Today we’re taking a look at singer Joey Belladonna, the powerful, melodic voice of "Anthrax". (Photo: Elsie Roymans) From cover bands in upstate New York to classic thrash albums, two departures and a lasting reunion, and tribute shows celebrating the music he grew up with. Here are 40 facts about Belladonna and his journey. 1. He was born Joseph Bellardini on October 13, 1960, in "Oswego", New York. He later adopted Belladonna as his stage name. 2. His father is of Italian descent, while his mother is Native American, with "Iroquois" ancestry. Belladonna has said that his maternal heritage is an important part of his identity, even though he does not regularly practice its traditions. 3. Growing up, he listened to "The Beatles", "Led Zeppelin", "Kansas", and "Rush". He was drawn to intricate musicianship, memorable melodies, and powerful vocals long before he entered the world of thrash metal. 4. He did not receive classical vocal training. In a 1988 interview, he said that his formal singing experience consisted of performing in his high school choir. 5. He gained his early experience in local bands and cover acts, including "Blitzkrieg". His repertoire was rooted mainly in classic rock and hard rock. 6. In the summer of 1984, he sang with "Bible Black", whose lineup included musicians associated with "Rainbow". He described its music as influenced by "Black Sabbath", "Deep Purple", and Ronnie James Dio’s years with "Rainbow". 7. In late 1984, he was invited to meet "Anthrax" at "Pyramid Sound" studios in Ithaca, New York. Producer Carl Canedy, the drummer of "The Rods", connected him with the band, which was looking for a singer following the departures of Neil Turbin and Matt Fallon. 8. Belladonna arrived without knowing "Anthrax" or its music. To demonstrate his voice, he sang passages from "Journey" songs and Steve Perry’s solo repertoire, before going on to record "Medusa". The band was impressed by his voice despite his different musical background. 9. His arrival gave "Anthrax" a high, clean, melodic voice over its fast, aggressive riffs. His hard rock influences remained central to his style and helped make him one of thrash metal’s most recognizable singers. 10. His arrival established the classic "Anthrax" lineup: Belladonna on vocals, Scott Ian and Dan Spitz on guitars, Frank Bello on bass, and Charlie Benante on drums. This lineup recorded the band’s next four studio albums. "Anthrax", 1985 (Photo: Geoffrey Thomas / Metal Forces) 11. In February 1985, "Armed and Dangerous" became the first "Anthrax" EP to feature Belladonna. Alongside new material, it included a cover of "God Save the Queen" by "Sex Pistols" and new recordings of songs from the band’s debut album. 12. On October 30, 1985, "Anthrax" released its second studio album, "Spreading the Disease", its first with Belladonna. It reached No. 113 on the Billboard 200 and included "Madhouse", "A.I.R.", "Medusa", and "Armed and Dangerous". 13. The video for "Madhouse", set in a psychiatric hospital, became one of the defining "Anthrax" videos of the 1980s. The song has remained a regular part of the band’s live repertoire. 14. In March 1987, "Anthrax" released its third album, "Among the Living", produced by Eddie Kramer and the band. It reached No. 62 in the United States, later earned gold certification, and became a landmark thrash album with songs including "Caught in a Mosh", "I Am the Law", and "Indians". 15. "Indians" addresses the injustices inflicted on Native Americans and the importance of preserving their pride and heritage. For Belladonna, whose mother is Native American, the subject had a particularly personal significance. 16. The EP "I’m the Man" also came out in 1987, marking one of the earliest fusions of metal and rap. During live performances of the title track, Belladonna moved to the drums while Benante and other band members handled the rap vocals. 17. In September 1988, "Anthrax" released its fourth studio album, "State of Euphoria". It reached No. 30 in the United States and earned gold certification. Its cover of "Antisocial" by "Trust" became one of the band’s most popular live songs. 18. Belladonna also appeared in the horror film "Pledge Night", playing the younger version of Sid. His "Anthrax" bandmates contributed music to the film. 19. In August 1990, "Anthrax" released its fifth studio album, "Persistence of Time". Heavier and darker than its predecessors, it reached No. 24 in the United States and earned gold certification. It included "In My World", "Belly of the Beast", and a cover of Joe Jackson’s "Got the Time". 20. "Persistence of Time" earned "Anthrax" its first Grammy nomination, in the Best Metal Performance category at the 1991 ceremony. 21. In 1991, Belladonna participated in the recordings released on "Attack of the Killer B’s". The collection included the collaboration with "Public Enemy" on "Bring the Noise", a milestone in the fusion of hip-hop and metal. 22. In March 1992, the "My Dinner with Anthrax" episode of "Married... with Children" aired. Belladonna and his bandmates played themselves, visited the Bundy household, and performed "In My World". 23. In 1992, Belladonna was fired from "Anthrax" and replaced by John Bush, the singer of "Armored Saint". Ian later explained that the decision stemmed from a sense of creative stagnation and a desire to change direction; Belladonna has said that the split remained painful for him. 24. After the split, he formed a project called "Belladonna". Its debut album, "Belladonna", came out in 1995, allowing him to work as a singer and songwriter outside "Anthrax". 25. During his years away from "Anthrax", he continued performing in cover bands and also worked in maintenance at a horse farm alongside his wife, Krista. He has said that he did not find the work embarrassing and enjoyed doing it. 26. In the late 1990s, he released his second solo album, "Spells of Fear", with guitarist Peter Scheithauer and drummer Stet Howland. It continued the work of the "Belladonna" project but did not match the commercial success of his albums with "Anthrax". 27. In 1999, he briefly collaborated with "Anthrax" again, joining Bush to sing "Ball of Confusion" by "The Temptations" for the compilation "Return of the Killer A’s". A proposed tour featuring both singers did not go ahead in that form. 28. In 2003, he independently released "03", his third solo album. Belladonna sang and played drums, while Matt Zuber played guitars and bass and contributed to the songwriting. 29. In 2005, the classic "Anthrax" lineup reunited, bringing Belladonna back onstage with Ian, Spitz, Bello, and Benante. The reunion was documented on the live album and concert film "Alive 2", and the band continued performing with this lineup in 2006. 30. That first reunion did not lead to a lasting return to the studio. The collaboration with Belladonna ended again in early 2007, and Dan Nelson was subsequently chosen as the band’s singer. 31. Belladonna’s return to "Anthrax" was announced in May 2010. This time, he rejoined as a permanent member, ahead of "The Big Four" shows and to record vocals for the new album. 32. In June 2010, he performed with "Anthrax" at "The Big Four" shows alongside "Metallica", "Megadeth", and "Slayer". The Sofia concert was documented in a film and a live album featuring all four bands. 33. In September 2011, "Anthrax" released its tenth studio album, "Worship Music", its first with Belladonna since 1990. The material had undergone a lengthy development process with other singers before he recorded his vocals. The album reached No. 12 in the United States and sold approximately 28,000 copies in its first week. 34. "In the End", from "Worship Music", was dedicated to the memories of Dio and Dimebag Darrell. Belladonna brought his melodic, dramatic singing to the song alongside the band’s heavy sound. 35. In March 2013, "Anthrax" released the EP "Anthems", featuring covers of songs by "Rush", "Thin Lizzy", "AC/DC", "Boston", "Cheap Trick", and "Journey". These performances gave Belladonna a direct return to the music he grew up with. 36. Between 2013 and 2015, "Anthrax" received further Grammy nominations for "I’m Alive", "T.N.T.", and "Neon Knights", the last of which appeared on the Dio tribute album "This Is Your Life". These brought the band’s total to six nominations, all for recordings featuring Belladonna. 37. On February 26, 2016, "Anthrax" released its eleventh studio album, "For All Kings", with Jonathan Donais on lead guitar. It reached No. 9 in the United States and sold approximately 34,000 copies in its first week, marking the band’s first return to the Top 10 since 1993. 38. Even after rejoining "Anthrax", he continued singing and playing drums in "Chief Big Way". In a 2019 interview, he said the group performed around 60 classic rock songs over four uninterrupted hours. Singing and playing with the band allows him to keep practicing and performing music he loves. 39. In 2020, he began performing with a "Journey" tribute act, initially called "Journey Beyond" and later renamed "Beyond Frontiers". He teamed up with keyboardist Doug Carter and musicians from Lee Greenwood’s band, building a full evening around "Journey" songs and Perry’s vocals. He also developed tribute shows celebrating Dio, "Black Sabbath", and "Rainbow", which he performed in 2025 and 2026. (Photo: Joey Belladonna official website) 40. On September 18, 2026, "Anthrax" released its twelfth studio album, "Cursum Perficio", its seventh with Belladonna. Produced by Jay Ruston, it was the band’s first album since "For All Kings". The single "It’s for the Kids" was accompanied by a video that revisited the imagery and atmosphere of 1985’s "Madhouse". "Face/Off" - Israel’s Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or subscribe to our website

