On January 29, 2002, "Dream Theater" releases its most ambitious work to date - "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence". This is the band's sixth album and the number " 6 " dominates it with great dominance. From the name of the album " Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence", through the six tracks in it to the six characters that adorn the main musical piece, this album is 6-6-6 . The name of the album is based on the concept called "six degrees of separation". According to which every person in the universe is at a distance of at most 6 social circles from any other person in the world. Meaning, it is possible to connect any person on this planet to another person, through a maximum of 6 people. Did we say ambitious work? So this is a double disc that includes about 100 minutes of music. The first of the two discs is divided into five tracks that have a cumulative length of 54:18. These songs deal with different struggles we go through during life: alcoholism, religion and faith, isolation, the sanctity of life and death. The second disc includes the epic theme musical piece that is divided into eight sections spread over 42:02 minutes, which tell the stories of 6 people who suffer from various mental illnesses. There is no doubt that on this album the band tried to surpass the incredible creative achievement of the previous album " Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory ". It was an exemplary concept album, where the band reached an artistic pick, so it was clear to everyone in the band that it would be almost impossible to recreate. Under these circumstances, the band members "concocted" this frantic piece of work, in their fevered mind - a double album which included only six tracks, one of which is a musical piece divided into 8 parts lasting over 42 minutes. Keyboardist Jordan Rudess said that "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" was an album where the band was in the mood to "break out of the box" and experiment and try some different things. He also mentioned that all of them were into "Radiohead" (" Ok Computer ") at that point and the band was looking to achieve colors that they never did before. Other members mentioned other Influences for the album's writing and recording like: "U2", " Achtung Baby ", "Alice in Chains", " Dirt ", "Megadeth", " Rust In Peace ", "Metallica", " Master Of Puppets ", "Nine Inch Nails", "The Downward Spiral", "Pantera", " Far Beyond Driven " (and the song "Mouth for War"), "Rage Against the Machine", " The Battle of Los Angeles ", "Soundgarden", " Superunknown ", "Tool", "Ænima" and more. As part of the musical chain that the band started on the album " Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory " and will continue on subsequent albums, this album opens up with the static noise and the chilling bell rings that ended the last track from the previous album - " Finally Free ". This is our hallway entrance to a 3-piece work - " The Glass Prison ". A rhythmic, fast-paced piece that not only opens the album, but also opens Mike Portnoy 's "Twelve-Step Suite" saga. A five-part series influenced by Portnoy's coping with his alcohol addiction. The saga will continue on the band's next four albums, with each album featuring one excerpt from the series, depicting the 12 stages of alcoholic rehab, according to Bill W's method applied to the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) group. In this way, " The" Glass Prison "refers to the first three stages of the method, the track " This Dying Soul " from "Train of Thought" describes the fourth and fifth stages, the song " The Root of All Evil " from " Octavarium " refers to parts six and seven of the method, " Repentance " from " Systematic Chaos " represents its eight and nine parts, and the song " The Shattered Fortress " from "Black Clouds & Silver Linings" ends the saga with the last three sections of the story. Mike Portnoy began dealing with his addiction problem, in the song " The Mirror " from the album "Awake", released in 1994. His addiction to alcohol and other chemicals increased over the years and it peaked during work on the album " Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory " and the tour Following it. Mike Portnoy said he would drink from morning to evening. Even during the band performances his stage assistant made sure to deliver him alcohol at his request. He claimed, it greatly affected his playing ability, until he decided that he had it. He needs to overcome his addiction. He started the AA rehab program and committed to it, attending meetings during the tour as well. The last drop of alcohol he drank was on April 20, 2000. As soon as he managed to overcome his addiction he decided he was going to write about it, and indeed " The Glass Prison " opens the story with a personal, moving and dramatic text depicting Mike Portnoy 's mental distress. The fact that he was unable to overcome the problem on his own and his cry for help. The lyrics for the second track " Blind Faith ", were written by James LaBrie and they blend well with the mystical atmosphere that envelops the song in its opening, as the music changes and develops along with the question marks posed by LaBrie . The name of the song - "Blind Faith" says quite a bit about the content. LaBrie puts heavy issues of "faith" and "religion" at the center. It's the longest song LaBrie has written lyrics for so far, from there he will stretch it even further with the song " Sacrificed Sons " from the album " Octavarium ". The lyrics to the song " Misunderstood " were written by John Petrucci about the character of a man who always feels that those around him do not understand him, a man who feels isolated and abandoned. Petrucci uses a special technique in his solo. It was written and recorded then implanted in the song played backwards. John Petrucci later taught himself to play the solo as it sounded on the album (Backwards), is this crazy or what? By the way. The psychedelic monotonous riff at the end of the song the band improvises on, reminded us a bit of "King Crimson". John Petrucci also wrote the lyrics to the track " The Great Debate ". This is a kind of dynamic and complex work that lasts about 14 minutes and deals with the study of stem cells, a topic that made headlines at the relevant times. The original name of the piece was supposed to be "Conflict at Ground Zero" but after the September 11 disaster and the reference to the place where the Twin Towers were located as "Ground Zero", the name of the piece was changed. We are sure you can hear the "Rush" influences especially from "Natural Science" on 3:18 Min. The first disc is sealed with the song " Disappear ", a kind of ballad for which LaBrie wrote the lyrics for. The song addresses the subject of death and it was supposed to be called "Move On". The second disc is, as mentioned, a one long track, the theme work " Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence ". This long work is divided into eight parts and refers to 6 characters with different mental problems. John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy shared the words with each of them writing about 3 different characters. When the band wrote the piece, the intention was not to exceed 20 