It still hurts to see his personal pain splashed up all over here like this, though, even if he did it himself for his own TV show… Hashem yishmor.

To those who remember, and to those who don’t, about half a year ago, GodWrath’s singer Michal Eitan left the band. It hurt all of us here at the GodWrath camp but we knew how important it is to move on , and did a special show that featured many vocalists from famous Israeli Metal bands such as Eternal Grey, Phantom Pain, Prey for Nothing, Acropolis, Demented Sanity and Through Bleeding Eyes.

After this last show, we entered a very intense period of working in the background – On one hand, we kept working on new materials and “tightning the metal-machine”, and on the other hand kept on auditioning new singers, in a hope to find the fourth piece in our GodWrath puzzle.

After half a year’s break – we’re happy to announce our newest addition to the GodWrath family – Israel Soriano. Israel joined the band about 3 months ago, in which we kept working in the background and prepare ourselves to provide you with the best metal experience after all this time without a show. We’re extremely happy with him joining the family, and we’re sure you’ll be as well

Right now we’re still writing new materials and new songs, but for the time being you can still listen to our old debut E.P. “Immersed in Flames” (with Michal on vocals) on our Facebook page for free, while we’re working on new surprises for you which we’re sure you’re gonna love

And… after all the brain-fucking, We guess you want a show, right? Well, you won’t have to wait long. GodWrath will be the “surprise-band” on Metalling Ra’anana VII next Thursday (30.6) at Moadon HaMartef in Ra’anana. Ra’anan is our home turf with our home crowd and we couldn’t be happier to have GodWrath’s debut 2011 show there

We’re looking forward to headbanging with all of you next Thursday!
See ya all soon!

Check our our official site and our Facebook page.

Read it at Ov Metal or read it below….

By: Omer Barzilai | Date: 19/06/2011

Right under our ears, a new breed of bands has sprouted in the Israeli underground scene, such as SONNE ADAM (“Hater of Humanity”), which went against the tide and didn’t even dip in water, when it came to its musical direction. Until a few months ago, many didn’t know about this band, which began as a project by Davidov (guitar) and Dahan (vocals / bass), but then came the announcement that one of the biggest Metal labels, Century Media, will release its debut album in April. Without much information, we had to wait for “Transformation” to come out, and surprisingly, it wasn’t just another Death Metal album, but something that combined the sound and atmosphere of the early ’90s, with a dark and strange twist. So, to find out more about this duo, the album and their debut concert, we located Dahan and squeezed what we needed out of him.

OV: Hail and belated congratulations on your album’s release, and signing with Century Media. How do you feel about these achievements?

Salute and thanks for your kind words, Omer. What can I say… we’re pretty much overwhelmed! Every few days we get new pieces of information and ‘numbers’ that show us what’s going on with us as a band, it’s all good man. We try to as modest as possible.

OV: Don’t you find it a bit strange (or flattering) that a label such as Century Media, which normally deals with much bigger bands, signs an underground Death Metal band?

It is strange, and in some way we’re the ugly duckling in their roster – but there’s some logic behind it all. I guess we’re the answer to a large portion of metalheads that almost totally gave up on that label lately. Also, there are some signs of a big return of Oldschool Death Metal, and I guess they are simply placing their bets on us regarding this.

OV: Most of the Israeli Metalheads haven’t heard of SONNE ADAM until you signed with Century Media. So to them, can you tell us how the band was formed, what you’ve done so far, and how you actually made it to one of the world’s biggest Metal labels?

Me and Davidov started the project around late 2007. Three months later we recorded our first EP, named “The Sun Is Dead”. A year after we finished our second EP, “Armed With Hammers”, which was much more defined and is probably the first milestone as a band regarding our style and vision. We released some songs on MySpace and pretty much left them there without having any big plans whatsoever. We hoped to get signed, but really did nothing about that… no emails sent and no MySpace spamming.

The songs attracted some underground attention and soon after we got contacted by Philipp of Imperium Productions – a solid one-man underground label from Germany who focuses on Vinyls – and we signed a deal to release the two EP’s and a debut album, “Transformation”. The way we got signed to Century Media isn’t trivial – we didn’t send them demos or even contacted them. Philipp actually works in Century Media as his day job. After we finished the album he gave it to a few folks at work, to give it a spin and get some feedback (no business intentions) – I guess the reactions were pretty good as it eventually got us signed there (to be more precise, they simply bought the digital rights of the album from Imperium Productions, so the CD and MP3 versions are owned by Century Media now, but the vinyl from Imperium Productions). We lately added two new members, Steel and Mayer, so now we can perform live and hopefully the writing process will be more efficient.

