Metal Reviews

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Excellent album, although right now it doesn't top the overall metalness (no pun intended, forum-dweller-of-that-title) of Manical Renderings. Firefly and Adding The Cost are massively awesome. Did an interview with Jon a while back, gotta try and get it up here quickly.

Looks to be great times for Sava-alumni this year. The new Circle II Circle album kicks massive booty and I hear the stars are finally alligning for TSO and the Night Castle. More on that from Jon himself...

ugh - another MONTH before this comes out in the States....

"Stories" is one of the best Oliva tunes I've ever heard. But I think this one, like the last one, has a few too many mellow tunes.

I was really excited for this album and then heard the samples and was a little underwhelmed and then I heard the album and now its my favorite JOP album. It might just be because it sounds fresh and with time I will like it less, who knows.

Walk Upon The Water, Before I Hang, Master (brings Doctor Butcher to mind with the distorted vocals, very awesome), Firefly, and Stories are some of the best songs Jon has ever wrote. For the 3rd release in a row its possible JOP will have released my favorite album of the year.

The new Circle II Circle is awesome as well. If Chris Caffrey's upcoming album is that good, nearly the entire Sava crew will have put out some of the best music in 2008. Pretty cool.

yeah yeah the album was great...circle II cirlce its gonna be great as well tso the same caffery's album probably the same...but all these albums mean almost nothing to me...i want a savatage album!!!!they are my favorite band of all time and its annoying watching all the band members releasing albums.BRING SAVATAGE BACK!!!

So a name is more important to you?

I think the 3 JOP albums have been better than a bunch of the Savatage albums and would rank up with the best Savatage has to offer.

In a perfect world Savatage would still be an active band and be releasing music as strong as these past JOP albums, but its not and JOP is really just as good and so alike in many ways that personally it doesn't matter to me anymore. As long as Jon is writing and singing in a metal band thats all I need.

Jon says JOP is Savatage. I mentioned this elsewhere, but someone said to me a while back that they think Paul O'Neill owns the rights to the Savatage name. That makes total sense considering that Jon acts like he can't do another Savatage album, and says that JOP is Savatage. Moreover, Jon was worked with Circle II Circle and Caffrey on their solo stuff. So it's not like these guys just aren't interested in making music together. Something is preventing them from doing Savatage.

And maybe O'Neill is just too busy with TSO to give Savatage the necessary time. Who knows.

Once I get my interview with Jon up here, these issues should be at least slightly clarified. What I can spoil before the whole thing is up for grabs is that Oliva does not consider JOP to be the morphed version of Savatage. But back to this once the interview comes.

its not the name that is important mate its the chemistry...

Why would that guy have any rights on Savatage? He was never a member.

Depending on your taste, lets say, generally speaking, the best Savatage (Jon Oliva voiced only) albums are either: Hall of the Mountain King, Gutter Ballet or Streets. Now then -- you're saying that the 3 JOP albums are on PAR with those? Absolutely no f-ing way!!!

Never an official member, but he still had his hands in everything.

Thats exactly what I'm saying.

I don't even think you can compare them. JOP is nothing like early Savatage. They're more like the Stevens-era of the band, but with Jon singing.

If you're referring to me at all, I only meant music quality wise were they on par.

Oh, right on. Then I fully agree. Well, mostly. I actually don't think Streets is that good of an album. I think it's one of their worst and very overrated.