Part 8 – And so we end the chapter...
Released April 2, 1993
Genre Progressive metal, power metal
Length 59:54
Label Atlantic
Producer Paul O'Neill
Jon Oliva
Criss Oliva
Tracklist
All songs by Criss Oliva, Jon Oliva and Paul O'Neill
1. "Edge of Thorns" 5:54
2. "He Carves His Stone" 4:14
3. "Lights Out" 3:10
4. "Skraggy's Tomb" 4:22
5. "Labyrinths" 1:29
6. "Follow Me" 5:08
7. "Exit Music" 3:05
8. "Degrees of Sanity" 4:36
9. "Conversation Piece" 4:10
10. "All That I Bleed" 4:41
11. "Damien" 3:53
12. "Miles Away" 5:06
13. "Sleep" 3:52
14. "Forever After" 4:20
15. "Shotgun Innocence" 3:30
Band members
Zachary Stevens – lead vocals
Criss Oliva – guitars
Johnny Lee Middleton – bass guitar
Steve "Doc" Wacholz – drums (electronic drums, studio only)
Additional musicians
Jon Oliva – Piano, Keyboards (studio only), drums on tracks 2 and 8
Andy James - drums (touring only)
Wes Garren - rhythm guitar and keys - (touring only)
A lead singer change-over is a daunting prospect for any band. Many who have attempted it have lost significant fractions of their fanbase as their long time followers find the change too difficult to stomach. There are a select few bands for whom such a risk has paid off (AC/DC, and Iron Maiden, at least the first time), and a few others for whom their new singer at least managed to create their own respected place in the band's history (such as Dio in Black Sabbath, or Sammy in Van Halen). But for many, introducing a new frontman has proven disastrous. With each person's voice being unique, a lead singer is something that cannot be easily replaced. The music is unavoidably effected, and whether it is for the better or the worse, for many fans, the change alone is enough to cause them to feel that their favourite band is no longer quite the same entity as it was before.
When Savatage wrapped up their
Streets tour in 1992, they found themselves in such a position. After more then a decade of bad habits, Jon Oliva's voice was trashed, and he was forced to step down from the mic or lose his voice forever. As if the band were not faced with enough concerns, while the world of rock in America underwent a significant paradigm shift, Savatage were now faced with the grim reality of finding a new lead singer, or risk losing valuable momentum at a time when it could not have been worse for them.
It can be said that in every misfortune, there is opportunity. For Savatage, the possible benefits of bringing in a new frontman were many. For one thing, it introduced the possibility of reaching a wider demographic that they had thus far been incapable of satisfying. Svatage by 1992 was successful enough, but they were still very much a cult band of limited appeal. Despite the strength of their musicianship and song writting, they remained firmly confined to their own unique little niche, and their reach rarely extended beyond the strongly metal viewership of
Headbanger's Ball, to which much of their airplay on MTV was limited. Even among the
Headbanger's Ball crowd, some of the more purist metal fans had become increasingly uncertain about the band's musical direction as Savatage dabbled in classical and rock opera in ever greater amounts on each successive album.
Converserly, while Jon Oliva was one of the best singers of his genre, he was very much a metal vocalist, and it can be argued that his voice was one of the main factors that prevented the band from appealing to a more mainstream audience. Furthermore, bringing on a new vocalist would give the band the possibility for a future expansion of their sound. For while he was officially “out” of Savatage, Jon Oliva remained very much involved in the band, as a songwriter, a keyboardist, and co-producer. Once Jon's voice was healed after about a year, Jon had every intention of returning to the band full time. The band subsequently did not want their new singer to just be a fill in for Jon, but to have his own, unique voice that would compliment Jon's once the Mountain King made his return and Savatage would feature two lead singers.
Streets had shown the band the limits of what they could do with only a single lead vocalist. To continue on their chosen musical direction, blending metal, classical and Broadway, and perhaps reap wider airplay in the process, the band needed a new frontman.
