Artist: Savatage
Label: Nuclear Blast
Release Date: 4/17/01
|
|
Title: Poets and Madmen Artist: Savatage Label: Nuclear Blast Release Date: 4/17/01 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
|
4 | ||
|
5 | ||
|
5 | ||
|
|
Go to Reader Reviews | ||
Abyss's Review:
I know what you’re thinking, “Here comes Abyss ready to slam another band just because they’re a little progressive. Man, he just doesn’t get it.” Well, I must admit, I don’t really get progressive music all that much. I find that most bands put much more emphasis on musicality rather than on songwriting, so I guess I just have a different set of priorities. Anyway, to the nitty-gritty... So how does Savatage stack up? Pretty damn good if you ask me. While this album is far from their most ambitious work, it has a steady thickness that I find altogether pleasant. Now I know all you prog-heads out there think that if I like it, it must suck, but don’t worry- the boys have put a lot of great licks to keep your air-guitaring chops up to par. Where this album succeeds where others in the genre fail is that it has heart. Something odd for a band that’s had as many line-up changes as Menudo. Perhaps it’s because of the unfortunate tragedies this band has had to endure, but the end result is clear: this album has more to offer than impressive guitar work.
"Now I know all you prog-heads out there think that if I like it, it must suck, but don’t worry- the boys have put a lot of great licks to keep your air-guitaring chops up to par." So who is in the band now? I can’t keep up, so don’t ask me. Jon Oliva has taken over the vocals for the album (I believe they have gotten another singer for touring purposes) and does the same competent job he has in the past. The guitar work is spectacular, as always, and pushed a bit more to the forefront than on some of their other work. This gives it a heavier attitude than I usually associate them with. They still borrow handedly from Zep and Queen, but the overall effect is much rawer.
Now while I don’t find this album perfect (songs like “I Seek Power” and parts of “Awaken” make me hit fast forward faster than an anxious porn fan), the majority of these songs move forward at a brisk pace and are relatively catchy. “Morphine Child”, “Surrender” and “Commissar” are a couple of early favorites, but the whole album clicks, and best of all, seems to get stronger as it goes along.
"A band that’s had as many line-up changes as Menudo." So if you’re a fan, it’s all good. And if you’ve ever been curious about this band, but their reputation scared you away, this is a good disc to get acquainted with.
Death's Review:
Stop the presses! Jon Oliva is back fronting Savatage as the band's only vocalist! Well, for one brief moment in time in 2000-01 he was. Now new vocalist Damond Jiniya has joined the band (along with second guitarist Jack Frost), and who knows who is going to be singing what on tour. Chances are Jon Oliva will take a step back once again. So, although no true successor to the glory days of Gutter Ballet, Streets and Hall of the Mountain King is probably ever really possible after the death of Criss Oliva in October of 1993 (Jon Oliva did not participate in Criss' last album, Edge of Thorns), this is, in my opinion, as good as it is going to get. So the bottom line on Poets and Madmen is that it is a heavier (to distinguish the band from Trans-Siberian Orchestra) Savatage concept album, released on Nuclear Blast, no less, with the lineup of Jon Oliva on vocals and keyboards, Chris Caffery on guitar, Jonny Lee Middleton on bass and Jeff Plate on the drums. This is as close to a core Savatage lineup as we've seen in a decade, and the result sounds excellent. Long-time fans should rejoice.
Of course, Poets and Madmen stands apart from its history as an independently worthy effort. Oliva's voice is raw and aggressive yet full of its trademark charisma. The vocals on songs like "I Seek Power" and "Awaken" sound the most like the classic Hall or Sirens -era traditional headbanging songs we all remember Savatage pulling off so creatively a decade-plus ago. And yes, his voice still ranges from whisper-soft piano interludes to the unbridled metal maniac of "Awaken" or "I Seek" to the solitary high-pitched "Ahh!," once Oliva's vocal trademark which re-appears for a brief second on this record. Check out the brilliant "Man in the Mirror" (a song that sounds a lot like something that could have been on Streets) for example. Jon drifts from introspective classic rock piano balladeering to screaming distortion ripping, metal heaviness and creating an awesome dynamic. The effect is outstanding, and immediately confirms the value of this 21st Century version of the Oliva-led 'Tage. Of course, one of the most vocally prominent feature of Poets and Madmen is the use of the counterpoint vocals (think Queen) and "round" -style patterns on "Morphine Child," as Savatage previously did on "Chance" from Handful of Rain. And that is not even necessarily the best part of the awesome "Morphine," which in addition displays some killer Chris Caffery guitar work and a wild "progressive metal" instrumentation, arrangement and feel. It smokes, and seems to have quickly become a favorite track of many.