OV: What is the idea behind a name such as SONNE ADAM and what stands behind it?

It sounds good and it fits the purpose. It’s not that we’re straight faced misanthropes who can’t sit in a public place (though to be frank, the chances you’ll see us outside are pretty slim), we simply thought about many names, but when this one popped up it was an immediate “Yes”.

OV: Let’s get to the new album, “Transformation”. What can you tell us about the main concept behind it?

This is not a concept album like let’s say “Them” by KING DIAMOND. The lyrics’ themes vary from our own thoughts and personal lives, but we’re using very dark metaphors that fit the musical side best.

OV: How was the recording process for you and with whom have you done the mixing and mastering process?

The studio experience was really good. We had much more knowledge than before and our general concept as a band was clearer. Eli Pikover was our studio master, recording and mixing the album. Later on we sent the album to Maor Appelbaum for mastering. Both of them did a fucking great job. Unfortunately, I don’t have many “spicy” stories to tell about the recording procedure. Maybe the most interesting thing was that we didn’t have too much money to spend on the whole deal, so we were on very strict times. The drums were recorded in perhaps 10 hours, vocals in 5, etc.

OV: Many of your fans heard of the “shelved” EP, “The Sun Is Dead”. Why did you decide to not release it eventually? How is it different from your latest material? Will it ever see the light of day?

It seems like this EP was recorded ages ago. It wasn’t released yet, because we got signed only after finishing the 2nd EP, which was more relevant and critical to release. It will be out on 7″ through Imperium Productions after this summer if all goes well, but people should take it for what it is – a very old experiment as a band. It has some of the characteristics of SONNE ADAM (and some good songs even), but it’s quite different from what people got to hear so far.

OV: Speaking of different material, are there any mutual musical and / or lyrical influences between SONNE ADAM, and Davidov’s Black Metal project TSORER?

TSORER is Davidov’s project which was active before starting SONNE ADAM. The lyrics on TSORER’s album “Return To Sodom” will never be released, so you won’t get a straight answer for that question, sorry. I totally recommend this album, seriously good Black Metal.

OV: SONNE ADAM is going to make its debut concert on June 24th. Why haven’t you performed so far?

We pretty much started as a two-man project… performing live wasn’t on the top of our list. Only after the album was ready things were starting to evolve to that area, probably faster than we expected. We already recruited new members (that hopefully will be a part of the writing process as well), Mayer and Steel. We chose them because they’re good and will probably be tolerable on tours and stuff. You know – the obvious reasons.

SONNE ADAM’ Full Lineup
OV: Why did you choose BARBARA as your support? Do you relate to them because they also consist of a duo?

That’s pretty funny man, no; we didn’t ask them because they’re a duo. They’re old and dark – we like that. Most people probably won’t agree, but we feel like BARBARA is closer to SONNE ADAM than most of the Metal bands around nowadays.

OV: While most Israeli Metal bands turn to more modern / core sound, you went the other way towards “oldschool”, where you basically stand alone. Why, in your opinion, is the situation like this in Israel?

Honestly, I don’t know, but be sure, that we didn’t choose our style in efforts to be different from anybody else here. If a new band will show up and play something similar to our stuff, I’ll be more than glad.

OV: One other thing about your album, the artwork is very unique. Who worked on it and how does it relate to the album’s message?

The album cover was made by Ofer “Pooz” Inbal, the guy who did the artwork for our EP “Armed With Hammers”. It was graphically enhanced by Davidov. The concept is taken from the title track, “Transformation” – which is roughly about a passage through flames, some sort of a test you need to pass in order to achieve a greater understanding. The puzzle is up for the viewer to solve.

OV: Apart from quite visible MORBID ANGEL and old PARADISE LOST influences, could you name a few other artists / bands that inspire you, or do you think that other people might find similarities to what you do?

We like many musical genres, some of them couldn’t be farther from Metal. It goes from let’s say DARKTHONE to horror film soundtracks from the 60′s and 70′s way into fucked up Qawwalis [a form of Sufi devotional music] from Pakistan. We are attracted to the occult and naturally to dark musical efforts from various places.

OV: What do you think about this “new wave” of Oldschool Death Metal in the vein of NECROS CHRISTOS and GRAVA MILASMA?

It’s great! I certainly hope it will go much beyond where it is right now. The “wave” didn’t arrive yet, but it looks promising. Seriously, it’s been years since the last time I wanted to look for new Death Metal bands and actually found something really good.

OV: Will you always aim your music and style towards a certain population of genre enthusiastic listeners, or might you consider doing something more accessible to a larger crowd?

