SAVATAGE

Released in 1995 (the clue's in the name of the album!), 'From the Gutter to the Stage' is a compilation album by progressive metal band Savatage, one of my all-time favourite groups.

I mention that little fact, because even though they've been one of my favourite bands for a long time, I find this compilation a bit of a mixed bag. Don't get me wrong, the songs are absolute bangers, but as is the case with any "best of" CD, firstly, they become dated over time, and secondly, there's always a case for songs that should have been included or excluded. And in this case, yeah, there's a number of songs I feel shouldn't have been left out, and likewise, there's some here that I feel take up the space of what otherwise could have been one of the 'Tage's main compositions.

There's a second disc, which I guess is some kind of "rare" tracks or something. But they've all since seen the light of day on the 2002 re-issues, or elsewhere, so listening back to it now, they're nothing new, and also, there's only four of them, which is kind of a waste of a disc! First world problems, I suppose.

Anyway, all negativity aside, this IS Savatage, and Savatage are awesome. You've got 'Edge of Thorns', 'Gutter Ballet', 'Hall of the Mountain King', 'Chance' and 'Power of the Night', all of which are absolutely fantastic tracks. So overall, this is a good disc to own, and certainly makes for a great introduction to newcomers, but ultimately, it's dated, and by this point there's better, more well-rounded compilations out there.

Released in 1995, 'Dead Winter Dead' saw a big shift in sound and style for Savatage, as well as a number of line-up changes that gave us what is arguably one of their strongest and most creative rosters, and would lead to the band forming (or joining) the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, a project that would very much parallel Savatage, but on a much, much bigger and commercially successful scale.

While Savatage had always dabbled in classical, theatrical and progressive elements within their music, 1994's 'Handful of Rain' had a sound more grounded in standard hard rock. However, with 'Dead?', the band once more tread into rock opera territory, with a big emphasis on orchestrations and "epic" compositions, and this is none-more evident than on huge crossover hit single 'Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)', a massive Christmas orchestral rock anthem, which also featured on 'Christmas Eve and Other Stories' by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Unfortunately, I do find some of the songs are pretty hit-or-miss, with a number of rather forgettable fillers popping up, but there are also a number of 'Tage classics, such as 'One Child', 'I Am', 'Doesn't Matter Anyway', 'Mozart and Madness', the aforementioned 'Christmas Eve', and the title track itself. But most importantly with this album, is that this version of Savatage, with six full-time members, would develop the style they've adapted here with their next two releases, which would, in my opinion, be their absolute masterpieces.

This was recorded at the same sessions that yielded Savatage's debut album, Sirens, which in practice means it's much of a piece with it (especially given the fairly tight schedule they were on). It's pretty engaging, but as with Sirens we don't really get that much of what would make Savatage truly stand out coming through here; they're still rooted in NWOBHM- ish trad metal, and the power metal and progressive elements that would eventually be hallmarks of their sound are mere whispers on the wind at this stage. Not bad, but anyone with a decent range of early 1980s metal in their collection has already heard plenty of stuff like this.

It's probably fair to say that Savatage hadn't quite developed the sound they are known for - power metal with progressive sensibilities - at the time they recorded their debut album. This and the Dungeons Are Calling EP were recorded in the same sessions, the band having been given an opportunity to get a few precious days of studio time in and deciding to get as much material on tape as they could without half-assing things to an unacceptable extent.

What you get here is fairly straightforward trad metal, with some notes of the fantastical and perhaps a pinch of NWOBHM influence to add spice. It's... fine. Really, it's not bad. The problem is that it rarely if ever rises above that standard; if you've heard much traditional heavy metal, you've heard a lot of stuff that sounds like this, and can probably name a dozen albums which give you more pleasure than this one at that - some of those may even be by Savatage.

In short, this is comprehensively OK-to-good, but there's little sign of what Savatage would become given time.

- Act I 1. Streets small intro and it starts, the riff, the voice, the typical rhythm, the progression of the soundtrack; Chris's solo captivating, doing the job and the return of Jon's cry; the atmosphere is calm, oppressive; Narration To Jesus Saves in a cluttered city interlude, cinematic that had not waited for the decade 2020; a video game sound in Urban flight 2. Jesus Saves arrives with its big hooves and its nails, an air worthy of a 'The Wall' in super turbo metallic mode; the choir and the orchestration with the bewitching guitars, the perfect solo as it should be and the finale which is declined in gospel 3. Tonight He Grins Again with the hit pad, the piano in wave and the grandiloquent air that we will find on the whole album; worthy of a concept album in heavy baroque opera mode from hardos; 4. Strange Reality with the typical metallic riff, on their old nervous productions, in the raw state; nervousness and crystalline solo, Steve abusing his drums; 5. A Little Too Far comes slowly, melancholic ballad worthy of the finale of 'The Wall', ah that's already two comparisons. An emotionally intense title due to the stripped-down piano 6. You're Alive for the COOPER interlude, fast, nervous, catchy rock that sets the place on fire in less than 2 minutes 7. Sammy and Tex follows, distorting with the voice and the electric riff; pure greasy US hard rock, a THIN LIZZY rhythm, a Dee SNIDER voice; a catchy sound that doesn't compromise; and already finished the first musical log.