On October 13, 1989, the band "Overkill" released its fourth studio album, "The Years of Decay", one of the most impressive records to emerge from the American thrash metal scene of the 1980s. Sometimes, slowing down just a little reveals how truly menacing a band can be. After three albums that established its reputation as an unstoppable thrash machine, "Overkill" began leaving more air around the riffs, giving the songs room to develop and allowing darkness to seep into the spaces between them. The music could still be blisteringly fast when it needed to be, but now it was deeper and considerably heavier. In time, the result would come to be regarded as one of the band's finest achievements. The band's roots lie in early-1980s New Jersey, where vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni forged a sound shaped by British heavy metal and punk. Those influences were compressed into aggressive music, distinguished by Ellsworth's piercing voice and Verni's unmistakable bass tone. While thrash's Big Four were conquering larger stages, "Overkill" cultivated the identity of a stubborn underdog, unwilling to smooth out its rough edges. The 1985 debut, "Feel the Fire", was raw and fast. "Taking Over" in 1987 revealed more assured songwriting, while 1988's "Under the Influence" brought greater control and precision to the band's power. By the fourth album, guitarist Bobby Gustafson and drummer Sid Falck were standing alongside Blitz and Verni. This was a lineup that knew how to hit hard but no longer felt the need to prove it with every note. In the summer of 1989, the quartet entered "Carriage House" studios in Stamford, Connecticut, to record with Terry Date, who co-produced the album alongside the band. Years before becoming a familiar name through his work with "Pantera" and "Deftones", Date managed to give each layer of sound its own space without sanding away the rough edges. Verni's bass occupies a prominent place in the mix, Gustafson's guitar moves from vicious grinding to almost mournful melody, and the drums retain their sharp impact even when the tempos slow to a crawl. The opener, "Time to Kill", immediately brings us face to face with the "Overkill" we know. The riff erupts and the rhythm races forward, yet beneath the assault lies an oppressive sense of time running out. Blitz delivers every line as though it were a warning, while the band stretches the moments between eruptions instead of charging ahead without restraint. Then comes "Elimination", built around one of "Overkill"'s most recognizable riffs. The band connects an aggressive verse to an almost anthemic chorus, but the lyrics are anything but celebratory. They address the fear surrounding the AIDS epidemic in the late 1980s. The catchier the chorus becomes, the more unsettling the contrast with its subject matter feels. After the concentrated fury of "I Hate", "Nothing to Die For" reveals the band's fondness for breaking up a headlong charge with sudden stops and sharp turns. It is almost as though the musicians are testing how long they can sustain the tension before dropping the next riff on the listener. Then the album's real monster arrives. "Playing with Spiders/Skullkrusher" runs for more than ten minutes, opening with the sensation that the air is slowly being sucked out of the room. Its low, crawling riff drags "Overkill" into doom metal territory, while Verni's bass beats like a mechanical heart. When the tempo shifts and the piece finally erupts, the impact is enormous precisely because the band has allowed itself to take its time. There is no attempt to impress through speed alone, only a deliberate, painstaking construction of dread. One of the highlights of the album's second half is "Who Tends the Fire", which moves through changing musical ideas without losing its underlying thread. The guitars turn reflective for a moment, the drums gradually climb back into the fray, and Blitz's voice refuses to let the tension dissipate. "Birth of Tension" restores the sharp attack and relentless pace, but it too offers more than an uncomplicated release of aggression. These songs ask us not only to bang our heads but to pay attention to where the music is going. On the title track, "The Years of Decay", the clean guitars at the beginning sound almost like an attempt to remember something already lost. Blitz, who so often seems intent on tearing the notes apart, sounds unusually exposed here. For us, it is one of the album's most beautiful and unexpected moments. The album chooses to make its exit with "E.vil N.ever D.ies". The riff returns to the band's earlier aggression, bringing the journey back to its starting point. As though, after all that contemplation of decay and the passage of time, the monster is still alive and stubbornly refuses to disappear. The cover art serves that vision just as effectively. Chaly, the winged skull that has become "Overkill"'s emblem, takes the form of something like a crumbling stone gateway, complete with blazing green eyes and a gaping mouth. The image translates the music's crushing weight and the relentless erosion of time into a single visual statement. The album reached No. 155 on the "Billboard 200" and spent eight weeks on the chart. It also brought the Gustafson era to a close, as the guitarist left after the recordings amid tensions within the band. In 1991, "Overkill" would return with "Horrorscope" and a new guitar lineup. Over the years, "The Years of Decay" has remained a touchstone for thrash fans, proof that musical evolution does not have to come at the expense of identity. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or subscribe to our website

On October 13, 1982, "KISS" released their tenth studio album, "Creatures of the Night", a record that brought them back to hard rock just when it seemed the world had stopped listening. It was not a commercial success at the time, but over the years it has come to be recognized as one of the band’s finest artistic achievements. By the early 1980s, the empire "KISS" had built was beginning to crumble. After the success of "Destroyer", a string of platinum albums and stage productions that looked as though they had been dreamed up in Hollywood, came a series of attempts to reach new audiences. The disco-flavored hits of "Dynasty", the softer direction of "Unmasked" and, above all, the ambitious concept album "Music from The Elder" alienated many of the fans who had fallen in love with roaring guitars and flames shooting from the stage. People no longer knew which band was hiding beneath the makeup. Things were no calmer within the band. Peter Criss had already been replaced by Eric Carr, a drummer who brought greater power and precision, while Ace Frehley was drifting further away. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley knew there was no point in inventing yet another persona or chasing another trend. If they wanted to survive, they first had to sound like a hungry rock band again. Not a nostalgic imitation of the "KISS" of the 1970s, but a monster capable of holding its own against the heavier sounds of the new decade. With producer Michael James Jackson, and Stanley and Simmons also involved in production, the band built a new sound around enormous drums, sharp guitars and a thick, powerful bass. Recording took place in studios in Los Angeles and New York while the lead guitar position remained unsettled. Ace Frehley did not play on the album, even though his face appeared on its cover. Guitar contributions came from Vinnie Vincent, Bob Kulick, Steve Farris and Robben Ford, among others. This revolving cast could easily have left the record without a musical identity. Instead, it produced varied, technically accomplished playing and a sound heavier than anything the band had attempted in years. Above it all towers Eric Carr’s drumming. Just a few seconds of the opening track make it clear that he was much more than a replacement for Peter Criss. The deep drum tones, cavernous reverberation and determination to make every beat sound like the last became central to the album’s sound. There is something of John Bonham’s sheer power here, but also the urgency of the American metal scene that was gathering momentum at the time. "Creatures of the Night" kicks the album open like a door being smashed off its hinges. The drums explode, the guitars charge forward, and Stanley delivers the kind of vocal performance that reminds us why he ranks among hard rock’s great singers. The lyrics celebrate people who feel truly free only after dark, but the track is also a declaration of intent from the band itself. They are not asking for permission to return. They are simply back. The huge chorus preserves the melodic DNA of "KISS", while the arrangement leans unapologetically into heavier territory. We hear the rougher side of Simmons on "Saint and Sinner", where dirty, old-fashioned blues meets a metallic edge. "Keep Me Comin'" follows, bringing the swagger and seduction of rock and roll back to center stage. This time, though, the riffs are sharper and the rhythm drives relentlessly forward. Unlike the band’s previous albums, every arrangement here seems to serve one purpose: four musicians entering the studio determined to drop a bomb and shake the room. There is a particularly interesting story behind "Rock and Roll Hell". The track grew out of earlier material written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, who collaborated with Simmons on this new version. It turns the familiar dream of a rock and roll life into an almost bleak picture of entrapment. Simmons does not sound like a star boasting about his success, but like a man discovering that fame itself can become a prison. It is difficult not to hear echoes of the band’s own predicament in that sentiment. "Danger" picks up the pace. Stanley sounds sharp, defiant and full of confidence, while Carr drives the track with demanding drumming that adds a constant sense of pursuit. It is one of the album’s strongest tracks, even if it tends to disappear in the shadow of its bigger anthems. More than anything, it proves that the return to hard rock was not simply a marketing decision. The energy and approach to the music had genuinely changed. Then comes "I Love It Loud", one of the anthems most closely associated with "KISS". The riff is remarkably slow and simple, the drums sound like a tribal march, and Simmons delivers the chorus without a trace of irony. After years of accusations that the