The young man chosen to be brought into Savatage was South Carolina-born Zak Stevens, formerly of the Boston based metal act Wykked Wytch, and hand picked by Jon Oliva himself. While he would later cite Geoff Tate of Queensryche as the man who made him want to be a metal singer, Zak had grown up primarily on blues and country, and these influences were unquestionably apparent in his vocals from the very beginning. Zak's Southern drawl lent a very distinctive angle to the sound of Savatage. Given the rising popularity of country music in the American mainstream at the time, the Southern roots of Zak's voice held the possibility of opening up Savatage to new fans. His smooth, smokey vocals were a far cry from Jon's harsh metal screams, so there would be no worries about their new singer being a mere Oliva clone. Zak's voice would stand on it's own, and not in the shadow of Jon Oliva, which was precisely what Paul and Savatage had wanted.
Musically speaking, the album that became
Edge of Thorns is not all that different from the records that had immediately preceded it,
Streets and
Gutter Ballet. All of the elements that Savatage had been developing since
Hall of the Mountain King are still very much present on
Edge of Thorns. The lack of a rock opera narrative this time perhaps makes the album most similar overall to
Gutter Ballet rather then
Streets, although there is much of the
Streets sound still present on
Edge of Thorns. Of course, this should hardly be surprising given that many of the riffs from the various unused songs that were written during the sessions for
Gutter Ballet and
Streets were used throughout
Edge of Thorns. The first record with Zak is somewhat more of a straight forward rock affair then
Streets was, although it was not a full 180 degree return to the unrepentant metal of
Hall of the Mountain King. What would really serve as a distinction between this new Savatage records and what had come before was Zak himself. With his voice being rather different from Jon's, he would lend an entirely new dimension to the music of Savatage that had never existed before. Many of the band's influences that had already been present in their music, particularly from the blues and gospel genres, had gone overlooked whilst Jon Oliva had been the singer. These sides of Savatage would now be brought to the fore thanks to Zak Stevens. Of course, the converse was true as well. While Zak was a fine metal singer, he was not one as much as Jon Oliva. Consequently, the band's metal elements, which had steadily become less and less prominent over the course of their careers, would be in eclipse further still. This would understandably upset some of the band's more metal fans, although the lack of a rock opera narrative would, to a certain extent, appease such fans who had disliked the inclusion of such concepts within Savatage's music. However, the downplaying of the band's metal elements would also serve to make the band more palatable to a non-metal crowd, who could now appreciate the sheer genius of their songwriting now that Zak had taken over the mic.
An ethereally beautiful piano melody opens up the album's first song and title track, quite possibly one of the strongest opening tracks ever placed on a record. The piano is joined by some awesome power chords before the main riff kicks in and we get our first taste of what exactly Zak Stevens has brought to the Savatage table. His voice, strong and yet smooth as silk, brings Savatage alive as they had never been before. The combination of Zak's voice with Jon's piano and Criss' guitar, all built upon the bed of incredible songwriting that the O'Neill/Oliva/Oliva triumvirate have long since perfected, creates a musical landscape that is enchanting beyond words. Criss Oliva is especially magnificent here, not only treating us to some majestic riffage, but also giving the best solo he ever wrote, his shredding regal and awe-inspiring beyond compare.
Much as “Hall of the Mountain King” would come to define the band as fronted by Jon Oliva, “Edge of Thorns” would be the signature song of the Zak Stevens era. Likewise, while the former had been the song to first break the band into a wide MTV audience, the later would finally give Savatage some long awaited radio airplay. “Edge of Thorns” even managed to crack into the top 40 in the US charts while the video would receive heavy rotation on MTV, even beyond the band's mainstay,
Headbanger's Ball. For the first time, Savatage would experience genuine mainstream interest in the US, catapulted to lofty heights by the success of “Edge of Thorns”. While “Hall of the Mountain King” still remains the band's signature song, “Edge of Thorns” would hold a special place in the hearts of later day Savatage fans, and would stay in live setlists for the remainder of their career.
