member of the "Foo Fighters". (Photo: Palmspringslife.com) = He was born in Los Angeles, California on March 11, 1969 to a father of Jewish-Russian origin and a mother of Jewish-Moroccan origin. = He bought his first keyboards with the Bar Mitzvah gift money and in a short time started playing in local school bands. = Rami attended "Hancock Park" elementary school and "Fairfax" high school. He testifies that he could be seen improvising on the grand piano during breaks in the high school auditorium, with long hair and a Grateful Dead T-shirt. = He grew up in the "Fairfax" neighborhood and used to attend the "Beit Am" synagogue in the neighborhood. At the age of 16, he was working as a counselor at the camp of the Jewish Community Center (JCC). = In the years 1982 to 1987 he played in local bands, mainly "Daisy Chamber" which played David Bowie style music. = At the same time, he made sure to visit the neighborhood bar "Kibitz Room" where he watched the performances of local bands every Tuesday night. = After finishing high school, he started working as a session player in recording studios. In the nineties, he participated in the albums of artists such as Rickie Lee Jones, "the Hookers", Leah Andreone and Chalk FarM. = In 1989 he joined the band "Apples" founded by Jakob Dylan (son of Bob Dylan ) and Tobi Miller. = A few weeks later, they changed their name to "Wallflowers" and signed a recording contract with "Virgin Records". (Photo: Fanart.TV) = In 1992 the band released their debut album "The Wallflowers". Rami played keyboards, sang background vocals and participated in writing one of the songs. = The album was not very successful but the band got to serve as a warm-up band for bands like "Cracker" and "10,000 Maniacs". = The big break came with the second album "Bringing Down the Horse", which included the hits "One Headlight", 6th Avenue Heartache", "Three Marlenas" and more. Listen to how the sounds of his Hammond organ influence the song "The Difference". = At the same time he was a member of the "Wallflowers" Rami was a sought-after session player and played among others on albums such as "On How Life Is" by Macy Gray, "Undiscovered Soul" by Richie Sambora and "Jubilee" by "Grant Lee Buffalo". = In 1998 "The Wallflowers" received a Grammy nomination for the song "Heroes" which appeared in the movie "Godzilla". = In 2000 they released their third album "Breach". Rami will remain a member of the band and will also be a partner in its next three albums including "Glad All Over" from 2012. = In 2005, Jaffee began collaborating with the "Foo Fighters", in their live performances. Even when he was not an official member of the band, Rami influenced the band's sound at concerts, as can be heard, among others, in the following performance from the album " Skin And Bones " from 2006. = At the same time, Rami was a guest on all the band's albums as a session player, starting with " In Your Honor " from 2005, and later on the albums " Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace " from 2007, " Wasting Light " from 2011, " Sonic Highways " from 2014. = In 2012 and 2013, Rami was a member of the "Sound City Players", a supergroup formed by Dave Grohl , who, in addition to appearing in Grohl's 2013 documentary " Sound City ", performed a limited number of shows in 2013. = In 2017, Rami was announced as an official member of the band. The first full album he released with the band as an official member was " Concrete and Gold " from 2017, but whoever looks at the credits for the mini-album " Saint Cecilia " from 2015 will see that he is already mentioned in the credits as a member of the band. = In 2021, together with the Foo's, he released the album "Medicine at Midnight" and the tribute album to the disco days of the "Bee Gees" " Hail Satin ". (Photo: Fanart.TV) = In March 2022 he released the album " Dream Widow " - the debut album of Dave Grohl's and the members of the "Foo Fighters" imaginary band. = In the same year he participated with the band in the film " Studio 666 ". = In March 2022 the band loses its drummer Taylor but not its way and a year later they introduce their new drummer Josh Freese. = In June 2023, the band releases its first album after Taylor's death, the album "But Here We Are". The album was produced by Greg Kurstin and the band with Dave recording all the drums parts on the album. This is undoubtedly a lament album, both in terms of sound and lyrics, Dave reflects in the songs the feelings that he and the band experienced following Taylor's death but also what he himself experienced following the death of his mother Virginia. = Rami led the house band of "The Fran Drescher Show". = In 2007 he participated in the album "Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow" - the fourth album of "Coheed and Cambria". = In 2010 he became a co-owner of the recording studio "Phonogenic Studios" in the San Fernando Valley. = In 2014, he discovered the Facebook group " Bring Foo Fighters To Israel " and responded to the page with these words: "Yes!!!! Bring Us!!! Been to long Since I was Chilling in Neve Tzedek!!!" = When the Foo's appeared on the "Saturday Night Live" show in Christmas 2017, Rami placed a Chanukka Menorah on his keyboards. = The variety of keyboard instruments that Rami plays on the various albums and in the concerts in which he participates, is particularly wide and includes among others: piano, synthesizer, Hammond organ, Mellotron, Wurlitzer, Vox organ, Optigan, Farfisa, accordion and more. He also sings and plays the harmonica. = During his musical career Rami played and performed with other artists such as Pete Yorn, "Stone Sour", Joseph Arthur, "Soul Asylum" and more. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

