Today we want to tell you about a guitarist that we miss very much. He is a very special guitar player and his name is Pete Willis: (Photo: Rockpages.gr) He was born Peter Andrew Willis in Sheffield, England, on February 16, 1960. He greatly admired Jimi Hendrix and already at a very young age began to play the guitar. He formed the band "Atomic Mass" in the mid 70'sת together with bassist Rick Savage. In November 1977 he met singer Joe Elliott , also a Sheffield native, at a bus stop. Willis introduced Joe to the band members, who were immediately enthusiastic about his ideas. Elliott later persuaded "Atomic Mass" members to change their name to "Deaf Leopard" and band drummer Tony Kenning suggested they distort the name a bit and call the band "Def Leppard". Willis as mentioned was among the founders of "Def Leppard" and accompanied the band during it's pure Heavy Metal era, at the time the "New Wave Of British Heavy Metal" revolution took place. In January 1979 he released with the band their first EP - "The Def Leppard E.P". Pete was one of the band's lead writers on their first three albums' including " High 'n' Dry ". The last album on which Pete contributed his talent to the band, was " Pyromania ". Unfortunately, even though he plays on all the songs on the album " Pyromania ", Pete was replaced in 1982, during the recording of the album, by guitarist Phil Collen, due to his drinking problems. Willis later made an attempt to return to music when he co-founded, the supergroup "Gogmagog", with bassist Neil Murray , singer Paul Di'Anno and drummer Clive Burr - both formerly of "Iron Maiden". The band released an EP called "I Will Be There EP", in 1985. It is interesting to note, that guitarist Janick Gers will later join the band, will eventually join "Iron Maiden". Pete was also a part of another band that released it's debut album "Roadhouse", in 1991. Unfortunately, the above projects did not took off and we lost a gifted guitarist who did not realize his potential. In 2003, Willis left the music business and moved into real estate. In 2019 he was inducted into the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame", along with his friends for "Def Leppard". "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

A turbo engine is connected to his legs and his hands shoot at the pace of a machine gun. He is one of the greatest and most influential drummers in metal, he is known for his fast and aggressive drumming and also as the "Godfather of double-base drum". (Photo: Milosz Bauza) Let's Get to know Dave Lombardo a little better: 1. He was born in Havana, Cuba on February 16, 1965, and has 2 older brothers and a sister. 2. When he was two years old, his family immigrated to California, USA. 3. Already at a young age he was drumming around the house, to the sounds of the Latin rhythms of "Santana". 4. His father, who saw how much Dave devoted himself to drumming, bought him a drum set when he was 10 years old. 5. Later he played drums in the school band. 6. The most influential drummers on him were Bill Ward , Mitch Mitchell, John Bonham , Ian Paice , Ginger Baker, and Keith Moon . 7. The first album he purchased was "Alive!" by "Kiss," he learned to play it perfectly, including every note and in the drum solo during the song "100,000 Years." 8. He asked his parents to enroll him to drum lessons, but soon left since he thought they were not challenging enough and felt he was learning much faster on his own. 9. He won a young talent contest in high school, to the applause of the audience during the drum solo he gave. 10. His first band was called "Escape" and later its name was changed to "Sabotage". 11. He began his serious musical career at the age of 16, when he met guitarist Kerry King who lived a few blocks away from him. The two teamed up with guitarist Jeff Hanneman and bassist Tom Araya and formed "Slayer". 12. King and Araya had a cover band and Lombardo remembers that the first songs they played together in the basement of Lombardo's home, were by "Van Helen" and "Judas Priest". 13. Lombardo was the one who designed the iconic and famous logo of "Slayer", which is known to this day. 14. Lombardo is left-handed but his drum set is normally arranged. 15. The band's debut album "Show No Mercy" was released in 1983, when Lombardo was only 18. He was then in high school and played at the band's shows at night, getting up in the morning and going to school. The band embarked on a serious tour as soon as they graduated from high school. 16. Album producer Brian Slagel asked him to play on the album without cymbals, as they made a huge noise in the face of Lombardo's powerful drumming. 17. During the recording of the song "Chemical Warfare", taken from the mini-album "Haunting the Chapel" from 1984, he asked Gene Hoglan (who was at the time his assistant) to hold tight to the drums that moved in the studio due to the intensity of the playing. Holgen, who was also a drummer in the band "Dark Angel", advised Lombardo how to improve his double-bass technique. 18. Lombardo was the one who got producer Rick Rubin to work with "Slayer" on the album " Reign in Blood " released in 1986. Until that time, Rubin did not work with metal bands at all. 19. This is one of the most important albums in metal. It is ranked 6th in the "Rolling Stone" magazine's list of the 100 greatest metal albums of all time, not least thanks to Dave's cruel drumming and especially the insane double bass work as seen here: 20. Dave left the band during the tour that supported the album, due to a financial dispute. He returned to the band following the pleas of producer Rick Rubin, in 1987. 21. After recording the albums " South Of Heaven " from 1988 and " Seasons in the Abyss " from 1990, Lombardo left "Slayer" again in 1992, this time for personal reasons, as he wanted to be present at the birth of his first child. 22. Lombardo's drumming style in "Slayer"'s first five albums was an inspiration and role model for many drummers in metal. 23. After the birth of his son, Lombardo founded the groove metal band "Grip Inc". Starting in 1995 and the "Power of Inner Strength" album, Lombardo will release with this band four studio albums and one EP. 24. In 1997 Lombardo started another side project called "Philm", with which he would release two albums. "Harmonic" from 2012 and "Fire from the Evening Sun" from 2014. 25. In 1998 he will join another project - "Fantômas" by singer Mike Patton . Lombardo will release 5 studio albums with the band, starting with the debut "Fantômas", released in 1999. 26. This is not Dave's only project with singer Mike Patton . Dave was part of the hardcore punk band "Dead Cross", which released its debut album in 2017 and an EP a year later. 27. In addition, in 2020 Dave recorded the album "The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo", along with Mike Patton 's band - "Mr. Bungle". 28. In 1999, Dave joined "Testament" and recorded the album "The Gathering". 29. In 2001 his bandmates from "Slayer" asked him to accompany them on several shows. Dave agreed and in January 2002 made his first reunion appearance with the band. 30. In 2004 he replaced "Metallica" drummer Lars Ulrich at the "Download" festival, after Ulrich was hospitalized. 31. In 2006 Dave recorded his tenth album with Slayer - "Christ Illusion". He will go on with the next album released in 2009 called "World Painted Blood". 32. In 2010 Dave was part of the band's performance as part of the "Big 4" tour - " The Big Four: Live from Sofia, Bulgaria ". 33. Lombardo left "Slayer" again in 2013. 34. In 2016, Lombardo joined the crossover thrash band "Suicidal Tendencies" and recorded two studio albums and one EP with them. 35. That same year Dave was part of the reunion show of the influential punk-rock band "Misfits". 36. In addition Dave has quite a few collaborations among others with "Sepultura", Lemmy  Kilmister , and more. 37. In 2021 Dave joined the cast of "Annihilator" alongside Jeff Waters . 38. In 2021 he also founded the band "Venamoris" together with his wife Paula (vocals and piano). They released the album "Drown In Emotion" in 2023, which you can listen to here: Spotify "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