After the incredible title track, we find a very
Streets-esque acoustic melody with Zak singing softly overhead before he ong explodes into an avalanche of heavy riffs. “He Carves his Stone” is one of the album's heavier tracks and was most likely written with Jon's voice in mind. Zak proves that he is more then capable of singing the band's metal material on this track, particularly in the fast-paced ride-out, his screams not as high as Jon's, but still piercing and forceful. This hard rocking attitude carries over to the next track, “Lights Out”. One of the most straight forward rock songs from the band's 1989-1993 period, “Lights Out” takes the listener on a high-octane all-metal ride, with Criss Oliva leading the way via some rather slick riffage and licks. Short but sweet, “Lights Out” is all round rock and roll fun, and an often overlooked track on Zak's Savatage debut. Some cork and drinking sound effects kick off the next song, another very
Streets sounding acoustic guitar section setting the mood before Savatage moves back into full metal mode on “Skraggy's Tomb”. Zak's more soulful influence are apparent here, his vocal work giving the song a very Southern rock grove that otherwise would have been absent had Jon been singing here instead. Once again, Criss Oliva proves he is a master of the strings as the song shifts between bone-crunching metal and haunting acoustic work before moving back into the metal again.
After “Skraggy's Tomb”, we get “Labyrinths”, the first Savatage instrumental since
Gutter Ballet's “Silk and Steel”. The song starts of with some delicate Jon Oliva keyboards before Criss' guitar kicks in, reprising some melodies that are highly reminiscent of “If I Go Away” from
Streets. The song ends with some neo-classical bombast, much like
Gutter Ballet's other instrumental “Temptation Revelation” before leading into one of the finest tracks to be found on
Edge of Thorns, “Follow Me”. Bouncing back and forth between soft and gentle balladry and theatrically melodic metal. Zak proves his versatility here, cooing softly over the acoustic guitar while he mournfully roars over the heavier parts. “Follow Me” gives us some of Savatage's most poignant lyrics to date, as well as the powerful music. That famous riff that first appeared as the ride-out from the
Gutter Ballet demo, “Stranger in the Dark”, and later used in the
Streets lost track, “Larry Elbows”, form the basis of the ride-out on “Follow Me”, the whole band firing on all cylinders as the song builds to a dramatic and bewitching climax. After the excitement of “Follow Me”, we are permitted a brief breather by way of another instrumental, “Exit Music”. Featuring Jon alone on keys, “Exit Music” gives us a moment to catch our breath and appreciate the beauty of melody that Savatage can weave when in a more mellow form.
A rather creepy acoustic intro sets up the next song, “Degrees of Sanity”. Hard hitting with some nice, crunchy riffs, “Degrees of Sanity” sounds much like another song that was originally intended for Jon, but Zak does him proud nonetheless. Again, though, the really hero here is Criss Oliva, and it has become apparent by now that
Edge of Thorns is truly Criss Oliva's finest hour, shredding all over the album with a prefect balance of youthful enthusiasm and mature artistry that should by all rights earn him a place in pantheon of guitar gods. The heavy strings are carried over onto the next track, “Conversations Piece”. A nice groove metal song with some rather curious lyrics, “Conversations Piece” nevertheless manages to satisfy the more metal side of Savatage. It should be noted that with Jon's stepping down from lead vocal duties,
Edge of Thorns marks the point when Paul O'Neill really stepped in as the band's primary (and later, sole) lyricist. Compared to Jon's somewhat more blunt lyricism, Paul's lyrics are significantly more poetic, if frequently esoteric.
Edge of Thorns thus sets another precedent that would continue on later albums as Paul's lyrics, which had begun to move to the fore on
Streets, begin to take centre stage on
Edge of Thorns, foreshadowing strongly the return to the rock opera format Savatage would ultimately pursue.
After “Conversations Piece”, we are given a strong foretaste of Trans-Siberian Orchestra on the following ballad, “All That I Bleed”. Once of the most moving and touching of Savatage's power ballads, “All That I Bleed” features all the best elements of the band, and demonstrates just how well Zak's voice suits the lighter and more melodic side of Savatage. The song's climax, full of pomp and bombast entirely worthy of TSO, fittingly pays homage to one of the band's primary influences, Queen, with Criss Oliva's solo being particularly Brian May-like. In later years, Savatage would perform “All That I Bleed” as a tribute of an entirely different so to Criss Oliva himself. We are then returned to more metal soundscapes with the hard rocking “Damien”. This song, lyrically about a rich man observing and contemplating a homeless child, demonstrates the seamless melding of metal and Broadway elements which Savatage have become so good at by 1993. While it is often and overlooked track form
Edge of Thorns, “Damien” nevertheless serves as a strong example of a song that is very uniquely Savatage, the type of song no other band could write.