Maybe a big part of our “success” was, because we never aimed our music to anyone? I doubt our music will develop into something consumable by the masses any day. Our home is in the underground, sure – but we never knocked on the doors of the underground and asked to come in. If we wanna do something totally different, it won’t be under the banner of SONNE ADAM.

OV: In conclusion, what are your plans for the future? New album? Tour? Something else?

This summer will probably be our busiest ever. We’re planning to tour Europe and write (and hopefully record) our 2nd album. Also as I mentioned, our 1st EP “The Sun Is Dead” will be out this autumn.

Read more…

MI: So describe LevYatan in your own words to someone who’s never heard it.

CB: A journey into the mystical sounds on a bed of almost Beatles sounding tunes. There’s some Jethro, Santana, and David Matthews with a hint of Led Zeppelin at times.

MI: Why did you get involved in it?

CB: I usually get into projects that I’m passionate about, and levYatan has been an artist that I’ve followed for a long time but didn’t really work artistically with until this latest release. He sent me the mix before it went to mastering to get my opinion. As soon as I put that CD on I was hooked. The visual scapes I pictured in my head based on the sounds I was hearing were a trip to say the least. I pitched the concept for the cover and he loved it.

MI: What have you worked on before and why did he send you the mix? How did he know about you?

CB: I’m an all-around artist. I work on branding for corporations, advertising, packaging, and web design. I’m also a singer -songwriter myself. Music is my true passion. I’m a distant relative of levYatan so that’s how he knows me, and he always sought my opinion in all his artistic endeavors. I’ve always given him insight and advice on direction and sound. But it was always from a distance. This is the first time I really got involved to create something artistically together. I flew out to LA, sat with him for days before arriving at the final concept which we shot in his pool

MI: What are the plans with LevYatan – what are the goals for the future?

CB: He’s an independent artist and as any there is a lot of struggle to get out there and be heard. My goal is to try and put it in the right hands, through people I know. I think people would love it if they just had a chance to hear it. I’d like to see him do a US tour this summer.

MI: Is there a real possibility of that at this point?

CB: Anything is possible. He could get signed by a super indie label that can tag him on to a few festivals and tours.

MI: Is that in the works or is that a maybe ?

CB: Both it’s in the works and it’s a maybe

MI: You’re living in Israel now – are you doing any work creatively together? If so, how?

CB: I’m living in Tel Aviv at the moment to try and advance my own artistic endeavors of music, art and acting. I hope to take up acting really soon and explore my expression in that form.

MI: Through what venues in Israel?

CB: Israel is a small country but I’m looking forward to using it as a launching pad.

MI: What is your musical background?

CB: Fortunately I come from a great heritage of music. My grandfather was a piytan (cantor) in Morocco who studied with the great David Bozaglo. My father followed suit somewhat but in the realm of rock n roll, or what he calls Moroccanroll. He was with a very successful group in the 70s called Les Variations. They toured with a lot of known bands from the time, namely The Who. But my father’s true passion was soul music, blues, music of the African-American experience. The soundtrack of my childhood is Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Sydney Bache…those artists and the music I came to discover and love as a teenager were the foundations to my own musical expression. I was in a band as an early teen which only lasted as long as school did. Once that was out I didn’t touch music seriously for years. Only 4 years ago my brother and I formed a band Rock Of David. We hooked up with another musical protégé from the Piamenta clan. His father, Yosi Piamenta is known as the Jewish Jimi Hendrix. Yuda, son of Yosi is a great guitar player and friend. We eventually decided to take a break as we wanted to try different things in music. I wanted less loud rock n’ roll, and go for what comes out of me best, soul. So I took up learning the guitar, and for the past year I’ve getting better at playing and the same time composing songs. I used to compose just from the mind before. Having an instrument really changed things for me. I wouldn’t say its better, it’s a just different way of composing that takes you in another direction.

MI: What’s the difference? Snd how did you put the songs down if you didn’t have an instrument?

CB:  The difference for me at least is that with the guitar there is more of a progression. This chord sounds good with that chord following it, and then singing a melody on top of it, where before I used to hum my tunes (mostly in the shower), and free flow into something. If I felt I had something I liked I would record it on my Iphone and then bring it to my guitar player and we’d work it and iron it out. Then write the lyrics. I guess in a way it was a more free way to compose. But the tradeoff I have with giving up some of that freedom is the consistency I have when writing music with an instrument. I don’t have to wait for the lightning bolt to hit me with a melody. I can play a few chords and listen to what the notes are saying.

MI: Cool! Do you have anything else on the horizon?