band had sold out, the four words in the title sound almost like an answer to the entire world. Remarkably, the music has no need for speed to feel heavy. It is the space between the beats and the stubborn insistence of the riff that make it work. Yet the power of "Creatures of the Night" cannot be measured in decibels alone. "I Still Love You", written by Stanley and Vinnie Vincent, is one of the most moving moments in the "KISS" catalog. This lengthy breakup ballad favors raw heartbreak over sweetness. The guitars move slowly while Stanley’s voice climbs toward an almost desperate climax. Beneath the makeup and theatrical spectacle, we suddenly find a man unable to let go of a love that has ended. It is also one of the finest vocal performances of Stanley’s career. After the fast and fierce "Killer" comes the final blow, "War Machine". Here again, Adams and Vallance share the writing credits with Simmons. Its massive riff, threatening rhythm and almost mechanical delivery give the song an irresistible sense of menace. If the title track announced the monster’s return, "War Machine" is the moment it begins marching through the streets. It is hard to imagine a more fitting ending for an album that refuses to apologize for anything. The artwork, too, has become part of the mythology. The band members appear in their familiar makeup against a black background, bathed in blue light that gives their eyes an otherworldly glow. Yet the photograph, as noted earlier, featured Frehley despite his absence from the recordings. A 1985 reissue replaced it with a different cover featuring Bruce Kulick and the band without makeup, even though Kulick had not played on the original album either. On its release, the album climbed only to No. 45 on the Billboard 200. The accompanying tour did not restore the glory days of packed arenas, and Vincent, who joined the touring lineup, faced the daunting task of stepping into Frehley’s shoes. These were also the closing days of the band’s original makeup era, before they revealed their bare faces to the world with "Lick It Up" in 1983. Commercial success would have to wait, but the musical recovery had already begun. Looking back, "Creatures of the Night" is far more than a comeback album that failed to receive the recognition it deserved at the time. It captures a band that had lost much of its audience, changed its lineup and struggled with its identity, yet still managed to record outstanding music that sounds alive, ferocious and fiercely determined. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music FaceOff - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or subscribe to our website

A Sneak Peek... On October 13, 2008, the fourth album "The Way of All Flesh" by the French and special metal band "Gojira" was released. Singer and band leader Joe Duplantier was 30 when they worked on the album, he is the main creator and also the producer of the album. He is also the one who designed the album cover ... He said that the album talks about everything we experience until we die. Until that time, death was not something he thought about and before creating the album he started thinking and talking about this topic called death. He reflected on this on the album. The heaviness here is about more than sheer force: the cyclical riffs and Mario Duplantier’s precise drumming create an almost ritualistic atmosphere, particularly on "The Art of Dying". Logan Mader, who handled drum engineering, mixing and mastering, gave that complexity a sharp, weighty sound. On "Adoration for None", Randy Blythe, vocalist of "Lamb of God", adds another abrasive voice to the album’s confrontation with life and death. In honor of the album's birthday in 2020, the band released a video clip for the song "All The Tears" from the album. Hold tight before you press play... If you want to dive into the concept of "death" and fall apart on the album, click on: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

The "Red Rocker" Sammy Hagar celebrates his birthday today and this is a good opportunity to tell you some facts about him: (Photo: Matt Becker) 1. He was born on October 13, 1947, in Salinas, California. His full name is Samuel Roy Hagar. 2. His father - Bobby Hagar was an alcoholic boxer who used to spend his wages on alcohol and abuse his wife and children. 3. When he was 10 years old he left home together with his mother, 2 sisters, and brother and since then he started working odd jobs to help support the family. 4. He taught himself to play the guitar he bought for $40 from a Sears catalog. 5. He founded his first band - "The Fabulous Castilles" when he was only 14 years old. 6. One of his defining moments was in 1965, when he was 17 years old and snuck into a "Rolling Stones" concert. 7. In 1967, Sammy released his first single which included the songs "Reach Out to Find Me" and "Read My Thoughts". He released it as part of the duo Samson & Hagar. 8. Until 1973 Sammy would replace several bands "Big Bang", "Skinny", "Dustcloud", "Cotton Jimmy", "Manhole" and "the Justice Brothers", which was the house band of a bar called "The Nightclub" in San Bernardino. 9. In 1973 he joined "Montrose" - Ronnie Montrose's band, as lead singer. 10. Their debut eponymous album, included among others the single "Bad Motor Scooter", which Hagar wrote solely. 11. Hagar will leave the band in 1975, after the release of the second album "Paper Money" (1974), some say due to tensions created by his wild guitar playing style. 12. In 1976 he released his first solo album "Nine on a Ten Scale", in which his "Montrose" bandmate, bassist Bill Church, participated, among others. 13. The opening song of his second album from 1977, named "Sammy Hagar", is called "Red". The song that became a hit, along with the red album cover, the red car that appears on it, Sammy's red guitar, and red pants, led to his nickname the "Red Rocker". 14. During his solo career, Hagar also wrote songs that became hits for other artists, most notably Rick Springfield's hit, "I've Done Everything for You." Singer Bette Midler also recorded two of Hagar's songs, "Keep on Rockin" and "Red". 15. In 1982 Hagar released his sixth album "Standing Hampton" which was his most successful up to that point and included five singles that entered the charts, including the hit "Heavy Metal" which was also used as the theme song from the film of the same name and was also included in the film's soundtrack. 16. His 1984 eighth album "VOA" included his biggest hit of his solo career "I Can't Drive 55". The song was so successful that it was included in the setlists of "Van Halen" concerts after Hagar joined the band. 17. In the same year, Hagar founded the supergroup "HSAS" in which guitarist Neal Schon, bassist Kenny Aaronson and drummer Michael Shrieve (known among others from the band "Santana"), were members. They released the album "Through the Fire" in 1984. 18. In 1985, after "Van Halen" parted ways with David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen was referred to Sammy Hagar as the one to replace Lee Roth. The one who referred Eddie to Sammy was the mechanic who worked on his Lamborghini. 19. It is interesting to note, that Eddie Van Halen was a fan of "Montrose" and that the producer of "Montrose" and Hagar was Ted Templeman who also produced "Van Halen". 20. Hagar's first album with "Van Halen" - "5150" was released in 1986. The album jumped straight to first place on the American Billboard 200, overtaking the band's previous album "MCMLXXXIV (1984)" which only came in second place. 21. The album included, among others, the hit "Love Walks In" which, completely contrary to everything you thought, was written about "aliens". 22. Believe it or not, but Sammy Hagar is a big believer in the alien theory, and in his interview with Guitar magazine he stated that he strongly believes he saw and felt them, he claims they contacted him in three or four different times and downloaded information from his brain. 23. Since then, Sammy has released three more successful albums with Van Halen: "OU812" from 1988, "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" from 1991, and "Balance" from 1995. 24. The album "OU812" includes the song "Cabo Wabo" whose melody, Sammy borrowed from the song "Make It Last", which he composed for his previous band "Montrose". 25. Later on, Sammy will also name his bar in Mexico as well as his tequila line "Cabo Wabo". 26. This is a handmade tequila that until 2006 was the second best-selling premium tequila in the United States. 27. In 2007 Hagar sold 80% of his rights in "Cabo Wabo" to "Gruppo Campari" for 80 million dollars. In doing so, he made more money in one day than in his entire music career. 28. Three years later, Hagar sold the remaining 20% ​​for an additional 11 million dollars. 29. At the same time as his membership in "Van Halen", Hagar continued his solo career and published in 1987 his ninth solo album "I Never Said Goodbye". The album included his first number-one hit on the Billboard charts "Give to Live". 27. Internal disputes eventually led to Hagar's departure from "Van Halen" in June 1996. There are several versions as to the reason that led to his departure, among them the fact that Eddie demanded that he will come to California to record while he was staying with his wife in Hawaii and awaiting their planned birth there. Another version refers to the fact that Eddie recorded two new songs with David Lee Roth, for the compilation album "Best Of – Volume I". 28. Already in 1997 Hagar published his 10th solo album "Marching to Mars". 29. In 1998 Hagar participated in an episode of Don Johnson's "Nash Bridges" series. He played bartender. 30. In 1999 Hagar released his 11th solo album "Red Voodoo" which for the first time included his backing band "the Waboritas", which included guitarist Vic Johnson. 31. In 2000 Hagar released his 12th solo album - "Ten 13", whose title is actually his date of birth. 32. At the same time as his solo career, Hagar founded the supergroup "Los Tres Gusanos" together with drummer David Lauser, and bassist Michael Anthony his bandmate from "Van Halen". 