A few words about Vinnie Paul who is best known as the drummer of " Pantera" . (Photo: Mike Pont) He was born in Texas on March 11, 1964 as Vincent Paul Abbott. His father was a producer and writer of country music. In his youth, he learned to play for Tuba, but very quickly made a switch to drums under the influence of his father who explained to him that there is not much of a career for Tuba players. He is the older brother of guitarist Dimebag Darrell , who was born on August 20, 1966. The two formed " Pantera " in 1981. Initially, the band's style ranged from Heavy Metal to Glam Metal, but after singer Phil Anselmo joined the band in 1987, they began to gradually change its style towards Thrash Metal and what would later be defined as Groove Metal. For more on the band's significant transformation process, read two of the four episodes we wrote in the "Transformers of Metal" series here: 1. The Rise of the Transformers 2. Revenge of the Metal Transformers - Revenge of the Fallen After the disbandment of "Pantera", Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell formed " Damageplan ", in 2003. In December 2004, during a band performance, Vinnie's brother - Dimebag Darrell was shot dead by one of the spectators, in an incident that shocked the metal world. Following his brother's death, Vinnie Paul was already thinking of giving up on music. He eventually joined the " Hellyeah" supergroup in 2006. Vinnie Paul was found dead at his home in Las Vegas, on June 22, 2018. He had a heart attack on his sleep. He was buried next to Dimebag Darrell in Arlington Texas. On his tombstone, there is a quote from a "Hellyeah" song. During his musical career, Vinnie Paul released 9 studio albums along with "Pantera", one album with "Damageplan" and another 6 albums with "Hellyeah", the last of which was released in September 2019, after his death. Vinnie Paul also collaborated with quite a few artists, one of the most notable collaborations was with David Allan Coe, as part of the album "Rebel Meets Rebel", which also featured his brother Dimebag Darrell and bassist Rex Brown from "Pantera". "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On March 11, 1983, "Quiet Riot" released their third studio album "Metal Health". In the early 1980s the Los Angeles Sunset Strip scene was exploding. Clubs like the "Whisky a Go Go" and the "Starwood" were packed nightly with bands trying to turn loud guitars and big choruses into record deals. "Quiet Riot" had already spent several years chasing that dream. The band was originally formed in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni, with Kevin DuBrow joining as vocalist shortly after. Their first two albums were released only in Japan and failed to break the band internationally. When Randy Rhoads left the band in 1979 to join Ozzy Osbourne , the future of "Quiet Riot" seemed uncertain. The tragic death of Randy Rhoads in a plane accident in March 1982 cast an even darker shadow over the band’s story. Yet by that time a new lineup had taken shape. Kevin DuBrow remained at the front, joined by guitarist Carlos Cavazo, bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Frankie Banali . This lineup would soon record the album that would change everything. Working with producer Spencer Proffer at "Pasha Music House Studios" in Hollywood, the band crafted a sound that blended raw heavy metal power with radio friendly hooks. The result was "Metal Health", a record filled with massive riffs, gang vocals and arena-sized choruses that perfectly captured the spirit of the early 1980s metal scene. The album explodes to life with "Metal Health (Bang Your Head)" , one of the defining metal anthems of the decade. Built around a pounding riff and a chant-along chorus, the song captured the rebellious spirit of the headbanger culture and quickly became a staple of MTV and rock radio. The album’s biggest commercial breakthrough came from "Cum On Feel the Noize" , a cover of the classic track by "Slade". Interestingly Kevin DuBrow initially refused to record the song. He believed the band should focus only on original material and worried that a cover might make them look less authentic. Producer Spencer Proffer convinced the band to record it anyway, and the track was completed quickly and without great expectations. Ironically it became the band’s biggest