Jon Oliva's Pain
Maniacal Renderings

When something dear to us disappears, we tend to replace it with something similar, something that partly reminds us of the appearance, the characteristics of what we have just lost. It's a funny, strange behavior; some call it obsessive. There are thousands of examples, first and foremost movies. How many of us, after finishing a movie of any genre, ask ourselves "Hey, it would be nice if a sequel came out!" And once the next episode is released, we demand another one, and then another. We can't give up the idea of seeing that something end; we don't want what has stirred in us diverse emotions and affection to have an end.

In the music field, it's more or less the same thing. We read the news of a band breaking up, and over the years we keep thinking about when the reunion will happen or when one of the members will start a solo career. In the first case, reunions are almost never as they are portrayed, namely amiable and peaceful collaborations between current members and ex-members of the band for a few years of collaboration to make fans happy. No, in that case, it's not about the fans but the happiness of the bank account. In the second case, a solo project is what most closely aligns with our hope of hearing the typical sound of the band we used to listen to. Of course, it will be impossible to recreate those atmospheres that made us fall in love over the years, but it will still be something that comes close and can momentarily halt our insatiable desire to hear releases that have those now-past musical features and characteristics.

This discussion perfectly aligns with a band like Savatage, a group recognized for its immense talent and for composing albums of rare elegance mixed with power, ranging from more direct Heavy Metal (Hall Of The Mountain King) to true and breathtaking concepts (Streets, The Wake Of Magellan, Dead Winter Dead). Needless to say, the true soul of this group is, and will forever be, Jon Oliva, who after the disbandment of Savatage at the end of 2002 decided to give life to his solo project, titled Jon Oliva's Pain, which joined the already formed Circle II Circle founded by Zachary Stevens, and the Trans Siberian Orchestra.

After the release of the debut album "Tage 'Mahal" (2004), Jon Oliva didn't take a moment's rest and released "Maniacal Renderings" (2006) not even two years later. It must be said, before analyzing the songs, that many of the tracks were written by Jon together with his late brother Criss in the early '90s, shortly before the latter's death in '93. With this album, Jon Oliva's Pain aimed both to give a definitive maturity to the musical style and to gain greater record label attention, and for this reason, shortly after the release of "Tage 'Mahal", they ended their collaboration with Steamhammer and signed a contract with AFM Records, which gave "Maniacal Renderings" both more publicity and promotion.

Echoes of old Savatage tracks resonate, as can be heard in "Through The Eyes Of The King", similar in every respect to the Titletrack of "Hall of The Mountain King" (1987), as well as the fast "Push It To The Limit" which reprises the chorus from "White Witch". From the first listen, it becomes apparent the influences of Savatage that Oliva reprises, especially from the earliest albums of the latter. However, they manage to stand out as great songs like "Who's Playing God?", which plays on melodic refrains and catchier verses together with supporting choirs. And if Oliva's strong point has always been the piano, this plays an essential role in "The Evil Beside You" and "Time To Die", where the leader's powerful and raspy voice (who said that in "Poets And Madmen" (2001) his voice had disappeared?) has a primary role. "The Answer", which for many might just be the usual and unnecessary ballad, represents an absolutely splendid piece, full of emotion and passion as few can do, and Jon Oliva is certainly one of them. However, "Still I Pray For You Now", with the leader's voice accompanied by an acoustic guitar, seems slightly predictable from the start and is probably the weakest song on this LP.

Therefore, an album more than sufficient, but which has countless influences from Savatage, which personally I don't find a downside, as long as they are well disguised. When instead they are forced, as in the first two pieces I listed, the result isn't the best. Except for that, what we find in "Maniacal Renderings" is neither more nor less than what we could ask of the old Jon. Demanding a masterpiece like those Savatage have given us over the years would be foolish, but this group succeeds in its intent, namely satisfying quite a few nostalgic fans by adding talent and boundless class. Wherever Jon Oliva touches, something good always comes out.