33. This was not the last supergroup in which Sammy would be involved. In 2002, he joined "Planet Us" with guitarist Neal Schon, bassist Michael Anthony, and drummer Deen Castronovo. Later Joe Satriani will also join the band. 34. The band only recorded two songs and toured briefly before disbanding, when Hagar and Anthony returned to their mother band "Van Halen" for a 2002 reunion. 35. In 2005 Sammy returned to work with his backing band "The Waboritas" and this time also included Michael Anthony. The tour also included a segment of him and Anthony in a band called "The Other Half" with a reference to Hagar and Anthony being half of "Van Halen". 36. In 2008, Hagar formed the supergroup "Chickenfoot" with Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani, and "Red Hot Chili Peppers" drummer Chad Smith. 37. The supergroup's debut album "Chickenfoot" was released in June 2009 and reached number 4 on the Billboard chart. After a short tour, the second album, "Chickenfoot III" was released, in 2011. 38. In 2014 Hagar formed another supergroup called "The Circle", with bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Vic Johnson, and drummer Jason Bonham. 39. Sammy will release three albums with the band - "Space Between" in 2019, "Lockdown 2020" in 2021, and "Crazy Times" in 2022. 40. In 2022 "Megadeth" recorded a cover version of the song "This Planet's on Fire (Burn in Hell)" taken from his fourth album "Street Machine" from 1979. Hagar will participate in the recording on vocals and this cover will be included in the expanded version of Megadeth's 16th album " The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!". 41. It is interesting to note, that musicians Brad Delp, Barry Goudreau, and Sib Hashian from "Boston" will participate in the recording of the song "Falling in Love" taken from the same album - "Street Machine". 42. Sammy considers himself a gourmet chef, and claims to have cooked for famous chefs such as Emeril Lagasse and Mario Batali. 43. Hagar also published two books. His autobiography, "Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock" and a cookbook called "Are We Having Any Fun Yet - The Cooking & Partying Handbook". 44. In 2007 he entered the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" together with "Van Halen". 45. In 2024, Sammy launched "The Best of All Worlds" tour with bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani and drummer Jason Bonham. Kenny Aronoff subsequently replaced Bonham on drums during the tour. 46. In 2025, Sammy brought "The Best of All Worlds" to a Las Vegas residency. The performances were documented on the live album "The Residency", and the run of shows continued in 2026. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On October 13, 1976 "Triumph" released it self-titled debut album (later titled "In the Beginning" on its 1995 reissue). This album marked the first step in the career of one of Canada's most iconic rock power trios. Formed in 1975 in Toronto, "Triumph" initially started as a four-piece blues-based band called "Abernathy Shagnaster", featuring Fred Keeler on guitar, Peter Young on organ, Mike Levine on bass, and Gil Moore on drums and vocals. The band released their debut single in 1975, but Keeler and Young left the band shortly after. During the summer of 1975 Moore and Levine met Rik Emmett, a guitarist from the band "ACT III", and after a jam session at Moore's house, Emmett joined the band. Emmett's progressive rock and classical music influences brought a new dimension to the band's sound. Released exclusively in Canada on Attic Records, "Triumph" remained relatively obscure until it was later rebranded and rereleased in 1995 as "In the Beginning" for international audiences. The album is a reflection of a young band still finding its voice, but it already showcases the signature blend of Blues, Hard Rock, Classical and Progressive that would come to define "Triumph’s" sound. The album kicks off with “24 Hours a Day,” which starts as a quiet "Boston"-like ballad and slowly develop to a driving hard rock track that sets the tone with its energetic riffs and infectious chorus. This opener captures "Triumph’s" early party-rock spirit, giving listeners a taste of the power and excitement the band brought to the table. Already in this song we are witnessing this band added value with two excellent lead vocalist, with Rik Emmett takes the lead in the quiet intro, while Gil Moore doubled as lead singer on the heavier part. Following it is "Be My Lover," a bluesy, riff-driven track that leans into the band's rock roots with a Talk Box solo by Emmet. The guitar sound and the sudden breaks will surly reminds you of "Rush" early years. "Don’t Take My Life" is another standout with its aggressive energy, with a chord progression reminiscent of the climax part in "Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven", while "Street Fighter" presents a two-part suite. The first part is fast-paced, almost proto-speed metal, and the second part takes on a more ethereal and dreamy quality, showing "Triumph’s" ability to balance both hard rock and more complex arrangements within one song. "What's Another Day of Rock 'n' Roll" will remind you of "Bachman–Turner Overdrive" and "Let Me Get Next to You" reveal the band's versatility with a hard rock intensity. "Easy Life," on the other hand, offers a more laid-back vibe, showcasing the band's softer side. The album’s centerpiece, however, is “Blinding Light Show / Moonchild,” a nearly nine-minute progressive epic that blends Rik Emmett’s virtuosic guitar work with atmospheric keyboard layers and expansive song structures. This track is where "Triumph’s" progressive rock ambitions are most fully realized, showcasing Emmet's strong classical and Spanish roots, hinting at the experimentation they would continue in future releases. Initially the album was released solely in "Triumph's" homeland Canada. It was only after the band's second album, "Rock & Roll Machine" that "Triumph" signed an international deal with RCA in the States. The label combined four songs each from the two Canadian albums into the "Rock & Roll Machine" (US) that was more available to fans around the world. While overshadowed by later albums "Triumph’s" debut plays a crucial role in the band’s early development. It captures the early spirit of a trio on the verge of breaking out and provides a glimpse into the elements that would make them one of the defining hard rock bands of the late ’70s and early ’80s. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On October 13, 1978, "AC/DC" released in the UK and Europe, their first live album "If You Want Blood You've Got It". Beyond the fact that this album stars in almost every list of the greatest live albums of all time, it is also probably the album that is responsible for the great breakthrough of "AC/DC" in the world and especially in the US. So let's understand why? Hard to believe, but this great band, formed in Australia in 1973 by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, was relatively successful in their country of origin, but for years failed to push the boundaries of their homeland and struggled to gain international recognition, especially in the US. The disregard for the band was so extreme that the "Atlantic Records" branch of the US, refused to release the band's third album "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" in 1976, as they did not believe in its ability to succeed in sales. The band received the announcement during the tour to promote the same album, but instead of putting the band in depression, it did just the opposite! It spurred the tough guys from Australia to do everything they can to prove to the record company that they were wrong. The band returned immediately after the tour to Sydney Australia to record their fourth album "Let There Be Rock". The album was recorded within two weeks, during which the band made an effort to recreate their sound on stage right there in the studio. "AC/DC" was a band of gigs, an energetic and sweeping band that gives its all in front of an audience, so it was important for them that this crazy energy would be reflected in the studio as well. After the release of "Let There Be Rock" in the summer of 1977, "AC/DC" began their first tour in America, and without any help from the radio stations, begins to build her audience, from the bottom up, with a lot of hard work, on the road and in performances. "AC/DC" was a crazy energy bomb on the stage and the hard work on the roads, was definitely profitable. "AC/DC" slowly catch up with more and more young audiences and was also starting to attract the attention of record companies, who could no longer ignore the rumors about the band from Australia burning the stages in America. The highlight of this tour was a performance the band made in December 1977 at "Atlantic Studios" in New York. Yes, yes, the same company that a year earlier refused to release the band's third album in the US, suddenly hosts the band for a show that also aired live on WIOQ radio station in Philadelphia. By the way, this historic show was recorded and documented. It's called "Live from the Atlantic Studios" And it was released twenty years later, as part of the "Bonfire" box released in 1997. This US tour proved to the audiences and the record companies what this band was worth, and this was also reflected in the sales of their fifth album "Powerage", released in 1978. Reinforced by these positive results, the band decides it's a good time to release a compilation album that will help the audience and record companies to get to know the band's old material from their first five albums as well. This album was supposed to be called "12 of the Best", but the idea for a compilation album was eventually abandoned in favor of the reviewed live album, and of course, this was the right decision for the band. "AC/DC" understood that the fans and record companies need to know how they are sounds best, live, on stage. So the members agreed that it would be a "hits" album, but unlike the regular compilation albums, it would be recorded at a live