Part 5 – Madness Reigns...
Released September 28, 1987
Recorded Record Plant, New York City
Genre Heavy metal, power metal, progressive metal
Length 40:07
Label Atlantic
Producer Paul O'Neill, Savatage
Track listing
Side one
1. "24 Hours Ago" Jon Oliva, Criss Oliva, Johnny Lee Middleton, Paul O'Neill 4:56
2. "Beyond the Doors of the Dark" J. Oliva 5:07
3. "Legions" C. Oliva, J. Oliva 4:57
4. "Strange Wings" C. Oliva, J. Oliva, O'Neill 3:45
Side two
5. "Prelude to Madness" (Instrumental) Edvard Grieg, C. Oliva, O'Neill 3:13
6. "Hall of the Mountain King" C. Oliva, J. Oliva, Middleton, O'Neill 5:35
7. "The Price You Pay" C. Oliva, J. Oliva, Steve Wacholz 3:51
8. "White Witch" C. Oliva, J. Oliva 3:21
9. "Last Dawn" (Instrumental) C. Oliva 1:07
10. "Devastation" C. Oliva, J. Oliva 3:37
Band members
Jon Oliva – "The Grit" (lead vocals, piano)
Criss Oliva – "The Crunch" (guitars)
Johnny Lee Middleton – "The Thunder" (bass guitar, backing vocals)
Steve Wacholz – "The Cannons" (drums, percussion)
Additional musicians
Robert Kinkel – keyboards
Ray Gillen – backing vocals on "Strange Wings"
Chris Caffery – guitars (touring band member only)
Production
Paul O'Neill – producer, arrangements with Savatage
James A. Ball – engineer
Joe Henahan – assistant engineer
Jack Skinner – mastering at Sterling Sound, New York
To say Savatage found themselves in a bad spot after the disaster that was
Fight for the Rock would be an understatement. While the album certainly had it's merits, the critics had been scathing and the fans extremely vocal in their disappointment of the record. Savatage had made a vain effort to appeal to a wider audience, and it had backfired spectacularly. Jon Oliva in particular took the negative reaction to the album rather hard, descending into new depths of drug and alcohol abuse. The band had made a gross miscalculation, and, for the first time in their careers, they found themselves uncertain as to how they should proceed, if they were to continue to exist at all. With two consecutive under-performing releases, Atlantic had already decided to drop the band. Savatage came very close to folding in 1986, to become just another footnote in the history of heavy metal.
What stopped the premature implosion of the band was the intervention of a man named Paul O'Neill. Paul was fresh off the success of producing Aerosmith's
Classics I when he was introduced to Savatage and was immediately blown away by the talent apparent in the band, particularly that of the Oliva brothers. He would later go on to state that Jon was (and still is) the best singer he had ever worked with, Jon's formidable four octave range matched by an uncanny ability to morph his voice to produce different “characters” like a cartoon voice actor. Paul was further impressed by Criss' ability to shred so fast and yet still retain a masterful command of melody and emotion. As it happened, Paul met Savatage right when Jon and Criss had decided to throw in the towel. The band had been screwed over badly by their management during the
Fight for the Rock era, having lost millions of dollars and been driven into debt by thousands more. When Jon and Criss agreed, with some reluctance, to give Savatage another shot, one crucial corollary was that Paul needed to pay off their debts for them to get them back on their feet with a fresh start. Paul payed off the debts for the band, but in return, he stipulated that he wanted to do more then merely produce Savatage; he wanted to write with them as well.
Jon and Criss were initially somewhat taken aback by the notion of writing with an outsider, and it would only be after much time and effort that they would learn to trust Paul's judgment and songwriting prowess. Throughout the course of writing the album that would eventually become
Hall of the Mountain King, the Oliva's would continually balk at Paul's suggestions, such as incorporating classical music into Savatage's unique brand of heavy metal, only to later become convinced of the brilliance of Paul's ideas. Compared to the albums he would later produce with the band, Paul's influence on
Hall of the Mountain King was relatively subtle. However, the scale of the impact Paul's writing and ideas had on the development of Savatage cannot be understated. Beyond simply getting the band back on their feet, he would be instrumental in opening up Savatage to musical elements that they had otherwise been unwilling to incorporate into their music.
Paul would much later say that what he wanted to do with Savatage was create the world's first progressive metal band. Savatage's exact status in the history of what later became progressive metal is somewhat debatable. However, it cannot be denied that Paul did indeed bring an element of progressiveness to the band on
Hall of the Mountain King before which they had never possessed. Above all, though, Paul was a man who dreamed big, and had ambitions to match. From this moment onward, Savatage's albums would have a scale and scope that would dwarf not only their previous works, but also those of many of their contemporaries. Even on
Hall of the Mountain King, where Paul's vision, and the touch of his influence, was relatively modest, Savatage now brought forth a sound that was bigger then anything they had ever done before, both in the production, as well as in the songwriting. Before Paul O'Neill, Savatage had been content to be a fairly typical 80's heavy metal band, albeit one with some rather unique quirks. There would be nothing typical about Savatage once Paul became involved. He would push the band into new territory from which they had previously shied away, or perhaps not even considered. The result was a new form of metal that was entirely their own.