minutes, so the album will be released on a single disc. However, as the writing progressed, more and more new ideas came along and the piece stretched beyond the 40-minute limit. Although there is no connection between the 6 different characters on this track, it is still a kind of "concept album" inside a mega-album. The work has a clear structure. Symphonic opening - "Overture" which includes musical motifs that will be repeated during the work. The body of the work that is changing and dynamic and includes reference to all the characters. And an epic ending with the gong beat and the long open chord (which resonates for almost 2 minutes), in the song " Losing Time/Grand Finale " and serves as the opening chord of the song " As I Am " which opens up the next album: "Train of Thought". "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" does not match the masterpiece that preceded it, but it is definitely an album that deserves to be included among the band's greatest works. The downside of the album is precisely in its length, as it is difficult to listen to it continuously, and therefore it was also difficult for listeners and critics to "digest" it. However, if you see it as two different albums and listens to them separately, one can appreciate the band’s tremendous accomplishment more easily. 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 - 29.1.1990 On July 18, 1987, the band Marillion performed at the Loreley Amphitheatre in Germany in front of 20,000 enthusiastic fans. A band that had begun its career as an art-rock outfit had, almost overnight, transformed itself through a single album, " Misplaced Childhood ", and two massive hit singles, "Kayleigh"  and "Lavender" , into a hugely popular act selling out shows in advance. The members of "Marillion" suddenly found themselves constantly on the road and making a lot of money well, to be precise, it was mainly their manager John Arnison who enjoyed the financial rewards. For the band itself, however, these endless tours had a very different effect. Pressure began to build to deliver yet another successful album, all while moving relentlessly from one performance to the next. Frontman Fish felt he was losing his sense of direction. He began to sink into alcohol and drug abuse, eventually realizing that if he continued living this way, he would not live to see the age of 30. With no real alternative in sight, "Marillion" released one final album together, " Clutching at Straws ", after which the split became inevitable. Fish left the band, setting his sights on a solo career that officially began with his debut album "Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors", released on January 29, 1990. Fish was born Derek William Dick in April 1958 in Edinburgh, Scotland. His musical and songwriting influences included artists such as Joni Mitchell, "The Moody Blues", "Pink Floyd", "Genesis", David Bowie , and others. Beyond his love for music, Fish was also a voracious reader. His literary influences ranged from Jack Kerouac and Truman Capote to Robert Burns and Dylan Thomas. When he began writing and pursuing music seriously, he realized he would need to change his name.“With a real name of Derek William Dick, it became very necessary to find a nickname as quickly as possible,” he admitted. At one point, while living in a rented apartment, he developed a habit of spending long periods soaking in the bathtub. The landlady, annoyed by the amount of water he was using, nicknamed him “Fish.” The name stuck and eventually became his permanent stage name. After leaving "Marillion", Fish began writing and recording his first solo album, "Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors". The album showcased a wide range of musical styles, including progressive rock ( "Vigil" ), pop rock ( "Big Wedge" ), hard rock ( "View From the Hill" ), and folk ( "The Company" ). Primarily a lyricist rather than a composer, Fish collaborated with keyboardist Mickey Simmonds on all the songs except "View From the Hill" , which was written and recorded with Janick Gers , guitarist of Iron Maiden during the 1990s. Additional songwriting contributions came from former Dire Straits guitarist Hal Lindes ( "State of Mind" , "Family Business" , and "Cliché" ), who also played guitar on the album, alongside Frank Usher, a longtime collaborator of Fish dating back to his pre-"Marillion" days. Drums were handled by Mark Brzezicki ("Big Country") and John Keeble ("Spandau Ballet"), with bass played by John Giblin. Additional percussion was provided by Luis Jardim, while backing vocals were performed by Tessa Niles and Carol Kenyon, who previously sang on "Temptation"  by "Heaven 17". Although not a concept album, several of the songs reference the idea of “the hill” as a metaphor for greed and consumerism. The album addresses themes Fish was always passionate about writing personal experience and politics. "State of Mind"  and "Big Wedge"  stand out as the most overtly political tracks. "State of Mind"  powerfully reflects the growing civic disillusionment during the later years of Margaret Thatcher’s rule, while "Big Wedge"  delivers a direct critique of capitalist greed, American society, and U.S. policy. The single’s cover art famously features Uncle Sam offering a fistful of dollar bills to the viewer. Other songs such as "Vigil" , "The Company" , and "View From the Hill"  express a broader rejection of materialism. "Family Business"  addresses domestic violence, while "The Voyeur"  explores television voyeurism. "A Gentleman’s Excuse Me"  and "Cliché"  are love songs. The phrase “wilderness of mirrors” originates from T.S. Eliot’s poem " Gerontion"  and later became a widely used metaphor for disinformation in espionage and thriller literature, genres Fish avidly read. The album artwork was illustrated by Mark Wilkinson, who had previously created the album and single covers for "Marillion". The artwork contains numerous references to the lyrics, political allusions, and hidden messages intended primarily for fans, including subtle depictions of Marillion keyboardist Mark Kelly and manager John Arnison. At the center of the image stands a “hill” composed of towering heaps of consumer waste in a post-apocalyptic landscape. Atop it, a couple dressed in pseudo-Eastern clothing stare into the distance while holding an hourglass. The man’s cloak, billowing in the wind, resembles the eastern coastline of Scotland, with the upper southern region Fish ’s home area illuminated by beams of light seemingly emanating from the hourglass. This serves as a nod to Fish ’s deep interest in Scottish culture. For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

