The Savatage Thread

[MirrorMask]

Savatage is one of my biggest regrets. They did come to Italy before being inactive, but I didn't know them, and they took part in a festival that, even though was held in June, was in an indoor venue, with two stages, being both overcrowded and overheated.

So what did I do when a band I didn't know, Savatage, was playing? what seemed the only logical solution, go outside and take some time off before going back inside for the headliners (Judas Priest). I should have stayed inside and be amazed by their songs and discover them in time to see them in 2002 (the festival was in 2001), but I became a fan only after that. Shame, I wish I would have discovered them a bit earlier.

Small consolation, I saw Circle II Circle (In a tour package with Savage Circus and a couple of other bands I forgot, in an empty small venue) and Jon Oliva for the Hall of the Mountain King 25th anniversary. He played of course the whole album, a lot of Savatage classics, started with Gutter Ballet and ended with Believe as an encore. To quote Meat Loaf, not a dry eye in the house on that song. There was a very quick meet n' greet after the show, just the time for a quick photo, and Jon recognized me from the front row, that was great, that he noticed my enthusiasm and me singing along to everything 

[The Dark Master]

My experience with just missing out on Savatage is similar.  I got into them shortly after Poets and Madmen had come out and had just missed their shows in the Chicago/Milwaukee area.  I remember thinking that it probably wasn't that big of a deal, as I would just catch them on their next tour... 

I have seen TSO many times live, with the highlight being their Beethoven's Last Night tour in 2012.  In addition to playing my favorite TSO album from top to bottom, they included "Chance" in the encore.  The true gem of my Savatage live experiences though probably has to be Jon Oliva's Storytellers Tour in 2013.  He only played 6 shows on that tour, with one of them being in Joliet just outside of Chicago.  It took my wife and I 3 hours of driving through a horrible blizzard to get there, but I can honestly say it was completely worth it.  He played a wide selection of Savatage material from the 1983-1994 era of the band (including a rare performance of "Lady in Disguise" from Fight for the Rock ), as well as some JOP/solo songs.  I really wish I had taken the opportunity to hang out and talk to him after the show, but unfortunately with the weather being so bad my wife and I were anxious to get home.  Hopefully I will have another chance to see him again in a more casual, intimate setting, where I might be able to ask him a few questions after the show.

[DT89]

UPDATE: I've finished transcribing the entire studio album discography! Total of 140 songs.

Bonus songs: The Message, This Is Where You Should Be, Jesus Saves (Original Version), Stay, Forever After, Shotgun Innocence, Post Script, Voyage

Also, a friend of Jon Oliva's has told Jon about my project and we're trying to figure out how to go about releasing the transcriptions. Something will happen eventually!

[Samsara]

Congrats! VERY cool. So much work!

[MirrorMask]

Congratulations!!!

[wolfking]

UPDATE: I've finished transcribing the entire studio album discography! Total of 134 songs. The only omission is the Sirens version of Out On The Streets. I decided to stick with the FFTR version of the song which has a more concise arrangement and tighter solo.

Bonus songs: Forever After, Shotgun Innocence, Post Script

Also, a friend of Jon Oliva's has told Jon about my project and we're trying to figure out how to go about releasing the transcriptions. Something will happen eventually!

Well done.

[jjrock88]

Great job!

[DT89]

Thanks everybody!  I ended up finishing both versions of Out On The Streets, as well as some extra bonus songs.  I've updated my previous post.  When I started this project almost a year ago, I never would have thought I'd get this far.  The more I plugged away, the more I realized how wrong the existing tabs were, and the band's catalog has never been done justice.  I'm very proud of this accomplishment and can't wait to share the transcriptions with fans all over the world.  There's no real timetable yet for their release, as I'm still waiting to hear more from Jon Oliva, but I can promise that they will see the light of day one way or another!

[Mister Gold]

Listening to The Wake of Magellan for the first time in ages, as that was always the one Zak Stevens-era 'Tage album I couldn't get into... and I'm kind of in awe of it right now. It sounds nothing like how I remember it sounding to me a good five or six years ago!

Definitely my new favorite of the non-Criss 'Tage albums and it's probably also vying for that top spot against HotMK and EoT now.

[DT89]

For anyone interested in my transcription project, please email me at maytropolees@comcast.net

Thanks!

[DT89]

Here are my newest videos breaking down some classic Criss Oliva licks:

https://youtu.be/ZxNNmQGtHpk

https://youtu.be/xLRgtJUNWss

I also just finished transcribing the Doctor Butcher album, send me an email if you're interested!