show and try to convey in the best way the sound, energy, power, and "electricity" that this band has to give on stage. And indeed it was. This album is an electric volcano really a "Powerage" as the name of the tour it was recorded in. It presents "AC/DC" in their comfort zone, live, exposed in front of the audience, and best conveys what took place in that tour on stage. The album features the band's best songs from the albums "T.N.T.", "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "Let There Be Rock" and "Powerage". It was recorded mostly at the "Apollo Theater" in Glasgow, the birthplace of Angus Young and Malcolm Young. The long versions of "Bad Boy Boogie" and "Let There Be Rock" proved Angus Young's virtuoso abilities and introduced the world to one of the greatest performers of all time on an electric guitar, which was definitely worthy of the roars of the audience Angus! Angus! In between the riffs at the opening of the song "Whole Lotta Rosie". The technicians of the recording mobile were probably unaware at the time of the treasure captured on their microphones and the history was caught in that recording, as the roars of the audience calling the name of their idol Angus Young would later become the cry of future generations of "AC/DC" fans and a kind of tradition. The live versions of songs like "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be", "Problem Child" and "High Voltage" sounded even more energetic, powerful, and sweeping than the studio versions, and with the song "The Jack" poetic justice was finally done, when Bon Scott gave it different lyrics, "dirty" and more entertaining than the album version. The band's bet with the release of a live album, instead of a compilation album, turned out to be the right one. "If You Want Blood You've Got It" has become one of the greatest live albums of all time and is undoubtedly at the forefront with albums like "UFO"s "Strangers in the Night", "Live And Dangerous" by "Thin Lizzy", "No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith" by "Motorhead", "Unleashed In The East" by "Judas Priest" or even the masterpiece "Kiss Alive". Few are the performance albums that convey so well the feelings and energy that exist in a live performance and this album is one of them. The album of course received rave reviews from both the audience and the critics and put "AC/DC" on the map. The song "Whole Lotta Rosie" becomes the band's first song to be played frequently on U.S. radio stations. This success did not go unnoticed, of course, by Atlantic Records, which began to realize that it had a gold mine in its hands. In 1978 the American branch of "Atlantic Records" already began to believe that the band had the potential to be very successful in the US and they offered the band a recording contract which would eventually lead to its big break with the masterpiece album Highway To Hell released in 1979. By the way, "(If You Want Blood (You've Got It") is also a song that was included on the album "Highway To Hell" and it also happens to be one of the songs that marked the turning point in the recordings of that masterpiece album. Amazing and fascinating in itself and can be found in the review we wrote about. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

A Sneak Peek... On October 13, 1992 "4 Non Blondes" released their only album "Bigger, Better, Faster, More!" It's not a perfect album... not even close, but it did deliver one hit that we are sure you all know very well - "What's Up?", which helped it sell like hotcakes, with 6 million copies worldwide. "There are times when we just have to take a deep breath and scream at the top of our lungs, "What's going on?" This is more or less what singer and guitarist Linda Perry felt when she wrote the song that was influenced by the political climate of that time. Contrary to what the first lines of the song say "Twenty-five years and my life is still..." Linda was 24 years old when she wrote the song. It was the second single from the album and it reached number one in many countries, but ironically not in the US. The album has other interesting rock tracks including the first single "Dear Mr. President", also a kind of protest song about the hierarchy of power and government, and the third single "Spaceman" which Perry wrote in collaboration with bassist Christa Hillhouse. Shortly after the release of the album, during the recording of their second album, the band which started as pure "4 non blonde" girls, broke up. Before disbanding, "4 Non Blondes" managed to write the song "Mary's House" for the soundtrack of the movie "Wayne's World 2" from 1993 and also perform a cover version of "I'm the One" by "Van Halen" on the soundtrack of the movie "Airheads". They also contributed the song "Bless the Beasts and Children" to the "Carpenters" tribute album "If I Were a Carpenter" from 1994, as well as a performance of the song "Misty Mountain Hop" on the 1995 "Led Zeppelin" tribute album "Encomium". After the breakup of the band, Linda Perry became a writer of other artists' songs, including the hits "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera and "Get The Party Started" by Pink. For Listening: Spotify "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

If we were asked to define through one and only one album what "progressive rock" is for us, it would probably be "Selling England By The Pound", the fifth studio album of "Genesis", released on October 5, 1973 in the UK and later on October 13, 1973 in the US. This is an album that has all the features and elements that define this marvelous genre. A combination of styles like rock, folk, and classical music. Long (relatively) and dynamic songs, complex compositions, melodic tunes, and vocal harmonies, a musical idea with a recurring motif, a varied use of musical instruments, and the use of unconventional rhythms. In short, if the oxford dictionary had an entry for "progressive rock", the definition would probably have been "Selling England By The Pound" by "Genesis". The album was recorded in August 1973 at Island Studios on Basing Street in London, and co-produced by the band and John Burns, who also engineered the sessions, with assistance from Rhett Davies. We will clarify this already here and now! The definition does not diminish in any way the greatness and influence of other major albums in the genre, such as, "In The Court Of The Crimson King" which we reviewed only a few days ago and defined as "the big bang" that gave birth to progressive rock. Simply for us "Selling England By The Pound" is the creation that came after the "chaos" created by the "Big Bang". After the trillions of particles and shards, it distributed everywhere and reunited together to create the musical "paradise" called "progressive rock". This is the album that we are sure has put many of you through the gates of "Paradise". It will also probably be the first album we would play for an alien that will fall to Earth and ask to know what "progressive rock" is. Why? Because it has everything that defines the genre and yet, it is still melodic and accessible enough to make a person who does not familiar with prog to fall in love with it. True, there are probably more complex, sophisticated, even more, perfect albums in the classic prog-rock genre, but with all their greatness it is not certain that you would choose them as the first representative sample through which you would try to make a stranger fall in love with this wonderful genre, right? So we think it is enough to explain our choice. Before we dive into the review, let’s note that there is a less common opinion that “Genesis” is not defined as “pure progressive rock”. For those opinionated (and we are of course not among them) "Genesis" lacks the improvisations and virtuosity that are necessary elements that define progressive rock. The same sources claim that, unlike "pure" progressive rock bands, with "Genesis" everything is planned, directed, structured and pre-written, like a "song" that lyrics are a very important part of it, while real progressive rock should be built on an instrumental improvisation in which the lyrics play a small role. Well, Although improvisation and spontaneity are an important factors in the definition of progressive rock, it is certainly not the only one. Beyond that, you will find quite a few bands whose works are built on improvisation and are not really close to "progressive rock". Ready for another "statement"? It may be a statement that will make some of you wonder, maybe even resist, but trust us that we really "weighed words" before we wrote. This is the pinnacle of Genesis' work, both in terms of writing and playing. True, there will be many who will argue with us and claim that "Foxtrot" deserves the crown, we also seriously debated this question, but in our opinion, its greatness relies mainly on the masterpiece "Supper's Ready" and if it was out of the equation we would be left with a good album, but not much Beyond that. There will be those who will say that the mighty double album "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" is the one that surpasses all the rest, but for us, its length comes a bit at the expense of imbalance and coherence between the tracks. And if you want to say that this is actually the amazing "Nursery Cryme", beyond the fact that it suffers from sound problems compared to the other albums we mentioned, it is also the first album with the band's classic lineup, which at this stage has not yet crystallized to perfection. There is no shadow of a doubt. Each of the albums we mentioned certainly deserves a crown, but it seems to us that "Selling England By The Pound" deserves it, if only because it feels more complete, more flowing as one complete work as opposed to a collection of tracks, a kind of concept album that starts with "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight", whose melody repeats itself at the end of "The Cinema Show" and at the beginning of the closing track "Aisle of Plenty". Listening to this album gives us a sense of listening to a radio program that has undergone musical