hit and the song most associated with "Quiet Riot". Another highlight is "Slick Black Cadillac" , a song that had previously appeared in an earlier version on the band’s Japan-only debut album. The rerecorded version here feels tighter and heavier, driven by Carlos Cavazo’s aggressive guitar tone and Frankie Banali ’s powerful drumming. A different moment on the album appears with "Don't Wanna Let You Go" , a slower ballad that reveals a more melodic and vulnerable side of the band. The track allows Kevin DuBrow to showcase his vocal range beyond the typical metal screams, adding a brief emotional pause between the album’s heavier riffs. "Love's a Bitch"  continues in a similar melodic direction, functioning as a kind of power ballad built around a strong chorus and expressive vocals, while still maintaining the band’s hard rock edge. The striking album artwork was designed by Stan Watts, who had previously worked on covers for "Black Sabbath" and "The Doobie Brothers". The band wanted to create a visual icon and Rudy Sarzo suggested something inspired by Alexandre Dumas' "The Man in the Iron Mask". The masked figure on the cover was not Kevin DuBrow as many fans believed, but Watts himself, photographed by his wife and later airbrushed for a dramatic high contrast look. The mask became so closely associated with the band that DuBrow wore a similar one on the cover of the follow up album "Condition Critical". When "Metal Health" reached number one on the Billboard 200 later in 1983 it shocked the entire music industry. At the time heavy metal was still considered a niche genre and few executives believed a metal album could top the American charts. Its success made "Metal Health" the first heavy metal album ever to reach number one and helped open the door for the explosion of bands that would dominate the decade, including "Mötley Crüe", "Ratt" and "Twisted Sister". Even today, "Metal Health" remains one of the defining albums of the early MTV metal era. It captured the moment when heavy metal moved from club stages into the center of popular culture and turned "Quiet Riot" into unlikely pioneers of the 1980s metal explosion. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

The masterpiece album "Déjà Vu", was released on March 11, 1970. It features a unique collaboration of four marvelous writers and performers. The story of this album begins where the story of the trio's amazing debut album " Crosby, Stills & Nash " ended. CSN's debut album was a huge success and received rave reviews. It was sold in large quantities and released several hits that create high expectations and demand for new material from the trio. Since on the debut album most of the instruments were played by Stephen Stills , the members decided to increase the circle of musicians for their next album. The first choice was Steve Winwood, however, he was unavailable and the band continued their search for musicians, who would complete the lineup and allow them to transfer the materials recorded in the studio to the stage, as well. At the recommendation of "Atlantic records" founder Ahmet Ertegün, Neil Young joins the band and the new quartet goes on tour in the summer of 1969. About three months after the release of their debut album, the trio is already performing at the legendary Woodstock Festival, with Neil Young on stage. Their amazing show in Woodstock and the electrifying connection between the four members only increases the anticipation for an album of the four members and thus was born "Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young". (Photo: Last.FM) The quartet enters a studio reinforced by Dallas Taylor drummer and bassist Greg Reeves, both received credit on the album cover title. In the studio, however, the atmosphere was not as happy and joyful as it was during the initial connection between the four members. Sadness hovered over the album recordings, when most members experienced loss upon entering the studios. Graham Nash just broke up with his beloved girlfriend, singer, and songwriter Joni Mitchell, Stephen Stills broke up with his girlfriend, singer Judy Collins, and David Crosby lost his partner Christine Hinton in a tragic car accident, caused when one of their two cats jumped on her while she was driving to the vet. There is a controversy as to the number of studio hours invested in the recording of this album, ranging from 500 to 800 hours according to Stephen Stills ', but it is clear that it's an exceptional figure for these times, which probably stemmed from the mental state of most members. The album features ten songs. Each of the four members contributed one song to each side of the album, with most of the songs usually recorded solo by the artist who wrote it, while the rest of the members later added their parts, mainly vocal harmonies. This of course contributed to the diversity and versatility of the songs on the album. The other two songs that completed the album were " Woodstock ", which closes the first side of the vinyl, and " Everybody I Love You " which