- Act II 8. St. Patrick's begins the second on a solemn piano and vocal basis, not to write overwhelming; the grandiloquent rise with the guitar solo behind; the sound is clear, obvious, high and the choirs join the solo to amplify the emotion 9. Can You Hear Me Now for the latency of the song, the pads that slam all over the room, the raw vocals, the brutality and the finale that gives you the impression of living a good moment of real prog opera metal until Steve's last pad 10. New York City Don't Mean Nothin for the raw ballad with Floydian acoustics of 'Wish You'; it moves forward suddenly on a nervous and jerky hard rock like no other; the riff that hammers ears now, worthy of a concept opera 11. Ghost in the Ruins impalpable, between heavy southern rock and hard rock with hints of prog metal with the air, the keyboard in the distance and the progressive structure that makes them so different from other metal groups; when the metal settles and gives in voluptuousness, in contemplation like this guitar solo on another bassist with the space that goes with it; sophisticated hard rock that leaves you speechless in front of the deployed amalgam, final chorus redundant and aggressive 12. If I Go Away solemn piano intro, radio edit track, stadium, Olympian of course with the voice that looks at Alice COOPER or GUNS 'N' ROSES, in short aerial beauty, rock with its piano in the background giving in the emphasis, its guitar solo behind; crystalline piano return in outro 13. Agony and Ecstasy well summed up in the title where the musical oxymoron embodied between pleasure and distress provoked; the dirty riff that makes you pout, the vocal machine gun that sulfates at all costs; heavy metal energy with that little extra 14. Heal My Soul to take as a melancholic nursery rhyme interlude on a piano base, angelic choirs and solemnity with the air that rises to the sound of Jon, taking us by the throat 15. Somewhere in Time bis repetita with the piano entrance, QUEEN and STYX must have been enthroned on their bedside tables in the evenings before falling asleep; I recognize the show sound of a COOPER. From time to time despite the length we are still surprised by this melodic hold 16. Believe bis bis or how the duration of the first hour can wear out even the best prog metal; piano, high voice and consensual crescendic rise for the finale bringing us back to Olympus.

I remember when "Edge of Thorns" came out, instantly became my favorite Savatage record. It's not just a beautiful album but it is a unique chance to listen to both Zak Stevens's wonderful voice and the late Criss Oliva on guitars. Never happened again due to Criss' death..There are very eerie melodies along with beautiful piano playing from John Oliva who chose to step back from the vocaling front in, so new era beginning with this album. Stevens was a wonderful choice as the nature of his voice was totally different from John's, which gave a fresh feel to the band. Tons of amazing solos, superior lyrics, and outstanding production, and just one look at the beautiful artwork tells a lot. One of my favorite progressive metal albums ever!

Live album of early Savatage, featuring songs up through their Gutter Ballet album. It's pretty much a live greatest hits of their '80s music. Both Jon Oliva and Chris Oliva are performing their hearts out--vocals and guitar work are both intensely emotional. I never had the opportunity to see Savatage live. The closest I ever got was TSO's Beethoven's Last Night tour in March 2010. Or perhaps listening to this album is the closest I'll ever get.

My version of this album has two bonus tracks, most notably an acoustic version of "Stare Into The Sun," sung by Jon Oliva. The original was released on "Handful of Rain" in 1994 and was sung by Zak Stevens. This live album was released as a tribute to guitarist Criss Oliva, who died in 1993. Of course Jon Oliva had his brother in mind when he wrote and performed "Handful of Rain" and no doubt he also had him in mind when he recorded this version of "Stare Into The Sun."

I can't say I love all the songs here. As far as studio albums go, I don't care for most their '80s albums (the lone exception being their 1989 album "Gutter Ballet"). But there are several songs here that I do love. Their live versions of "Strange Wings," "Gutter Ballet," "When The Crowds Are Gone," "Sirens," and "Hall of the Mountain King" are all fantastic. There's so much energy here, so much emotion, so much excellent musicianship. A rare live album, in that it's an essential album for fans of the band. 4 stars.

26th January, 2022: Savatage - Streets (heavy metal, 1991)

One of those albums where my enjoyment of it comes with quite a few buts. I mean, it's a glam metal rock opera from 1991, if that doesn't start you off on bad note already. But there are just so many good melodies and riffs in this thing, both heavy and ballad, that you can look past the mediocre vocals, corny production, over-the-top solos and overall rubbish aesthetic. Oliva's voice has never been to my taste, but at least here he can find some bits of passion and intensity in the way he works melodic ideas, and honestly some of the hooks here get stuck in my head all the time. It also doesn't really have any filler - although some segments (read: the solos) meander a bit, every song has at least one or two great riffs or great musical moments. As far as glam metal operas go, this one is probably one of the best.