processing. A performance of a theatrical story wrapped in a soundtrack, much like the way singer Peter Gabriel used to combine his acting skills with the music of "Genesis", on stage. It begins with an a-cappella that opens up the album, with the poignant question "Can you tell me where my country lies", and ends with the words "See the deadly nightshade grow" from the short song "Aisle of Plenty", which is a kind of magical and gloomy reprise that ends the story to the amazing mellotron sound of Tony Banks. Every song on this album is a set in a show signed by Peter Gabriel and Tony Banks. True, Steve Hackett's incredible playing cannot be ignored with the innovative guitar roles that will influence generations of guitarists, especially the "tapping" and "sweep picking" techniques and of course his simply chilling solo in "Firth Of Fifth". It's hard not to notice the sound enrichment of Mike Rutherford, who plays bass, 12-string guitar, and sitar, nor his significant writing contribution. It is also impossible not to refer to the diverse and sweeping drumming and vocal harmonies of Phil Collins, who even sang lead vocals in one of the songs. But in the end, the lead on this album was done by Peter Gabriel with his witty and sarcastic lyrics and by Tony Banks who managed to write some of the best tunes he has ever written. The name of the album indicates its content. The phrase "Selling England By The Pound" which also appears in the lyrics of the opening song "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight", was taken from a slogan of the Labor Party in Britain at the time. This is a critical document. A kind of "indictment" if you will, against the people in the UK and those who "sold the UK by weight (Pound)". A sadly mixed critique of Britain's loss of identity and uniqueness since the 1960s, its commercialization and devotion to capitalist culture, or in one word - "Americanization". This critique runs like a second thread between some of the album's marvelous creations. Starting with "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" which deals with the subject directly with sarcastic puns, through "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" which tells the story of Genesis' stage worker Jacob Finster, who failed to hold a permanent job and at a certain stage became a gardener and lawn mower, ending with "Aisle of Plenty" which returns to touch on the main motif and refers to UK consumer society with a clever pun that defines it as "abundance", with the word "Isle" being replaced by the word "Aisle". The opening song "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" evolved from several short piano compositions of Peter Gabriell, which were combined with the guitar roles of Steve Hackett and these two formed the skeleton on which the song is built on. Tony Banks added his wonderful piano work (in the opening) and later the upgraded mellotron (not the one purchased from "King Crimson"), which created the all-too-unique choir-like sound. A very dynamic and moving piece that combines a lot of changes in rhythms and styles. It begins with the famous a-cappella and ends with Mike Rutherford's 12-string guitar, which was originally supposed to fit in with "The Cinema Show" as one 20-minute long piece, but the band abandoned the idea to avoid comparison to "Supper's Ready". During the band's performances, Peter Gabriel used to dress up as "Britannia" - the good old "Britain", the one before the loss of identity, the one that is anxious about the situation the homeland has reached. The second track "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" is the "hit" of the album, and the band members even joked about it during the recordings. A short, catchy, and melodic piece. the lyrics of which were inspired by the story of the band's stage worker and the cover painting of the album "Dream" painted by Betty Swanwick, which shows an old gardener sleeping on a garden bench and being completely ignored by lovers who do not see the working class difficulties. If you want criticism of the higher-class culture that pursues status and honor. The song was born out of the band's jam session revolving around Steve Hackett's guitar riff, which was rejected for the previous album because the band members thought it was too reminiscent of "The Beatles". The percussion that is heard at the beginning of the song is a Nigerian drum that Gabriel played on. The song was released as a single which became the band's first to chart on the UK charts. In this case, too, Gabriel used to dress up in the band's live performances, this time as the character of the gardener/stage worker "Jacob". The third track "Firth Of Fifth" is one of the band's greatest and most appreciated songs. The epic piece opens up with a piano solo piece by Tony Banks. A great section with arpeggios chords played at odd time signatures such as 13/16 and 15/16. Banks wrote most of this amazing piece on his own. He tried to interest the band members in it for "Foxtrot", but was rejected. Banks did not despair. He reworked some of the musical parts and offered them to the band again, this time it worked. The piece opens with a piano solo, parts of which are repeated and played by the band later. Steve Hackett took one of Banks' piano pieces and incorporated it into his guitar solo. This reprise also exists in Peter Gabriel's flute solo starting at 3:28, which Steve Hackett simply embraced into his immortal guitar solo. Listen for example at 6:25 and to the climax at 7:25 repeating Gabriel's flute solo. Interestingly, the title of the song "Firth of Fifth" was chosen as a pun on the name of the river Forth and it is also a pun on "Fourth of a Fifth" which is supposed to relate to the theme of "Selling England in Pounds". The criticism does not skip this song either, in which the people are compared to a flock of sheep that need a shepherd. The first side of the album ends with "More Fool Me". This is the second song in which Phil Collins takes the lead after "For Absent Friends" from "Nursery Cryme". Uncharacteristically for the period and style of the band at the time, the song is a soft and romantic ballad that opens a small window through which one can peek into how "Genesis" would sound after the Gabriel era and Collins' solo career. The song was quickly written by Collins and Rutherford while sitting on the steps outside the recording studio and is a sort of light intermission between the two opus-like pieces before and after it. The other side opens with "The Battle of Epping Forest". A humorous work inspired by a news story Gabriel had read several years earlier, about the territorial battles of two rival gangs on the east end of London, which were meant to fight in the "Epping" forest. Peter Gabriel searched the archives to find more information about the story, but when he didn't find he was forced to create fictional characters such as "Liquid Len", "Harold Demure", "The Bethnal Green Butcher" and more that fit into a witty and humorous story, combined with sarcastic criticism, which Gabriel made sure to spice up with A heavy accent that matched the replacement of the various characters. The criticism in this song is directed both at the general public who ignored the great gang fight and allowed it to happen and at the gang members themselves who eventually ended the battle by tossing a coin. The second track on the other side "After the Ordeal" is a classic instrumental track that is all about Steve Hackett. The name of the track ("After the Ordeal") refers to the previous epic song that told of the battle in the "Epping" forest. This is the first track of "Genesis" in which Hackett plays the classical guitar with nylon strings. Tony Banks and Peter Gabriel objected to the inclusion of the piece, which also extended the album beyond the limits for vinyl records at the time, but Hackett insisted and in the end, the piece remained. Immediately afterward we come to one of the beautiful works on the album "The Cinema Show", which as mentioned was originally supposed to be part of a longer piece, along with the opening track. This is another amazing epic track that is divided into two parts. It begins as a romantic and modern "Romeo and Juliet" story led by Mike Rutherford's 12-string guitar and features vocal harmonies between Gabriel and Collins, and a flute and oboe solo. The second section begins in the middle of Tony Banks' long and amazing keyboard solo, with this improvisation leading us to close the circle with the minor motif we were familiar with in the opening section of the album. The words written by Banks and Rutherford are inspired by T. S. Eliot's poem "The Waste Land". This time the criticism deals with the relationship between him and her and the distance between men who are likened to water and women who are likened to earth. The album ends with the short "Aisle of Plenty", which as mentioned, is a kind of magical and gloomy reprise of the opening track "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight". It ends the story pessimistically with the sounds of Tony Banks' amazing melody and the mournful voice of Peter Gabriel reading a random supermarket food list and their prices, closing a circle with the protest against capitalism and the excessive consumer culture that has spread in the UK. We will conclude by saying that the album "Selling England By The Pound" is one of the albums that define the classic "prog rock" and is without a doubt one of the most important and influential in the genre. It is innovative, it is original and it has set new and high standards, both in terms of the quality of the writing and in terms of the level of playing. The classic composition of "Genesis" is here at its best, with a shared creative power that proves how great the whole is from the sum of its parts. While this is the band's highlight, the 'Genesis" brand has proven time and time again that it is capable of reinventing itself and being at the center of the musical map for almost 20 years, even after the departure of Peter Gabriel and later Steve Hackett. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

