Savatage
Biography
Savatage formed in Florida in 1978 as Avatar, led by brothers Jon (vocals) and Criss (guitar) Oliva. They changed their name to Savatage in 1983, pursuing a strongly Judas Priest- and Iron Maiden-influenced style of metal. Their other members included Steve "Doc" Wacholz (drums) and Keith Collins (bass), who was later replaced by Johnny Lee Middleton. They meandered between basic metal and more commercial fare before adding second guitarist Chris Caffery and hitting their stride in 1990 with Gutter Ballet. The band showed a flair for intense, melodic hard rock, dramatic balladry, and elaborate, operatic concepts, which they pursued over their next few albums. Criss Oliva was killed in an auto accident in 1993; he was replaced by former Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick, but the new lineup was ill-received. Dead Winter Dead followed in 1995, and after a three-year absence Savatage returned with The Wake of Magellan. The Final Bell appeared in 2000, and Poets and Madmen followed it in 2001. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Selected Discography
The Wake Of Magellan
1998
Edge Of Thorns
1993
Streets: A Rock Opera
1991
Gutter Ballet
1989
Hall Of The Mountain King
1987
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Anyone who loves Savatage needs to get to a Trans-Siberi a n Orchestra show sometime. They don't dig into the old Savatage stuff too much, but TSO's stuff is great in its own right, and each show they will pull out a Savatage lick or two. Musical content aside, the show they put on is just phenomenal in its own right.
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Jon Oliva's Pain currently showcases Savatage songs on tour. Matt LaPorte is the closest thing to Criss Oliva that this world has to offer. Close your eyes and hear it for yourself. Check out their albums. This band is NO 'solo project'. 'Tage Mahal, Maniacle Renderings, Global Warning. You wont be disappointed . www.jonoliva . n e t
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Underrated band -- 'Streets' is one of the greatest albums ever and if you don't like 'Chance' from 'Handful of Rain', you don't have a pulse.
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They are aslo the members of a band called Trans Siberian Orchestra. I mean jut to let you all know.
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Doesn't get much better than these guys. So talented. The Death of Criss was a trajedy for his family and for metal music.
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Damn I love these guys ! Been around the block a few times too ! -found an old cassette by Savatage 1994? called 'handful of rain', kicks a** then just like now. Shamefully under-rated MASTERS, just like Fates Warning. Beeeeautiful stuff !!
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The guitar in Prelude to Madness vaporizes my brain and then condenses it into lasers which are shot into deep space. I love it when bands take classical music and electrify it, and Savatage and TSO are definately the masters of the art.
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SAVATAGE is awsome...one of the best bands ever. And TSO is just another testament to how talented these guys are.
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I remember these guys going way back to the late 70's as Avatar and them having a couple of tunes on the 95 YNF Pirate album back in Tampa Bay. Savatage was legendary and thier live shows were a way of life for alot of us in the area! Long live the 'Tage & R.I.P. Criss & Dawn.
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yes..."SAVAT A G E " my favorite band! "jon oliva's pain" criss & dawn oliva R.I.P.
i have all their cd's and alot of dvd's as well. i cannot wait for more "jon oliva's pain" to put out the next cd! i also have all of the trans siberian orchestra's i can't wait for "night castle" to be in the store. and "doctor butcher" "chris caffery" cd's |
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I love these guys - 'Hall of the Mountain King', 'Wake of Magellan', and 'Handful of Rain' are probably my favorites (why isn't Handful on here?) but except for the uninspired 'Fight For the Rock' it's all good. I really dislike concept albums because they generally buy consistency of theme with mediocrity, but by 'Wake of Magellan' Savatage was so good at it that I couldn't complain in the slightest.
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It surely wasn't all downhill after Criss's death. In fact, the sound quality and cohesiveness of song structure actually improved by leaps and bounds after Savatage re-tooled and reformed. The Wake of Magellan, Dead Winter Dead, Edge of Thorns...har d l y downhill. Sure there wasn't a guitarist since Criss that possessed his talent and expression, but to write off the rest of the material without him is absurd.
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Savatage 'hit their stride' with Power Of the Night followed by the masterwork Hall of the Mountain King. Everything after was downhill, especially after Criss Oliva's untimely death. Do yourself a favor and listen to the phenomenal guitar work on the early albums.
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Saw these guys in 1990 at their show in St. Pete Beach, FL. I was lucky enough to hang out with Criss and Jon before the show and Criss even invited my girlfriend and I to "smoke up" back stage and we talked guitar stuff for over an hour. I saw him again at a Ronnie James Dio show 2 months later, and he actually remembered my name which blew me away. What a great guy and amazing guitar player! Criss, you are very missed!
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Power of the Night is the ultimate metal record and wished it were here to add to my Stations. I loved it when I first heard it and love it today. Everything from the pile driving of "Washed Out" through the mystery of "In The Dream" - what could be better?
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Savatage! Don't forget to check out Zach Steven's band (produced and co-written by members of Savatage) Circle II Circle. It is good stuff! I do miss Savatage, all eras! I've been obsessed with Gutter Ballet for a few months now.
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Savatage, are bloody awesome. Jon Oliva has one of the best vocals I have ever heard, and I thought Criss was f-n awesome to, it's a damm shame that he got killed, he was vastly under rated as a guitar player, TSO & OLIVA'S PAIN & and later Savatage keep the flame burning. They left off Sirens their first full length LP, one of my all time faves, Hall of the Mountain King is also at the top.
A FAN TILL DEATH DO US PART. |
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These guys always blast me away when I hear them! Head Banging to Gutter Ballet at work now!
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Love them. I could always rock out with them. I'm glad to see another album came out in 2000. I didn't know that. I wish I knew them when they were playing active. What a concert that would have been. RIP Criss. Dawn I hope you're doing well.
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aroylance
check out john oliva's pain http://profi l e . m y s p a c e . c o m / i n d e x . c f m ? f u s e a c t i o n = u s e r . v i e w p r o f i l e & f r i e n d i d = 2 0 8 8 1 4 2 5 Cheers! |
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Any one wanting to get wowed, should check their 2nd album Hall of the Mountain King (Electric). Plus you guys are missing their Demo/Ep Sirens.
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Oh yea, Savatage is amazing! They constantly feed my passion for great metal and great music. Their songwriting skills are top-notch. When I was younger I used to say it was a mix between Black Sabbath and John Lennon. Not quite Sabbath, but I think the metaphor is still somewhat accurate.
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Brilliant in every way!!! Savatage isn't just another head banging band. These guys are some of the best artists and songwriters that have ever been around. If you took away their guitars and gave them a symphony, they would sell out the Met. Oh wait, that's TSO. We need another Savatage album now!!!
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listen to dr butcher john and chriss solo project this stuff is as good as any savatage record and i respect that they did not call it a savatage record
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Well, that is true. But considering that Johnny Lee Middleton is probably the only original member from when they started. Chris Caffery came back into the fold for Dead Winter Dead after he replaced Alex Skolnick who was with them during Handful of Rain. It is sad that Chris is gone and I don't think Jon Oliva is really back at a full time pace anymore since he has Jon Oliva's Pain...
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Without Savatage there would be no Trans-Siberi a n Orchestra... but maybe the image identifying the band on this page should be updated. that photo was from the Edge of Thorns era. Today the band is much different.
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