Compared to the albums that would follow,
Hall of the Mountain King was still a straight forward, balls to the wall 80's metal record. The Broadway influenced ballads and rock operas for which the band would later become famous were still in the future. Even so, from the very start of the opening track, “24 Hours Ago,” it becomes rather obvious that this is not quite the Savatage that made
Sirens or
Power of the Night. Every album that band had done up to this point had opened with the record's title track, and all those songs had been reasonably straight forward metal tracks. “24 Hours Ago,” in addition to not being the title cut of the album, is not exactly the simple and direct type of heavy metal that had opened all of the Savatage records thus far. The song is composed of odd rhythms and a start-and-stop tempo. Jon Oliva shrieks and his brother Criss shreds much as before, but overall, this song is something unheard of before for Savatage, something less blunt then their previous works and far more obtuse. Despite the jarring pace of the song, it is, in it's own way, strangely catchy. The track also features something that would become a signature of the O'Neill era; an extended, fast paced ride-out, replete with some masterful Criss Oliva licks. The second video from the album would be made for this song, a rather strange choice for a single, even if the song is altogether rather memorable.
The next track, “Beyond the Doors of the Dark”, opens with Jon exploring the full range of his voice over a haunting acoustic melody before exploding into a fast, crunching riff and some of Jon's siren's wails. Compared to “24 Hours Ago,” this song is a bit more like the Savatage we had come to know by 1987, but the songwriting is still somehow different. In many ways, it feel like Savatage have loosed up, willing to try new things and have some fun with their music. In other ways, though, the band sounds tighter. Criss, Middleton and Wacholz play their aggressive riffs in prefect synch with clockwork like precision, while Jon's screams are a bit more carefully placed, each shriek serving a purpose. This is a very well matured Savatage, one that has taken their talent for playing balls out metal and is now using it to craft expertly individualized songs. There is a level of care put into these tracks that the band simply didn't have before, and to hear Savatage like this is rapidly intoxicating.
Middleton gets the pleasure of opening up the next song, “Legions”, with a groovy thumbing bass riff while Criss layers on some particularly atmospheric guitar licks before Jon's shrieks bring the song into a thunderous pace. The riffs in this song are especially satisfying, the band again working in perfectly aligned precision. Criss gives one of his most inspiring solos on the album in this song, his shredding driven forward by a building, inexorable pace. Jon settles in for a bit more lower register work on this one, and proves that he is just as good in his lower octaves as he is belting it out at the top of his lungs. “Legions” displays a Savatage with an all new sense of subtlety that belies the sinister nature of the track, making it just as effective as the likes of, say, “City Beneath the Surface”.
The following song is the album's most typically 80's metal sounding track, one that would not sound out of place on a record by Scorpions. Yet despite being fairly familiar in style given the time period, “Strange Wings” deserves no less respect then the songs that have come before it on the record. Indeed, if anything, it commands extra special attention then most of the other songs on the album. From beautiful and bewitching melodies in the verse to hard rocking riffs in chorus, this is one of
Hall of the Mountain King's stand out tracks, it's relative lack of overt heaviness making it no less moving. Surely, the highlight of song is Jon Oliva singing duets with Black Sabbath's Ray Gillian, trading vocals one off each-other, even as the song slowly fades into silence. If there is one flaw to “Strange Wings”, it is that the lengthy fade out leaves one wanting more, a mere three and a half minutes seeming unfairly short for such an excellent track. Given the commercially friendly nature of the song, it is amazing the band did not elect to make “Strange Wings” one of the singles or videos for the album. A sorely missed opportunity perhaps.
At the album's halfway point, we are treated to something with which fans of Savatage, and later Trans-Siberian Orchestra, would become familiar. “Prelude to Madness” is a heavy metal reworking of Edvard Greig's famous “Hall of the Mountain King” with a little bit of Gustav Holst's equally famous “Mars” in the beginning. The band works in tandem with heavy orchestration, courtesy of one Bob Kinkel, who would later play a significant role in both the future of Savatage as well as TSO. Criss Oliva proves that he is once again lord of the strings on this neoclassical metal masterpiece with such clean technique he could make Yngwie Malmsteen blush. While providing an excellent showcase for Criss considerable talents, “Prelude to Madness” is ultimately much more then a prelude to the beast of a song that follows, for this three minute instrumental is the very seed of Trans-Siberain Orchestra, sown amongst the fertile soil of
Hall of the Mountain King. While it would not fully bear fruit for almost a decade, the symphonic metal madness the band creates here would later form the basis of their most profitable project. The song is, aptly enough, a very accurate portent of things to come.