He does not drink or use drugs but he was a polished criminal who sought refuge in music. He has a lot of rage and he releases it at every opportunity, it's enough to listen to one or two of his songs... (Photo: Steve Vaccariello) 1. His full name is Tracy Lauren Marrow and he was born on February 16, 1958. 2. He is the son of an African-American father and a Louisiana mother and he grew up in New Jersey. Both his parents passed away as a result of a heart attack when he was 8 years old (his mother) and when he was 13 years old (his father). 3. Already at the age of 7 he discovered what racism was when his white friends behaved in a degrading way towards black children, an event that left a deep imprint on him as he was perceived as white because of the light color of his skin. 4. He attended Crenshaw High School which consisted mainly of black people. The Crips and Bloods gangs ruled the school but Ice was not part of any of them. He also stood out for not drinking alcohol or consuming drugs, unlike his friends. 5. He used to recite sentences from the book of the famous pimp "Iceberg Slim". In doing so he became an attraction at school and often would stand in the corridors and recite whole sentences. (Reminds us of Samuel Jackson in "Pulp Fiction"). 6. From there he got his famous nickname ICE-T. (Photo: Jackson Kalos) 7. Back then he also started his first band "The Precious Few of Crenshaw High School". They performed in clubs with a live band and dancers. 8. At age 17 he was selling cannabis and stolen Hi-Fis for a living. When his girlfriend became pregnant and gave birth to their daughter he could not afford the expenses and enlisted in the army to bring money home. 9. He served in the 25th Infantry Brigade serving in Hawaii, he served for two years and two months during which he also purchased DJ equipment and began learning to DJ and Rap. 10. In 1980, after his release from the army, he joined the criminal life and began robbing jewelry stores and banks while in the evenings he made a name for himself as a DJ and rapper in local clubs. 11. During one of the robberies he was involved in a serious car accident and was hospitalized for several days. After his release, he decided to leave the crime life and invest in his music career. (Photo: Glen E. Friedman) 12. He started recording electro-hip-hop-style singles on his own and from single to single, his beats improved and his lyrics sharpened. 13. One of his standout singles at the time was “6 In The Mornin” which was the first single to speak so blatantly, transparently, and in detail about gang life in Los Angeles. 14. In 1987 he released his first album "Rhyme Pays". The album was a success and very quickly received the title of Gold Certification. This is the first album to receive the sticker - "Explicit Lyrics" invented that year. 15. A year later he released his second album "Power", releasing it under the new label he founded called Rhyme Syndicate. This album also gained momentum and reached Gold Certification. 16. He released a third album and in 1991 he released his fourth album "O.G. Original Gangster." An album that became a milestone in Rap music and became one of the albums that defined the Gangsta Rap style. On this album, he also introduced his band "Body Count". 17. His metal band "Body Count" was formed that year together with guitarist Ernie C, with the two writing the music and lyrics together. (Photo: Dirk Behlau) 18. In 1992 came out the debut album of the cruel metal hip-hop band that bears the band name. The album was a huge success and received high exposure not only because of its music but also because of one specific song called "Cop Killer". 19. The song was perceived by the government as inciting against law enforcement and encouraging violence against police officers, a huge media storm raged around the song and it put the band and the album in the news headlines. Ice claimed the song was about aggressive police violence from the eyes of a black criminal. 20. In 1993 he released his fifth solo album "Home Invasion" which reached number 14 on Billboard. 21. That same year he collaborated with the band "Slayer" and recorded a string of three cover songs by the Scottish punk-rock band "Exploited", which will be included in the soundtrack of the movie "Judgment Night" . 22. He has released three more albums in his solo career: "Ice-T VI: Return of the Real" (1996), "The Seventh Deadly Sin" (1999), and "Gangsta Rap" (2006). (Photo: Terje Dokken) 23. In 1993, "Body Count" recorded a cover of Jimmy Hendrix 's song "Hey Joe" for the Jimi Hendrix tribute album "Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix". The cover was a great success and gained many plays around the world. 24. A year later the second album "Born Dead" was released and in 1997 the third album "Violent Demise: The Last Days" was released. 25. In 2006 the band's fourth album was released not long before Ice and Ernie lost three members of the band. Two died as a result of a serious illness and the third by gunfire from a passing vehicle. For Ice, it was a period of being or ceasing and the band went out for a hiatus. 26. Eight years later the two reunite and brought "Body Count" back to life. They released their fifth album "Manslaughter". 27. In 2017 the sixth album "Bloodlust" was released, the band was a resounding success, conquering charts in the US and Europe and even gaining Grammy nominations. This album hosts a number of major musicians from the metal world such as Dave Mustaine , Max Cavalera , Randy Blythe, and more. 28. And in 2020 which will not be forgotten very soon, the band released their seventh album "Carnivore". This album continues the momentum and power of the previous album and was a great success. This is the first album featuring Ice's son listed as Little Ice. This album also features other artists such as Amy Lee , Dave Lombardo , and more... 29.- On November 29, 2024, the band released its eighth album, Merciless . The album was written by Ice-T, inspired by horror films. He mentioned that while watching these films, various ideas came to him, which he translated into songs. The album features guest appearances from Corpsegrinder, Howard Jones, Joe Bad, and Max Cavalera. 30. Apart from music, Ice-T is also an actor, although he did not win an Oscar he is not a minor actor. He has starred in dozens of movies and dozens of TV series, of which you probably remember the movie "New Jack City" and the "Law & Order" series where he has acted since 2000. (Photo: NBC) 31. Among his other notorious actions he participated in an HBO TV documentary called "Pimps Up, Ho's Down" which reflects the "work" of the pimp in managing prostitutes. Listen to Body Count's latest album on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

He is a poet, he is a writer, he is a musician, he is a painter, he has the soul of an artist and he is also the singer of Incubus. Let's meet this beautiful guy Brandon Boyd. (Photo: Keilen) 1. His full name is Brandon Charles Boyd and he was born on February 15, 1976, in Van Nuys, California. 2. His parents Priscilla "Dolly" Wiseman and Charles Boyd who were involved in Show Biz supported and nurtured Boyd's artistic side. 3. In addition to his parents, Boyd was greatly influenced by the rest of his family who was involved in music, his younger brother Jason Boyd was a singer in an alternative rock band and his cousin was a flamenco guitarist and composer. 4. In high school, Boyd formed a band with his classmates, guitarist Mike Einziger , bassist Alex Katunich, and drummer José Pasillas. 5. They played in clubs and small bars along the Sunset Strip without any name and only at a later stage when asked who they were, did they invent the name, "Incubus". (Photo: Con Keyes) 6. Boyd is the one who designed the flyers for the band. At first, he used pictures from a sex education magazine, but seeing that the audience was getting a different impression of the band's genre, he began to paint the drawings on the flyers himself. 7. Boyd graduated from high school in 1994 and in 1995 the band released their first EP named "Let Me Tell Ya 'Bout Root Beer" with only two songs. 8. That same year "Incubus" released their debut album "Fungus Amongus" which was heavily influenced by the punk metal style. They even wrote in the album's booklet graduate to the bands: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Primus, and Mr. Bungle. On this album, they gave themselves fake names like Happy Knappy, Salsa, Fabio, and Dirk Lance. 