It is one of the most successful albums of the band "Bullet for My Valentine", selling over 2 million copies, the album "Scream Aim Fire" was released on January 28, 2008. The Welsh band that was a very significant part of the rock scene in Cardiff, England, pressed the clutch and shift to a higher gear on this album. Their first album "The Poison" released in 2005 brought them recognition and relatively moderate success, all despite the fact that they were the open act for quite a few big bands, including Metallica and Guns and despite their excellent single "Tears Don't Fall". But this album that came out 3 years later was already something completely different. On this album, whose name hints a lot on what's going on inside, the band puts a lot more aggression, speed, strong riffs and crazy transitions into their bubbling musical stew. If in the past, singer Matthew Tuck, who is also the band's lead writer and lead singer, expressed that they were mostly influenced by Metallica and Nirvana, then the previous album was Nirvana on Speed ​​and this album is Metallica on Speed. It is not for nothing that Lior has already stated in the first podcast that this band should have been Metallica's natural successor (yes, yes, he got a long monolog from David on that). (Photo: Bullet For My Valentine) The album gives almost no rest, even in the ballads and the "soft" songs it still maintains rhythm and power. A hurricane storm at a high km / h that occasionally slows down to refuel while in motion. It feels that the band is a bit of a leap forward in terms of maturity and confidence. The songs sound solid and constructed properly, everything is produced smoothly and there are no loose edges. The rhythm division does an amazing job here as it holds the changes and transitions at these speeds and the guitars dance and connect rhythms to solos. The vocals ranges from not too aggressive growling to clean and good poetry with interesting and clever lyrics. The theme song opens the album mercilessly and right at the first chorus it’s hard not to wave your hands in the air and roar the lyrics, a crazy rhythm with a break that lets you take a breath, fill the cartridge, get into shooting mode and keep suppressing fire. Another interesting song that opens beautifully is "Hearts Burst Into Fire" which seems to give a bit of an insanely calm moment. The tracks "Waking The Demon" and "Disappear" are two more great ones that continue the line of the first song with surprising elements of guitars and vocals. The song "Say Good Night" is an excellent ballad reminiscent of the metal style of the eighties, which gives a slightly different scent to the album, but do not worry, it immediately return with the power and speed to "End Of Days". The song that closes the album "Forever and Always" is a perfect ending. If we talked about the band going through a process of maturity on this album, then the last song seems to put the stamp and give the band the seal of approval to join the major leagues and fill stadiums. A slightly slow and powerful ballad that feels like it was created for the big arenas, just before the end of the show when the band goes out to encore. An excellent and satisfying ending to a powerful and deadly album. The album went straight to number four on the Billboard 200 and number five on the UK Albums Chart. The deluxe version of the album includes 4 more songs that are great on their own (and should have been included on the album), in addition it also came out in two DVD versions, one deluxe and the other Japanese, the versions include videos, photos, documentary and comics. If this is your first acquaintance with them, we recommend listening to their next albums... Listen to the album at: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

"Inviolate" is guitar legend Steve Vai 's tenth solo album, released on January 28, 2022. This is Steve Vai 's first since "Modern Primitive", released in 2016. It's insane, but what you hear on this album is played by Steve Vai after recovering from finger surgery and after tearing a tendon in his shoulder. Do not believe? See for yourself what Steve does in " Knappsack " and you will realize that the man is simply a deadly and unstoppable machine. The album features musicians at the highest level, each in his own field: Dave Rosenthal, Vinny Colaiuta, Terry Bozzio, Henrik Linder, and Bryan Beller. Steve Vai noted that this is the first time he is recording an album when his band members and guest musicians are not together in the same studio. The situation forced him to work using the "file sharing" method. He sent excerpts to his band members and featured artists and they added their own instruments to them. The virtuoso guitarist noted that he took advantage of the Covid-19 lockdowns to specialize in playing and experimenting with new and challenging techniques. The result can be heard in excerpts like " Candle Power ", " Knappsack " and " Teeth of the Hydra " which Steve Vai claims was the most challenging. Vai did not only played with new techniques, but also new equipment. Vai is known for in the developments and additions to his guitars, so this time it is a triple-necked guitar that he designed and on which he plays in the opening section " Teeth Of The Hydra ". We also do not remember seeing Vai playing with a semi-hollow body electric guitar, so it happens in the crazy piece " Little Pretty ", where the weird chords and Vai's playing reminded us a bit of Robert Fripp 's (and not just because of the type of guitar). This album is diverse and full of musical styles. The Blues of " Greenish Blues ", the Jazz influences in " Sandman Cloud Mist ", the Prog-Metal of " Avalancha " and the crazy Fusion of " Apollo In Color ". Steve also noted that some of the tracks will sound to us like songs and not instrumental, well, indeed " Zeus In Chains " is one of them. There is no doubt that guitarists and shred lovers will surely enjoy this album, but we bet that not only. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

What happens when "The King of Metal Riffs" meets "The Voice of Rock"? Spoiler alert !!! Contrary to the mixed reviews this "summit meeting" won, we really liked this unique collaboration. On January 28, 1986, "Seventh Star", "Black Sabbath" 12th album, was released. This album was intended as guitarist Tony Iommi 's solo album, after bassist Geezer Butler left "Black Sabbath" and left Iommi as the only original band member. In 1985, "Black Sabbath" appeared at " Live Aid " with its original lineup, including Ozzy Osbourne . Iommi believes that this mini-union would lead to a full collaboration with Ozzy. He decided to take advantage of the time until Ozzy finishes his solo career commitments and began writing material for his first solo album. However, the band's manager Don Arden (Sharon Osborne's father) persuaded Iommi to release the album under the "Black Sabbath" brand, thinking that this way he would be more successful. The album was eventually released under the title "Black Sabbath Featuring Tony Iommi", but in later releases, the tribute to Tony Iommi was dropped and it became a "Black Sabbath" album. This album introduces us to Iommi's first collaboration with "The Voice Of Rock" - bassist, and singer Glenn Hughes , known from "Trapeze" and the MKIII lineup of "Deep Purple" ". (Photo: Chris Walter) The album also features keyboardist Jeff Nichols who for the first time got the credit as a band member, having been featured only as a session player on the band's previous albums. In an unfortunate and creepy way, Geoff Nicholls will die exactly 31 years after the album's release date, i.e. on January 28, 2017. Another interesting reinforcement player who participates in this album, is the drummer Eric Singer, who will later become the "Cat Man" of "Kiss" featuring on seven of the band's albums starting in the early 90s. Due