seals the album and was written by Stills and Young. Surprisingly, despite the difficult atmosphere in the studio and even though most of the recordings were made independently and in the absence of the entire quartet in the studio, this album is still complete, uniform and so cohesive that the background stories surrounding it and the lack of full collaboration between members can not be discerned. The result is an album with honed and precise playing, rich harmonies, and strong rhythms, from which three successful singles were released and whose other songs continue to resonate even five decades later. " Carry On " is a rhythmic folk song with amazing harmonies, that Stephen Stills wrote at the request of Nash, who said they lacked a rhythmic song to open the album with. In addition to guitar, Stephen Stills also plays bass, percussion, and Hammond organ. This song actually consists of two songs, with the second part being a variation of the song "Questions" that appears on the album "Last Time Around" from "Buffalo Springfield". " Teach Your Children " is a lovable country song written by Graham Nash and deals with his complex relationship with his father, who spent time in prison. Jerry Garcia from "The Grateful Dead" plays amazing pedal steel guitar here. In return for his playing, the members gave him lessons in vocal harmonies, which he successfully applied on subsequent albums of "The Grateful Dead" - "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty". " Almost Cut My Hair " is a hippie blues anthem by David Crosby . It features an amazing guitar "attack" by Crosby, Stills, and especially Young, who plays solo. This is the most spontaneous piece on the album. It was recorded in the last few hours left for the band in the studio and so it almost does not include overdubbing and vocal harmonies, except the broken voice of David Crosby, who was affected by the death of his girlfriend Christine at the time. The album changed direction with Neil Young 's melancholy and amazing " Helpless ", which was influenced by Young's childhood memories, especially the polio disease he had when he was six years old. Neil Young originally recorded the song with the "Crazy Horse", but in this album version, he plays almost all the instruments. The first side of the vinyl is sealed with " Woodstock ", which Joni Mitchell wrote after hearing about Nash, Crosby, and other musicians' experiences Woodstock festival. Mitchell did not attend the mythical Woodstock festival, as she was scheduled to appear on a television show at the time. The song was originally written a folk song, but the four members gave it an electric interpretation that did it a favor and sent it straight to the top of the charts, as the band's first single released from the album. Mitchell later recorded her own version of the song, appeared on the album "Ladies of the Canyon". The other side of the vinyl opens up with the theme song " Déjà Vu " which combines Folk with Blues. The song was written by David Crosby about a Déjà Vu experience he had, when he was invited to join a friend's boat ride. Crosby, then influenced by Buddhism, believed that life was like a cycle wheel. " Our House " is one of the most magical tracks on the album. Graham Nash wrote the song about one day in his relationship life with Joni Mitchell, in their shared cottage in Los Angeles. " 4 + 20 " was written by Stephen Stills . An acoustic folk piece that tells a sad story about a child who was born into a poor family and finds himself destitute at the end of his life, already wishing that death would come. The only instrument used in this song is the Stephen Stills acoustic guitar. " Country Girl " is a short work by Neil Young , in an almost waltz rhythm, with a deep organ and vocal harmonies, consisting of three parts. The first part "Whiskey Boot Hill" is based on a piece Young wrote back in 1967 for his first solo album. The second part "Down Down Down" is based on a section he wrote for "Buffalo Springfield", but did not see the light of day, and the last section is called "Country Girl (I Think You're Pretty)". The album is sealed with a positive and "hippie" tone befitting the period, with " Everybody I Love You ", which is the only song that was not written solo by one of the members. Stills and Young collaborate in writing it, with each of the band's six members contributing to singing or playing. In the year following the release of the album, each of the Fantastic Four will release his own solo album. Neil Young will release " After the Gold Rush ". David Crosby releases " If I Could Only Remember My Name ". Graham Nash releases the album "Songs for Beginners". Stephen Stills releases his debut album "Stephen Stills". The fact that the albums are released very soon after the release of "Déjà Vu", allows us to say that in this case, the whole is larger than the sum of its parts, and that as amazing as the quartet's solo albums, each in its own right, there is still added value in the creation of all four together, making this album a classic beyond space and time. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music . "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Editor's Choice... And this time ... "4" - the fourth studio album from, "Foreigner", released on July 2, 1981. This is one of the band's best-selling albums, with sales of over 7 million copies in the US alone. Upon its release, the album jumped straight to number one spot on the Billboard and held the top for 10 consecutive weeks. The album was originally intended to be called "Silent Partners", but the band decided to change its name to "4", as this is the fourth album and also because the band dropped from six members to only four. The departure of multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald and keyboardist Al Greenwood brought a change in the band's style and the completion of the transition that began with the previous album "Head Games", from hard rock style towards pop and mainstream. Mick Jones fired the two, among other things, out of a desire to control the band's musical direction, leaning only on the rhythm division of veteran drummer Dennis Elliott and bassist Rick Wills who previously played with Peter Frampton , "Roxy Music", "The Small Faces" and in the debut David Gilmour 's album, and joined the band on the previous album. As a result of the departure of the two, all the songs on the album without exception were written by Jones or in collaboration with Jones and Lou Gramm who simply stood out here in his tremendous singing. At the same time, since the two were part of the sessions and rehearsals for the album, where they played saxophone and keyboards, among other things, it was necessary to find replacement studio session players to perform these roles. To Implement his vision, Jones collaborated with legendary producer Robert "Mutt" Lange who was responsible for the biggest comeback in rock history with "AC/DC's" " Back In Black " album. Lang was also responsible for the meteoric success of "AC/DC" on the album " Highway To Hell " and later would do his magic with "Def Leppard" on the albums " Pyromania " and, " Hysteria ", their mighty breakthrough albums. Five successful singles have been released from the album, including the hits: " Urgent ", " Juke Box Hero " and "Waiting for a Girl Like You ". " Juke Box Hero " was written by Mick Jones about an incident that happened at one of the band's shows in the city of Cincinnati. Mick saw one of the fans standing in the rain during the sound check. About five hours later as they were getting ready for the stage Jones noticed the same fan still standing in the rain-soaked in water. He asked the security people to put him behind the stage and this song was written about him. Mick thought he was " Juke Box Hero ." It is interesting to note that the dramatic drum opening of the song was led by singer Lou Gramm who was a drummer in his past. In the song " Urgent " the band was assisted by musician and producer Thomas Dolby who played the synthesizer as well as by the multi-instrumentalist and Motown artist Junior Walker who played the saxophone here. Walker had a show several blocks from the studio where the album was recorded and the band saw it in the local newspaper and asked him to come to the studio and play the saxophone in the song. Walker agreed and even played with the band on stage after the album's release. In the ballad " Waiting for a Girl Like You " the band was assisted by Thomas Dolby who adorns the song with synthesizers, in particular the all-too-familiar overture. This overture was written by Ian McDonald before he was dismissed from the band. This song became the band's most successful song. In his autobiography, Lou Gramm tells about a mysterious girl who stayed in the studio during the recording of the song and gave him the inspiration for the amazing vocal performance he gave here. he album also features " Luanne " with its 1950s scent and " Break It Up " - one of the beautiful tracks on the album reminiscent of the old "Foreigner" with the amazing combination of Jones' strong and catchy riffs with the bouncy keyboards and the all-too-beautiful vocal harmonies. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Noam Asulin Release Date - 11.3.2022 Before I started writing this review, I knew I needed to do in-depth research on "Ghost". Not because I do not know the band, but because in its 16 years of existence "Ghost" has gone through quite a bit and its success has been meteoric. "Ghost" was founded in 2006, by singer and multi-instrumentalist Tobias Forge in Linköping, Sweden. So far the band has released 5 albums. It's hard to define the style of this band. You could say it revolves around hard rock, glam, doom, heavy, progressive metal, and a few other genres. Apart from Tobias, the band's founder, the other members are not known by their real names, but are called "Nameless Ghouls". They all dress in the same way except Tobias whose character has changed through the years and he's the only one whose real identity is known over the