9. A year later, with the rise of Nu-Metal, the band signed a seven-album contract with Epic Records. 10. Boyd, who started college in 1995 but saw his band gain momentum and signed a record deal, decided to drop out of school and dedicate his life to music. 11. In 1997 the band released their second EP, "Enjoy Incubus" which aimed to promote the band during their tour as an opening act for the band "Korn". 12. Later that year "Incubus" released its second album (and the first on a major record label) called "S.C.I.E.N.C.E." Here the band began to change its musical style to a heavier style with riffs from the Nu-Metal. The album was not a great success but sold relatively well compared to an album that did not receive any radio or television exposure. 13. After a short break, the band released their third album "Make Yourself" in October 1999. This is the album that brought them the big breakthrough with the hit "Drive" played on every radio station in the US. Here the band has already started going more in the direction of Alternative rock and "pop" Rock. 14. In 2001 the band released their fourth album "Morning View" which was also a great success with the singles "Wish You Were Here" and "Nice to Know You". 15. That same year, Boyd was named "The Hottest Guy in Music" by Teen People magazine. 16. In 2003, Boyd published his first book, "White Fluffy Clouds", a book that combined drawings and pictures that Boyd had created as well as lyrics and reflections from his ministers in the band. 17. In the same year, Boyd and his friends founded an organization called "The Make Yourself Foundation" whose goal is to support and contribute to various charities and organizations for the benefit of the environment and society in the United States and around the world. 18. In 2004 the band released their fifth album "A Crow Left of the Murder..." and it continued the band's success from the previous two albums. 19. In 2006 the band released their sixth album "Light Grenades" which was their first album to reach number one on Billboard. 20. In 2007 Boyd published his second book "From the Murks of the Sultry Abyss". 21. Boyd held his first art exhibition in 2008 in California where he exhibited paintings he painted at different times of his life. 22. Boyd set up a painting and photography studio inside his Yurt (a round tent made of wood and canvas sheets) in the heart of a small jungle in his garden. (Photo: Kirk McKoy) 23. In 2009 the band released a compilation album called "Monuments and Melodies". 24. Boyd's first and only solo album called "The Wild Trapeze" was released in 2010. In the album, he gives himself a free hand to experiment and create with any tool that comes to his mind. He plays all the instruments except drums and keyboards while writing the entire album on his own. 25. In 2011 the band released their seventh album called "If Not Now, When?" Which is a completely different album from anything the band has released up to that time. But it is an amazing one!! 26. In 2013 Boyd published his third book "So the Echo" which contains mainly works of art created by Boyd. In the book, he expresses his works in the context of environmental responsibility. 27. That same year Boyd co-founded with the famous producer Brendan O'Brien the band "Sons of the Sea" and together they released an EP called "Compass" and a single album bearing the band's name. A very instrumental album and very different from Boyd's other works. 28. In 2017 the band released their eighth album called “8” . An album that took them in a rough, raw, and stinging direction. We have said it many times, "Incubus" is a band that knows how to reinvent itself whenever it wants to. A refreshing, kicking, and very sweeping album in our personal opinion !! For this album, they teamed up with the famous dubstep musician Skrillex . 29. In the band's shows Boyd loves to play different musical instruments Didgeridoo and Djembe . 30. Boyd is an artist at heart, he creates in a lot of different ways and he is without a doubt a very talented artist!! You are welcome to listen to his solo album on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

For a very short time, he was a member of the band that Ronnie James Dio was forming after he left "Black Sabbath" and you probably know him from his time in Ozzy Osbourne 's band, but he's definitely not only that. Let's get to know guitarist Jake E. Lee a little better. (Photo: Richard E. Aaron) 1. He was born on February 15, 1957, in Virginia, USA to a father of Welsh descent and a mother of Japanese descent. His name at birth was Jake Lou Williams. 2. Jake grew up in San Diego in a very musical home. His father was into Jazz, his mother loved of Classical music, and his sister was Pop and Rock. 3. Under the influence of his mother he started taking piano lessons, already at the age of 6, but at the age of 13, he lost interest in the instrument and switched to the guitar, on which his sister played. 4. He taught himself to play the guitar alone, with the help of books, applying what he learned in piano lessons. 5. His sister listened to "Led Zeppelin", "Black Sabbath" and Jimi Hendrix . This helped shape Jake's musical taste. 6. The guitarists he was influenced by in his youth, were Tommy Bolin , Jeff Beck , and Ritchie Blackmore . 7. From the late 70's Jake played in local bands from San Diego. His first band was named "Teaser" after guitarist Tommy Bolin 's debut album, which he admired. 8. In 1980 Jake joined "Mickey Ratt" which would later become the famous glam metal band "Ratt". He even recorded a single with them called "Dr. Rock" and recorded with the band two more songs, one of which was "Tell the World", which was included in the first and mythological collection album of "Metal Massacre" from 1982, which also included the song "Hit the Lights" by "Metallica". 9. Lee later moved on to "Rough Cutt", produced by Ronnie James Dio and managed by Wendy, Dio's wife. 10. Not many know, but Lee was invited by Ronnie James Dio to join his emerging band, immediately after he left "Black Sabbath". 11. Jake accepted the offer and drummer Vinny Appice noted that there were even recordings from rehearsals held with Jake. But Jake did not last long in the lineup. He claimed that Dio asked him to play "block chords" that would not interfere with his singing. Jake felt limited and therefore left, when shortly afterward he moved to Ozzy Osbourne 's line-up. 12. After the death of guitarist Randy Rhoads , Ozzy Osbourne came to Los Angeles in search of a guitarist that would fill in Randy's big shoes. He met with bassist Dana Strum who at the time recommended Rhodes to him. This time he had worm recommendation on Jake. 13. Ozzy's first choice was George Lynch's guitarist "Dokken", but in the end Ozzy chose Jake and he was not wrong, it was a great choice that was tailor-made for Ozzy and helped jumpstart his solo career. 14. Jake was a member of Ozzy Osbourne 's band for 5 years from 1982 to 1987. He was an integral part of the writing process of Ozzy's major albums " Bark At The Moon " from 1983 and "The Ultimate Sin" from 1986. Despite his contribution, Jake did not always get credit, as you can read in the review of the album " Bark At The Moon ". 15. His first appearance with Ozzy was at the 1983 U.S. Festival, in front of 350,000 viewers. 16. After the tour of the album "The Ultimate Sin" ended, Jake was fired from Ozzy's band. The message was given to Jake in a phone call by Sharon Osborne and she caught him unprepared. He was confident he would continue for a long time as Ozzy's guitarist and lead writer. 17. After being fired from Ozzy's band, he received an offer to move and work with David Coverdale in "Whitesnake". Jake refused and eventually formed "Badlands", together with singer Ray Gillen and drummer Eric Singer. 18. The band released their debut album called "Badlands" in 1989 where Jake also played mandolin, sitar, and keyboards. 19. In 1991 drummer Eric Singer left the band and moved to "Kiss", to fill in for Eric Carr who passed away. Jake and the "Badlands" released their second album "Voodoo Highway", in which Jake also plays bass and percussion. 