"Jon drifts from introspective classic rock piano balladeering to screaming distortion ripping, metal heaviness and creating an awesome dynamic." So now we've spoken of the Madman, Mr. Oliva, yet thus far have neglected the Poet, Savatage producer/writer Mr. Paul O'Neill. This record is, once again, a concept record and is symbolic and deeply layered yet possesses obvious literal and general emotional themes. There is much to discover on Poets and Madmen for those willing to dig deep enough into the story and the lyrics, which after about ten to twelve full listens to the album, I'm only now just beginning to fully appreciate.
This wonderful package is even capped off with a bonus track, "Shotgun Innocence," featuring Criss Oliva on guitar and Zach Stevens on vocals. An early nineties AOR-friendly number that actually is pretty cool, this track is the last thing Criss Oliva ever recorded. A worthy addition to the best Savatage album since Streets.
"The best Savatage album since Streets." My only dillemna? What to score it. On the one hand, this is probably only the fourth best Savatage album, after (1) Streets; (2) Gutter Ballet; and (3) Hall of the Mountain King (I'll give #5 to Sirens). On the other, Poets and Madmen is a complex work of heavy metal art which I surely am only just beginning to comprehend. And all of the albums I'm calling "better" than Poets are certifiable classics. So I'll go the extra mile and give this 5 Skulls, hoping that I'll be glad I did after seeing the songs performed live at L'Amours Sunday night.
Hel's Review:
Back in the day, beginning around the time of Gutter Ballet, and continuing through the reign of Streets, Savatage was my second favorite band in the world, vying closely with Overkill for that honor. You can read about my personal saga in my classic review, so I will skip the painful details here. The bottom line, no other singer could possibly be Jon Oliva, and I was never able to truly embrace any album on which he didn't do all the vocals. Selfish, I know, but that's the way these things go.
So here we are, 2001, and the very first album with only and all Jon singing is released for the first time since Streets. How do I feel about it? I fucking love it! The musicianship is exactly on par quality-wise as always - that is to say, amazing - and far heavier than in recent days. The songwriting is as brilliant as you would expect, and there is an overall energy which I found to also be missing from some of the newer material. The performance of Jon is as we all remember: gritty, impassioned, and characterized by his unique ability to act out each of the various roles with his voice.
"I had given up hope of ever having a return to glory of the Oliva brothers' day, and while the gap left behind by Criss can never truly be filled, I now have proof that the Savatage I always adored still lives. What more can you ask for from an album?" Now that I have had the opportunity to hear him sing on more that the occasional track, I am better able to understand the rationale behind hiring other singers in the past. I've had my share of vocal training over the years, and it is easy to hear the difference in his voice. It is obvious to me now that his cords are shot, and he could not realistically carry the burden of full-time lead singer on tour. In the future, I promise to make more of an effort to appreciate the new vocalist, and content myself with whatever Jon is able to pull off live.
In a perfect world, all future Savatage releases will be like this, with Jon carrying full vocal duties in the studio and the other guy carrying the majority of the vocal load live. Under our current circumstance, I think I can live with that. I had given up hope of ever having a return to glory of the Oliva brothers' day, and while the gap left behind by Criss can never truly be filled, I now have proof that the Savatage I always adored still lives. What more can you ask for from an album?
I know I have left a lot out of this review, like the story, and the various nuances of past albums the crop up in that self-reflective writing style that I so love. The reality is that I can never do justice to these things in words, and in fact, although I have been listening to Poets & Madmen obsessively for a couple of weeks now, I have not fully absorbed it, and certainly not to the extent to which I feel I can analytically dissect it. Besides, this is the kind of thing every Sava-fan should do for themselves. I will tell you that my favorite songs are "I Feel Power" and "Morphine Child", otherwise, you're on your own. Trust me, it's a worthwhile journey for all fans, both new and old.
[- Metal Judgment Home -] [- Email Metal Judgment -]
©1999 Metal Judgment. All rights reserved.