CB: I ‘m just opening my design studio and launched a site for it: hippush.com. It will be my basecamp for all future projects. I also have a fashion line in the works. I’m collaborating with a brilliant designer in Milan, Italy. Sarah Benchimol and I are working on a collection for men and women to hit stores in August. The line is called IMUZE and you can get more info about that on my site.

If you are neither a metalhead, nor Japanese, the name Marty Friedman could sound like the Jewish guy from next door. But if you like heavy metal music, the name Marty Friedman is very familiar. He is considered one of the best guitar players in the world, serving as lead guitarist with the Grammy Award nominated band Megadeth, and also known for his many side projects and solo career.
If you are Japanese, then the Friedman name is synonymous as Mr. Heavy Metal, the workaholic rock guitarist, with long curly hair, who last-but-not-least covers popular j-pop (Japanese pop) songs and turns them into instrumental heavy metal pieces.

Originally from Maryland, in the United States, Friedman performed in Israel for the third time on May 31. Friedman was born in 1962 and his musical career is more than impressive.

After playing lead guitar in lesser known bands, he founded Cacophony with fellow guitarist Jason Becker. His first of many solo albums, Dragon’s Kiss, was released in 1988. But the biggest milestone in his career was in 1989 when he became lead guitarist in the already world-famous thrash metal band, Megadeth, which played in Israel this year for the fourth time. Lead singer Dave Mustaine was born Jewish as well.

Friedman toured the world and recorded five studio albums with Megadeth including some of their best selling albums ever from 1990′s Rust in Peace until 1999′s Risk. To be the lead guitarist in such a strong band is the dream of every musician in the field, but Friedman wasn’t completely satisfied. In late 1999 he left to play different styles of music and to live in Japan.

After the move his career continued and developed quickly not only as a guitarist, but also as a producer and media personality. Friedman had his own TV show, which he hosted in fluent Japanese, called Rock Fujiyama. He has appeared often in local media, earning the nickname HebiMeta San, or Mr. Heavy Metal.

Always working on new projects in different styles, in recent years Friedman performed together even with j-pop, pop-punk and trance musicians. But don`t worry, in his solo albums he sticks with instrumental rock and metal, even when he is covering j-pop songs.

His new solo album, Bad D.N.A. was released in Japan in August last year. Friedman and his band started their European tour in April of 2011 with the Tel Aviv Reading 3 show as the final stage.
The organizer and producer of the concert was Yishai Swartz of Raven Music, who has brought many famous heavy metal acts to Israel and is expected to bring many more.

Reading 3 is a mid-sized club in the Tel Aviv port. The show opened with Hatikva, Israel’s national anthem, performed on electric guitar. It wasn`t a surprise because Friedman’s 2007 performance in Israel also opened with Hatikva. A YouTube video of the performance with the excited crowd singing along now has over 97,000 hits.

Friedman’s virtuoso guitar playing with unique techniques were as trademark as his long curly hair. His band was composed of extraordinary Japanese musicians. Although quite young, their musical professionalism, talent, enthusiasm and enormous motivation showed.

The drummer was exceptionally energetic and communicative, even though he only used gesture language, and quite a character. It seemed like he could easily become a leading actor in a traditional Japanese theater.

There was excellent cooperation between the legendary guitarist and his band. Despite performing with such intensity, the show came close to two hours. They played 24 songs including Thundermarch, a classic from Friedman’s first solo album, It’s the Unreal Thing, Elixir and a couple of j-pop covers such as Yuki no Hana from the Tokyo Jukebox. All of it was peformed with electric guitar and distortion. Even if the audience didn’t know the original songs from a totally difference genre, they still rocked.

During the intermission, Friedman talked about the Tsunami tragedy which is haunting Japan, and mentioned how much he loves Israel. It might be a given that a Jewish artist loves Israel, but today unfortunately is not so obvious. Some musicians have even refused to perform in Israel. To hear a performer stand on an Israeli stage and state his fondness for the country could be politeness, or empty words. But in recent years, “I love Israel” is definitely a statement.

It was announced months before on the Internet that Friedman was to conduct a jam session with a famous Israeli rock guitarist. After the finale, the band returned to the stage with Yossi “Sassi” Saharon, lead guitarist of Orphaned Land, the most well-known Israeli metal band abroad and one of the pioneers of the Middle Eastern metal genre. Saharon is also one of the best known metal personalities in Israel.
There are many famous Jewish rock musicians and entertainers in the world. Not as many come here to play. Even less consider moving to Israel. The Israeli music industry has certain shortcomings as well. There are certainly many underground genres which should have more appreciation, support and publicity. Many quality Israeli hard rock, metal, and alternative rock bands have recently earned success overseas: Orphaned Land is one, Salem is another. Israel can become attractive in this musical world as well.