years. Between the years 2010-2017, Tobias' characters were "Papa Emeritus / II / III", when in 2018 his character changed to "Cardinal Copia" and two years later again changed to "Papa Emeritus IV". The band members imitate members of a Catholic church. They worship the devil and not the Holy Trinity. Each member of the band (except Tobias) has a symbol on the garment that symbolizes the instrument he is playing (lead guitar-fire, bass-water, keyboards-wind, drums-earth, rhythm guitar-the fifth element). Since 2015 all members have all the symbols on their outfits, with the symbol representing the instrument on which they play highlighted. In 2018, another guitarist joined the band, two keyboardists known as "Ghoulettes" and a saxophonist known as "Papa Nihil", with Tobias' character "Papa Emeritus", actually representing a satanic priest. Before approaching the review itself it is worth mentioning the band's meteoric rise. The band recorded their first album, "Opus Eponymous" in the basement of Tobias and released it under the independent record company "Rise Above Records". The album managed to sweep many fans and received good reviews, which led to the band's next album "Infestissumam", already being released under a big label - "Loma Vista", a subsidiary of "Atlantic Records" / "Universal". Since then the band has only gained more and more success and even appeared with one of the singles from the "Impera" on Jimmy Kimmel's show in the US. All band members were replaced in 2018, after previous band members filed a lawsuit against Tobias due to an unknown dispute. (Photo: Fanart.TV) After this introduction, which tries to explain what exactly is going on in the band, let's approach the fifth album - "Impera". The theme of the album is the rise and fall of empires. The album is defined as one that takes place thousands of years after the 14th century, the period on which the band's previous album "Prequelle" is based on. When asked about the idea behind the album, Tobias explained that the inspiration came to him after reading a book called "The Rule of Empires: Those Who Built Them, Those Who Endured Them, and Why They Always Fall", written by author Timothy Parsons. The album begins with " Imperium ", an intro section interesting enough not to skip it. The next song “ Kaisarion ” highlights something very dominant on this album. The production. Already in this track, you can hear how grandiose and rich the production is. In terms of the mix, everything is in the right place, even the bass which is always very important for me to hear. Throughout the album, there is a sense that the songs are very much influenced by the rock of the eighties. The sixth track " Watcher In the Sky " is in my opinion the strongest track on the album. It starts with a calm melody, when after a few seconds the guitars come in with an addictive riff. Tobias sounds wonderful and the bass kicks and is very bold. The chorus is catchy and the keyboards are also very dominant. The solo in C-part is simply stunning. The next track “ Dominion ”, which serves as a bridge is very boring in my opinion and I tend to skip it. It is followed by " Twenties " which came out as the third single from the album. When I first heard it I raised an eyebrow. This song is a weird one compared to the rest of the album. It starts with trumpets in a kind of oriental tempo (not in sound, only in the way it is played). The point is that the more I heard it the more I fell in love with it and this is my second favorite song on the album. It has an addictive charm and the solo towards the middle of the song is generally amazing. If I have already mentioned the solo then solos on rock and metal albums are in my eyes a very significant part of the experience and when it comes to addictive solos the album gets a few more points from me, as in this case. In conclusion, this is a wonderful album whose most songs can function as fun stadium anthems. True, it's still not "Meliora", one of "Ghost's" masterpieces from 2015, that features a more progressive and perhaps psychedelic sound, but this album certainly continues to show how much talent lies in Tobias and his bandmates. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music , Deezer "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