20. The band's third album "Dusk" was released in 1998 after the death of singer Ray Gillen. The songs included in it were outtakes, demos, and live clips from the studio. 21. After the "Badlands" disbanded, Jake formed a new band called "Wicked Alliance" with singer Mandy Lion (from the band "World War III"), drummer Ray Luzier who would later join "Korn", and bassist Jimmy Bain . They recorded a demo and went on tour, but it did not take off from there. 22. In 1996 Jake embarked on a solo career that opened with his instrumental debut album "A Fine Pink Mist". (Photo: David Plastik) 23. Jake will release the 2005 album "Retraced", in which he will perform cover versions for various artists he admires. 24. In 2009 he will play on the album "Dissonance" by the band "Enuff Z'Nuff". 25. In 2013 he will form a new band called "Red Dragon Cartel". The debut album bearing the band's name will be released in 2014, while the second album “Patina” was released in 2018. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On February 15, 1975, "Rush" released their second album, "Fly By Night". This is the band's first album with drummer Neil Peart , who replaced former drummer John Rutsey . Neil pulled the band forward and forced Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson to experiment, explore, think outside the box and challenge themselves musically. It is possible that without Peart, "Rush" would remain around the roots of the Blues-Rock and Hard Rock, which characterized them at their early days, for a long time. This change that Neil brought with him was of course rooted in his drumming style, dominant in power, smart and intelligent. But it was not only that. The change is mainly attributed to Neil's writing abilities and the lyrics he wrote for the band. There will be those of you who would wonder how does words affect the musical style. So we'll explain: when you write songs influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien or Ayn Rand 's, when your lyrics are based on Greek mythology or poems of Samuel Taylor Coleridge , it's clear that the music you compose for these lyrics can not remain within the fixed framework of a Verse, a chorus, a bridge. When you write in high language, on philosophical and epic topics you can no longer accompany it in a simple 4/4 monotonous rhythm. The buds for these changes Peart had brought with him, can be heard already on this album. But before we dive in to the wonderful material that is in it, let's say something about the way Neil Peart found himself in the band. So, at the age of 18 Neil Peart flew to London and hoped to find his future there and succeed musically. This was the country from which all his musical heroes came: "The Who", "Led Zeppelin", Jimi Hendrix and more. During his stay in England he was exposed, among other things, to the writing of the writer Ayn Rand , whose philosophy greatly influenced him. After 18 months without success, he returns to Canada and starts working with his dad, selling tractor parts. At the same time he joins a local band called "Hush". At that time John Rutsey , Rush' original drummer, left the band due to medical conditions related to diabetes. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson auditioned for a replacement drummer and were about to give up, until one day they were approached by a skinny guy with shorts and a short haircut, that seemed unrelated to the Rock style they were playing. The skinny guy - Neil Peart came to the audition in a shredded private car - a Ford Pinto. He took out of the car a tiny set of drums and assembled it slowly and comfortably into the amazed eyes of Geddy and Alex who were sure he was an amateur. But when Peart started playing, the jaws of the two standing in front of him fell to the ground. It was immediately clear to them that Peart was their next drummer. But Geddy and Alex's big surprise was when they discovered that Neil is actually a "bookworm" and that he also writes lyrics. At that moment it was decided that Neil would be in charge of writing the lyrics for the band, while Geddy and Alex would be in charge of writing the music. This suited very well for Geddy and Alex who preferred to focus on music. The exact date Peart joined the band was 29/7/1974, it was Geddy Lee 's birthday and Neil Peart 's was then only 21 years old. It was exactly two weeks before the band's tour in the US and Peart had to learn the songs and synchronize with Geddy and Alex as soon as possible. The band's first show with Neil Peart was in Pittsburgh on August 14, 1974. "Rush" then warmed up "Uriah Heep" in front of an audience of 11,000 people. The tour helped the band to tighten up and Peart to fit in with Geddy and Alex. They were confident enough to start writing material together, for their next album. The writing was done during a tour, between performances, when the only decision they made was to try to diversify the musical styles as much as possible, in order to show their potential and abilities. By the end of 1974, the three had finished writing all the material for the album, and the band took advantage of the five-day break they had during the tour to enter the studio and record. The only songs written before Neil Peart 's arrival were " Best I Can " and " In the End " and Geddy Lee was the one who wrote the lyrics to these songs. The tremendous change in the band's sound can already be heard in the opening track " Anthem ". Neil Peart 's crazy drumming, influenced by Keith Moon and Ginger Baker who just makes the song gallop after him pulling Geddy and Alex after him, the syncopated breaks, the rhythm changes, the cowbell, the precise rollers on the tam-tams, all the familiar features of Neil Peart are already here, right at the first song of his first album with the band. And one cannot mention the great guitar-bass work Alex and Gaddy performers, without a doubt an excellent opening song that showcases the high virtuosic abilities of each of the band members. The title of the track is based on a science fiction book of the same name published by Ayn Rand in 1938, but its content is unrelated to the book. However, a year later Neil Peart would base the entire work " 2112 " on the same book. " Best I Can " is reminiscent of the musical style from the first album, and was indeed written by Geddy and Alex before Neil Peart joined the band. It is interesting to note that this is one of two songs by "Rush" that include the words "Rock and Roll", the other is "In The Mood" from the first album. The lyrics to both songs were written by Geddy Lee . " Beneath, Between and Behind " is the first song to be written by all three members in the same way it will be in next 40 years, with Neil Peart on the lyrics and Geddy and Alex on the music. The song talks about the birth of America and the American dream and population growth, wars, and immigration. The first side of the album ends up with the musical piece " By-Tor and the Snow Dog ". Yes, already on the band's first album with Neil Peart we are witnessing an 8-part mini-epic (the song is divided into four parts, but the third part is divided into four sub-parts). True, this is not " 2112 ", or one of the parts of "Cygnus", but it is still a complex piece that will later become the band's hallmark. The name of the song came from the band's road manager Howard Ungerleider. He saw two dogs that belonged to the band's manager Ray Danniels, at the party. One was a German Shepherd and the other a small, nervous white dog. Howard called the German Shepherd "Biter" as he tried to bite anyone who entered the party. He called the nervous little dog "Snow Dog". An interesting fact is that on the back cover, Alex Lifeson is called "Snow Dog" and Geddy Lee is called "By-Tor". Another interesting fact is that the character, "By-Tor" also appears in the song "The Necromancer" from the band's next album " Caress Of Steel ". The other side of the album opens up with the theme song " Fly by Night ", based on the life story of Neil Peart and the move from Canada to London to try his luck there, before joining "Rush". It was also the only single released from the album. The music for the track " Making Memories ", which was apparently influenced by "Led Zeppelin", was written by Alex Lifeson , while the