The Marty Friedman show would have been great anywhere in the world, but to see such a quality musical group in Israel added some extra flavor. Plus the fact that Friedman is a Jewish and played Hatikva made the show quite special for the Israeli metal fan.

I love him.

GUNS N’ ROSES guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal was a special guest at SALEM’s May 6, 2011 concert at Reading 3 in Tel Aviv, Israel. The event commemorated the re-release of SALEM’s cult 1994 album “Kaddish” (originally released by Germany’s Morbid Records), an LP which represents the band’s personal dirge for the victims of the Holocaust during World War II.

Says Thal, ““Even though none of my immediate family was killed in the Holocaust, it’s something that speaks to every Jew. If it’s not the Holocaust, it’s the trauma of the Six Day War, and if it’s not that, it’s the f****** Inquisition. We all feel the sense on a holiday when a family gets together that the gathering would have included seven times as many people if certain events hadn’t happened. I think only Jews would understand that – only we get it.”

Marking Holocaust Remembrance Day loudly
By DAVID BRINN
04/30/2011 21:26

Israel’s veteran extreme metal band Salem will be performing their landmark 1994 concept album with special guest Guns & Roses guitarist Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal.

“I’m a third generation Holocaust survivor,” said Salem’s vocalist and leader Zeev Tannenbaum earlier this week, explaining how a doom metal band came to write and record the relentlessly aggressive album Kaddish, which after selling more than 100,000 copies worldwide in the years after its release, has just been reissued by the band.

“My father lost his whole family in the Shoah and escaped from Poland to Russia to Israel. I heard his stories all my childhood about what had occurred to his father and Kaddish was our desperate cry in memory of the horrors that happened to our families. By doing this album, we sent two important messages: We will never forget, and we are here to survive.”

Kaddish also featured the band’s first song in Hebrew – a version of “Ha’ayara Bo’eret” (“The small town is burning”), adapted from the Yiddish poem “S’brent” by Polish-Jewish poet Mordechai Gebirtig in 1938, written in response to a 1936 pogrom of Jews. The mix of metal and painful Holocaust imagery rustled enough feathers back home to prompt a debate in a Knesset committee over the appropriateness of death metal bands playing songs related to the Holocaust.

“[MK] Dov Shilansky tried to get our video clip banned and the record removed from stores, but I remember Shevah Weiss [a former Labor MK and Holocaust survivor] coming to our defense and defusing the situation,” said the 44-year-old Tannenbaum, by day a senior official at the Givatayim municipality.

“Some people were aghast that a metal band would have the nerve to relate to the Holocaust within a framework they usually associate with facism and violence.”

One person who had a different reaction to the album was Guns & Roses guitarist Ron Thal, who is coming to Israel to perform with Salem on May 6 at Tel Aviv’s Reading 3.

Yishai Sweartz of Raven Music, the record label which is re-releasing Kaddish, sent Thal the music in the hopes he would write a testimonial for the album.

Thal, born Ronald Jay Blumenthal wrote, “This is the most true-to-art doom metal album I’ve ever heard, completely capturing the horror of mankind’s utmost vulnerability to evil and self-destruction. Being someone who lost family to the Nazis in Poland, this album tore straight to my soul.”

Speaking to The Jerusalem Post last week after completing two seders with his family in New York in which he proudly “nailed ‘Ma Nishtana’,” Thal said that he was thrilled to be coming to Israel and to perform the songs on Kaddish with Salem.

“My family is originally from Lithuania and Poland and my grandparents got out in the late 1920s, but many of their relatives were killed. We have no record at all what happened to them,” said Thal, who joined Guns & Roses, one of the world’s top musical acts, in 2006.

“Even though none of my immediate family was killed in the Holocaust, it’s something that speaks to every Jew. If it’s not the Holocaust, it’s the trauma of the Six Day War, and if it’s not that, it’s the f****** Inquisition. We all feel the sense on a holiday when a family gets together that the gathering would have included seven times as many people if certain events hadn’t happened. I think only Jews would understand that – only we get it.”

AFTER ESTABLISHING an e-mail and Facebook relationship with Sweartz and then Tannenbaum, Thal was asked if he would be interested in coming to Israel to help Salem perform Kaddish during the week of Holocaust Remembrance Day. His response was immediate.

“I told them I’d love to be a part of something so meaningful. I was absolutely honored to be asked and I’m working hard to get the songs down exactly as the band does them. I want to do it right,” said Thal, who will be spending three days in Israel around the show with his wife.