7.2 (6th listen)

Part of my listening diary from my facebook music blog - www.facebook.com/TheExoskeletalJunction

"The Wake Of Magellan" is the 10th full-length studio album by US power/heavy/progressive metal act Savatage. The album was released through Atlantic Records in September 1997 (not released until April 1998 in the US). It's the successor to "Dead Winter Dead" from 1995 and features the exact same lineup who recorded the predecessor. Just as the case was with "Dead Winter Dead (1995)", "The Wake Of Magellan" is a concept release with all tracks making up a story. It's essentially the story of an old Spanish sailor who sails his ship into the Atlantic ocean to die, but ends up saving a stowaway who has been thrown overboard from another ship, and his realization that all life is precious and that he should cherish his life instead of trying to commit suicide. It's slightly deeper than that though as the main story is based on two real life events: The murder of Irish reporter Veronica Guerin (murdered while fighting the drug trade in her homeland) and the Maersk Dubai incident where a captain threw three Romanian stowaways overboard in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.

"The Wake Of Magellan" is composed and structured much like you would imagine a heavy rock/metal Broadway musical would sound like. The two opening tracks "The Ocean" and "Welcome" are an almost arch typical Broadway musical show style opening, with the latter even featuring the lyric line: "Welcome to the Show". Ever since "Gutter Ballet (1989)" and especially "Streets: A Rock Opera (1991)", Savatage have incorporated more and more theatrical/musical style moments to their albums (on some albums more than on others) and it was almost inevitable that they would one day end up releasing an album like "The Wake Of Magellan".

It's of course no surprise that Savatage are able to pull off doing something like this with what sounds like a natural ease. They have always been incredibly skilled and clever composers and equally brilliant musicians. The album concept works pretty well and "The Wake Of Magellan" is a dynamic and varied listen. From quiet piano/vocal moments to bombastic keyboard laden heavy rock/metal, Savatage can do it all. Zachary Stevens has a powerful voice and he is able to sing both mellow and melodic and more raw and hard rocking with the same amount of conviction. Original lead vocalist/keyboard player Jon Oliva has a few lead vocal songs on the album, which he also did on the last couple of releases, and we're instantly reminded of how great a singer he was/is. Not to take too much away from Stevens, who is very talented and gifted singer with a great powerful voice, but Oliva is just a world class vocalist with a unique voice and singing style, and his performances on the early Savatage are not easily matched.

"The Wake Of Magellan" features a well sounding and detailed production, which suits the material well, and upon conclusion it's another high quality release by Savatage. While the album certainly has its heavy riffs and hard rocking rhythm sections, it's not Savatage most heavy release, and it's probably very much up to the ears that hear if the listener will be able to enjoy the theatrical/Broadway musical style direction the band have taken on the album. Personally I would have prefered a lot more raw and heavy moments to the mellow piano driven story telling sections/tracks, but that's a subjective view, and objectively seen "The Wake Of Magellan" is a high quality release and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is more than deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)

"Dead Winter Dead" is the 9th full-length studio album by US power/heavy/progressive metal act Savatage. The album was released through Atlantic Records in October 1995. It´s the successor to "Handful Of Rain" from 1994 and features a couple of lineup changes since the predecessor as guitarist Alex Skolnick has jumped ship, and has been replaced by a returning Chris Caffery (who performed with Savatage in the late 80s and also collaborated with Jon Oliva on the Doctor Butcher project) and former Alice Cooper guitarist Al Pitrelli. Drummer Steve Wacholz had in reality already left Savatage before the recording of "Handful Of Rain (1994)" although he is credited for playing on the album. On the tour supporting "Handful Of Rain (1994)", Jeff Plate was hired as the band´s drummer, and he makes his first studio album appearance on "Dead Winter Dead".

"Dead Winter Dead" is a concept release (their second concept release after "Streets" from 1991), taking place in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo during the Bosnian war in the period 1990 to 1994. The main characters of the story are a young Serbian man and a young muslim Bosnian girl, who during the story realise the terrors of war and that fighting each other won´t help them have the future they both dream of. The story also features other twists like the old man playing Mozart and Beethoven compositions on his cello in the town square while mortar shells rain down from the sky around him (ultimately killing him). A symbol of beauty destroyed by the ugliness of war.

Stylistically "Dead Winter Dead" is a dynamic and varied release. Everything from mellow ballad type passages, to power ballads, orchestral arrangements and musical style melodies and build-ups, choirs and counterpoint vocal parts, to the occasional harder edged US power/heavy metal track, are featured on the album. All arranged on the tracklist to accompany the storyline. The band are as always professional and well playing, and the two new guitarists do a great job throughout the album. Zachary Stevens sings most lead vocal parts, but Jon Oliva makes a return singing lead vocals on "I Am" and "Doesn´t Matter Anyway" as well as singing backing vocals on "Starlight". While Stevens is a powerful and skilled vocalist, it´s hard not to notice how much stronger the vocal part of the music becomes when Oliva sings. Stevens is a class act, but Oliva is in the world elite of metal singers, and that´s just hard to compete with.

"Dead Winter Dead" is a well produced album and features a mix where all details are clearly audible. So upon conclusion "Dead Winter Dead" is another high quality release by Savatage. It´s one of their most progressive releases in terms of diversity and compositional sophistication, but it´s also one of their least "metal" releases in terms of sheer heavy metal power, and the listener should brace themselves for a more musical style listening experience. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)