GLOBAL WARNING

Ever since I first checked (and thoroughly enjoyed) Savatage, some years after they disbanded, I knew it was inevitable that I would come to listen to the band's spiritual successor, Jon Oliva's Pain. After the not-so-special experience I had listening to this latest album from this project of Jon's, Festival, I wasn't too excited about getting my hands on Global Warming.

However, as anyone would expect from a fanboy, under the right circumstances, he'll toss his reason aside and impulsively act, which was what happened when I found this at an inviting price range (coupled with the salesman insisting that this was better than Festival). It wasn't the smartest move I've ever done, I admit it, but I don't regret from it because, after all, Global Warming isn't really a bad album.

in spite of that, the album suffers from some of the same problems as Festival does, but to a lesser degree. Once more, it feels that Jon Oliva, although amounting great compositions with Savatage, has come to a point in his career that people assume that, no matter what he thinks or does, will always be acceptable to put out and market as an opus compared to his previous works. Everybody knows it doesn't work like that, people who work creatively need to be challenged in order to really outdo themselves, to really be able to do what they are supposed to do: be creative. However, for some time now, Jon Oliva seems to not have enough people to challenge and question him creatively anymore, so all his compositions somewhat sound like something he has already done before. In Global Warming, at least, this generic feeling I have is restricted to his own compositions, unlike in Festival, where things were much more generic.

Extending the comparison with Festival for some few more words, the influences here are much more varied. There is still the feeling that you are listening to a worsened version of Savatage with touches of Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd, but here you can also hear Queen, blues, Rush and hard rock; furthermore, the compositions are more intricate and well constructed, even if they aren't quite special when put in perspective. His vocals are also better used/sung here; not that there is a huge difference from the 2010 album, but he chooses more carefully how and when to sing, what makes some slight but noticeable difference.

All in all, although Global Warming is indeed a better album than Festival, there isn't much anything quite special about this album either. This is what you would expect from an average progressive metal album, excepting the extraordinary instrumental virtuosi one would expect in this genre (which was never Savatage's focus anyway). Having no real surprises and being an enjoyable album, I believe that the most fitting rating would be three stars.

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