to the significant changes in "Black Sabbath's" lineup, it was only natural that there would be also a drastic change in music style on this album. In did, on this album the band away from classic Heavy Metal towards Hard Rock and Blues-Rock. Songs like “ In For The Kill ” which opens up the album by storm with Eric Singer's pounding drums chasing Tony Iommi 's guitar riff and " Turn To Stone " also corresponds with the opening song, taking "Black Sabbath" to new districts, on the border of Power Metal. Songs like " Heart Like A Wheel " are already going in the direction of Blues-Rock in which Iommi' is going back to the band's blues roots. And we even have Sabbath's first Power Ballads: The first, the excellent " No Stranger To Love ", which was also the first and successful single released about two months before the album release. The Second, is the closing track of the album " In Memory ..." featuring Iommi on an acoustic guitar. It is interesting to note that even though Glenn Hughes is an excellent bass player, Iommi took Dave "The Beast" Spitz, as the album bass player. Dave Spitz is the brother of guitarist Dan Spitz, known from "Anthrax' which celebrates his birthday today. Dave plays bass on all of the album songs except " No Stranger To Love ", where his replacement is Gordon Copley. Dave will later join "Great White" and be part of the supergroup "McBrain Damage". He will be the one to introduce singer Ray Gillen to Iommi as Glenn Hughes 's replacement after he leaves the band. " Angry Heart " is a classic Hard Rock song that sounds to us like a "Rainbow" outtake from the Joe Lynn Turner era, even in terms of Hughes' singing. And it is impossible to end the review without mentioning the two excellent songs " Danger Zone " and the theme song " Seventh Star ", which develops from the intro " Sphinx (The Guardian) ", both of which are without a doubt the highlight of the album. It is interesting to note, that most of the critics just "killed" the album with an average score of 5/10 stars, except "Kerrang" magazine which gave it a perfect score of 5/5. Although we think Kerrang magazine went too far with their sympathetic critique, our opinion is still closer to it than to the other bad reviews. True, for those who expected a classic "Black Sabbath" album, this may be a disappointment, but "Seventh Star" was never planned or claimed to be one. We think the blame for the cold reviews is on Sabbath's management. If they would have released an album as Iommi's solo project, there's no doubt it would have received better reviews. It's a classic Hard Rock album that does not fall short of albums released by bands like "Rainbow" and "Whitesnake" several years earlier. After the release of the album, the band went on a tour to promote it. Unfortunately due to Hughes' health problems (some say he injured his neck in a brawl and lost his voice for a long time) and following a conflict with the band manager, he will retire from the tour and be replaced after only 6 shows. However, this collaboration left a good taste for Iommi and Hughes, who will return to collaborate on Iommi's solo albums " Fused " and "The 1996" DEP Sessions", which was also titled "Eighth Star" as if it was a sequel to the reviewed album. To listen to the album: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Is it a chameleon? Is it an armadillo? Or maybe it's an octopus? No no no... this is Mike Patton !!! A factory of non-stop creation, some say that still in his mother's womb... So in order to identify with the eclecticism, the variety of talents, the variety of styles, the variety of ensembles, the variety of collaborations, and the absolute musical craziness that surrounds him, we bring you the facts in the style of Mike Patton, so let's start the party! (Photo: Jay Blakesberg) = In 1998 he formed the "Fantômas" supergroup along with "Slayer" drummer Dave Lombardo , "Melvin's" guitarist Buzz Osborne and "Tomahawk" and "Mr. Bungle" bassist Trevor Dunn. = The ensemble started its way around when "Faith No More" had already ceased to exist. They released 4 albums, all on Mike's label called Ipecac and each album has a different concept. The album "Fantômas" 1999 is based on a fictional comic book story, "The Director's Cut" 2001 is an album consisting of remade film soundtrack songs, "Delìrium Còrdia" 2004 is an album of one long and continuous song that resembles surgery without anesthesia and "Suspended Animation" 2005 which consists from distorted cartoon music. = We inform you in advance that there is no need to ask us in which genre all of Mike's groups fall into because most of the music created by Mike's groups is one big mix that cannot be embedded in any genre. (Photo: Jan Frode Haugseth) = They also released two live albums: "Millennium Monsterwork 2000" 2002 and "The Director's Cut Live: A New Year's Revolution" 2011 = At the beginning of their journey many record companies became interested in their band because of the "stars" in it but very quickly realized that the style was not suitable for the mainstream and ran away. = In 2015, bassist Justin Pearson and drummer Dave Lombardo formed the band "Dead Cross". They added guitarist Michael Crain and singer Gabe Serbian and after a number of performances, they came in with producer Ross Robinson and started recording their debut album. (Photo: Adam DeGross) = A year later, when the recordings of the album ended, singer Gabe decided to leave the band. Mike took his place and the band decided not to release the album with Gabe's vocals but to re-record the album with Mike's vocals. Mike decided to rewrite all the lyrics and recorded the entire album. The band's album was released in August 2017 through two record companies: Mike's Ipecac and Justin's Three One G. = In August 2017 all the band members were arrested in Texas and released immediately afterward, the reason for the arrest is unknown! = In 2006 after 6 years of birth Mike put together a "composition" called "Peeping Tom", which is actually Mike with a lot of foreign artists that he personally does not even know. The first and only album was released in 2006 and was named after the group. The entire album was written by Mike and contains 11 tracks each of which he collaborates with another artist, such as rapper Rahzel, Brazilian musician Amon Tobin, electronic ensemble Massive Attack, singer Norah Jones and more and more... (Photo: Ipecac Recordings) = Mike did not know most of the artists on the album personally and had never been with them in the same room or studio, everything was done remotely with Mike's step-by-step guidance. = The group has one video clip called "Mojo", look for it on YouTube... = Another supergroup ensemble formed by Mike, this time with guitarist Duane Denison in 1999, the "Tomahawk" band. The two got to know each other through the performances of Mike's band "Mr. Bungle" and started exchanging ideas and demos. (Photo: Ipecac Recordings) = At a later stage joined, John Stanier the drummer of "Helmet" and "Melvin's" bassist Kevin Rutmanis. = The band has released 4 albums: "Tomahawk" 2001, "Mit Gas" 2003, "Anonymous" 2007, and "Oddfellows" 2013. All the albums were of course released under the Mike Ipecac label. = In the years 2001 - 2007 the band went on a large number of