band was on the road on the tour. Neil Peart wrote the words influenced by the situation. The song expresses the feelings that the band members had during the tour. They were exhausted from the many miles and attempts to promote their album on the demanding tour. They spent a lot of time on the road, away from home, family, and friends and this song was meant to keep a positive mood throughout the tour. " Rivendell " is a quiet and minimalist song influenced by the book "Lord of the Rings" by J. R. R. Tolkien. "Rivendell" is the home residence of the "Elves". It is also interesting to note that the song "Ramble On" and others by "Led Zeppelin" were influenced by the same series of books. The album ends symbolically with the song " In The End ", a slow-paced song influenced by blues. The song opens up with acoustic guitar by Alex Lifeson who in the 1:44 area switches to electric, almost like the song "The Trees" from the album " Hemispheres ". The Cover: The album cover with the owl picture looks simple but is just mesmerizing. The one who brought the idea for the picture is none other than Neil Peart . He liked birds and saw in his vision this snowy owl that best describes the name of the album. He described it to the painter Eraldo Carugati (who later also painted album covers for "Kiss"), and the same Eraldo painted the cover based on Neil Peart 's meticulous description. Neil referred to the matter in one of his interviews as follows: "One of the first lyrics I submitted to Alex and Geddy was 'Fly By Night,' and when the time came to make our first album together, we decided that was a good title. (Our other candidate was Aurora Borealis, so we probably made the better choice.) As a bird lover since childhood, I remembered an illustration of a snowy owl swooping down toward the viewer with fierce eyes, and I suggested an image like that for the cover, maybe with the northern lights in the background. It fell to me to talk on the phone to the record company artist in Chicago, and try to describe this picture in words. In the same way that writing those few lyrics for the band would lead to me becoming the band,s chief wordsmith, that phone conversation led to me becoming the 'graphic arts supervisor.'" So this album was a very excellent starting point for "Rush". An impressive purposeful display that showcases the amazing abilities of each and every one of the band members. The Canadian trio will continue to challenge themselves, evolve, and most importantly do what their heart says, without minding the various critics and without succumbing to the dictates of the record companies and thus the secret of its success. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music . "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On February 15, 1974, "Burn", the eighth studio album of "Deep Purple", was released. How many bands that you know have managed to change both their line-ups and musical style and still remain relevant? Now multiply that by two and try to think of a band that has done it not once but twice and despite the drastic changes in style and lineup has managed to retain its audience and produce masterpiece after masterpiece album. So, "Deep Purple" is one of those magical bands that can make you fall in love with Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Psychedelia, Pop, Blues, Soul, Boogie, Funk, Progressive and even Classical music, no matter if they present it with screams, whispers, falsetto, clean, rough or sweet. On February 15, 1974 "Deep Purple" did it again, with its third lineup MKIII and with the album designed to "burn" everything known before and start all over again. Before we tell you how it all started, it is very important to understand how the previous round ended. It's not new that the MKII lineup has never been stable. The tensions between the band members have always been there and they just increased after the band released "Machine Head", in March 1972. These tensions culminated during the recording of " Who Do We Think We Are ", mainly between Ian Gillan and Ritchie Blackmore . The two were so conflicted that they did not even want to be in the same space together. Gillan, could no longer stand the friction and announced that he is retiring from the band. His last performance with the band was held on July 29, 1973, in Osaka, Japan. Bassist Roger Glover who was very close to Gillan, left the band immediately after him. After Glover heard of the ultimatum Blackmore had given to drummer Ian Paice and keyboardist Jon Lord , saying it was either him or Roger Glover , he immediately retired from the band, not giving Blackmore the satisfaction from his dismissal. Right after Glover and Gillan left, the band began locating their replacements. The intention was to recruit Glenn Hughes as a singer. Hughes was the bassist of "Trapeze" and members of "Deep Purple" became acquainted with him during the tour of the two bands in the US. Hughes accepted the invitation to serve as a singer and bassist, but soon members of "Deep Purple" realized They need a dominant and charismatic frontman like Ian Gillan , who will focus solely on singing. The band members made it clear to Glenn Hughes that he would serve as the band bassist and secondary singer, while continuing to look for a lead singer. Names like Paul Rodgers and even our Danny Shushan are being thrown into the air as potential replacements for Ian Gillan . (Photo: Fanart.tv) At the same time, a man called David Coverdale , who worked as a salesman in a clothing store, notices an ad in the Melody Maker newspaper. The ad stated that "Deep Purple" is auditioning for a singer to replace Ian Gillan . Coverdale has known "Deep Purple" since 1969. When he was 18 he served as the lead singer of "The Government", which warmed up "Deep Purple" in one of its shows. After much pleas from the employees in the store, David Coverdale decided to try his luck and send a demo tape to "Deep Purple's" management. He did not expect a response and years later he even admitted that the recording was horrible. He recorded while being drunk and thought he sounded simply bad. Apparently, the members of "Deep Purple" remembered Coverdale's youthful grace from the positive impression they had back in 1969, or they actually knew how to recognize the talent even though the poor recording. Shortly afterward David Coverdale was invited to come to London to audition in the studio in front of the band. After the audition, David Coverdale received a message saying he was accepted. He did not believe it. It was a dream come true for an anonymous guy like him. Coverdale was unfamiliar with "Deep Purple's" repertoire, so he was forced to learn all of the band's material, while working on his appearance, since he was then chubby and completely different from the rock star image he has today. At the same time, the band members began working on new material for the album. (Photo: "Might Just Take Your Life" video) This album brought a great change in the band's sound, when the basic Hard Rock got an addition of Blues, Soul, Funk, and Boogie. Hughes and Coverdale were an integral part of the writing process, but the early release of the album did include writing credit to Glenn Hughes , due to previous contractual obligations. The change in sound is attributed, among other things, to Glenn Hughes ' incredible bass work that brought a lot of Funk and Soul filled with slaps, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and "wah wah" effect. Another main influence on the sound is attributed to the expansion of Jon Lord 's toolkit which was added by the awesome "ARP Odyssey" synthesizer. Above all, it was of course the vocal collaboration between Coverdale and Hughes, who together dominate a crazy vocal range. On this album "Deep Purple" simply reinvented itself. It proved that it is a formidable band with a burning soul that is far beyond the artists who make it. Such amazing songs could be found on this album. The opening track " Burn " with Ritchie Blackmore 's immortal riff, Ian Paice 's powerful drumming (wow what a drummer), and the energy exploding everywhere. Ritchie Blackmore 's melodic-classic solos, Jon Lord 's whipping Hammond, and this amazing combination of Coverdale and Hughes that just complement each other. This song is