A Sneak Peek... This is Chris Cornell 's first "POP" album and also the third album he released in his solo career on March 10' 2009. As the album cover implies, a picture of Chris with a guitar hoisted in the air towards a total crash to the ground, Chris wants to let you know, before you hit play, that you are not going to get a rock and roll based music like before but something completely different. We can run a lot of clichés here like... the whole is small from the sum of its part ... two huge artists in their field meet in order to destroy each other... Musical change is not always a blessed thing... and more and more but let us share our thoughts for a moment. This album is a collaboration of... a huge artist in the rock world, Chris Cornell, with an armor-piercing voice, charisma that sparkles with a hydrogen bomb, and tremendous musical talent with... A huge artist in the pop world, Timbaland, whose digital symbols cut through membranes, his arrangements will make you frolic even if you deny the genre and many artists have been produced under his hands. (Photo: YouTube) But what can we say... not always huge musical talents connect and not always the outcome is according to the plan. The two tried to get out of their comfort zone but since they held the altar funds so tightly, there was no full cooperation or joint creation here. Each tried to fit the other to his side. Chris said the workflow was not shared and started from scratch but, Timbaland would come up with the rhythm and melody and Chris would write lyrics and melody, so the album was written in just 6 weeks. At "All Music" this combination was beautifully defined "it is not a collaboration but a car accident". The album includes 14 songs written and produced by Chris and Timbaland but incorporated with a number of other star artists from the pop world such as Jim BEANZ who is a producer, songwriter, and singer, producer Johnkenun Spivery, singer Ryan Tedder from the band "One Republic", musician Justin Timberlake and more... We must note, that, unlike the album versions, some songs that went into the setlist at Chris's shows, were granted with phenomenal versions, in Chris' much-loved musical style. You can 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 without a doubt one of the most recognizable and influential figures in the Seattle grunge scene. His name is Jeff Ament and we really want to tell you some interesting details about him: (Photo: Kevin Mazur) Ament was born on March 10, 1963 as Jeffrey Allen Ament in Havre, Montana, USA. 2. He is the eldest of 5 brothers and sisters. 3. Ament grew up in the town of Big Sandy in Montana with only 700 residents. The town was so small that his father served both as the post office manager and as the mayor. 4. Jeff was a very athletic kid and participated in basketball and soccer teams at school. 5. Upon graduating from high school in 1981 he began studying art and graphic design at the University of Montana. 6. Ament also played on the university basketball team, which is also his favorite sport. 7. He left the university and moved to Seattle in 1983 after the university abolished the graphic design track. 8. At the same time, Ament realized his love for music. One of the first bands he played was called "Deranged Diction". 9. In 1984, after the band "Deranged Diction" disbanded, Ament was asked by Mark Arm and Steve Turner to join the "Green River" band. 10. Later, guitarist Stone Gossard also joined the band, in order to allow Mark to concentrate on singing. (Photo: Charles Peterson) 11. Ament and "Green River" released their first EP "Come on Down" in 1985, already then the collaboration between Ament and Gusard began to work, with the duo composing most of the EP songs. 12. In 1987 the band released a second EP called "Dry as a Bone", this was the first release of the mythical Sub Pop label so identified with Grunge. 13. In the publications for the promotion of the EP, the label first mentioned the concept of Grunge in the following words: "Ultra-loose grunge that destroyed the morals of a generation". 14. In 1988, "Green River" released their only full-length album "Rehab Doll". During this period the relationship within the band was murky, with Ament and Gusard on one side and Mark Aram and the others on the other. (Photo: Charles Peterson) 15. These controversies led to the dissolution of "Green River", but its place in the history of music remains as one of the first and most influential bands in the Grunge style. 16. In 1988, Ament and his "Green River" friends Gusard and Fairweather formed the band "Mother Love Bone". The three will be joined by drummer Greg Gilmore as well as a talented and charismatic character named Andrew Wood who came from the band "Malfunkshun". 17. Ament and the members of "Mother Love Bone" created a strong buzz in Seattle and soon the record companies started courting them. As early as November 1988, the band signed a contract with Mercury Records / Stardog, a subsidiary of PolyGram. 18. On March 23, 1989, Ament and the band released an EP with six songs called "Shine", making "Mother Love Bone" the first band in Seattle to release an album with a major record label. 19. At the end of 1989, Ament and the band members returned to the studio in California to record their debut album "Apple" . The album included 13 songs and was scheduled to be released in March 1990, but just days before the planned release of the album, Wood passed away as a result of an overdose. (Photo: Mother Love Bone) 20. Wood's death of course dismantled the band but also threatened to dismantle the friendships between Ament and Gusard. Ament even played briefly with "War Babies", before recovering and returning to collaborate with Gusard. 