Written By: Noam Asulin "Draconian" Second album "Arcane Rain Fall", was released on January 24, 2005. This Doom album is considered one of the best albums in the genre, even today about two decades after its release. "Draconian" comes from Sweden and was founded in 1994 by drummer and vocalist Johan Ericson, bassist and vocalist Jesper Stolpe, and guitarist Andy Hindenäs. At first, they called themselves "Kerberos" and played melodic death metal with black metal influences. Shortly afterward, vocalist Anders Jacobsson joined them and the band's name was changed to "Draconian". Since its inception "Draconian" has been in a search for their identity, but things seemed to start connecting for them as soon as they added singer Lisa Johansson. Together with Anders Jacobsson, they managed to appeal to a gothic audience with a perfect combination of the "Beauty and the Beast" concept. This move allowed them to "hit two birds with one stone" when on the one hand they did not lose the audience of Doom fans and on the other hand, they brought in a new audience with a gothic tendency and in doing so they shaped the niche DNA that would define them. "Arcane Rain Fell", as mentioned, is their second album. It is a concept album that describes the fall of Lucifer from heaven and the creation of hell. The album begins with the intro " A Scenery of Loss " which leaves no room for doubt. This is a gloomy and melancholy album, even by its name. Raindrops and thunder are heard, preparing us for what is going to happen next. " Daylight Misery " begins with guitars that do not pity the listener. The lead singer, Anders Jacobsson, presents his clean voice, although he is usually in charge of the growls, while the clean vocals are in charge of Lisa Johansson, the second lead singer in the band, who does a wonderful job throughout the album. In the chorus, Anders expresses the power of the song with the help of grunts that penetrate deep into the soul. (Photo: HD Wallpapers und Hintergründe - Wallpaper Abyss) In the fourth track " Expostulation " a surprise awaits us in the form of the Holy Hebrew Language. Anders begins with the words "Lord God Almighty" (In Hebrew) and this section builds drama for the next song. Every song /on this album expresses sadness and it can be heard both in the melody of the songs and in the slow tempo. Keyboards and guitars produce a sound that, in my opinion, causes the emotion of sadness to rise. The words of course are sad and speak of all that is wrong in this world. "Arcane Rain Fall" is one of my favorite albums, mainly because of the last song, " Death, Come Near Me ". A 15-minute piece that is actually a remake of the band's song from a demo called "Dark Oceans We Cry". This piece is very versatile and amazing to me. This song is so exciting in my opinion, precisely because it penetrates deeply into emotion and touches on personal things we experience in our lives, difficulties, and sadness. Towards the end of the song begins a wonderful keyboard solo that only increases the melancholy that this album conveys. In conclusion, in my opinion, this is the ultimate doom album and not in vain. Doom Metal aims to convey sadness and melancholy and this album does it amazingly from every aspect. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

A Sneak Peek... And this time we have a riddle for you. What's the connection between the debut eponymous album " Bon Jovi " which we wrote about earlier today and one of the exemplary musical moments of "The Jimi Hendrix Experience"?? Want to find out?? Stay with us and find out. On January 21, 1968, Jimi Hendrix recorded his version of Bob Dylan 's "All Along the Watchtower". The song first appeared on Dylan's 1967 album "John Wesley Harding". The recording session at the "Olympic Studios" in London, was attended by Brian Jones , Hendrix's best friend from "The Rolling Stones", who played percussion, and Dave Mason from "Traffic", who played the 12-string guitar. It is interesting to note that following Jimi Hendrix's argument with bassist Noel Redding, the latter left the studio. Dave Mason took the bass in his place, but in the end, the bass role played in the final recording, was performed by none other than Jimi Hendrix himself. As for why Redding left the studio, there are several versions. One version tells that he was not happy with his performance and the presence of the guest musicians in the studio. Another version says that he came to the studio drunk after visiting a nearby pub and therefore could barely play. Hendrix was very angry and he simply decided that Redding will not record with them. Over the years, the immortal song "All Along the Watchtower" became more identified with the interpretation given to it by Jimi Hendrix than with the original. It was included on "The Jimi Hendrix Experience" album " Electric Ladyland ". Jimi Hendrix's version came out six months after Bob Dylan's original recording and became one of the top singles of 1968. Hendrix's version received the "Grammy Hall of Fame" award in 2001, and was ranked 47th in "Rolling Stone" Magazine's 500 greatest songs of all time, in 2004. And now for the answer to the riddle: In the review we released earlier about the debut eponymous album " Bon Jovi ", we mentioned that Jon Bon Jovi was working in his cousin Tony Bongiovi's studio, where he also recorded the demos for his debut album. So that same Tony Bongiovi was also the recording technician working with Hendrix on the recording of the song "All Along the Watchtower". He said that Hendrix was not happy with the results at first and slowly doubled his guitar tracks, which forced him as a technician to move the master tape recordings from four channels to sixteen channels tape. Bongiovi noted that the recording of these new ideas by Hendrix forced him to give up some of the channels, while during the mixes he sat down with Hendrix and they both started deleting some of the layers until Hendrix was satisfied. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Editor's Choice... And this time "Thunder in the East" by "Loudness", released on January 21, 1985. "Loudness" is a Heavy Metal Japanese band that we really like. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarist Akira Takasaki and drummer Munetaka Higuchi. In the mid-1980s the band enjoyed great success outside of Japan as well and was in fact the first Japanese metal band to sign a recording contract with a major label in the United States. To date, the band has released 27 studio albums, 3 mini-albums, and a variety of live albums and compilations. The original line-up (except drummer Munetaka Higuchi who died of liver cancer in 2008), continues to release albums even today (the last in 2018). "Thunder in the East" is the fifth studio album by "Loudness" and the first to be released on a major label in the US. It is also the band's first album to be released with the singing entirely in English. For example, the band's previous and excellent album "Disillusion", released in 1984, was originally released with lyrics and vocals in Japanese and only later was also released in English speaking version as well. The band had been looking for the opportunity to break through Japan's borders since 1981. They finally succeed in 1985, when "Twisted Sister" manager- Joe Gerber, got them a recording contract with "Atco Records", which was a subsidiary of "Atlantic Records" in the US. A first and most amazing achievement for a Japanese Metal band. The album was recorded in the United States and became a worldwide success, thanks in part to the "Crazy" single "Crazy Nights", whose video clip won reruns on MTV. This is the first album by a Japanese band to enter the top 100 charts in the US, and not only did it enter the chart, but it also stayed there for 23 weeks. The album opens with the band's most famous song in America, " Crazy Nights ", an anthem with a classic, catchy and sweeping riff. The melodic vocals and harmonic background vocals in the chorus, just force you to swing your fist in the air and scream with the band M-Z-A! M-Z-A !. This song introduces us to the virtuosity of Akira Takasaki and his intelligent playing. These little guitar leaks the melodic scales and the amazing solo just blows our minds. Immediately after the opening track, we get two of the finest and most beautiful songs that "Loudness" ever created. "Like Hell" is a very energetic metal track, with an excellent intro riff, that sets the tone for the whole song. It's a pretty fast track that represents just about everything that Heavy Metal of the '80s is supposed to sound like. Strong, Heavy, In your face Rock! From there we continue to a slightly different track - " Heavy Chains ". A beautiful song that starts as a semi-slow ballad with nice arpeggios and a sad melodic solo, then the song explodes into a heavy, galloping metal beat - "Manowar" style, with strong and sweeping Minoru Niihara singing The song continues to gradually develop, up to Akira Takasaki 's amazing guitar solo, which also ends the song with another short solo, that accompanies the chorus. The album continues with excellent songs maintaining a high level throughout its length. The fast and rhythmic " Get Away " just makes you bang your head, "We Could Be Together " with a riff reminiscent of Vivian Campbell 's "Dio" early days blending nicely with the Munetaka Higuchi drumming and the very slow and heavy " Run For Your Life ", with a unique opening riff and a melodic and catchy chorus. Then we come to a fast and furious sequence that starts with the amazing " Clockwork Toy " and its psychic solo, giving a serious fight to Yngwie Malmsteen and without a doubt one of the most beautiful songs on the album. From there we once again step up the tempo with “ The Lines Are Down ” featuring excellent bass work from Masayoshi Yamashita. The album comes to Peace and Tranquility, with the ballad " Never Change Your Mind " that seals it, where the band proves that they also know how to write an excellent "Power Ballad" and level up with glam bands like "Cinderella" and "Poison". In conclusion, "Thunder in the East" is a recommended album for lovers of classic Heavy Metal. It has catchy metal anthems, amazing guitar arrangements, strong riffs, and fast and melodic solos that make it a special, original, and beautiful Metal piece. And now you must listen to this special album: Youtube "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On January 21, 1984, "Bon Jovi" released their debut eponymous album, which was the opening chord to a successful and glorious career. But the birth of this album was not simple at all and the rich career of "Bon Jovi" was almost never happened. In 1980, a young boy named John Francis Bongiovi, a native of New Jersey, began working at the "Power Station" recording studio in Manhattan New York. The studio was partly owned by his cousin Tony Bongiovi, and John took advantage of the time in the studio to record demos for the songs he wrote. He sent the demos to all the local record companies and radio stations, but without success. John did not give up, he dared and in 1982 came to the "WAPP 103.5 FM - The Apple" radio station from New Jersey with the demos. "WAPP" was a new station and did not even have a receptionist, so he managed to get in and go directly to DJ Chip Hobart. He persuades him to listen to the demos. DJ Chip was impressed, he loved the song "Runaway" and even included it on the station's compilation album - "Homegrown", of local young bands. The song was played on the same station until it came to the attention of another radio station in New Jersey - "WDHA", which also included the song on its own compilation album of young bands, that do not yet have a recording contract. One day the recordings rolled onto Derek Shulman who worked for "Mercury Records". Shulman was a very talented musician himself, one of the leaders of the Prog-Rock band " Gentle Giant ". He immediately recognized the potential of young John and signed him on a recording contract. At this point, young john began a race to form a band that will accompany him on the album, as well as choosing a name for the band. The guys from the record company suggested the name "Bon Jovi" and John liked the idea and even adopted the stage name, Jon Bon Jovi . As for the band, the first band member Jon Bon Jovi called, was keyboardist David