[MirrorMask]

Today is a heavy anniversary for Savatage: 25 years (a quarter of century) ago, Criss Oliva was killed in a car accident.

Let's remember and praise such a great guitarist who left us such amazing music 

[Grappler]

I haven't listened to Savatage in ages.  Now cranking this awesome live record.....

[goo-goo]

I've been in Savatage binge this past week.

Anybody have the Savatage boxset and willing to sell it?

[wolfking]

Today is a heavy anniversary for Savatage: 25 years (a quarter of century) ago, Criss Oliva was killed in a car accident.

Let's remember and praise such a great guitarist who left us such amazing music 

RIP Criss.  One of the most brilliant and underrated guitarists in history.

[Grappler]

TSO tour kicked off last night...

Zak Stevens absolutely crushes this version of Chance.  I'm so glad to see that they're playing this song during the Christmas tour.  They did it on the BLN spring tour a handful of years ago, but I don't know if it had ever made it into the winter setlist before.   

As much as it sucks to have lost Paul O'Neill, maybe they'll now have more of an opportunity to sneak a few Savatage songs into the tours.  At least the songs that work well and sound like TSO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZKgrsof-UY

[Samsara]

I never get to see Zak because he does the East. Sucks.

I love JSS and all, but...

[T-ski]

wished they would have played that last year when I saw them in Milwaukee.  Oh well.

[As I Am]

TSO tour kicked off last night...

Zak Stevens absolutely crushes this version of Chance.  I'm so glad to see that they're playing this song during the Christmas tour.  They did it on the BLN spring tour a handful of years ago, but I don't know if it had ever made it into the winter setlist before.   

As much as it sucks to have lost Paul O'Neill, maybe they'll now have more of an opportunity to sneak a few Savatage songs into the tours.  At least the songs that work well and sound like TSO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZKgrsof-UY

Since there is very little chance of a "Savatage" tour since it wouldn't be a money maker, I'd love to see a TSO tour billed as "Trans-Siberian Orchestra playing the music of Savatage"! Probably could do well in theaters and small arena's.

[MirrorMask]

TSO winter tour are basically a US reality, and if they head over to Europe, it's mainly shows in Germany. So forgive me for being selfish but I want more albums, the Romanov thing and the Gutter Ballet stuff, Paul O' Neill's passing left a huge question mark on these projects but Jon Oliva is still around and I  hope he brings these projects to light!

[jjrock88]

If TSO would have used Zak as their main singer on the studio albums from the beginning, I would like the band way more than I do.  I've seen the band a couple times live and the live shows blow the studio albums out of the water IMO.  But if Zak would have been used in the studio, it would have made a big difference for me listening to the band.

[The Dark Master]

I haven't seen TSO in a couple of years.  Both my wife and I huge fans, but for us the winter tour setlists have grown a bit stale.  I still have yet to see Zak perform in TSO, and this would be a great opportunity to do so.  Since I'll see them in Chicago or Milwaukee, it's a bit of a crap-shoot as to which version of TSO we get, but if I miss out on Zak... well I think Russell Allen is touring with TSO West, and that man never disappoints live.

Personally, the Beethoven's Last Night show I saw in 2012 was the highlight of my TSO experiences.  Not only is that my favorite album by them, but hearing them play "Chance" in the encore was a real treat.  It's a shame Zak wasn't touring with them at the time, but seeing Caffery, Pitrelli, Middleton and Plate all on stage together playing a Savatage classic is still the closest I have seen to seeing the actual band live.

Jeff Plate gave an interview recently and talked a bit about why things around Savatage have stayed quiet since Wacken 2015.  You can read more here: https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/trans-siberian-orchestra-drummer-says-he-would-really-love-to-see-savatage-reunite/ but it is pretty much what I thought it would be; there was talk of doing something Savatage related after the 2015 TSO winter tour but Jon's stroke in 2016 and Paul's passing in 2017 basically put that on hold.  That being said, I would still give anything to see TSO do a non-Christmas Savatage tour with all six members of the Dead Winter Dead/Wake of Magellan lineup.  There are just so many great songs in the Savatage catalog that could be used to spice up TSO setlists and through all the Savatage fans a bone or two.