tours around the world. = In April 1999, in California, two friends, Mike & Greg Werckman who was former employee of the record label Mercury, founded the independent record company Ipecac Recordings. = The origin of the company's name is based on the name of the Ipecac syrup whose function is to induce vomiting. The company's slogan is "Ipecac Recordings - Making People Sick Since 1999". = The record company was formed out of the need of the two to give support to non-mainstream groups, the groups that create hard-to-digest music. They were even different and more extreme than the indie companies. (Photo: Jon Attenborough) = Their principle was not to "purchase" the artist but his music in order to distribute it and so they did not sign the artists on long-term contracts with music videos, marketing plans, and the like but signed them to create one album and distribute it. = There are rumors that the label is profitable to this day... (Photo: Buzz Osborne) = Mike said that the band was formed after its members were kicked out of other bands that were really bad, drummer Jed Watts and guitarist Trey Spruance were thrown out of a metal goth band, and bassist Trevor Dunn and Mike were thrown out of a Metallica cover band. = The band style is so eclectic, so complex, and diverse that they had to use a lot of instruments, some conventional and some not. The use was so complex and different that it was very difficult for them to record the sounds in the studio and even more difficult to perform a live performance (in the photos of the live shows, the stage looks like a garage sale) but that, of course, did not stop the band. = They used to go up on stage in weird costumes with weird masks and change their behavior according to the same character in each show. The most popular costumes were clown costumes and carnival accessories. = The band that has undergone many changes has released three albums to date: "Mr. Bungle" in 1991, "Disco Volante" in 1995, and "California" in 1999. = Speaking about California... Mike has a very "complex" relationship with singer Anthony Kiedis . It started with Kiedis accusing him of imitating the movements and form of singing in performances and in addition, Mr. Bungle, "California"'s album was due out the same day the Peppers' "Californiacation" came out, which further annoyed Kiedis. = Unlike Mike's other bands (and since Mike's label did not exist then) the band's label was the giant Warner Bros. company. = The band existed from 1985 to 2004 when in August 2019 it announced that it would hold 3 performances during February 2020 which were of course shelved following the Coronavirus. = Mike has appeared in more than 17 films in various roles as an actor, producer, dubbed, and soundtrack creator. He has also participated in 7 video games as a dubbing and soundtrack creator. = In 1979 in San Francisco, California, a band called "Sharp Young Men" was formed when in 1982 it changed its name to "Faith No More". (Photo: Mick Hutson) = Of course we will not detail the history of the band here but we invite you to read the album reviews... = In 1988 the band's singer Chuck Mosley was fired and Mike took his place, this is Mike's breakthrough band that brought with it tremendous success and made this band one of the most important rock bands in history. = The band has released 7 albums (5 albums with Mike): "We Care a Lot" (1985), "Introduce Yourself" (1987), "The Real Thing" (1989), "Angel Dust" (1992), "King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime" (1995), "Album of the Year" (1997) ו- "Sol Invictus" (2015). = They were nominated 3 times for the Grammy Awards in 1990, 1991, and 1993. = The band disbanded in 1998 but came back to life in 2009 and since then they keep performing around the world. In September 2021 the band released a very alarming announcement in which it announces that its tour has been canceled due to mental health issues that Mike needs to deal with. = A year later, Mike posted on social media that he was able to take care of the health problems he had and that he was performing again. Since Faith's tour was canceled, Mike went on tour with "Mr. Bungle". = Mike's full name is Michael Allan Patton and he was born on January 27, 1968, in Eureka, California. = He is a multi-instrumentalist, actor, singer, lyricist, producer, filmmaker, and gifted musician. = As a producer he has worked with artists like: John Zorn, Sepultura, Melvins, Kool Keith, and many other good and weird ones. (Photo: Mark Metcalfe) = As a solo artist he has recorded three albums: "Adult Themes for Voice" (1996) an album consisting of 34 tracks recorded in hotel rooms during Faith's tour and not considered singing! "Pranzo Oltranzista" (1997) is an album based on the 1932 book "Futurist Cookbook". "Mondo Cane" (2010) is a cover album of Italian pop songs from the 50s and 60s and is performed by an orchestra of 40 musicians and a choir of 15 people. = Given Mike's prolific life there's a very good chance we've missed a few things, it's very difficult to keep up with this crap called Mike Patton. = He is the singer with the largest vocal range spanning 6 and a half octaves from Eb1 to E7. We have chosen something different for you, the Mondo Cane album released in 2010, listen on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

He's part of "Iron Maiden's" mighty guitar trio, he played with Ian Gillan , Fish and was part of a supergroup that also included Paul Di'Anno and Clive Burr . Ladies and gentlemen, Here are some facts about Janick Gers: (Photo: NME) 1. He was born in the town of Hartlepool in the northeast of England, on 27 January 1957 and his full name is Janick Robert Gers. 2. He has relatives who live in Poland and he used to visit them in his youth, where he also purchased his first guitar. 3. Gers is left-handed but he plays guitar with his right hand. 4. He started his musical career in 1975 when he formed the band "White Spirit", with which he released an album in 1980. 5. The guitarists who influenced him the most, were Ritchie Blackmore, Jeff Beck , Tony Iommi , Jimmy Page and Rory Gallagher. 6. The bands that influenced him the most, were: "Deep Purple", "Black Sabbath", "Pink Floyd", "Free", "Led Zeppelin", "The Beatles". (Photo: www.ironmaiden666.com) 7. In 1981 he joined the band "Gillan". Ian Gillan 's solo band. Together with "Gillan" he will release two albums: "Double Trouble" from 1981 and "Magic" from 1982. Gers played and also co-wrote songs on both albums. 8. After Gillan's lineup disbanded and Gillan moved to "Black Sabbath", Janick took time-off and completed a degree in sociology. 9. In 1985, Gers joined the "Gogmagog" supergroup, which included singer Paul Di'Anno and drummer Clive Burr , both former "Iron Maiden" members, guitarist Pete Willis of "Def Leppard" and bassist Neil Murray previously of "Whitesnake". The band released one EP that included three songs and disbanded immediately after. 10. In 1989 Gers was asked by Bruce Dickinson to play in his song "Bring Your Daughter ... to the Slaughter", which Dickinson wrote for the soundtrack of the movie "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child". 