so awesome!!!!!!!! that we even ignore the fact that its riff was "borrowed" from the Gershwin brothers' "Fascinating Rhythm", from the 1920s. This song is so powerful that it served as the opening track in most of "Deep Purple's" MKII lineup shows, taking the premiere from "Highway Star". " Might Just Take Your Life " with its scents of blues is amazing proof of the all-too-correct choice of "Deep Purple" picking Hughes and Coverdale as their lead singers. David Coverdale 's voice is stronger, deeper and more masculine and blends well with the bluesy groove of the song, while Hughes' voice is high and powerful designed to help Coverdale at the high notes and complement his vocal range so that it more closely resembles of that of Ian Gillan . The modulation at about 2:30 minutes is just so beautiful. Glenn Hughes aligns with the new and higher tone. Jon Lord 's solo accompanies us to the end of the song with the Hammond sound produced by connecting the organ through a Leslie speaker , just pure musical beauty. Then there's the Funky and cool " Sail Away ". It has a slow and weary bass riff and a great sound that at times is reminiscent of the way "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow" will sound a few years later, with "Stargazer", especially in Ritchie Blackmore 's amazing solo that accompanies us at the end of the song. How great David Coverdale sounds here in the low tones. He is simply a tremendous singer with a unique and mesmerizing voice. And there's Ian Paice 's amazing drumming in the famous " You Fool No One " and of course the immortal " Mistreated " - a Blues-Rock masterpiece with the iconic and sweeping riff that Blackmore wrote during the "Machine Head", recruiting Coverdale to write the lyrics. By the way, this is the only song on the album where David Coverdale sang without the help of Glenn Hughes , and it's probably the best performance of this amazing glorious career. The album also includes the instrumental track " A200 ". a symphonic piece with touches of prog, led by Jon Lord 's amazing keyboard work. And for those who are wondering what the "A200" means, then this is a shampoo for treating lice, yes, yes. After it's release, the album received mixed reviews, most of which praised the new and melodic sound. This album was, of course, a great success, it jumped to third place in the English charts and to ninth place in the American Billboard 200, while in countries like Germany, Austria, Norway and Denmark it occupies the top of the charts. "Burn" undoubtedly set a very high standard for the MKIII lineup, a very high starting point that this amazing lineup will have a hard time recreating later. 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 - 14.02.1995 On May 22, 1993, the State of Israel was on high alert. That evening, Guns N' Roses were scheduled to perform at Park HaYarkon as part of the tour supporting their double album Use Your Illusion. The excitement was at its peak. Shortly beforehand, it was announced that Izzy Stradlin would replace Gilby Clarke , who had been injured. It was a rare opportunity to witness the band in a lineup closest to its original formation. But there was a catch. Izzy Stradlin , who had rejoined the band shortly before the show, refused to rehearse, did not want to play even a single song beforehand, and was unfamiliar with much of the material when he walked onstage. The greater the anticipation, the deeper the disappointment. The performance was notably weak in front of 50,000 spectators. Later on, Slash and Duff McKagan both wrote about the disappointing Tel Aviv show. They placed much of the blame on Stradlin, though Axl Rose and his erratic behavior did little to make life easier for the members of "Guns N' Roses". In July 1993, the band concluded their tour in Argentina with a lingering bitterness that only intensified over time. That feeling became more pronounced following the release of their covers album The Spaghetti Incident? in November 1993. Slash claimed the band had begun to feel like a foreign entity, with Axl Rose exerting increasing control over its direction and internal dynamics. Not only did he permanently dismiss guitarist Gilby Clarke without consulting the other members, he also insisted that Paul Huge take Clarke’s place. “I was open to the idea, until Paul showed up,” Slash later recalled. “He had no personality, and no particular guitar style or sound that I could identify with.” During the "Use Your Illusion" tour, Slash had accumulated several original songs of his own. He recorded them with Matt Sorum , Gilby Clarke , Dizzy Reed, and Duff McKagan in his home studio, which he nicknamed “The Snakepit.” He presented the material to Axl Rose , hoping to include at least some of it on the next original "Guns N' Roses" album. However, when Axl heard the recordings, he rejected them outright. So Slash decided to form his own band for what was intended to be a one-time side project. The lineup included Matt Sorum on drums, Gilby Clarke on rhythm guitar, and "Alice in Chains" bassist Mike Inez . What they still lacked was a vocalist. Slash said the group briefly hosted several different singers, but ultimately chose former "Jellyfish" touring guitarist Eric Dover for the frontman role, following a recommendation from former "Riverdogs" drummer Marc Danzeisen. “The choice of Dover was based solely on the fact that he could sing,” Slash said. “I had never met the guy before I heard him sing. It was based on a demo tape where I heard him sing.” The result was "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere", the debut album by "Slash's Snakepit", released on February 14, 1995. Slash did not want the project to bear his name, but the label, "Geffen Records", insisted. The album’s title stemmed from a phrase Slash overheard at an airport, a kind of justification for having the first alcoholic drink of the day. The album cover was created by Slash ’s brother, Ash Hudson. Musically, this is a loose, unfiltered rock record in all its shades, ranging from punk and blues rock to Southern rock and hard rock, with songs that reflect much of the criticism Slash had toward Axl Rose , including "What Do You Want to Be"  and "Take It Away" . The lead single "Beggars & Hangers-On" , written by Slash and Duff McKagan together with vocalist Eric Dover, deals with the problems plaguing the city of Los Angeles, including drug users and drug dealers. The entire music video is shot in black and white and set in the 1930s, a period when probation, hardship, and poverty were at their peak in the United States. "Be the Ball"  was written by Slash based on his favorite book, " Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"  by Hunter S. Thompson, and his favorite game, pinball. The phrase “Be the Ball” gained popularity in the film Caddyshack, where Chevy Chase used the expression while guiding a young golfer. "Good to Be Alive"  was released as the album’s second single, accompanied by a music video directed by August Jakobsson. It was written by Slash , Gilby Clarke , and Eric Dover, and driven by a funk-influenced bass line from Mike Inez . One of the album’s most important tracks is "Lower" , written in the wake of the deaths of Slash ’s former girlfriend Savannah and Kurt Cobain . The song is built around a slow, pulsing beat and a dissonant verse melody, giving it a haunting atmosphere that perfectly matches its lyrical weight. The closing track, "Back and Forth Again" , reflects on the rollercoaster of ups and downs that come with life. The title was Slash ’s idea, but the lyrics were written by Eric Dover. According to Slash , the song deals with “people who can’t come to a unified understanding and break up.” The album went on to achieve platinum status, selling over one million copies in the United States, largely thanks to the supporting tour. However, neither Mike Inez nor Matt Sorum participated in that run. They were replaced by former "White Lion" bassist James LoMenzo and former "Pride & Glory" drummer Brian Tichy, who had also played with Billy Idol. Somewhere in an alternate universe, Axl Rose approves Slash’s songs for the next "Guns N' Roses" album, one that would not be called Chinese Democracy and would sound far more like "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere", the debut release by "Slash's Snakepit". 