Both Sweartz and Tannenbaum were surprised and delighted by Thal’s acceptance of their invitation.

“It’s amazing that during this time when people are calling for artists to boycott Israel, the guitarist for one of the biggest rock bands in the world is willing to fly here to perform with a local metal band for a sacred and important aim like this,” said Sweartz.

“It shows that idealism hasn’t disappeared from the world and that the subject of the Holocaust is of supreme importance to him.”

“It really touched me when he said he would come, I was so surprised” added Tannenbaum.

“Even though we live on opposite sides of the world, we still share the same loss and grief about the Holocaust.”

Tannenbaum also expressed satisfaction that Kaddish, which has been out of print for the last 13 years due to record company complications, will once again be available to fans.

“The rights to the album finally returned to us and we decided to rerelease it,” said Tannenbaum, adding that the music has been remastered at Sterling Sound in New York and features a new cover design and art created by the band’s guitarist, Nir Gutraiman.

Tannenbaum hinted that there would be “some surprises” at the show besides the performance of Kaddish, with Thal and Salem devising some other treats for the audience.

Thal, who enjoys a thriving side career away from Guns & Roses as a solo artist and producer, said that he manages to find projects that inspire him and makes time for them despite his main commitment to G&R.

“I definitely have more passion than time,” he said with a laugh.

“And I have a bad habit of taking on more than I can do and killing myself to get it done. It’s a tough juggling act and Gun & Roses is a big ball to juggle. Sometimes, there’s not a lot of prior notification of a tour coming together and I’ll have to shift around everything else that I’m doing while dealing with the one big ball.”

“But everything in life is doable, you figure out a way. If you want to accomplish something worthwhile, it’s going to take some pain.”

“Dr. Gore is a very intense individual, representing all those things you want to do in your darkest of dreams but can’t because they’re illegal, immoral or fattening. He doesn’t have those mental blocks. Dr. Gore is unhygienic, immoral, lecherous and unskilled. With a combination of magic and freak show stunts I combine the real with illusion, from drilling into my face with a power drill, to cutting a lady in half with a jigsaw, to ripping out a man’s heart or smashing his testicles off with a sledgehammer. My personal favorite is the teleporting exploding rabbit, and that is exactly what it says on the tin. Autopsies are not uncommon as well. I specialize in what power tools and instruments of cooking and torture can do to the body. However, this is all overlaid with sore rather dark and a little raunchy humour.”

Check this out.

MI: Roger?

VK: Hey. I prefer Viking though.

MI: Why Viking?

VK: It’s a name I picked up when I was 16 and it followed me through my life. Roger was a very different person.

MI: So please, do tell… why the alter ego? Why delve into the blood and guts, the mush and squish of things?

VK: I grew up in a totally Jewish community; my father was a well-known and respected rabbi. So I grew up in a religious world, Jewish schools, cheder, yeshiva, the lot. When I moved to Birmingham having lived in London and Manchester before then, I started in secondary school, having never really met non-Jews before. But very quickly it was obvious that the orthodox Jew was their target. I spent 10 years of fighting anti-Semitism on a very personal and very violent level. Because of my situation I trained very hard in some of the world’s most vicious arts and excelled (probably due to daily use). |Roger was the Jewish boy with a sheltered life. Viking was the man who walked through hell and came out fighting and taking all comers. If you understand that.

MI: I think so, though I’m not in your head. Is that why you have dual personalities in your magician personas?

VK: Maybe, I have always seen a division in my life, a dichotomy of religious and alternative, both important to me and yet very opposite. I have always lived a double life; couple that with a hobby of abnormal and criminal psychology. The idea came from there; however the Great Hoodunit is no more, officially fired by me so Dr. Gore could rule alone. Was actually a very emotional day for me, I fired myself and yet got a bigger role in my own show. It’s a weird feeling if you ever have the opportunity to officially fire yourself. In my case Dr. Gore is an official part of my company now.

MI: That sounds crazy! I know you’ve been ill – are you better now? Are you still putting on shows? And what is your company – I thought Dr. Gore WAS the official company.

VK: No, I’m still in recovery. I have multiple sclerosis, means I will occasionally have an attack then recover. This was my first but very violent, I’m looking at about a year before I can do stage. However I am able and am doing close up magic at the moment.

MI: OK I will get back to that – I hope you have a refuah sheleima b’karov. Why do you see religion and your other hobbies as a dichotomy?