11. This collaboration between the two was later expanded to a full-length album - " Tattooed Millionaire " - Bruce Dickenson's first solo album released in 1990, in which Gers played guitar and participated in writing most of the songs. 12. The same year, Gers wrote and played on the song "View From The Hill", which was included in "Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors" - the excellent debut album of Fish . 13. During the recording of Bruce Dickinson 's first solo album, Gers was asked to join "Iron Maiden" as a replacement for guitarist Adrian Smith. 14. Gers released 10 albums with the "Iron Maiden" from " No Prayer for the Dying " in 1990 to " Senjutsu " in 2021 and co-wrote some of its songs, including: "Be Quick or Be Dead", "Wasting Love", "Lord of the Flies", "Man on the Edge", "Ghost of the Navigator", "Dance of Death", "The" Talisman", "The Legacy", "The Book Of Souls", "Stratego" and more... 15. Gers, whose theatrical performance breathed fresh air into the band in its less popular moments from the 1990s, has rightfully and not graciously earned his place as a full member to this day, even after Smith's return to the band in 1999. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On January 27, 1980, singer Bon Scott made his last performance with "AC/DC". (Photo: Hulton Archive) This was the last show in the tour to promote the masterpiece album " Highway To Hell ". It was held at the "Gaumont Club" in Southampton, England. The performance was scheduled to take place on December 18, 1979, but for no apparent reason, it was delayed to January 27, 1980. Of course, no one knew this was going to be Bon Scott 's last show with the band. The stylist played that evening: 1) Live Wire 2) Shot Down in Flames 3) Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be 4) Sin City 5) Problem Child 6) Bad Boy Boogie 7) The Jack 8) Highway to Hell 9) Girls Got Rhythm 10) High Voltage 11) Whole Lotta Rosie 13) Rocker 14) TNT 15) Let There Be Rock On February 7, 1980, Scott will perform with the band in "Top of the Pops" TV show. On February 15, he will join the Young Brothers in the studio for an initial session on two new songs that will later be included on the album " Back In Black ". However, on February 19, 1980, Bon Scott would drink heavily and lose consciousness, and died in the vehicle of his friend, Alistair Keener, parked outside of Keener's house. Bon Scott's death was determined a day later on February 20, 1980, when the official cause of death was alcohol poisoning. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

He's the only member of "Pink Floyd" who appears on each and every one of the band's albums, he's a drummer, he's a songwriter, he's a talented producer, his name is Nick Mason and we want to tell you some facts about him: (Photo: Jorgen Angel) 1. He was born Nicholas Berkeley Mason on 27 January 1944, in Birmingham England. 2. As a child he took piano and violin lessons, but soon realized it was not for him and switched to drums. 3. In 1964, while studying architecture at Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of the West Ministers), he met Roger Waters, Bob Klose, and Rick Wright , with whom he formed the band "Sigma 6." 4. After the breakup of "Sigma 6" in 1965, Mason, Waters and Rick Wright joined Syd Barrett and co-founded "Pink Floyd". 5. In "Pink Floyd" Mason co-wrote songs such as "Echoes", "Time", "Careful With That Ax, Eugene" and "One of These Days". 6. Mason wrote only two songs from Pink Floyd's huge repertoire by himself: "The Grand Vizier's Garden Party Parts 1-3" from "Ummagumma" and "Speak to Me" from "The Dark Side Of The Moon". 7. The only "Pink Floyd" song that Mason sings in, is "Corporal Clegg" from the album "A Saucerful of Secrets". There, too, he only sang during the verses. 8. Other songs in which Mason's voice can be heard talking are: "Signs of Life", "Learning to Fly" and "One of These Days" in which he is responsible for the iconic sentence: "One of these days, I'm gonna cut you into little pieces ". 9. An interesting detail about the song "Learning to Fly", is that Mason's voice there was recorded during his first solo flight. 10. Mason is also responsible for some of the recordings of the effects heard on the band's albums. 11. Mason is also a respected producer and has produced masterpieces such as Robert Wyatt's "Rock Bottom", Gong's "Shamal", Steve Hillage's "Green" and even The Damned's "Music for Pleasure". 12. In 1981 Mason released his first solo album - "Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports", featuring singer Robert Wyatt. 13. In 1985 he collaborated with Rick Fenn - "10CC" guitarist and released the album "Profiles". 14. Since then he has released with him four more soundtracks for movies. 15. Mason also collaborated with jazz artist Michael Mantler and since 1976 has participated in five of his albums. 16. Along with "Pink Floyd", Mason released 15 studio albums. 17. He owns a number of luxury cars with which he also competes in racing. (Photo: The Sunday Times Driving) 18. In 2004 he published his book "Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd", which presents the story of the band in a humorous way. 19. In 2018 he formed "Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets", in which he performs "Pink Floyd" songs from the Syd Barrett era. 20. As mentioned, Mason is the only member of "Pink Floyd" to appear on each and every one of the band's records. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 27.1.1970 By the end of the 1960s, Van Morrison  felt completely stuck. He saw no real money from his biggest hit "Brown Eyed Girl" , and became entangled with manager and producer Bert Berns, a figure with ties to the criminal underworld who even sent mobsters to threaten him. Berns eventually passed away, but in order to escape his draconian contract with "Bang Records" , Morrison needed outside intervention. That intervention came from "Warner Bros." , who bought out his contract in a deal worth $20,000. Morrison released his second album " Astral Weeks ", which was warmly received by critics, but the wider audience remained indifferent. Commercially, it failed. Morrison stated that to the people around him he looked like a successful artist, but his bank manager thought otherwise, but he said that he had to keep going, even if it meant cleaning windows. "Warner" executives gently hinted to Morrison that he had one more chance to justify their faith in him. He had no intention of letting them down. Especially not with another mouth soon to feed. His wife, Janet Planet, was pregnant with their first and only son. Under the very real pressure surrounding him, Morrison did what he knew how to do best: deliver the goods, while remaining fiercely eccentric. Following in the footsteps of Bob Dylan  and "The Band", whom he deeply admired, Morrison and his wife moved to the town of Woodstock in upstate New York. There, amid the quiet and pastoral landscapes, his third album "Moondance" was born, released on January 27, 1970. This is an album bursting with mystical love songs, hymns to life and nature, songs about dreams and visions. Morrison said that “No one knew what he was looking for except him, so he just did it. Here he blends jazz, folk rock, country, R&B, and soul, with strong melodies and pristine arrangements, all coming together into a cohesive album that still