Metal Reviews

Any fans?

Dead Winter Dead is probably among my top ten albums of all time, and The Wake Of Magellan is awesome too! Streets I find good, but not as good as the aforementioned.

Are you kidding? You walk amongst fanboys! Savatage rule, each album is excellent, except for maybe Power Of The Night and Fight For The Rock, which are both good, but somewhat cheesy.

Awesome band indeed. And most that is tied to Savatage rules, as well. Circle II Circle, Jon Oliva's Pain, Doctor Butcher, Chris Caffrey's solo stuff, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra: all great stuff.

TSO is awesome.

I'm sorry, I didn't know you were all fans here! I mean, to me there seemed to be a lack of Savatage mentioning around, so I just assumed... but whatever.
the cds i can buy next are Gutter Ballet or Poets and Madmen, which would you recommend?

One of my favorite bands of all time, albums in order of best to worst, based on my opinion.

1. Hall of The Mountain King
2. Poets & Madmen
3. Gutter Ballet
4. Streets - A Rock Opera
5. The Dungeons Are Calling
6. Edge of Thorns
7. Dead Winter Dead
8. Handful of Rain
9. The Wake of Magellan
10. Sirens
11. Power of The Night
12. Fight For The Rock

Obviously its my opinion that Jon Oliva is a far far far far far greater vocalist than Zak Stevens. Though, I do like Stevens, I find I have to be in the mood for him, he has a kind of "Im bored" quality to him.

As much as I love Jon Oliva's Pain (I really do!) I would much rather have another Savatage record. As Im sure almost any Sava/Oliva fan does.

Anyways, you really cant go wrong with any album by this band, except of course with Fight For The Rock, but even that has a couple decent tracks.

Well, Savatage have been out of the spotlight for a while with all the solo projects and stuff, so there's nothing much to discuss, you know?

As for which to buy next, I don't know. Each album is great, but Gutter Ballet has that classic 80's Savatage sound with only hints of the most recent stuff. Poets And Madmen has hints of the classic sound—mainly due to Jon Oliva once again doing all the vocals—but it's more like the Wake Of Magellan/Dead Winter Dead style. It all depends on which era you like best.

Jon is a much better vocalist today than he was back then. I find myself cringing sometimes while listening to the older stuff. His clean vocals have always been excellent, but he's really harsh when he gets heavy, and on the early albums with the thin production his vocals just grate on me sometimes. He sounds awesome on Poets And Madmen, though. Zak is always awesome, however, but so different you can hardly compare.


It's a good album, but different.

I LOVE Dead Winter Dead. SO i gues it's Poets and Madmen for me.

Yeah, I dont understand when I read constantly over the net that Jon just doesnt have "it" anymore. Everything Ive heard him sing on from 1995 (2 songs on Dead Winter Dead and Doctor Butcher) until now, Maniacal Renderings material, he just sounds like a whole new man, a better and stronger voice with more emotion. Though, my favorite album is Hall of The Mountain King.. I think I would just love to hear a re-recording of the whole album.

And yeah, I dont think FFTR is terrible by any means, but it is VERY clear what the record company wanted of them.. But even mainstream Oliva is good to these ears.

Yeah, with modern production! Man, that would rule!


Right. Even the band admits this. No big deal.

Myself being so TRVE and Elitest haven't heard anything past Street or maybe Gutter Ballet but all of the their old shit is cool. Hall of the Mountain King, Sirens, Dungeons are calling, for sure true US Heavy Metal. Fight for the Rock was their attempt to be Keel or some shit but like Ken says even it isn't to bad if you like 80's metal.

Strange Wings is my all time fave songs of theirs, shit now I have to find that CD and crank it up. 24 hours ago is bad assed too.

You won't be disappointed. Poets is my fave Savatage and one of my staples of late night drunken headbangin'. The riffs on this album are Godly, and the production is one of their best. Enjoy!

You should check out some of the newer shit, dude. It's not classic heavy metal, but it's still excellent. Edge Of Thorns or Poets And Madmen being the closest to that classic sound. Plus, Poets And Madmen has "Morphine Child," which is like in the top 5 of best Savatage songs ever written!!

Nah, I have heard bad shit about Poets and Madman from Terrorizer and other places so I think I will pass, some bands, they were just made to stay in the 80's and I prefer to hear their shit from that time frame.......

You're a fag.

Savatage are not one of these bands. Yes, the older stuff is incredible (my first Savatage was The dungeons are calling and my all-times favourite is Gutter Ballet, followeb by Streets), but it's a band that maintains an excellent form and it's a pleasure to have all their studio albums, including the mediocre Fight for the rock.

Frigid, If you love Dead Winter Dead, try Poets & Madmen or Edge Of Thorns.

Poets and Madmen is a great album. Maybe one of their best. Check out songs like Morphine Child, Awaken, and There in the Silence. Hall of the Moutnain King is my favorite Savatage album as well, and I love Poets and Madmen. Jon sounds as good as he ever has on the whole album.

I've heard about this band but never actually listened to their music. You guys probably can tell me which album is good to start with ?

Why am I a fag? I don't need every album by every band, I am pretty select about what I buy and only buy a few CD's a month. Just too much other stuff out to be buying up back catalogues from bands I only need 1 or 2 albums by. Sorry if that upsets the Savatage fan club. I could just download them all.......

You claim to not have heard anything past Gutter Ballet, and then you say that some bands are better left in the 80's! What the hell is wrong with you? You're saying you haven't heard five Savatage albums, three Trans-Siberian Orchestra albums, one Doctor Butcher album, two Chris Caffery albums and two EPs, three Cicle II Circle albums and two EPs, and two Jon Oliva's Pain albums and one EP, yet these albums are no good, right?

Come on, dude. Talk shit elsewhere.

uh-oh, I see an Eyesore vs Leee flamewar/discussion/debate evolving...


btw, are all those other bands you mentioned by Savatage members? dams, I've gotta check 'em out!