Rashbaum who later changed his name to David Bryan . David called his bassist friend Alec John Such and drummer Tico Torres. To complete the lineup, Jon Bon Jovi recruited his childhood friend, guitarist Dave Sabo , who will soon leave and be replaced by guitarist Richie Sambora . (Photo: Bon Jovi On Twitter) It is interesting to note that Sabo will later form "Skid Row" together with Sebastian Bach. As childhood friends, there was an unwritten agreement between Sabo and Bon Jovi, that if one of them succeeds in the music industry, he will help the other. Jon Bon Jovi kept his promise to Sabo and made sure that Bon Jovi's manager would arrange a recording contract for "Skid Row". Jon Bon Jovi even did more than that. He made sure that his childhood friend and his band "Skid Row" will warm up "Bon Jovi", during the tour that accompanied their third album " Slippery When Wet ". But the hardships did not end there, as after choosing the name and assembling the band, the members were pressured to finish writing the material for the album and start the recordings, all while they only have one finished at their hands. The pressure, the lack of experience of the band, and the fact that its members have not yet formed their own musical direction, greatly influenced the result, meaning the lack of uniformity that can be found in this album. " Runaway " was recorded by Jon Bon Jovi back in 1981 with studio musicians called "The All Star Review" - including keyboardist Roy Bittan, known from the band "E Street Band" of Bruce Springsteen . The recorded version with the session players found its way to the album with no changes at all. It is interesting that even though, the video clip released for MTV, shows all the band members although none of them really played in the original recording. The third track on the album, " She Don't Know Me ", was written by keyboardist and producer Mark Avsec. It holds the dubious title of Bon Jovi's only song not being written by any of the band's members. It was written by Mark for another band that was signed with the same record company, but the record company thought Bon Jovi's album needed one more hit, so they asked Mark to offer the song to "Bon Jovi". This is the second single released from the album and it had also won relative success. “Shot Through the Heart”  illustrates the hunger and ambition of a young band at the very beginning of its journey, built on a striking combination of a gritty guitar riff and dominant keyboard lines that give it an early melodic character. Jon Bon Jovi ’s vocal delivery is raw and almost defiant, while the lyrics deal with emotional pain and betrayal in a direct, no-frills manner. Released as the album’s fourth single, the song serves as an early hint at the more commercial direction the band would later learn to refine. Two songs on the album " Love Lies " and " Breakout ", were written by Jon Bon Jovi along with David Bryan , who on this album still received credit as David Rashbaum. Four more songs were written by Jon Bon Jovi along with Richie Sambora , including the excellent " Roulette " and " Burning for Love ", which was released as the third single from the album. This album is far from being perfect, but thanks to songs like " Runaway ", " Roulette " and " She Don't Know Me " it is a good opening shot for an amazing career that will come later. "Bon Jovi" eventually built their audience with their second album " 7800° Fahrenheit ", but their big break came only in 1986, with " Slippery When Wet ", where the band had already established control of 80's Hard Rock and defined the Glam Metal genre of the period. 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On January 21, 1977, "Pink Floyd" released their tenth studio album, "Animals". This is a concept album that was influenced by the book " Animal Farm ", by the English writer George Orwell . The book, published on August 17, 1945, near the end of World War II, is a satirical story about the communist regime in the Soviet Union and the status of the individual vs. the regime. Orwell shows in his book, how the communist idea of ​​equality and social and economic justice, can turn to corruption and exploitation, all in an allegorical, cynical, and satirical way. Thus, in Orwell's story, a bunch of animals decides to rebel against the cruel farm owner. They manage to evict him from the farm, when a free and happy future is in sight. However, after a short time, the pigs take advantage of their wisdom and ascend to control the animal farms. Slowly it seems that there is no difference, at all, between the pigs and the humans or the cruel farm owner. They enslave the rest of the animals, exploit them and even move into the house of the farm owner, in a way that questions the viability of the rebellion and the results of the revolution, carried out by the animals. The idea for the album was conceived by Roger Waters, who was born around the time the book was released. Waters took the idea from Orwell's book, adapted it to the time and place, and developed it into an anti-capitalist musical protest, that serves as a mirror to British society and is a kind of counter to the punk revolution that took place in England at the time. This album for the most part is a Roger Waters solo project, which in a sense symbolizes the beginning of the end of "Pink Floyd" as a band. All of the songs on the album were written by Waters except for "Dogs" co-written with David Gilmour , while Richard Wright and Nick Mason serving as studio session players. What helped Waters to take over the creative side, was the fact that at the time keyboardist Richard Wright became a shadow of himself, due to The dissolution of his marriage and a his heavy drug addiction. Waters recognized Wright's weakness and immediately filled the vacuum with an almost complete dominance that hovered over the whole creative process. This "takeover" by Waters even influenced the musical style of the album. In the absence of Richard Wright who pulled the band in the Progressive direction, this album is more inclined in the Rock direction. The musical piece on this album is divided into five parts, with Waters introducing us to the main