sounds remarkably fresh. Morrison dictated the course of events. He fired everyone who had helped him create " Astral Weeks ", deliberately cultivating an atmosphere of artistic autonomy during the sessions. He claimed that when he went into the studio, he is a magician. He make things happen. Whatever works in that particular space at that particular time, he use it. he exploit it. The album finds Morrison channeling his abilities through more traditional melodic forms, giving the songs a rustic, earthy quality. The opening track "And It Stoned Me"  is based on a kind of mystical experience Morrison had as a 12 year old while fishing in the countryside. He asked an old man for water, who gave him some drawn from a stream. Morrison shared his feelings: “We drank a bit and it seemed like everything stopped for me. Time stood still. For about five minutes everything was completely quiet and I was in this ‘other dimension’. That’s what the song is about.” The jazzy title track "Moondance"  is a tribute to the autumn season and to romance itself. The song features piano, guitar, saxophone, electric bass, and a wonderful flute performance by Colin Tilton. Toward the end of the track, Morrison can be heard vocally imitating the saxophone. "Crazy Love"  features gospel styled backing vocals with Motown influence, achieved by Morrison positioning himself extremely close to the microphone. The music itself is very restrained, built around acoustic drums, bass, and brushed percussion. On "Caravan"  and "Into the Mystic" , Morrison focuses on the mysterious power of music itself. Singing about music, gypsy life, and his youthful days on the water in Belfast, these songs function as symbols of harmony. His spiritual redemption arrives with the gospel infused "Brand New Day" . Morrison said he was inspired to write the song after hearing "The Band" on the radio performing "The Weight" and "I Shall Be Released". The album cover was photographed by Elliott Landy, who was also responsible for the photography on Dylan’s "Nashville Skyline" . She recalled that when she arrived at his house on the day of the shoot, Van had a huge pimple right in the middle of his forehead, so she had to photograph him up close, cropping the top of his forehead. In July 1970, Morrison, wearing sunglasses, appeared on the cover of "Rolling Stone" magazine. Van Morrison was on the verge of fame. “If you want dreams to happen, make them real,” he sang on the album’s penultimate track "Everyone" . And there is no doubt that the singer from Belfast fulfilled his own dream, finally locking into perfect alignment with "Moondance" . For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On January 12, 1973, "Deep Purple" released its seventh studio album "Who Do We Think We Are". The album's title came from an interview given by drummer Ian Paice to Melody Maker in 1972, in which he referred to angry letters received by band members or bad reviews, that usually begin with sentences like: "Who do Deep Purple think they are ..." This is the fourth and final album released by the classic MKII lineup - the band's all-star lineup that included Ritchie Blackmore , Jon Lord , Ian Paice , Roger Glover , and Ian Gillan . Although this amazing lineup would reunite in 1984 to release the excellent album "Perfect Strangers", at the time of the recordings of "Who Do We Think We Are", such a reunion would not have seemed as something possible at all. As much as this lineup of "Purple" was immortal and released masterpieces albums at a crazy pace, it was never really a stable lineup. The tensions between the band members were always there and they got worse after the band released " Machine Head " in March 1972. Immediately after the release of the album, the band went on a world tour where the masterful live album "Made In Japan" was recorded, during three performances in Japan - from 15 to 17 August 1972. The band was then at its peak, both in terms of global success and musically, and this can be heard in the tremendous talent and incredible precision in the performance of all five members on this tremendous live album. But, by the time the band returned to the studio to record their next album, things were already different. The band was tired of touring that lasted 18 months, but instead of letting them rest, their management wanted to continue with the momentum and pushed them to complete their next album. Fatigue and burnout served as fertile ground for arguments and friction between the band members, especially between Gillan and Blackmore. The two were so conflicted that they did not even want to be in the same space together. And so it happened that Ian Gillan 's vocals and Ritchie Blackmore 's guitars were recorded without any joint involvement of the two in the creative process. For example, the lyrics to the song " Smooth Dancer " were written by Ian Gillan about the murky relationship he had with Blackmore. The words: "Black suede, do not mean you're good to me ..." refer to the "man in black" and describe Ian Gillan 's feelings towards Blackmore's temperament. Gillan spared no words and noted in the lyrics that he tried to get along with Blackmore, but without success: "I tried to go along with you". Gillan even hinted at his near departure and that he was about to go free with the words: "Do not you look at me because I'm gonna shake free ". Blackmore who as mentioned was so preoccupied with the conflict with Gillan, did not even notice that the song was talking about him and when he had already discovered this it was too late. Another example of the murky atmosphere during the recordings, is also related to Blackmore and the fact that when a guitar riff sounded brilliant to him or the others, he just stopped playing it. When asked why, he simply replied that he was keeping it for his own solo project. Indeed, excerpts from these sessions will eventually find their way to the album " Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow ". These two examples seem to explain why this album is considered by many to be the least good of the MKII lineup and why it was the least perfect, compared to the three masterpieces that came before it. When the band is worn out, torn, and engaged in constant friction, when two of its members are not even able to be in the same space together, this must affect the creative process and the musical level, as indeed happened in this case. This difficult atmosphere will cause Gillan to leave the band, during the album recordings, due to his ongoing frustration. However, the band's management pressured him to go on a tour to support the album, and Gillan was convinced. Glover who was the closest to Gillan and actually joined the band with him also decided to retire after hearing from the band manager about the ultimatum Blackmore gave Ian Paice and Jon Lord . He told them it was either him or Glover. The two of course realized that Ritchie Blackmore 's contribution to the band was much greater and decided they preferred him over Roger Glover . Blackmore also made sure that this was not told to Glover, to avoid a situation where Glover would leave the band in the middle of the planned tour. When poor Glover found out about the intent, he simply retired so he would not give Blackmore the satisfaction of