Next we get the melodic “Miles Away”. Starting out with some gentle crooning by Zak over another masterful Criss Oliva acoustic riff, the song becomes one of the most upbeat tracks in the Savatage discography once the full band kicks in. “Miles Away” is also one of the more commercially friendly Savatage songs out there, and it is one of several tracks on
Edge of Thorns that cements this records reputation as Savatage's most accessible. Zak sings triumphantly as Criss shreds away and the band fires on all cylinders. “Miles Away” very much the sound of a band riding high on their own creative genius, enjoying for the moment just how far they have come, and how much farther they may still reach. “Miles Away” is followed by the acoustic ballad “Sleep”. Featuring only Criss' acoustic guitar and Zak's voice, “Sleep” is one of the more instantly catchy and memorable cuts off
Edge of Thorns. It is most likely for these qualities that “Sleep” was chosen to be the second video and single from the album, although sadly it would not receive the full promotion that it was due, and was largely forgotten in the wake of the tragedy that would follow...
The Japanese version of
Edge of Thorns features two additional tracks. The first, “Forever After”, features some nice groovy bass lines from Johnny Lee Middleton and wild riffing from Criss. Zak is especially aggressive on this track, which was most likely another written with Jon Oliva's voice in mind. “Forever After” lyrically demonstrates the band's social conscience about the environmental crisis that reach such high awareness in the 1990's, and similar themes of global awareness would become a hallmark of Savatage (as well as TSO and Jon Oliva's Pain) in later years. The second song, which closes out the Japanese edition, is the balls to the wall rocker, “Shotgun Innocence”. Fast paced and heavy, Zak's Southern musical influences once again come to the fore on this track, his blues drawl blending perfectly from the precision metal assault provided by Criss Oliva and co. The stronger of the two bonus tracks, “Shotgun Innocence” closes out the Japanese import in style, and thus brings to an end one of the most crucial and formative chapters of the Savatage story.
Given the rising popularity of grunge and a more mainstream friendly version of thrash metal in the early 90's, one would have expected a progressive melodic metal record like
Edge of Thorns to be a mere footnote. But the early 90's were a strange time for rock in America. As the old 80's hair bands faded away, there was a brief gap in time before the new status quo began to gel and take shape. It was a gap that Dream Theater, a band otherwise very much at odds with what was becoming popular in the 90's, was able to exploit, and gain a large degree of mainstream success and recognition. And so too, did Savatage. Fulled by the lead single of the title track,
Edge of Thorns would propel the band to the height of their commercial success in their home country. Bringing on Zak Stevens had paid off, and the band appeared poised to bring their unique form of progressive metal to the masses...
… But a mere six months after the album was released, Criss Oliva was killed by a drunk driver in a car crash, and the entire world of Savatage collapsed beneath their feet. When Criss died, so did the promotion for
Edge of Thorns. Any plans for further touring were scrapped as the band was sank deep into grief after the loss of their bandmate and brother. Savatage effectively ceased to exist as the various band members disappeared into mourning, their future uncertain. As for Jon Oliva himself, he had a nervous breakdown, one from which he was only able to recover by coping with the loss of Criss the best way he and Paul knew of; taking their pain and turning it into new music. The ultimate future of Savatage, if their would even be a Savatage, still remained uncertain, but Jon and Paul were committed to making at least one more record. Only time would tell if Savatage could carry on in the wake of such a loss.
In retrospect, however, the death of Criss Oliva was probably the single most crucial factor that prevented Savatage from attaining the vast amounts of commercial success they had for so long coveted. The tragedy derailed the band at a moment when their popularity was growing, but still tenuous, particularly in America. How much bigger Savatage could have become in the States will never be known, because by the time they had sorted themselves out from the loss of Criss and released another album, the musical tastes of America had changed and Savatage's brief window of opportunity had begun to close. Jon and Paul would be forced to forge ahead in a race against time to rally together a new band as Savatage entered it's third, and final, major phase...
Topic: The Savatage Discography - Result and cause... (Read 37357 times)