characters who will star in the story of the act. The pigs - members of the upper class, at the top of the chain with wealth and power, control society with a strong hand. The dogs - middle class, backstabbers, traitors, crooks who will do anything to rise up the social chain. The sheep - the working class, the passive herd, which is repeatedly exploited by the dogs and pigs. The album begins and ends with the track " Pigs on the Wing ", on its two parts. These are essentially different tracks from the rest of the dark and gloomy ones on the album. They are meant to open and close the album with an optimistic message of hope and brotherhood,. With the notion that love can protect people from all the evils of the world, including the evils depicted in other songs of the album like hypocritical and exploitative human behavior. The two parts song, was written by Waters for his then-wife, Carolyn, and it effectively replaces Orwell's pessimistic ending, with an optimistic message. The second track " Dogs " is, as mentioned, the only track on the album in which another member of the band received credit - David Gilmour . The song is about a bad and cruel businessman who eventually finds himself dying of cancer, lonely and helpless. The piece was written by Gilmour and Waters in 1974 and was originally titled "You've Got to Be Crazy". Waters changed the lyrics a bit, changed the title to fit the concept of the album, and changed the tone a bit, so that the singing could fit both him and Gilmour. This is the longest song on the album that exceeds the 17-minute mark. It's interesting to note, that at 15:30 approx. Waters says the words "Who was trained not to spit - in a fan". Indeed, Waters eventually spat at a fan during the "In The Flesh" tour that promoted the album. Stunned by his reaction, Waters got the idea of ​​isolating himself from the audience through a wall that would be placed along the stage, thus creating the concept of the album " The Wall ". The third track that opens the second side of the vinyl is " Pigs (Three Different Ones) ". There are 3 verses in the song, each of which represents a different "pig". This song features one of David Gilmour 's beautiful solos, in which he uses the "Talk Box" effect, meant to mimic a "pig" voice. This is the first time this effect has been used by Gilmour on a 'Pink Floyd" album. David Gilmour also plays the bass guitar in this song, as well as on the next song “ Sheep ”. The next song " Sheep ", represents the working class. The song includes a hidden parody message in the form of a quote from Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd, He converteth me to lamb cutlets". Similar to " Dogs ", this song was also written and performed in concerts back in 1974, then it was called "Raving and Drooling". The album closes with the second part of " Pigs on the Wing " and with an optimistic message of love, hope, and brotherhood. The iconic cover of the album was designed and created by the iconic studio "Hipgnosis" headed by Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell, and it was photographed at the "Battersea" power station in London. The animal displayed between the chimneys of the power station was a huge balloon in the shape of a pig (created by Waters) filled with Helium and tethered to a makeshift base on the ground. The work of photography was not easy at all and it took the team three attempts to get the desired image, as it appears on the cover, and this also happened only with the help of editing tricks. The camera team hired a sniper whose job it was to shoot the pig Disconnecting the balloon. On the first day, the team was unable to pick up the pig and place it between the chimneys, so the team had to return there the next day. The second day, the pig was disconnected from its cables, but the sniper decided that he would not be paid for the first day, and so it happened that the pig flew away and drifted away. London. It moved towards the Heathrow airport flight path. The pig finally landed on a farm and its owner called the police that the pig had landed on his property and was spooking his cows. A picture of a pig taken separately was pasted on the photo. Despite Waters' attempt to wrap his heavy and dark work in a positive message, a very great dissonance is present between Waters the creator, and Waters the person. This masterpiece has become a poignant parody whose arrows are directed toward its creator. Waters' domination and tyranny towards his bandmates during the recording of the album, simply scream out, in a way that makes Waters the tragic hero of the musical story he himself created. Waters' takeover would force Gilmour and Wright to release solo albums in 1978. During the tour designed to promote the album, Waters isolated himself and move further and further away from band members. The tyranny and alienation will increase and their pick will come in the form of total disintegration of this mighty band. Although this is a formidable album, "Animals" will be remembered in the pages of history as an album that marked the beginning of the end for "Pink Floyd". 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He is the founder of one of the greatest bands in the history of music. He is insanely talented and writes with supreme grace. He is a singer with an amazing vocal range and even a painter. He is the definition of "rock star" in the dictionary !! (Photo: Fanart.TV) Here are some facts about "The Starchild" Paul Stanley: 1. He was born in Manhattan , New York on January 20, 1952, as Stanley Bert Eisen. 2. Stanley's two parents are Jews of Polish descent. During World War II, his mother fled from the terror of the Nazis to Amsterdam and from there to the United States. 3. Stanley was born with a birth defect in his right ear, preventing him to hear in his right ear. As a result, it was difficult for him to identify the direction of the sound and to understand speech in situations of large noise. Stanley underwent surgery to repair the defect only when he was 30, about ten years after founding "Kiss." 4. Despite the hearing problem, Stanley grew up listening to classical music with his parents. He especially admired Beethoven. Stanley would later become an opera buff. 5. He was only exposed to rock music at a later stage. He mainly listened to those he watched on television such as: Eddie Cochran, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and later "The Beatles" "The Rolling Stones", Bob Dylan , and more. 6. He got his first guitar when he was 7. By the time he reached bar mitzvah at age (13), he already got a more professional guitar. 