Artist: Savatage
Label: Atlantic
Release Date: 1991
Rating: 5 Skulls
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Title: Streets: A Rock Opera Artist: Savatage Label: Atlantic Release Date: 1991
Rating: 5 Skulls |
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Death's Review:
Savatage's Streets: A Rock Opera is probably one of the most underrated albums of all-time. To me, Streets is a classic of the highest order. Catchy, Savatage-style traditional heavy/power metal with ballads and pianos is the sound, as opposed to the pre-Hall of the Mountain King rawer more aggressive metal and the later-year progressive-styled and more classically-oriented material like Dead Winter Dead. Historically, Savatage has seen numerous lineup changes, and so Streets is significant alone for the reason that it was the last Savatage record to feature the full-participation of both Criss and Jon Oliva. Vocalist Jon Oliva left Savatage after the release of Streets, and although he has remained involved with Savatage and has since rejoined the band as a full-member, guitarist Criss was killed in an auto accident after the next album, Edge Of Thorns. But this also marked the pinnacle of the original wave of the Paul O'Neil/Jon Oliva rock opera, sort of the conceptual successor to the song "When the Crowds Are Gone," from the Gutter Ballet record.The connection is made literal in a selection of lyrics in climax to Streets, the ballad "Believe," which quotes directly from the ending of "Crowds" (and on the next album, there was a passage that in turn quoted from "Believe"). It is this kind of attention to detail, taken to a grandiose scale, with fulfilling and engaging lyrics and overall conceptual story, with multi-layered symbolism and self-referential awareness, is impressive and can inspire thought. The emotion and vulnerability Oliva brings to O'Neil's tale, is a classic recorded moment. Oliva then alternates the softer side with the metallic aggression of his signature snarl with great dramatic effect throughout the record.
The lyrics, a story about a drug-dealing guitar player from New York's lower east side who makes it big and then lets his addictions get the better of him, falling from grace and down on his luck but clean and sober and on a comeback when he is involved in the stabbing of his friend and manager and then flees to St. Patrick's cathedral to begin a soul-searching journey through the streets of New York full of existential pimps, old men and hookers and religious - questioning and exploring but never preaching -- overtones at every turn. Lyrical turns of the phrase found in songs like "Tonight He Grins Again," "St. Patrick's" and "Believe" In a word, this is lyrically Savatage's most engaging and complete work.
Musically, it contiains some of their best material too. Ballads such "Believe" and "A Little Too Far" set the stage and provide the requisite emotional weight and dramatic flavoring; killer metal tunes like "Ghost in the Ruins" and "Can You Hear Me Now" feature classic Savatage dark and heavy riffing, reminding you of the connection between this band and the unit that recording "The Dungeons Are Calling". Chris Oliva's guitar work throughout the album is outstanding. In short this is one of metal great overlooked albums. It is the kind of album that if you are bored and you like to find records that you can really delve into the lyrics and explore, you could find used somewhere and spend a rainy Saturday afternoon alone with a good stereo and taking it all in. It is also the kind of album that - if it sticks with you like it does some people - will stick with you for the rest of your life.
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