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Matt Sorum has made a significant impact on the world of music, particularly with his role as the drummer for Guns N' Roses. Born on November 19, 1960, he has contributed to one of the greatest albums in rock history. These albums showcased Sorum's exceptional drumming skills and played a pivotal role in shaping the sound and success of Guns N' Roses during that era. Joining the band in the late 1980s, Sorum became an integral part of the lineup during a crucial period in their career. Happy Birthday to Matt Sorum! (Photo: MJ Kim) Here are some interesting facts: 1. He started playing drums at age 4 after seeing Ringo Star with the Beetles on The Ed Sullivan Show 2. A respectable list of almost all the fathers of the tom-toms and snares influenced him: Ian Paice , Keith Moon , Neil Peart , Ginger Baker, John Bonham , Roger Taylor , Buddy Rich, and Bill Ward . 3. In the mid-1980s Matt left his childhood home in Orange County and moved to Hollywood where he played with a number of groups in bars and nightclubs. 4. In 1988 he was recruited to play on the band's debut album "Y Kant Tori Read" which was led by singer Tori Amos which became a diligent failure and was abandoned by the record company after two months. 5. At the end of the recording of Amos' album, he joined the band The Cult as a drummer, a British hard rock band formed in 1984. 6. Slash who was present at one of the band's shows was very impressed with Matt and hence the road was short for him to join Guns after Steven Adler's departure. 7. During his time with Guns he was part of recording masterpiece albums " Use Your Illusion I & II ". (Photo: mattsguitar.shop/fr) 8. He was also a part of the tour of that double albums which included 194 appearances in 9 different rounds. 9. He also recorded with Guns the controversial album "The Spaghetti Incident?" And the cover of "Sympathy for the Devil" 10. He was of course part of Guns' live album 'Live Era '87 -'93' 11. He was one of the drummers who participated in the album "Burning for Buddy: A Tribute to the Music of Buddy Rich", in which various drummers played with the orchestra of the famous drummer Buddy Rich. The person who initiated and produced the album is none other than the super drummer, the professor, Neil Peart from the band Rush. 12. In 1995 he formed with Slash and Gilby Clarke the band "Slash's Snakepit", when in the same year they released their debut album (and the only one with Matt) "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere". 13. That same year he was also part of the supergroup Neurotic Outsiders with his friends Duff McKagan , Steve Jones, and John Taylor ("Duran Duran") when a year later they released their only album of the same name. 14. In 1997 he was fired from Guns following a dispute with Axl over guitarist Paul Tobias, Matt was the last one left with Axl from the double album era. 15. After he left he released an instructional film on drums called "Drum Licks and Tricks from the Rock n Roll Jungle" which was also the only one. 16. About Guns' famous reunion he heard, like everyone else, through the media publications and is as we already know not part of the union! 17. In 1998 he co-created the soundtrack for the movie "Soundman", which was part of the Slamdance Film Festival. To promote the film, Matt invited Slash and Duff to play with him at the festival. Some say that following this performance they felt that there was still chemistry between them and they formed the supergroup Velvet Revolver. 18. There is another version that says the trio felt the chemistry in the fundraising show they did in honor of Randy Castillo who died of cancer. 19. With Velvet Revolver he released 2 albums, "Contraband" (2004) and "Libertad" (2007) and went on several tour appearances. They were nominated for 3 Grammy Awards and won one. 20. In 2001 he returned to The Cult and recorded with them the album "Beyond Good And Evil". 21. In 2002 he formed the supergroup "Camp Freddy" together with guitarist Dave Navarro . The supergroup performed in the years 2002-2014 with cover versions of rock 'n' roll songs and included many guest artists including Scott Weiland , Chester Bennington , Sebastian Bach , Ace Frehley , Courtney Love , Tom Morello , Corey Taylor and more ... 22. He has released two solo albums in which he sings and plays, "Hollywood Zen"(2004) and "Stratosphere"(2007). 23. In 2009 he took the place of a "Motorhead" drummer for 13 shows. Matt said he accepted the offer via text message, with Lemmy  Kilmister asking him to play the drums. Matt (who to this day does not know why) asked, Why me? Lemmy replied "Because Dave Grohl is not available". 24. In 2012 he formed the supergroup "Kings of Chaos" together with Duff McKagan and Gilby Clarke. Also in this case the lineup included a crazy list of well-known guest artists like Joe Elliott , Glenn Hughes , Gene Simmons , Mike Inez , Myles Kennedy , Brian May and many more. The band played cover versions of the artists hosted by it and also recorded a cover version of the song "Never Before" which was included on the tribute album "Re-Machined: A Tribute to Deep Purple's Machine Head". 25. In 2014 he adopted an Asian Black Bear after many years in captivity, he tried to create awareness in order to stop the captivity of this bear breed that is used to create different types of drugs (you do not want to know how). 26. He was also a member of the "Hollywood Vampires" supergroup formed by Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, and Joe Perry and focused on cover versions of artists who died in the 1970s. 27. In 2018 he formed a new supergroup called Deadland Ritual with singer Franky Perez (Apocalyptica), guitarist Steve Stevens (Billy Idol, Michael Jackson) and bassist Geezer Butler (if you do not know go look). 28. Matt has been featured on albums by many artists, including two by Billy Gibbons "ZZ Top" guitarist , with the latest of which "Hardware" he also co-produced with Billy. Listen to one of the great live album albums in which he was a partner: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Today we want to tell you about Sylvain Sylvain or Sylvain Mizrahi, who was a member of one of the "New York Dolls", influencing the Punk ad Glam scene of the early 1970s . (Photo: Matt Kent) He was born in Cairo, Egypt on February 14, 1951. His name at birth was Sylvain Mizrahi. In the 1950s his family fled Egypt and emigrated to France and later to the United States. Sylvain grew up in Queens New York. He had dyslexia and had a hard time in school. At school, he met drummer Billy Murcia who in 1967 would form the band "The Pox" with him. The band did not last long and soon Sylvain found himself working in a clothing store, which happened to be located in front of a hospital called "New York Doll Hospital". In 1970 Sylvain and Billy returned to music. they enlisted Johnny Thunders as the bass player of their band. Eventually, Sylvain will teach Johnny to play the guitar and he will become the guitar player of their band, initially called "The Dolls". The band later changed its name to "New York Dolls" and made its debut on Christmas Eve 1971. Sylvain and the band played regularly in Manhattan. During the shows, they used to dress up and put on make-up as transvestite. A fan base slowly began to form around them, but even that was not enough to get a recording contract, apparently due to the fear of the vulgar attitude. The band's big opportunity came when Rod Stewart invited them to warm him up in one of his London shows. This was the trigger for getting a recording contract. The band released its first eponymous album in 1973. The album was produced by none other than Todd Rundgren. Sylvain played on piano, and guitar and also sang. The album got good reviews, but it did not succeed in the charts and didn't sell as expected. The second album "Too Much Too Soon" from 1974 also received good reviews, but was unsuccessful in sales. As a result, the record company terminated the band's recording contract in late 1975. The band enlisted the help of promoter Malcolm McLaren (who would later become known as the manager of the "Sex Pistoles". He advised them to be more vulgar, but even that did not help