7. Stanley was discovered in his youth as having graphic talent. He loved to paint and his parents enrolled him in the New York " High School of Music & Art ", from which he graduated in 1970. 8. Despite his talent as a painter Stanley eventually chose music, forming a local band called "Rainbow" (not that of Ritchie Blackmore ). He would write the songs "Firehouse" and "Let Me Know" during his high school years. 9. Later, Stanley will move on to the bands "Uncle Joe" and "Post War Baby Boom", but his first serious band will be "Wicked Lester", where he will also meet his musical partner Gene Simmons . 10. The band recorded an album in 1972, but it eventually did not release (excerpts from it will appear in a box released by "Kiss" in 2001). 11. Simmons and Stanley decided to form a new band and they caught an ad published by drummer Peter Criss on August 31, 1972, in which he stated that he was looking for a band that played original material in a soft and heavy rock style. 12. After Peter Chris joined the band, on December 14, 1972, Stanley published a newspaper ad about a band looking for a guitarist. One of the respondents to the ad was Ace Frehley whose look initially frightened the band, but his playing immediately captivated them. (Photo: Fanart.TV) 13. The quartet immediately started working on their debut album, when earlier Stanley decided to change his name from Stanley Bert Eisen to Paul Stanley, inspired by two singers he loved: Paul McCartney and Paul Rodgers . 14. Stanley was the one who coined the band name "KISS", while driving around New York with Gene Simmons and Peter Criss. Criss mentioned that he was in a band called "Lips" and Stanley said what if we called ours "KISS"? 15. The quartet's first live show was held on January 30, 1973, at a small festival in Queens, New York. The band appears with makeup, but not the iconic comic book characters we know today. 16. The first appearance with the mythological comic figures was held on March 9, 1973, when Paul Stanley takes on the character of "The Starchild" with a drawing of a star in his right eye. 17. It is interesting to note that in the years 73-74 and for a short time, Stanley changed his character to the "Bandit", with makeup in the style of the "Lone Ranger" masks. 18. In March 1973 the band recorded a demo tape with 5 tracks together with the legendary producer Eddie Kramer. This recording will help them sign their first recording contractת with the " Casablanca Records " label. 19. The debut album bearing the name of the band "Kiss" was released on February 18, 1974, when most of the material was written by Stanley and Simmons back in the time of their previous band "Wicked Lester". Stanley shared the lead vocals with Simmons on most of the album's songs and in addition, played guitar. 20. Stanley has been a part of all 20 studio albums released by "Kiss" since then and is one of the two main songwriters of the band. During the 1980s at a time when the band took off its makeup, Stanley was the leading force behind the band. 21. He noted that he wrote the song "Hard Luck Woman", taken from the album "Rock and Roll Over" released in 1976, for Rod Stewart , however, Kiss it is not clear if the song was offered to Rod and what was his reaction. 22. Stanley's first solo album was released on September 18, 1978, on the same day the other three members of the band released theirs, all under the brand name "KISS". 23. Since then he has released one more solo album called "Live to Win" in 2006. The theme song from it appeared in an episode of " South Park " called "Make Love, Not Warcraft". 24. His first work as a songwriter outside of "KISS", was a song co-written with Desmond Child called "The Fight", which appeared on Desmond and his band's 1979 album. 25. Paul is known as a huge and energetic performer. During the show, he does not skip on various gimmicks, including breaking his guitars. During a tour of the United States and Europe in 1976, Paul smashed no less than 205 guitars. 26. In 2015, Paul formed the 10-member "Paul Stanley's Soul Station". It's a side band playing cover versions of the artists Stanley grew up on. They released their first album "Now and Then" in 2021. 27. Stanley noted that his inspiration for the song "Shandi" from the 1980 album "Unmasked", came after he listened to the cover version of "The Holies" for the song "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" by Bruce Springsteen : 28. In 2006 Stanley was inducted into the Long Island Hall of Fame. 29. In 2008 Paul won the "Classic Rock Awards" Showman of the Year. 30. "Hit Parader" magazine ranked him 18th on the list of the 100 best metal singers of all time. 31. A survey of Gibson.com magazine readers ranked him 13th on the list of top 25 singers. 32. In 2014 he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with "KISS". 33. Stanley was the last person to play the "Phantom" character in the Toronto Phantom Opera production. 34. Paul Stanley is also a painter who earns millions of dollars from the sale of his paintings. 35. For years he received offers from Playgirl magazine to be photographed naked, but he never had the courage. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On January 20, 1982, Ozzy Osbourne bites off the head of a bat that was thrown onto the stage during a performance at " Des Moines ", Iowa, as part of a tour to promote the album " Diary of a Madman ". (Photo: Image: Retna Ltd.) Extreme acts were not uncommon for the "Prince of Darkness," but one case that occurred in 1981 was probably the "founding event" that was the trigger for the "bat incident." Ozzy came to a meeting with CBS executives, to sign a recording contract. He carried two doves hidden under his coat, with the good intentions of releasing them after the signing ceremony. But then something went wrong. Ozzy was so "high" that when he felt the PR woman present at the meeting was not nice to him, he forgot the original plan, pulled one of the doves out of his pocket, and bit her head just to silence her. He repeated the shocking act with the other dove spitting their heads on The table to the sound of the PR woman's screams. This event was publicized in the media and made waves, not least thanks to Don Arden - Osborne's manager (Sharon Osborne's father), who thought the matter would help boost Ozzy's solo career. Following that, Osborne's fans began throwing objects and plastic dolls of animals at the stage, during his performances. Ozzy cooperated and bit them to the applause of the audience. This became a regular occurrence during the "Prince of Darkness" live performances, but on January 20, 1982, something was still different. A 17-year-old fan named Mark Neal threw a dead bat carcass on the stage. It fell at Ozzy's feet and he thought it was a rubber toy again. He put the head of the bat in his mouth and bit it very hard. But this time Ozzy immediately felt that something was wrong. He noted that after the bite his mouth filled with hot liquid that had a terrible aftertaste. He said he felt his head twitching inside his mouth and then realized he bit a real bat. Ozzy wrote about the historic event in his book "I Am Ozzy": "Immediately, though, something felt wrong. Very wrong. For a start, my mouth was instantly full of this warm, gloopy liquid, with the worst aftertaste you could ever imagine. I could feel it staining my teeth and running down my chin. Then the head in my mouth twitched. Oh fuck me, I thought. I didn't just go and eat a fucking bat, did I?" By the way, Neal said the bat had been dead for some time and had begun decaying, but Ozzy has always insisted that it was alive. It does not really change the severity of the incident, as immediately after Ozzy was rushed to the hospital to receive a series of shots against rabies. This horrific event did not bring about a change in the extreme behavior of Ozzy, who about a month later, on February 19, 1982, was arrested for urinating at the Alamo Memorial in Texas and later sniffed a long line of ants. Years later Ozzy mentioned that mentioning this event in almost every interview with him, really pissed him off, but one can not ignore the fact that he also very much enjoyed it, as evidently, the live album " Speak of the Devil " released several months after the incident, included a photo of him with liquid Blood-like in his mouth with a drawing of a bat over his head. What’s more, even today Osborne continues to sell bat dolls with a removable heads in his memorabilia store. This pleasure will cost you less than 100 NIS. This insane incident has garnered a host of jokes and mentions, one of which included a guest appearance of Ozzy Osborne, himself, in Adam Sandler's 2000 film "Little Nickey": "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

A Sneak Peek... ... Did you know? Guitarist Tony Iommi wanted to record a sequel to the masterful reunion album " 13 ", but Geezer Butler and singer Ozzy Osbourne objected ... On January 20, 2016, "Black Sabbath" released what at the moment considered it's last piece of musical material. The EP with the binding name "The End"! This mini-album features eight songs. The first half consists of four new songs destined to be included on the sequel to the album “ 13 ”, released three years earlier, with the second half featuring tracks recorded live during the band's tour between 2013 and 2014. The one accompanying Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osbourne on drums is Brad Wilk , known from "Rage Against The Machine" and "Audioslave", which also played on the album " 13 ". During the recordings of the album " 13 ", guitarist Tony Iommi wrote a large number of riffs that were intended for the sequel album, which he asked to start working on immediately after the recordings for the album " 13 " were completed. However, bassist Geezer Butler and singer Ozzy Osbourne refused to record another album, on the grounds that it would delay the long-planned tour. As is well known, eventually the idea for another album was shelved and the new material, along with excerpts from the band performances, were released as part of the EP which as its name implies, as of this moment, symbolizes the end of this mighty band. Although the four original songs on the album do not equal the level of the bombshells we received on " 13 ", they certainly show that this band had a lot more to give, so it is a pity that this small project did not eventually become a full album. If we had to pick the best of the four tracks, it would probably be "Take Me Home", which just sounded to us like an outtake from the album " Sabbath Bloody Sabbath ". This mini-album was sold as part of the "The End Tour" tour, exclusively and is not even found on the various streaming services. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 20.01.1978 “Winding your way down on Baker Street, Light in your head and dead on your feet, Well, another crazy day, You’ll drink the night away, And forget about everything… And when you wake up, it’s a new morning, The sun is shining, it’s a new morning, And you’re going, you’re going home.” In 1975, after three studio albums, the Scottish folk rock band "Stealers Wheel" broke up. The split was already a done deal even before the release of their final album, due to management problems and growing disagreements between the band’s two central members, Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty. Rafferty, who had released his first solo album back in 1971, spent three years following the breakup in 1975 unable to release new material, due to unresolved disputes over the remaining contractual recording obligations tied to "Stealers Wheel". “Everybody was suing each other, so I spent a lot of time on the overnight train from Glasgow to London for meetings with lawyers,” Rafferty recalled.