In 1989, Yngwie Malmsteen released the album "Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad". Recorded during several shows in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) in February 1989, the album summarizes Yngwie Malmsteen's peak era, which includes his first four solo albums, released between 1984-1988. The virtuoso guitarist comes to this tour at his peak, after the release of the most successful album of his career "Odyssey". The lineup accompanying him on this tour is also one of the favorites, including singer Joe Lynn Turner and the brothers Jens Johansson (keyboards) and Anders Johansson (drums), alongside bassist Barry Dunaway. It is unbelievable that less than two years earlier, Yngwie Malmsteen was at a personal and creative low, with his future uncertain. In 1987 his mother passed away after a battle with cancer. In addition, he was involved in a very serious car accident. He became unconscious and when he woke up from his coma about a week later, he discovered that he had nerve damage in his right hand, putting a big question mark on his ability to play again. Whoever listens to or watches (the concert was also released on video) Yngwie Malmsteen's performance in this concert, will simply not believe that not long before Yngwie was swinging between life and death with serious damage to his right hand. This adds to Yngwie's tremendous achievement in this album, making him one of the greatest neoclassical "shredders" of all time. In this performance, Yngwie manages to reach a phenomenal level of playing and precision. For moments you don't even believe that you are actually not listening to a studio version but a live version of a certain song. Moreover, there are quite a few sections during the performance in which Yngwie surpasses even the studio versions with energetic and passionate performances. It's not new that Malmsteen is the type of guitarist who just blossoms on stage, but what's amazing is that the "electricity in the air" manages to pass well when listening to the album, even without the need to watch the video version. We don't know why, but it seems that you can feel Malmsteen burning up the stage, just by listening to his playing style and the audience's reactions. Those who are familiar with the first four studio albums of Yngwie, know that there are quite a few guitar channels and guitar layers. Malmsteen manages to fill this void with the help of the harmonies played by keyboardist Jens Johansson, as can be clearly heard at minute 2:20 of the instrumental track "Black Star", taken from the debut album "Rising Force". You know that part at concerts when the band presents a remake of a certain song and you really expect to hear something that will be the closest to the studio version? So in this album, Malmsteen manages to keep the DNA of the studio versions, while still keeping a lot of room for improvisation. This can be heard, among other things, during the solo of the song "You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget". Yngwie manages to combine the melody of the song "L'amour est bleu", which was performed for the first time at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1967 by the singer Vicky Leandros who represented Luxembourg, and also a section from the solo of his spiritual father Ritchie Blackmore, in the song "Strange Kind Of Woman", as played in the "Made In Japan" concert version. This also happens in the intro to the instrumental track "Far Beyond the Sun" to which Yngwie plays "Adagio" commonly known as "Albinoni’s Adagio", composed by Italian musicologist and composer Remo Giazotto, as well as in the intro of the great song "Dreaming (Tell Me)", where Yngwie manages to incorporate a section of Bach's "Fugue in G Minor". This addition is apparently so loved by Malmsteen that he chose to record it on his 15th studio album "Unleash the Fury", where it will be called "Fuguetta". We hold the opinion that Yngwie Malmsteen should focus on playing the guitar. We're not so fond of the fact that lately he's been taking on the role of the lead singer in the band, both on studio albums and live shows. However, we have to admit that his singing skills on this album aren't bad. There are quite a few parts where he accompanies Joe Lynn Turner, but for moments he also takes the lead such as the screams in the opening song "Liar" or in the performance of the song "Spanish Castle Magic" by Jimi Hendrix which closes the album. And if we've already mentioned Joe Lynn Turner, then we have to mention his amazing abilities and the fact that he fits very nicely into the shoes of Mark Boals, performing three songs from the album "Trilogy" (four if you count "Fury" which is only included in the video version). It's not always easy to perform another singer's songs and Lynn Turner knows this perhaps better than anyone else. As you certainly remember, his attempt to step into Ian Gillan's shoes on the concert tour designed to promote the album "Slaves and Masters" by "Deep Purple" did not go well. However, even though Turner has a lower natural vocal range than Mark Boals, he handles the screams much better than him and sometimes even seems to be able to perform his songs better than the original. We do not need to mention the songs from "Odyssey". Joe Lynn Turner is in his home territory singing them. These are songs that he co-wrote and they fit him like a glove, so his confidence allows him to let loose a little and introduce a little more roughness and power compared to the studio versions. In our humble opinion, the live album "Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad" marks a turning point in Yngwie Malmsteen's career. It's not like he wouldn't release excellent studio albums after that. It's also not that he will lose his amazing level of performance, as you know he will still record the crazy "Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra in E flat minor". But in our opinion, when the cohesive and tight lineup that accompanied Yngwie Malmsteen left the stage after the tour ended, it was never the same again. The classic lineup of "Rising Force" with Malmsteen and the Johansson brothers dissolved later that year, when Anders and Jens left it. Jens joined Ronnie James Dio, Anders would join "Blue Murder" and Joe Lynn Turner would join "Deep Purple" for the recording of the "Slaves and Masters" album, leaving Yngwie to search for an entirely new line-up to accompany him. So that was it. Something got lost there along the way. After the disintegration of "Rising Force", the revolving door of musicians around the maestro, talented as they may be, failed to fill the void left. This time we decided to attach a link for the full performance so that you can also witness the miracle with your own eyes: 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 - 12.10.1979 Lindsey Buckingham said he would have loved to be a fly on the wall when the people at Warner Bros. first played the album in their boardroom. He was talking, of course, about "Tusk", the twelfth studio album by "Fleetwood Mac", a wildly eccentric double album conceived as a response to their magnum opus, "Rumours", and released on October 12, 1979. Some albums are so good, and so enormous, that whatever follows risks being dismissed as a disappointment. That was the starting point for "Tusk". Even its title, a slang term for the male anatomy used within the band, offers a clue to just how far Buckingham was prepared to stray from the success of "Rumours". Ask Stevie Nicks, and she would hardly have approved that title for a "Fleetwood Mac" album. By this point, though, Buckingham was not giving her opinion much weight. Considering the emotional upheaval surrounding the band, "Tusk" feels like something of a miracle. Nicks and Buckingham had split, as had Christine and John McVie. There was Nicks' affair with Mick Fleetwood, his wife's earlier affair with former band member Bob Weston, Christine's relationship with lighting director Curry Grant, and Fleetwood's relationship with Nicks' friend Sara Recor. Add staggering quantities of cocaine to that tangled web, and it is remarkable that an album emerged at all. Buckingham went far, almost too far. He deliberately set out to take the band as far from "Rumours" as possible. Perhaps that record reminded him too much of his crumbling relationship with Nicks. Perhaps he saw an opportunity to change the band's musical direction for a third time. Whatever the reason, Buckingham, who wrote almost half of the double album's songs, nine out of twenty, ensured that a special studio was built to meet the band's needs. Known as "Studio D", it was constructed at "The Village Recorder". The cost of producing the entire album was estimated at the time at around one million dollars. Once the studio had been built, Buckingham asked Fleetwood about recording some songs at home. Fleetwood agreed, but insisted that the other band members become involved in the recordings at some stage. For certain tracks, Buckingham used a Kleenex box as a snare drum and asked Fleetwood to overdub his own drums onto the demos. Several songs were recorded with Buckingham playing every instrument, including "The Ledge", "Save Me a Place", and "That's Enough for Me". Producer Ken Caillat recalled Buckingham's obsessive approach in the studio. "He was a maniac," Caillat recalled. On the first day, after Caillat had set up the studio as usual, Buckingham asked him to turn every knob 180 degrees and see what happened. He would tape microphones to the studio floor and sing in a push-up position. Caillat also remembered him arriving after an episode in the shower during which he had cut off his hair with scissors. Buckingham expressed an interest in launching a solo career during the making of "Tusk". In an effort to keep him on board, the other members accepted his wish to make a more experimental album, one that reflected their intensely claustrophobic personal turmoil. An admirer of "Talking Heads" who was looking toward post-punk, Buckingham also drew inspiration from "Smiley Smile" by "The Beach Boys". He allows the songs by Christine, who