the band take off and it disbanded in 1977. In 2004, Sylvain and some of the band members reunited to perform at the Meltdown Festival. The organizer of the festival was Morrissey from "The Smiths". He was the head of the band's fan club. (Photo: RB/Redferns) The performance at the festival led to a full reunion of the band, which will release their first album in about thirty years - "One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This", in 2006. Sylvian will write most of the songs on the album. In 2008, the band made two live shows in Israel, the first as part of the "Hit Wave" festival in Tel Aviv alongside Morrissey and Susie Sue (from "Siouxsie and the Banshees") and the second the next day at the Barbie Club. The band continued on the wave of reunion and released two more albums "Cause I Sez So" from 2009 and "Dancing Backward in High Heels" from 2011. Here too Sylvain will be a part of writing most of the songs. Needless to say, Sylvain was one of the pillars of the band and was a member of it throughout its tenure. Sylvain and the "New York Dolls" greatly influenced the development of punk, both in the United States and the United Kingdom. The simplistic, original and rough playing style inspired young boys with no prior knowledge or talent to form bands. Among the bands directly influenced by the "Dolls" are the "Ramones", "Sex Pistoles" and more. But the influence of the Dolls was much broader. Beyond music it was also related to style, attire and attitude, as this whole package also inspiring Glam and Heavy Metal bands like "Motley Crue" and "Guns N' Roses". These influences also reached Indie Rock and bands like "The Smiths" and later also to "The Strokes", "The White Stripes" and more. In 2015 Sylvain moved to Nashville and in April 2019 he announced that he had cancer. After two years of battling the disease, Sylvain died of cancer, on January 13, 2021 and is only 69 years old. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

A Sneak Peek... On February 14, 1970, a historic performance was held at the University of Leeds in England. This show was recorded and released on 23/5/1970 as part of the album "The Who - Live At Leeds". This album is considered as one of the greatest live albums of all time, both in the eyes of audiences and critics. It is the first and only live album of The Who's classic lineup, to be released in real-time. This show amazingly conveys the added value that this band had in live performances. The energetic, heavy and powerful sound, which was fundamentally different from the sound of the masterpiece album " Tommy ", was released a year earlier. The recordings underwent an extremely minimalist edit that included reducing of the crowd noises and adding a "delay" effect to some of the tracks, so what we hear today on this album is almost identical to what the audience experienced on that historic day. It is interesting to note that the band made several attempts to record performances in the US, before that mythological performance, but the results were unsatisfactory and all the recordings were destroyed to prevent the creation of "bootlegs", especially in light of the fact that until then there was no recorded official performance of the band. The album cover was specially designed to look like a "bootleg" and it definitely illustrates what's going on inside. Spontaneous, rough, powerful, and wild performance. This album is so important that the Leeds University campus where the show was recorded, has been declared a UK national site and is immortalized on a blue plaque, used in England to mark historic heritage sites. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

He formed the biggest thrash metal band in Canada and leads it with a high hand to this day. He's an excellent guitarist and not a bad singer, but he also plays bass on some of his band's albums. He's a little hyperactive and crazy, but that's why we love him so much. (Photo: musicradar.com) Let's tell you a few facts about Jeff Waters: 1. He was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on February 13, 1966. 2. His father was a military man and his mother was a teacher who played the piano. 3. He started playing guitar at age 7. He was a kid with ADHD and had tantrums. His mother tried to make him play the piano thinking it would help him, but eventually realized he was more attracted to the guitar. 4. Waters immediately began taking guitar lessons that initially focused on Jazz and Classical music. 5. In his youth he would listen to artists like: Elton John , "Kiss", "Sweet", and "AC/DC". He later opened up to other artists including: "Van Halen", "Judas Priest", "Iron Maiden", "Black Sabbath", "Loudness" and also to heavier ensembles: "Razor" and "Exciter". 6. The most influential guitarists on him were Randy Rhoads , Michael Schenker , and Eddie Van Halen , but he noted in one of his interviews that, unlike other guitarists who are influenced solely by the Rock and Metal genres, he listens, researches, and learns from guitarists in a variety of genres. 7. He formed "Annihilator" in 1984. It's considered one of the second wave of thrash metal bands. 8. He based the band's name "Annihilator", on the name of the tank on which actor Eddie Murphy rode in the 1984 film "Best Defense". 9. He added singer John Bates, drummer Paul Malek and bassist Dave Scott, and the quartet recorded the demo "Welcome To Your Death". 10. However, even before the band managed to get a recording contract, Dave Scott and John Bates left the band and the two remaining members recorded another demo called "Phantasmagoria", which was released in 1986. This demo became highly sought after. However, John Bates will continue to collaborate with Waters down the road. 11. In 1987 Malek and Waters recorded their third demo and after that Malek also left "The Band". Waters moved to Vancouver and began recording on his own, what would become the band's amazing debut album - " Alice in Hell ", which was released in 1989. 12. The songs from the three demos recorded by the band, which include songs written by Waters and Bates, will find their way to the first two albums that "Annihilator" will release. 13. Waters recorded all the guitar and bass roles for the debut album " Alice in Hell " and also sang background vocals and produced it. Only after recording Randy Rampage's vocal parts, did Waters recruit bassist Wayne Darley and rhythm guitarist Anthony Brian Greenham, who received credit on the album but were not part of its recording. 14. " Alice in Hell " received good reviews and brought the band and Waters into the consciousness of the world metal scene. 15. The theme song is based on a true story about a girl who grew up in Montreal Canada and suffered from nightmares. She would wake up at night screaming and her parents did not give much importance to her and instead of helping her, they locked her in her room. This led her to a mental institution. 15. Waters will continue to release three more excellent albums with some lineup changes. The 1990's "Never, Neverland" which competes with the band's debut for best album, 1993's more melodic "Set the World On Fire" and 1994's "King Of The Kill", which has already combined the heaviness of the first albums with the melodic side of The third album. 16. The album "King Of The Kill" was the first in which Jeff took on the role of a singer, exclusively. He plays on this album on all the instruments, except the drums on which Randy Black plays. (Photo: annihilatormetal.com) 17. Waters will continue to lead the band as a vocalist for two more albums "Refresh the Demon" from 1996 and "Remains" from 1997. 18. In the album "Remains" Waters introduced alternative influences while the drumming parts were being performed by a drum machine. 19. Waters will return to lead vocals only in 2015, with the album "Suicide Society". Overall he serves as the lead singer on 6 of the band's 17 studio albums. 20. The band's last album "Ballistic, Sadistic" from 2020 marked the band's return to the roots of the fast and melodic Thrash Metal. Waters served as the lead singer in the album and he built around him a line-up of young and talented musicians, who accompanied him during their performance in Israel in 2019. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website