VK: My website is about to have a serious overhaul so will let you know when fully updated. madnessandmagic.co.uk

MI: OK that’s great…

VK: I got into the punk and metal scene when i was about 13; I was the kid in studded leathers at the cheder, or eventually the long haired rocker who taught at the cheder. But why do I think it’s a dichotomy? Well at the cheder, I was hired because I was someone the kids could relate to, I did remedial Hebrew reading and I got top results, I was fired because i was alternative. The only reason I feel it’s a dichotomy is because I’m vary rarely accepted in UK communities because of my mode of dress. In Israel there was no comparison, I hooked up with the Carlebach crowd and I never looked back. There was my attitude in practice. Unfortunately they don’t exist in the UK. Here is very polarized in their thinking. I understand tattoos and piercings are against Jewish law, but I spent a very long time thinking about that very fact. But if that’s the worst I have done then I’m not doing too bad. My magic isn’t against Jewish law but there are issues when it comes to Shabbat, if I have to work then I do, if not I’m at home making Friday night dinner. There are many issues that crop up, nudity versus tzniut as an example.

MI: Ha I know all about those… but I picked religion first, over the metal… it sounds like you didn’t. Why (or why not)? And as far as I know piercings aren’t against the religion.

VK: Piercings are, the golden calf was made out of earrings. Men tore their own out, women refused and the men ripped theirs out, as of that men are forbidden to have their ears pierced. Women are allowed ears and nose,the rest of the body on both is a very grey area, but the ears are ruled on.

MI: BS. Men are allowed, it’s just a dumbass thing to do. Because it’s dressing like a slave, and some would say beged isha (which in that case it would be forbidden).

VK: No I checked it out, it’s true.

MI: MI: Are you serious? Where’s the source? Show me! it sounds like you’re trying to blend the dichotomy into something you can live with and be happy with yourself about…

VK: The source was in the instructions Aharon gave to the children of Israel for the makings of the golden calf. The other is yes from slavery but from a Jewish slave having their ear nailed to a doorpost because the ear that heard the 10 commandments forsakes them for the laws of man. These were all taught to me growing up, why i shouldn’t get earrings or tattoos, my father taught me a lot while we went to shul and as my social life grew the questions I asked did too.

MI: Well, tattoos are obvious, and I’m kind of surprised you got them. Why?

MI: (totally not judging you, it just seems incongruous)

VK: Most people did judge me without speaking to me, i lived on Golders Green Road in the middle of the Jewish community for nearly 2 years, and I still remember all the people who crossed the road just so they weren’t on the same side of the road as me. I’m trying to live amongst a community that does judge everything about me and at many times quite publically. You may get that impression because I have had to explain why I chose the alternative path and how Judaism fits in speech many times. The truth is I’m just me, I’m happy, I’m trying to improve myself on all sides but who isn’t? The other thing I’m trying to do is create a little understanding down here a slightly more open mind. I was overjoyed when Aish in London booked me to do 2 shows. Now that was fun because it felt totally in my element.

MI: Do you think you became less religious because of people judging you ?

VK: Here is the thing, in my father’s community people pretty much accepted me. I was a bit weird but that’s cool. I went to Israel – same there, came to London and I was made to feel like a pariah. So yes I walked away from everything. I mean would you want to be part of a community that didn’t want you? However, after my father died things changed, i started to get more religious and live a more orthodox life. I now spend my time in Stamford Hill (the Chasidic area. It’s the only place I feel welcome. I have always felt more at home round Chasidim.

MI: You can’t blame G-d for idiot people… it’s between you and Him, not the people. I’m glad you decided to come back more.

VK: Me too. Trust me. With all that’s going on, I really need His help.

MI: So be strong. Try to do more mitzvot. Don’t work on Shabbos!

VK: That’s business and with performance I will never be able to get away from that, it’s big gig nights. I did that, I wouldn’t be able to pay bills and eat. Joys of running your own company.

MI: Didn’t your father ever teach you that you lose any money you make on Shabbos?

VK: Yes, but he also told me that a man has to eat. The truth is I can’t really justify it except financially but I feel it’s necessary. The truth is I spent ages agonizing about working on Shabbat. When I spent 7 years as a doorman in London I tried for 3 years to keep Shabbat, but the truth was I couldn’t afford to so I worked. With performance is the same. Money is about the same as are the work hours and big nights. Although it did mean i got to work as head doorman or deputy head doorman of the clubs for the rich and famous. I got to work for a few big bands as their security.

MI: >shrug< Tell me about Dr. Gore, tell me about your show. What do you do there, for all the uninitiated?