contributed six, and Nicks, who wrote five, to unfold in long stretches of mellow warmth, then tears them open with manic, restless bursts, like the mounting tension in "The Ledge". While Christine and Nicks contribute some excellent songs, Buckingham owns this album through his restless energy and obsessive production. This is mainstream madness, pushed even further than his hero Brian Wilson's experiments, but with a leaner sound. If "Rumours" captured the collapse of the band's relationships, "Tusk" confronts an even more complicated situation. How do you turn a romantic relationship into a purely creative partnership while navigating all the dangerous ways in which love feeds art, and art feeds love? Many of the album's songs grew out of relationships within the band. The emotional baggage between Buckingham and Nicks can be heard in "Save Me a Place", "What Makes You Think You're the One", and "That's Enough for Me". "Storms" has been linked to Nicks' affair with Fleetwood, which damaged his marriage to Jenny. In it, Nicks reckons with what she has done. One of the album's two biggest hits was "Sara", which Nicks wrote alone at the piano. According to her, the original version lasted sixteen minutes and was repeatedly trimmed, to around six and a half minutes for the album and roughly four minutes and forty seconds for the single. There are several interpretations of the song. One connects it to Fleetwood's romance with Sara, which brought his relationship with Nicks to an end. Nicks herself explained that the song contains pieces of her, Sara, Fleetwood, and the relationships surrounding them. Nicks wrote "Sisters of the Moon" before "Tusk" was released, and the band was already performing it live in 1978. She explained that it grew out of her deteriorating health while touring with "Fleetwood Mac". After months of exhausting shows, she caught sight of herself in a mirror, pale and fragile, and was frightened by the figure looking back at her. Christine wrote six songs for the album, including "Brown Eyes". She initially claimed it was about her dog, but later told Caillat that it concerned her then-boyfriend Dennis Wilson of "The Beach Boys", whose eyes were actually green. The band eventually completed thirty-seven takes before settling on the master recording. During the sessions, Dennis sat in the control room and offered suggestions about how to approach the song, although several people, including Fleetwood and John, rejected those ideas. Peter Green, one of the band's founders, also took part in the sessions for "Brown Eyes". His guitar playing is uncredited on the original album, but can be heard during the fade-out. An extended version featuring more of his performance appeared on the 2015 reissue. Nicks described "Beautiful Child" as a lullaby and one of her most special songs. She said it was written about her affair with Derek Taylor, who had served as a road manager and publicist for "The Beatles" and was around sixteen years her senior. Although it sold fewer copies than the band's two previous albums, "Tusk" still sold around four million and spent thirty-seven weeks on the American album chart. It reached number one in Britain and number four in the United States, and produced two Top 10 hits, "Tusk" and "Sara". Fleetwood described "Tusk" as his favorite album and praised Buckingham for ensuring that the band did not simply make a copy of "Rumours". Fleetwood blamed the RKO radio network for the album's relative commercial disappointment, arguing that broadcasting it in full before its release had allowed listeners to make home recordings on a massive scale. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel’s Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram and/or subscribe to our website

On October 11, 1977, "Kansas" released their fifth studio album, "Point of Know Return", a record that packed progressive rock, blazing guitars, and a soaring violin into a surprisingly accessible commercial triumph. An ancient sailing ship approaches the edge of the world, where the maps end and the unknown begins. On the cover of "Kansas"' fifth album, the danger seems almost tangible, but the musical voyage within is every bit as thrilling. Six musicians at the height of their success push the boundaries of American rock, twist rhythmic patterns, pit a violin against electric guitars, and somehow find a hint of eternity in a simple acoustic melody. It is an album that invites us to sail far beyond the horizon while reminding us just how brief the journey can be. Only a year earlier, "Kansas" had broken through with "Leftoverture", an album that brought the sophistication of British progressive rock together with the raw drive of American hard rock. "Carry On Wayward Son" propelled the band into a new league, but it also unleashed a whirlwind of touring, pressure, and expectations. Suddenly, musicians who had once fought for every listener were faced with a new challenge: how to build on that success without becoming a pale imitation of themselves. At the heart of the band were two very different creative forces. Guitarist Kerry Livgren was drawn to ambitious compositions and spiritual and philosophical questions, while Steve Walsh, the singer and keyboardist, brought an explosive stage presence and a remarkable ability to make every melody feel deeply human. Tensions became serious enough for Walsh to step away from the band during preparations for the album, though he eventually returned. Alongside them were guitarist Rich Williams, bassist Dave Hope, drummer Phil Ehart, and violinist and vocalist Robby Steinhardt. Without Steinhardt's unmistakable violin, it is almost impossible to imagine the sound of "Kansas". Work began in June 1977 at Studio in the Country in Bogalusa, Louisiana, but equipment problems led the band to move most of the recording to Woodland Sound Studios in Nashville. Jeff Glixman returned as producer. Despite the disruptions, the result sounds remarkably focused and alive, with every instrument contributing something essential rather than merely decorating the arrangements. The opening title track, "Point of Know Return", is a dazzling statement of intent. In just over three minutes, the band packs in shifting time signatures, darting violin phrases, muscular guitars, and a chorus made to be sung at full volume. Replacing the word "No" with "Know" turns the familiar point of no return into a journey toward the limits of human understanding. Perhaps that is the real magic of "Kansas": music this intricate has no business sounding so effortlessly radio-friendly. On "Paradox", the guitars and keyboards weave around one another as the rhythm section charges ahead. "The Spider", a brief instrumental written by Walsh, gives the drums and keyboards room to run wild. Yet none of this feels like virtuosity for its own sake. Even in the trickiest passages, the band's sheer excitement at discovering another musical path is impossible to miss. We move on to "Portrait (He Knew)", inspired by Albert Einstein and the distance between extraordinary knowledge and a complete understanding of existence. Razor-sharp riffs collide with an expansive chorus, as though science and imagination were competing for the same patch of sky. "Closet Chronicles" takes a darker, more theatrical turn, with arrangements that suggest a story larger than life. This is "Kansas" at their progressive best: sophisticated, melodic, and unexpectedly inviting. Then comes "Dust in the Wind", a reminder that a few strings and one unsettling thought can sometimes reach deeper than an entire wall of amplifiers. Kerry Livgren had been practicing a fingerpicking exercise on his acoustic guitar at home when his wife, Vickie, heard the melody and encouraged him to write lyrics. He doubted that such a quiet piece belonged on a "Kansas" album. When the band needed more material, he reluctantly played it for the others, only to find that they loved it and insisted on recording it. There are no roaring electric guitars here, just a delicate acoustic texture and an immortal violin line that reaches exactly where it needs to. The lyrics were inspired by Native American poetry, prompting Livgren to reflect on the fleeting nature of human life. The arrangement also holds a lovely technical detail: alongside a conventionally tuned acoustic guitar, another was recorded in Nashville tuning, with its lower strings raised an octave to give the picking its shimmering quality. "Dust in the Wind" reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, but its power has little to do with chart positions. It is a timeless anthem rediscovered by each generation, because all of us know the feeling of time slipping away far too quickly. On the second side of the vinyl, "Lightning's Hand" and "Sparks of the Tempest" bring the electricity roaring back. The band accelerates, bares its teeth, and reminds us that beneath the philosophical questions and intellectual ambition are six rock musicians who know how to raise the roof. The bass and drums hold the whole structure together while the violin and guitars seem to climb the walls. As the album approaches its end, the light begins to fade. "Nobody's Home" imagines a world without human beings, a chilling idea made even more haunting by the beauty of the music. "Hopelessly Human" closes the album by bringing grand musical ambition face to face with human frailty. After a voyage beyond the horizon, perhaps the answer is not waiting at the edge of the world after all. Perhaps it lies in accepting our limitations. The famous cover completes the voyage. Peter Lloyd painted a ship seemingly approaching the edge of a flat Earth, an image conceived by the band in the spirit of the title track. According to the members of "Kansas", it was actually their manager, Budd Carr, who suggested the title's play on words. The album "Point of Know Return" reached No. 4 on the Billboard album chart and was certified quadruple platinum in the United States. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music FaceOff - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or subscribe to our website