Once “Prelude to Madness” has completed fade-out, we are welcomed to one of the greatest metal riffs ever written before Criss Oliva shreds his way into the song that would, without question, become the band's signature track. The album's title cut and undeniable centrepiece, “Hall of the Mountain King” is most likely the reason many of us listen to Savatage. The thunderous roar of the song's instrumentals is capped by the best vocal performance yet given by Jon Oliva, one that is so defining of the unique combination of poet and madman that he is, it would later provide the basis for his nickname, “The Mountain King”. This behemoth of a song, with it's immediately recognizable riffs and wondrously crafted vocal hooks takes the listener into a sword and sorcery lyrical world that, with it's deep and foreboding choir vocals, is a commanding invitation for crowd participation. The track takes a new turn after the second chorus, with some of Jon's most impressive vocal acrobatics of his entire career before Criss takes over the spotlight, treating us to what would become one of the most definitive of his solos. “Hall of the Mountain King” ultimately climaxes amid awe-inspiring bombast before slipping away silently into the night with a ghostly acoustic coda, leaving one to bask in the presence of genuine metal godhood. The sheer excellence of this song, combined with an admittedly cheesy yet unapologetically metal video, would finally put Savatage on the map thanks so some heavy rotation on MTV's metal program,
Headbangers Ball. It would become a staple of Savatage live shows ever since, particularly as an encore. Not enough can be said about how critical this song was to the career of Savatage, so suffice to say that, for a good many metal heads, this
is Savatage.
After being graced by what was surely heavy metal divinity, the next song, “The Price You Pay” sees Savatage taking on a slower, more mid-paced rocker. Again, it's primarily the Oliva brother's in the spotlight here, with Jon shifting back and forth between gentle whispers and high-pitched screams, and Criss providing his ever sublime riffage and licks. “The Price You Pay” ultimately serves as a bit of a breather between the mammoth title track and the full-on metal onslaught that follows by way of “White Witch.” This next track, very much cut from the same cloth as older rapid fire Savatage songs like “Washed Out” from
Power of the Night, is a headbanger's dream come true, if perhaps a bit repetitive. Nevertheless, the band still makes it highly enjoyable. Doc in particular has a ball on this track, with a relentless double bass drum assault to the ears that is possibly the most aggressive performance he has given yet in the band's discography.
“Last Dawn” acts as another breather track between more hard hitting compositions. Short, but very sweet, with some highly proficient Spanish guitar work somewhat reminiscent of then contemporary Metallica, it, much like “Prelude to Madness”, serves as an opener to a much heavier track. No sooner has “Last Dawn” ended before Wacholz's thumbing bass drums herald a new riffage assault from Criss. This final track on the album “Devastation”, sees Jon weaving apocalyptic visions with his signature screeches and screams. The band closes out this monstrous album with all guns blazing, each and every member giving their all before ending their most ambitious album to date.
There was another song recorded as a demo that did not make it's way onto the final album. "This is Where You Should Be" is a Jon Oliva ballad that traces it's origins as far back as an old Avatar song called "Walk Upon the Water". It's a fine song with a very nice solo by Criss, but it would have sounded completely out of place on
Hall of the Mountain King, and probably would have been more naturally suited to
Fight for the Rock. The song would later resurface on the limited edition of the the 1995 best-of compilation,
From the Gutter to the Stage. It need not bear mentioning that
Hall of the Mountain King was a rousing success. Rescuing Savatage from oblivion, Paul helped the band to craft a masterpiece of a record that would resound throughout the ages as one of finest examples of the decade's heavy metal. It swiftly reassured the fans and critics who had feared the worst after
Fight for the Rock that Savatage was back in full force, and this time would take no prisoners. By way of the video for the monumental title track, Savatage would at long last reach the MTV masses they had long since coveted, and the band would enjoy a special place in the hearts of the
Headbanger's Ball faithful well into the 90's. Even more importantly, though,
Hall of the Mountain King would generate enough hype for the band to win them a spot opening for Dio and Megadeth out on tour. Given the fact that the music on this album was more complex then what Savatage had performed before, the band would expand their numbers with a fifth member, guitarist Chris Caffery from Heaven, another band with whom Paul had worked. Though only a rhythm guitarist at the time, and an off stage one at that, Caffery would, in time, become a permanent member of Savatage, and earn a place as Criss Oliva's protege, playing a crucial role in the history of Savatage years down the road.
For the moment, the Savatage fans would revel in the supreme excellence of
Hall of the Mountain King. But this album, while most certainly a heavy metal record, was not a full on return to the days of
Sirens and
The Dungeons are Calling. Savatage was a band forever changed. Paul had opened the doors to whole new worlds of music they had never even considered before. Their identity as a heavy metal band had seemed limited to a set box of ideas, but after
Hall of the Mountain King, the walls of that box would come tumbling down. While the album's title track is probably the song remembered most from this record, it would be “Prelude to Madness” that would ultimately serve as the strongest indicator of the band's, and also Paul's, intentions for further musical evolution. Far from being a return to form,
Hall of the Mountain King would mark the beginning of the band's glorious exploration of symphonic and progressive landscapes, the first in a series of records that would see Savatage transform themselves from a simple heavy metal band into something far more. But even given the scope of ambition present on this album, it is unlikely that anyone, not the fans, not the band members themselves, perhaps not even Paul, knew exactly where the future would take them...
Topic: The Savatage Discography - Result and cause... (Read 37167 times)