VK: Dr. Gore is a very intense individual, representing all those things you want to do in your darkest of dreams but can’t because they’re illegal, immoral or fattening. He doesn’t have those mental blocks. Dr. Gore is unhygienic, immoral, lecherous and unskilled. With a combination of magic and freak show stunts I combine the real with illusion, from drilling into my face with a power drill, to cutting a lady in half with a jigsaw, to ripping out a man’s heart or smashing his testicles off with a sledgehammer. My personal favorite is the teleporting exploding rabbit, and that is exactly what it says on the tin. Autopsies are not uncommon as well. I specialize in what power tools and instruments of cooking and torture can do to the body. However, this is all overlaid with sore rather dark and a little raunchy humour.

MI: Gruesome!

VK: The teleporting exploding rabbit uses 2 microwaves with antennae (called teleporters) and a rabbit, the name explains the rest. I love the macabre always have. My mum loves to remind me that as a child when she was descaling fish I always wanted and did pull the eyeballs out.

MI: I eat ‘em Rosh Hashana.

VK: I don’t, I hate fish.

MI: is it a real rabbit?

VK: The only other thing to cover is the fact that we were banned from pre 9pm TV because we were too gory, ITV was fined 120,000 pounds for putting their viewers at risk as 26 children had nightmares. Our semifinal routine was stricken from all archives, Youtube, everywhere.

(AP) Kiss’ Israeli-born singer-musician Gene Simmons is shouting out loud at the string of musicians who refuse to perform in his homeland.

“They’re fools,” the legendary bassist told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday, on his first return to Israel since leaving the country as a child more than 50 years ago.

Simmons described the visit as a “homecoming.” He offered a description of himself that might shock his legions of fans who know him as an American icon prone to spitting blood and sticking out his exceptionally long tongue:

“I’m Israeli. I’m a stranger in America. I’m an outsider,” he said, speaking in a hotel lobby across a valley from the walls of Jerusalem’s historic Old City. “I was born here and I’m proud of it.”

Simmons had harsh words for musicians like Elvis Costello and the Pixies who have recently canceled concerts to protest Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians. Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters has gone further, joining an organized movement dedicated to boycotting Israel and its exports, though he appeared in Israel in 2006.

“The countries they should be boycotting are the same countries that the populations are rebelling,” he said. “People long to be free … And they sure as hell don’t want somebody who’s a ruler who hasn’t been elected by them.”

Simmons, 61, is visiting Israel as part of his reality show, “Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” which follows the adventures and musings of the rocker, his longtime girlfriend, Shannon Tweed, and their two children.

While situations on the show are generally lighthearted, he said his stop in Israel has deep personal significance. “Coming back to Israel is a homecoming,” he said.

Simmons was born Chaim Witz and spent his childhood in northern Israel before moving to America. The normally extravagant musician, known for his extended tongue, demonic makeup and stage pyrotechnics, grew subdued as he described his early life in the hardscrabble town of Tirat Carmel.

He recalled his father, a carpenter, taking his assault rifle and heading off to military service on weekends. He said his mother, a survivor of the Nazi Holocaust, taught him that “every day above ground is a good day.”

The family was “dirt poor,” scraping by on meager bread and milk rations available in what was then an underdeveloped country. He earned money by selling fruits he collected from cactuses.

Simmons moved with his mother to the United States when he was eight. Although he has climbed to the highest levels of the entertainment world and lives with a former Playboy Playmate of the Year in Beverly Hills, he said he still considers Israel his home.

Over the years, Simmons cultivated an extravagant personality, often boasting of his sexual conquests and his fortune and fame. While he did not hide his immigrant roots, they were never emphasized — but this appears to be changing in recent years.

Simmons, wearing dark sunglasses and black pants, shirt and blazer, laced the interview with Hebrew phrases. “Where were you born?” he asked in somewhat halting but serviceable Hebrew.

He made local headlines during Israel’s 2006 war against Lebanese guerrillas by sending a televised message to a wounded Israeli soldier, calling him a “hero.”

Simmons co-founded Kiss in the 1970s and became famous for wearing white and black face makeup, spitting fire and coughing up fake blood at sold-out performances. The group has sold some 100 million records, and four decades later, it remains one of the best-selling concert draws.

Simmons also presides over a business empire that includes his reality show, TV, game show and movie appearances, video games, books, comics and a Kiss credit card. His net worth is estimated to be in the tens, perhaps hundreds, of millions of dollars.

Simmons insisted that his busy schedule has been the only reason he never made it back to Israel before.

“America allowed me to climb the highest levels of success, and I never wanted to stop. When you reach the top, you can rest,” he said.

“I’ve reached the top.”

Read the completely different and awesome exclusive interview at The Jerusalem Post here.