GUTTER BALLET

Savatage

Progressive Metal

4.02 | 217 ratings

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Alitare

Stagnation wasn't in Savatage's vocabulary.

No, this release proves if anything, that Savatage had a fire under their asses, and a muse inspiration in the newly acquired Paul O'Neill. The writing is deeper and more complex than was on Hall of the Mountain King, but a bit of the fire was lost in the transition.

Still some of the songs are part of the best Savatage ever released. The furious opener Of Rage and War kicks things into a violent and hateful gear. It is then cut short by a soft piano line. I still get goosebumps when I hear those few key strokes. This begins one of their most glorious moments. Gutter Ballet has it all. A dark and imagery laden atmosphere, powerful and emotional playing, a solo that is exciting, and lyrics that are well written. Possibly the album highlight.

No, next you've a delightful instrumental called Temptation Revelation. And When The Crowds Are Gone has the boys at their most sentimental and theatrical. With impassioned screams and a piano metal style melded brilliantly. Silk And Steel follows, and is quite restrained in its endeavor.

the album is not without its weak moments. She's In Love could be filler if it didn't rock so well. Still, the banal lyrics and overall painfully plain sound don't fit in well with the overall rich atmosphere Gutter Ballet is so steeped in. Hounds is an epic monster, as it crashes about with epic riffs closing their jaws around your ears. Led by another fantastic cut, The Unholy rips freshly.

Mentally Yours is a great song, but I feel it is weaker than the rest of the magnificent material. Ballad time commences, with Summer's Rain. This has the most emotionally stirring melodies of the entire disc. Thorazine Shuffle ends with a thick strutting bang.

In all, they delve deeper into their newly found piano metal, while being held back slightly by their classic heavy metal roots. Excellent album.

Best Moment - Gutter Ballet

Worst Moment - She's In Love

**** Menageries

Alitare | 4/5 | 2008-12-25

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