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In the nearly four years since The Wake Of Magellan,
a lot has transpired in the Savatage camp. First, the band
made an amicable split from Atlantic Records, (remarkably)
their US label since 1985's Power Of The Night, and
signed with Nuclear Blast. Next came the departure of guitarist
Al Pitrelli, who had, after years of hired-gun band-hopping,
made Savatage his home for more than five years. But, alas
the call was heard from the Marty Freidman-less Megadeth,
and Al did go, saving the once mighty Mustaine-machine from
the brink of alt-pop oblivion in the process. Next came
the somewhat unexpected announcement from Zack Stevens that
he, too, was jumping the Sava-ship. What remained was a
stripped-down version of the Terror from Tampa, led once
again by its patriarch, Jon Oliva with longtime cohort Chris
Caffery the lone axe-slinger.
With Mentor/Producer/Co-writer/Zookeeper Paul O'Neill,
the band entered New York's Soundtracks Studios with renewed
purpose. What has resulted is not the ultra-heavy, straight-ahead
power metal monster (think Dr. Butcher) that some expected,
nor the slightly overblown theater-metal of recent efforts,
but a very cool hybrid of the two that recalls the past
while continuing to blaze new paths in modern progressive
metal. While not a concept album in the true sense, Poets
And Madmen is loosely based on a story penned by O'Neill
and included in the liner notes. The story itself is deliberately
vague and is something of a riddle, although it lacks enough
real depth or relevance to make one actually care about
solving it. (What the hell is up with the pseudo-Polaroid
of a bikini-clad blonde? And what about the car keys?) Approximately
four seconds into the disc, however, the weak premise is
all but forgotten as the speakers slowly smolder with the
piano and power chord intro to "Stay With Me Awhile,"
with Oliva doing his best Zack Stevens-does-Jon Oliva. Talk
about coming full circle! It's a testament to the talents
of Mr. Oliva that the band still sounds uniquely like Savatage,
regardless of the various personnel changes the line-up
has endured since the tragic death of Jon's brother, founding
guitarist Criss Oliva, in 1993.
"There In The Silence" kicks off with, of all
things, a synthesizer riff, before the rest of the band
crashes the party and kicks it up a notch or three. Shades
of vintage 'Tage color this tune with Caffery proving beyond
any doubt that he is the rightful wielder of Excalibur.
A haunting, signature Jon Oliva piano introduces "Commissar,"
an epic in the vein of "Chance," "One Child"
and "The Wake of Magellan." O'Neill's influence
is apparent here in the neo-classical pomp and HUGE gang
harmony vocals, until Caffery muscles in with a classic
Sava-riff that has been somewhat MIA on the band's recent
records. When he finally opens fire over said classic riff,
it's all a fan could hope for and then some. Chris Caffery
is one of the best guitarists in this genre and it's time
he got the recognition he deserves. A major guitar magazine
feature on the guitarists of Savatage is long overdue. (Hey,
Guitar World, give me six or seven pages and I'll write
the damn thing gratis!).
Next is the doom-cruncher "I Seek Power," a musical
wrecking ball that sees Jon phase out of Zack mode momentarily
and relive some of the glass-gargling glory of his earlier
efforts. The ending of this song is pure metal bliss and
I guarantee you'll be hitting rewind the second it's over!
"Drive" is a catchy, uptempo track with cool harmony
vocals that will coax the metal singer out of everyone that
hears it. Caffery's lead break is superb as he displays
some very impressive speed-picking and some of the most
slithery legato this side of Ritchie Blackmore. The ten-minute
centerpiece "Morphine Child" follows with one
of the most infectious riffs these ears have heard in a
long time. This track has something to satisfy every Savatage
fan as it weaves from Oliva's melancholy piano and vocal
to balls-out rifforama with their latter day trademark million-man
singalong sandwiched between. Oh, and Caffery's guitar doesn't
exactly grow mold on this track, either. The guy just plain
smokes!
"The Rumor" begins with the surprising strum
of acoustic guitar as the song's beleaguered narrator questions
Jesus Christ about the state of mankind: "Jesus, would you
then come down from your cross, return every nail and say
we are lost?" Not for the faint-hearted, no siree! The rhythm
section of drummer Jeff Plate and mainstay bassist Johnny
Lee Middleton (most likely the bastard child of Geezer Butler)
is the engine that propels the steamroller called "Man
In The Mirror" and woe to those who would stand in
their way! This is metal the way God intended: Dark... epic...
heavy... kicking up the dust from the bottom of your soul
and sending adrenaline raging through your veins!
"Surrender" comes woven with the kind of somber
melody that could render the lyrics unnecessary, that is,
if they weren't so thought provoking: "When in your life
did you surrender, late in the night do you remember, what
were the dreams that you betrayed then, would you go back
if you could save them now?" This mournful tone gives way
to a bludgeoning crunchfest that again reeks of the band's
earlier work. "Awaken" continues this trend, conjuring
such classic tracks as "Beyond The Doors Of The Dark"
and "Jesus Saves."
For years, Savatage lyrics have had an uncommon duality
in that they are usually part of an elaborate story, yet
remain poignant and self-inclusive when detached from the
whole. This can certainly be said about the introspective
closing track, "Back to a Reason." Oliva is in
fine vocal form here. Hell, this guy could sing the ingredients
on a Doritos bag and leave you scrambling to reassess your
life by the sheer conviction and sincerity of his delivery.
Although O'Neill has authored most, if not all, of the group's
lyrics since Streets, I often wonder if his muse
is Jon Oliva himself.
This album marks another turning point in the unpredictable
career of this exceptional band. Like Lynyrd Skynyrd and
Def Leppard, they have managed to rise from the depths of
tragedy to soar high on the wings of perseverance. And somewhere
in Headbanger Heaven, you just know there's an angel with
a white Charvel watching it all with a smile.
Shred Pick: "Morphine Child"
Reviewed by Chris
Yancik
Click
here to buy Savatage - Poets And Madmen from
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