“ I knew a guy who lived in a little flat off Baker Street. We'd sit and chat or play guitar there through the night.” Out of the distress and loneliness he felt, Rafferty’s biggest hit " Baker Street " was born. The song ends with the light seen at the end of the tunnel and later became part of Rafferty’s second solo album, fittingly titled "City to City", released on January 20, 1978. Rafferty also drew inspiration for "Baker Street"  from "The Outsider" by Colin Wilson, a book that explores ideas of alienation and creativity, driven by the longing to feel connected to society. Rafferty openly admitted that alienation was a theme that occupied him throughout many of his songs over the years. Gerry Rafferty  was born in April 1947 in Paisley, Scotland, into a working class Irish Catholic family. Both his father and grandfather worked as coal miners. He grew up on Irish and Scottish folk songs, something that can clearly be heard in the opening of the album " The Ark .“ My father was Irish, so growing up in Paisley I was hearing all these songs when I was two or three. Songs like 'She Moves Through the Fair', which my mother sings beautifully. And a whole suite of Irish traditional songs and Scots traditional songs,” Rafferty recalled. He was educated at St Mirin’s Academy, and later worked in a butcher shop, as a civil service clerk, and in a shoe store. Beyond Irish and Scottish folk music, he was deeply influenced by "The Beatles" and Bob Dylan . Early on, Rafferty collaborated with his future "Stealers Wheel" bandmate Joe Egan in a group called Maverix, which performed covers of "The Beatles" and "The Rolling Stones". In 1969, he became the third member of the folk rock band "The Humblebums", with whom he recorded two albums. Shortly after the band’s breakup, he released a solo album, and not long after that reunited with his childhood friend Joe Egan to form Stealers Wheel, whose song " Stuck in the Middle with You " became their biggest hit. Toward the final part of 1977, after finally managing to free himself from the contractual obligations tied to Stealers Wheel, Rafferty entered the studio with producer Hugh Murphy. The remarkable Scottish songwriter lays his soul bare for all to see on this album, writing openly about his love for his family in "City to City"  and "Mattie’s Rag" , the latter dedicated to his daughter Martha, as well as "Right Down the Line" , which he wrote for his wife. Beyond the personal themes, the album is filled with music and melody that feel deeply intertwined, packed with special moments such as the piano and backing vocals at the opening of "Whatever’s Written in Your Heart" , the harmonica on "City to City" , and above all, the unforgettable saxophone riff by Raphael Ravenscroft, alongside the chilling bass line played by Gary Taylor on "Baker Street" . For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

A Sneak Peek... And this time, a band that bought the rights to an entire movie in order to avoid paying royalties for a video clip they released. On January 20, 1989, the video clip for the song "One" by "Metallica", was premiered. This is the first video the band has made during it's career and it was filmed in Long Beach California. The video, which is mostly in black and white, features dialogues and scenes from the 1971 cult film "Johnny Got His Gun," based on a 1939 book of the same name. This is an anti-war film with poignant pacifist messages. "Metallica" hired two filmmakers who created the video clip, based on the film. The clip created an "earthquake" in the music world at the time and conquered the MTV screen becaming one of the popular clips in those days. The intensities that pass through the song were shakily interwoven with the terrifying sights from the film and just could not be ignored. This is the first song that nominated Metallica for the Grammy Award, not least thanks to this video clip. It even brought them to perform at the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989, where they eventually lost the prise. Read more about it here:" Metallica Vs. Jethro Tull ". But what's more interesting is that in order to continue showing the clip without having to pay royalties to the creators of the original "Johnny Got His Gun" film, the members of "Metallica" simply acquired all the rights to the film. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Today we are going to tell you some interesting facts about Meat Loaf. (Photo: Lynn Goldsmith) Meat Loaf was born Marvin Lee Aday in Dallas Texas on September 27, 1947. He was the only son of his mother - a teacher and gospel singer and his father a policeman who eventually set up a business selling cough syrup. His mother died of cancer when he was a child and his alcoholic father continued to raise him. He had a difficult childhood, on one occasion when his father was drunk he even tried to stab him with a knife. Already in high school, his acting and singing talent was evident, when he appeared in local school productions. When he reached conscription age he was so determined to avoid joining the army, so he deliberately gained about 30kg in a month in an attempt to become unfit for conscription. It did not help him that much. The army sent him his conscription notice two weeks later. His first band was called "Meat Loaf Soul", they served as a warm up-act for many well-known artists, including Ted Nugent, "The Who" and "The Stooges". He became famous following his performance in the 1975 cult film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". Later in 1977 he released one of the best-selling albums of all time - "Bat Out of Hell", which sold over 40 million copies worldwide. This album will become a trilogy when in 1993 and 2006 Meat Loaf will release the sequels. The album ranks third on the list of best-selling albums of all time. It has been on the UK Albums Chart for no less than 474 weeks and still sells about 200,000 copies a year. In addition to appearing in "The Rocky Movie Show," Meat Loaf has appeared in about 50 other films, including iconic films such as: "Wayne's World" from 1992, "Fight Club" from 1999, "Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny" and more. Although he is called Meat Loaf he is vegetarian. He changed his diet for health reasons in the 80s. In 1993 he won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo, for the song "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" In his last years, he had difficulty in performing and reaching high notes, due to back problems that caused him severe pain. Meat Loaf has released throughout his career 12 studio albums, with sales of over 80 million copies. He passed away on January 20, 2022, at 74 years old, with his wife Deborah Gillespie by his side. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 20.01.1975 Short stories turn into songs, especially when they come from one of the greatest storytellers of modern music. The early 1970s brought a series of diverse albums by Bob Dylan , with uneven quality. “What is this shit?” asked Greil Marcus, music critic for Rolling Stone  magazine, in response to Dylan’s tenth album, "Self Portrait". The double album included only a handful of new songs and was poorly received even by Dylan’s most loyal fans. Later that same year, Dylan rebounded with "New Morning", an album widely marked as a return to proper Dylan form. In 1972, he composed the soundtrack for Sam Peckinpah’s film "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid", and also appeared in the movie as a supporting actor, playing one of the gang members. One song from the soundtrack, "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" , went on to receive dozens of cover versions over the years, left a far greater impression than the film itself, and became one of the defining classics of American rock music. After his contract with "Columbia Records" expired, Dylan signed with David Geffen and his newly founded label "Asylum Records". He recorded the album "Planet Waves" together with members of "The Band", while simultaneously rehearsing for an upcoming tour. In January 1974, Dylan and "The Band" launched a highly publicized coast-to-coast North American tour. Promoter Bill Graham claimed that the number of people seeking tickets was the highest he had ever seen. The tour was documented on the live album "Before the Flood". Following the tour, it was reported in the media that Bob Dylan and his wife Sara had separated. Dylan filled three small notebooks with songs about relationships and marital struggles, which eventually became his fifteenth album, "Blood on the Tracks", released on January 20, 1975. In his 2004 memoir, Dylan stated that the songs had no connection to his personal life and were instead inspired by the short stories of Anton Chekhov. His son, Jakob Dylan, leader of "The Wallflowers", was later quoted as believing that the album was in fact about his parents. Another key influence was artist Norman Raeben, whose 1974 painting workshop guide gave Dylan a new perspective and helped him connect his mind, hand, and eye together, allowing him to consciously do what he had previously felt only on a subconscious level. When informed of the album’s popularity, Dylan told Mary Travers in a radio interview in April 1975: “A lot of people tell me they enjoyed that album. It's hard for me to relate to people enjoying that kind of pain.” Dylan does seem to acknowledge the autobiographical nature of parts of the album, such as in "Simple Twist of Fate" , which he introduced as “a simple love story that happened to me.” The song describes a one-night encounter in a hotel called the Waterfall. Dylan explores the thoughts of both the man and the woman, as she leaves to wander the docks shortly after the night of passion ends. He also shifts the song’s point of view from first person to third person, sometimes within the same verse. In a 1978 interview, responding to interpretations that the album functioned as a personal confession and that "Tangled Up in Blue"  was based on his relationship with Sara, Dylan said, “There might be some little part ... me confessing anything.” This aligns closely with the concept he absorbed from Norman Raeben. The song does deal with his wife Sara, describing how they split up on a dark sad night by the docks, something that likely did happen. The remarkable thing is that Dylan usually does not expose his emotions at all. But here, it is as if he wrote his feelings on a sign and held it up for the world to see. The lyrics are exceptionally deep and profoundly poetic. In songs like "You're a Big Girl Now" , "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" , and "If You See Her, Say Hello" , Bob Dylan  struggles to balance emotional maturity with the need to let go, all while being haunted by what might have been. Melancholy gives way to bitterness in "Idiot Wind" , an almost eight-minute lament in which a resentful Dylan develops anger and a sense of vengeance toward the lover who destroyed their shared love. In "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts" , we encounter cinematic Dylan, delivering an upbeat country ballad that depicts a single night in the lives of outlaws, a diamond mine owner, and cabaret performers in an Old West town. In "Shelter from the Storm" , Dylan reflects on visions of a former great love who once offered him refuge from the constant storm that life presents. But as with many of the songs on the album, unconditional love eventually gives way to regret, as the two lose each other. After all the confessions and remorse comes "Buckets of Rain" , which closes the album with Dylan looking forward rather than dwelling on heartbreak. Accompanied only by his acoustic guitar and a bass, Dylan presents love in uncomplicated terms. He describes the effort required to find it amid the bleakness of everyday life and the reality of friendships that drift apart. The words are simple yet carry profound depth and meaning, as he sings: “Friends will come, friends will go / If you want me, honey, I’ll be here.” The album cover features a profile portrait of Bob Dylan looking to the left. The image was photographed by Paul Till. Till explained that the photo was taken with a telephoto lens during a performance at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto on January 10, 1974. When developing the photograph, he solarized the image and then hand-colored it using watercolors. For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website