Crossfire (band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Crossfire


Img_capt =
Img_size = 250
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Tel-Aviv, Israel
Years_active = 2000–present
Label = Perris Records
Associated_acts = Orphaned Land
Mofa Ha'arnavot Shel Dr. Kasper
Stella Maris
Sexes
Edgend
Onion God
Azazel
URL = [http://www.crossfire.co.il/ Crossfire's Homepage]
Current_members = Jessy Bullet
Rami Salmon
Terry Taragano
A.C. Black
Past_members = Rikki Reckless
Sticky Stix
Avi Diamond
D.D. Sparks

Crossfire ( _he. קרוספייר) is a five-piece Glam metal band originating from Israel. The band was formed up in 2000 and is currently signed to Perris Records, in where they released their long awaited debut album "Dirty Games".
The band consists of Rami Salmon (Lead Vocals), Jessy Bullet (Guitars & Backing Vocals), Terry Taragano (Keyboards & Backing Vocals) and A.C. Black (Bass & Backing Vocals), after the recent departure of vocalist Rikki Reckless and drummer Sticky Stix.

The band states its influences as 80s Hard rock/Glam metal bands, including: Bon Jovi, early Guns N' Roses, Kiss, Whitesnake, Journey, early Def Leppard, Van Halen, Europe, Pantera and many more.

Additionally, all band members use faux stage names while touring and recording as a band. Names that will fit more the style of names of 80s Glam metal bands.

History

The band was formed in late 1999 by Haifa-native vocalist Rikki Reckless (originally Assaf Enav) and Rishon Le Zion-native guitarist Jessy Bullet (originally Gilad Pasternak), both fans of such Hard rock and Heavy metal acts as Skid Row, Journey, Judas Priest and Guns N' Roses, decided to form the first Israeli Glam metal/Rock band.
The band was later joined by drummer Avi Diamond who gigged with Jessy back in the Death metal band "Black Prophecy", a band they formed in school, at the age of 14.
Later, the band was also joined by keyboardist (and former drummer) Terry Taragano (originally Itay Taragano), and bassist D.D. Sparks (originally Nati Didee), who completed the original line-up of the band.

The band then started to gain popularity as they played with other notable Israeli artists, and even more popularity for their many tribute concerts for bands such as Guns N' Roses and Bon Jovi, in which Reckless's powerful vocals and Bullet's amazing guitar playing and techniques brought the 80s back, and made the band famous.

In 2004, the band released its first single "The King of Rock", which as for 2007, left out of the debut album, and probably won't make it to the second.
Same year, Sticky Stix (originally UV Havey) joined the band as the new drummer, after the departure of Avi Diamond, who was also a member of Israeli Death/Progressive metal band Orphaned Land.

In 2005, they performed along with Eurovision winner singer Izhar Cohen, two of his songs: "A-Ba-Ni-Bi" and "Ole Ole" in a medley, in the Israeli Eurovision pre-show. This medley was later released a single.
Additionally, in 2005, the band also performed in the Israeli Metalist Festival, along with Israeli metal bands such as Distorted and Betzefer and successful international acts such as Megadeth and Destruction.
The same year, the band also served as the opening act for former Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di'Anno in his show in Israel, as part of his solo tour.

In the same year, the band also recorded their debut album "Dirty Games" in several studios in Israel, and was later produced/remixed by record producer George Horn in Fantasty Studios in Los Angeles, California.
Since then, in 2006, the album was remixed by record producer Beau Hill, who previously worked with acts such as Alice Cooper, Ratt, Twisted Sister, Warrant and much more.
In September 2007, the band was officially signed by American record company - Perris Records, who released the same month the band's debut album, in a worldwide release.
Previously that year, Crossfire's long time bass player D.D. Sparks, in the middle of a GnR tribute, announced he's leaving the band and was replaced by current bass player A.C. Black (Originally Oren Ziv).Although being replaced, old drummer Avi Diamond's drum tracks and D.D. Sparks' bass lines were still used in the record.
Crossfire's second album is supposed to be released under the same label, who specializes in Glam metal acts and signed many other bands in the genre, such as L.A. Guns and Enuff Z'nuff.

Additionally, the band was about to release a DVD in September 2007, featuring both bits from their original material performance shows, and their tribute cover shows to Guns N' Roses and Bon Jovi, and cotributed cover versions of songs "Hallelujah" and "Ole Ole" to the compilation "Hallelujah Rocktime", a compilation of Hard rock versions to songs by Israeli composer Kobi Oshrat, which was released in February 2005.
Due to conflicts with the label releasing the DVD, the concert DVD is left currently unreleased.

On May 15, 2008, after a long hiatus of the band members, who haven't performed since the "Dirty Games" release party in September, guitarist Jessy Bullet officially announced that the band is still together and active but that for the good sake of the band, vocalist Rikki Reckless and drummer Sticky Stix will be leaving the band, though he promises they are still good friends and that it was a hard decision for everyone, but he believes it had to happen for the sake of the band. Bullet, Black and Stix are still performing together in Mofa Ha'arnavot Shel Dr. Kasper.
The new vocalist will be famed Israeli Hard rock vocalist Rami Salmon who is known for his recent role as the lead vocalist for Israeli Heavy metal veterans Stella Maris. Bullet also said that he and Salmon already started working on some new songs for the upcoming Crossfire releases, and that they may debut some of the new songs on their first show with the new line-up on June 19, 2008, which will be a rare unplugged show. [ [http://hydepark.hevre.co.il/topic.asp?topic_id=2411092&whichpage=1&forum_id=2083 הייד פארק - מרכז פורומים ישראלי | טוב אז הגיע הזמן ] ]
Crossfire's 2nd studio album is set to release somewhere in 2008 or 2009, depends on Bullet's new Glam/AOR project Sexes' album, which is set to release in early 2009.

In September 2008, it was announced that the band's drummer Sticky Six who was fired from the band along with singer Rikki Reckless in May this year, will return to the band as the drummer. Along with Stix, the band will start working and soon recording their second studio album and first with singer Rami Salmon.

Band Members

*Rami Salmon - lead vocals (2008–present)
*Jessy Bullet - lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals (2000–present)
*Terry Taragano - keyboards, backing vocals (2000–present)
*A.C. Black - bass, backing vocals (2006–present)
*Sticky Stix - drums (2004–2008, 2008–present)

Former Members

*Rikki Reckless - lead vocals, backing vocals (2000–2008)
*D.D. Sparks - bass (2000–2006)
*Avi Diamond - drums (2000–2004)

Discography

References

External links

* [http://www.crossfire.co.il/ Official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/crossfirebnd Official Crossfire Myspace Page]
* [http://www.metalist.co.il/interviewprivate.asp?id=76&lang=eng Metalist Israel article]
* [http://qube.co.il/ency_band.asp?e=2816&cat=47 The band's page in Qube]
* [http://www.myspace.com/jessybullet Jessy Bullet's Myspace Page]
* [http://www.myspace.com/rikkireckless Rikki Reckless's Myspace Page]
* [http://www.myspace.com/terrytaragano Terry Taragano's Myspace Page]
* [http://www.metalist.co.il/AlbumReviewPrivate.asp?id=781 "Dirty Games" Review (In Hebrew)]