his dismissal. Rumor has it that later Blackmore even told him: "it's not personal it's just business". Despite this sad ending of the MKII lineup and even though the creative process was flawed from the beginning, it is still a great album of the "Purples". If that's what a wounded and bleeding band can do, just think what else they would have been able to give us, had it not been for all the quarrels and frictions they had. The album opens up with " Woman from Tokyo ", which was the biggest hit from it. The song was written ahead of the band's first visit to Japan and it tells the story of an imaginary Japanese girl. It includes one of Blackmore's beautiful riffs on the album and in general. It is interesting to note that the album version of the song is different from the version released for radio. While the album version includes the trippy and dreamy section in the middle of the song, this beautiful section is not present in the single version. This song is the only one from the album that the band recorded in Rome, while all the other songs will be recorded in Frankfurt, Germany. Admittedly, during those sessions in Rome, the band recorded another song - " Painted Horse ", but it will not appear on the album and will only be released later as part of a compilation album with rare excerpts. For those unfamiliar with it, this is a recommended song that presents a slightly different style of the band. The second track " Mary Long ", was written in protest of British censorship. Those of you who have read the review we wrote on "Pink Floyd's" " Animals " album, will surely remember the name, Mary Whitehouse. Mary was a public activist who was the founder of the " National Viewers' and Listeners' Association " in the UK. A censorship body whose job was to "cleanse" television and culture of what she perceived as moral corruption. Well, Mary was also the subject of the song " Pigs (Three Different Ones) ", by "Pink Floyd" - where she served as one of the three "pigs" that Waters wrote about. For the review, we wrote on the album " Animals " click on the link. " Super Trouper " was written by Ian Gillan about the way he feels when he stands on stage. "Super Trooper" was a nickname for a powerful spotlight that was used in performances at the time. This is not the only song with the same title, written on this unique spotlight, "ABBA" will use it as the name of the album and theme song from 1980. It is interesting to note that this song was released as the second single from the album and its b-side was " Blood Sucker " from the album " In Rock ", which really reminds it. The track that seals the first side of the vinyl, is " Smooth Dancer ", which Ian Gillan wrote about his relationship with Blackmore, as we wrote above. (Photo: Deep Purple - Udiscover Music) The other side of the vinyl opens up with " Rat Bat Blue ", one of the best songs on the album, with the amazing keyboard work of Jon Lord . It's also Glover's favorite song from the album. It talks about "picking up girls" and its title refers to the drum rolls and transitions. The second song on the other side " Place in Line ", is a blues song that might hint at the direction Blackmore would like to take the band later down the line. It's probably also one of the "weakest" songs on the album, but still, Blackmore's solo here proves once again how huge this guitarist is .. The album ends up with " Our Lady " a song different from the musical landscape we are used to getting from "Deep Purple" and shows the musical direction that Gillan will follow on his solo career. In this sense, it's a kind of counterbalance to the previous song and actually sums up the relationship between Blackmore and Gillan and the different directions they wanted the band to follow. Do not ask us why but at times, this song reminds us of fragments from the song "The Nile" Song by "Pink Floyd" from the album " More ". As mentioned, after the release of the album, the process of disintegration of this huge lineup was completed and culminated in the band's last performance, held on July 29, 1973. The show was held in Osaka, Japan and it was a kind of closure for the iconic shows that took place there just a year earlier, as documented in the album "Made In Japan", only this time the atmosphere was completely different. 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 a great album... "Bridge over Troubled Water" The fifth album by the duo Simon & Garfunkel, was released on January 26, 1970. Despite its huge success, "Bridge over Troubled Water" is the last album the duo released. It included hits like " The Boxer " written by Paul Simon in response to bad reviews he got from music critics and included lyrics from the Bible, " Cecilia " about love and heartache between a man and a woman, " El Cóndor Pasa (If I Could " which Paul Simon based on a Peruvian folk melody and was the subject of a lawsuit, " Bye Bye Love " which is a cover version of a song by "The Everly Brothers", the theme song " Bridge over Troubled Water ", and more. This time we chose to focus mainly on the theme song. So here are some interesting facts about it and the on the album: 1. The song was written by Paul Simon but is sung by Art Garfunkel. 2. This is the theme song from the album "Bridge over Troubled Water", which is the best selling album of the record company "Columbia". 3. The song was written in 1969 in the summer house "Blue Jay Way" where George Harrison wrote the song "Blue Jay Way" by "The Beatles". 4. Paul Simon originally wrote two verses but Garfunkel and producer Roy Halee persuaded him to add a third verse, which indeed Simon did in the studio. during the recording of the song. 5. The song was originally written on guitar, it took Simon a while to change the production to fit a piano. 6. The one playing the piano in the song is Larry Knechtel who has also played on the albums of "The Byrds", "The Beach Boys", "The Doors", Elvis Presley and later will form the band "Bread". 7. The line "Sail on, silver girl" from the song refers to Simon's girlfriend at the time - Peggy Harper, who found a white hair on her head. Later Simon will marry Peggy. 8. The song and album won five Grammy Awards in 1971, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year. 9. This is one of the songs that have the most cover versions. One of the cover versions is by none other than Elvis Presley. 10. The song is ranked 48th on the "Rolling Stone" magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. 11. " The Boxer " also entered the list of the 500 greatest songs of all time by "Rolling Stone" magazine, a tremendous achievement considering the fact that two songs from one album enter the honorable mention list. 11. The album "Bridge over Troubled Water" is one of the best selling albums in the world with sales of over 25 million copies worldwide !! 12. The album reached number one in 10 different countries around the globe. 14. It stayed on the first place in the U.S. Billboard 200 for 10 weeks and a total of 85 weeks in the chart. 15. The album stayed at number one on the UK charts for 35 weeks and in total 285 weeks on the charts. 16. The album entered the list of the 500 greatest albums of all time by "Rolling Stone" magazine. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website