21. The two added Gosard's childhood friend Mike McCready and the three tried to form a band. 22. While searching, the members of the emerging band were invited to join a project in memory of Andrew Wood led by "Soundgarden" band leader Chris Cornell and called "Temple of the Dog" . (Photo: Tumblr) 23. In 1990, Ament, Gusard, and Creedy, along with singer Eddie Vedder , formed the band, "Pearl Jam". 24. In August 1991, the band releases their debut album "Ten" which will become one of the great albums of the nineties and in general. 25. Ament, co-wrote the songs for the album and among other things wrote the music for one of his biggest hits "Jeremy". 26. It is interesting to note that Jeff almost left the band before the release of the album "Ten", all due to an argument he had with Gusard over the song "Brother". Ament very much wanted the song to be included on the album, but Gusard objected and the song did not go into the final version. The song was finally released on the 2003 album "Lost Dogs" as well as on the album's 20th-anniversary release. 27. Here it is worth noting that Ament's talent in art and design that he began to study at the university was reflected already in the first "Pearl Jam" shirts that were designed by him. 28. Also, his very special handwriting adorns the inner covers and lyrics in some of the band's albums. The very unique writing style has become the “font” most identified with Seattle’s grunge albums. (Photo: Paul Bergen) 29. Ament will later establish with his brother Barry an art design company called "Ament founded Ames Bros." The company will be responsible, among other things, for the design of Pearl Jam's posters and covers. 30. The company will also design the cover and box cover album released after Chris Cornell's death in 2018. 31. In 1992, Ament played his part in the cult film about the grunge scene in Seattle - "Singles" . 32. He was also employed by the film's director - Cameron Crowe, as the artistic director who was in charge of the set design. 33. Moreover, the actor Matt Dillon who plays Cliff in the movie, wore Jeff's real clothes and all the items in Cliff's apartment belong to Jeff. 34. And if that's not enough, during the filming of the movie, Jeff designed a real tape with fictitious names of songs on it. Cornell responded to Jeff's challenge and composed amazing classics to the fictitious songs that Jeff gave them names. These songs include "Flutter Girl", "Seasons" and "Spoonman". 35. On "Spoonman" Emment even got credit as part of the cover of Soundgarden's "Superunknown" album which we wrote about just a few days ago. 36. In 1993, Ament together with "Pearl Jam" will release their second album "Vs" . Which broke the sales record of an album for the first week (or rather five days), and he held that title for 5 years !!! 37. A year later Ament and "Pearl Jam" released the album "Vitalogy" . Ament wrote, among other things, the music for the song "Nothingman". 38. Ament's contribution to the writing of the songs in "Pearl Jam" was in most cases limited to the writing of the melodies. Starting with the band's fifth album "Yeild" , Ament also began writing some of the lyrics. 39. Ament plays guitar in two of the "Pearl Jam" songs for which he also wrote the music. "Smile" from the album "No Code" and "Bee Girl" which is only included in the compilation album "Lost Dogs". 40. Jeff is also the lead singer on two "Pearl Jam" songs - "Sweet Lew" which was also released only as part of the compilation album "Lost Dogs" as well as in the cover version of the Ramones song - "I Just Want To Have Something To Do". 41. Ament released with "Pearl Jam" 12 studio albums including "Gigaton" released in 2020 and  "Dark Matter" released in 2024. 42. Ament is known for his fondness for strange hats, some of which were designed by his ex-partner. 43. In 1995, Ament and his friends accompanied "Pearl Jam" to grunge godfather Neil Young on the album "Mirror Ball" and the supporting tour. 44. In 2008 Emment started his solo career with his debut album "Tone". The album featured songs that Jeff wrote during the 12 years prior to the album's release. 45. Ament will later release three more solo albums "While My Heart Beats" in 2012, "Heaven / Hell" in 2018 which also featured his friends Mike McCreedy and Matt Cameron and "I Should Be Outside" in 2021. 46. Ament was also a partner in other bands such as "Three Fish" with whom he released two albums in 1996 and 1999 and "RNDM" with whom he also released two albums in 2012 and 2016. 47. Ament was also a partner in the "Tres Mts" project. Which included members from King's X and Fastbacks, among others. 48. In 2004, Ament climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro with the aim of assisting the Association for Children in Distress. 49. Ament is known as a very versatile bass player and he likes to diversify his playing with unusual instruments like portals bass, contrabass, and 12-string bass. 50. In 2017, Ament entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with "Pearl Jam". "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website