As for Romanov, Gutter Ballet II and Running with the Passion of the Fairytale Moon , I'm sure those albums will see the light of day.  As I understand it, they were fully written well before Paul's death, and all were at various stages of recording.  It's just a matter of the band finding the time between tours to finish them up in the studio and get them released.  When that will happen, I have no idea; it's already been 3 years since Letters from the Labyrinth, but I'm sure they'll complete those records, if for no other reason then the fact Paul would have wanted them to.

[SoundscapeMN]

a TSO plays 'Tage show would be awesome, I wonder though if it would be a 1-off.

[Grappler]

I haven't seen TSO in a couple of years.  Both my wife and I huge fans, but for us the winter tour setlists have grown a bit stale.  I still have yet to see Zak perform in TSO, and this would be a great opportunity to do so.  Since I'll see them in Chicago or Milwaukee, it's a bit of a crap-shoot as to which version of TSO we get, but if I miss out on Zak... well I think Russell Allen is touring with TSO West, and that man never disappoints live.

Chicago and Milwaukee might both get TSO West.  The same days of each show, the other touring group is in Cleveland or Pittsburgh.   

Both Zak and Russell are with TSO East.  Jeff Scott Soto is usually with the West group.  I think Mats Leven (ex-Candlemass) is with the West group as well. 

[DT89]

Savatage is just one of many topics discussed, but I recently did an interview for a friend's website: Interview link  We discussed my Savatage guitar transcription project, some of my other projects, guitar playing, etc.  Hope you guys enjoy it!

He also wrote an article specifically on Savatage & TSO a while back: Savatage article

[SoundscapeMN]

not new, but this is a very cool live acoustic version of "Chance" from Zak's band Circle II Circle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEl8Lq8dmeE

[Grappler]

Killer cover of Chance:  https://youtu.be/82wrBg39TSs

Joseph Michael (Witherfall, Sanctuary), Van Williams (Nevermore), Joey Conception (Sanctuary) and more!

[SoundscapeMN]

^nice!

also there was a Reaction to Chance on Youtube the other day from the Enoma channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDrOoFbEHYI&t=1s

[Grappler]

Zak's killing it with his new band, Archon Angel, on 70,000 Tons of Metal right now.  I'm so glad to see them play a lot of these Savatage songs: 


Hall of the Mountain King:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDqtNvMFO4I

Taunting Cobras:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmBwts4NQj0

Edge of Thorns:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fk2fJO_pks

Damien:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_X5pHMcrT0


I'd read that they at least rehearsed Power of the Night as well.  I really hope to see video of that tune show up soon!   

[MirrorMask]

I don't see the point of him singing Jon Oliva's songs, but who cares, the more the Savatage name gets kept around and alive for younger fans, the better 

[Grappler]

Zak did sing some of Jon's songs when he was in Savatage - he sang Hall of the Mountain King on Japan Live '94.  Jon's not out there playing these songs anymore with his own band, so I'm glad that these guys are. 

[ProfessorPeart]

Had no idea Zak had a new album coming out. Adding to my list to pickup. Thanks!

Wish Jon would come out of hiding and tell us something. I know he was planning on more music until his guitarist died along with Paul's death. Would at least like to hear that he is doing well, if nothing else.

[MirrorMask]

Doing well is the most important part, since he suffered a mild stroke from which I understand he recovered. I fear that this ended his touring days, since he was on record anyway saying that he was tired of concerts and I remember a passage where he said "I don't want to do like Lemmy and tour until I'm 70" (this was shortly before he passed away). As far as new music, I remember too reading somewhere sometime he was working on new stuff, let's hope we'll hear something, either from himself or through TSO!

[wolfking]

Fucking hell, he had a stroke.   

I'm looking forward to this new album.

[Mister Gold]

Doing well is the most important part, since he suffered a mild stroke from which I understand he recovered. I fear that this ended his touring days, since he was on record anyway saying that he was tired of concerts and I remember a passage where he said "I don't want to do like Lemmy and tour until I'm 70" (this was shortly before he passed away). As far as new music, I remember too reading somewhere sometime he was working on new stuff, let's hope we'll hear something, either from himself or through TSO!

Been on a Savatage binge again lately, so I figured I'd check in this thread to see if there'd be any updates... had NOT heard about this. God, that sucks to hear. All things considered, I agree, that stroke probably cemented any chance of ever catching Jon live again, or 'Tage at all for that matter. Though I suppose the latter was already a long shot now with Paul having been dead for a few years now.

I'm glad to hear that Zak is at least keeping things going with his new band and representing both eras of 'Tage live. Or at least, he was before the pandemic happened. Listening to a song from the new band now, I dig it.